BBC embroiled in fakery row after experts dismiss Amazon show
A reality TV show following the experiences of two presenters encountering a tribe of Amazonian Indians for the first time has been dismissed by experts as “staged, false, fabricated and distorted.”
Aired by BBC Knowledge in South Africa and by the Travel Channel in the US the show, produced by Cicada Productions, has been scorned by experts who accuse the makers of mistranslating interviews, staging events and fabricating rituals.
Molly & Olly: Living with the Machigenga was debunked by two eminent experts on the tribe; Dr Glenn Shepard, an anthropologist and Ron Snell (who grew up in the village).
Shepard stated that the show had mistranslated interviews to include inaccurate references to sex life in the tribe and an alleged hostile attitude to outsiders.
For his part, Snell points out that he had never heard of the pig dance which was broadcast on the show and described a scene where the pair were forced to sleep outside the village with a psychoactive drink prior to embarking on a pilgrimage as “phony”.
BBC Worldwide said it is investigating the claims.