Welsh Bingo Documentary Arrives on BBC
The small communities of the Welsh valleys are extremely close-knit. For outsiders in big cities, this small-town bond can be hard to understand. It flourishes in the places people choose to meet: The workplace, the pub, and in some instances, in places of entertainment.
A television show that aims to capture the essence of this community connection has been greenlit for a series. Titled “Full House”, the show started as a standalone film. It was BBC Wales’s third highest-watched documentary in 2020 and the BBC were so impressed they commissioned the Wales-based entity of the production company to produce 8 x 30-minute episodes. This production was delayed by the pandemic but now, the full series is here.
Full House
Played against the backdrop of a Tonypandy bingo hall, it concentrates on the lives of the callers and patrons, often with heartwarming results. The popularity of bingo has boomed in recent years. A proven popular pastime in Wales, the switch to online play has only fuelled its appeal. You need only look at the selection of bingo online at Paddy Power to see the range of games available, from different types of slots to varied jackpots. Allowing people to play on their mobile devices has fuelled interest from casual players and has had a knock-on effect on in-person halls.
Full House follows the play throughout the evening and is filmed on a fixed rig. All the trials and tribulations of those trying to win big are included. But the documentary series also takes an intimate look at the lives of the people at the heart of the show.
Personal Stories
One particularly interesting character is AJ, a father. He uses the bingo hall as a way to bond with others, while discussing the trials and tribulations of life.
Another story comes from Debbie and Tina, a married couple who recently set up a successful cleaning business. In the show, Debbie explains how her mother was a serial hoarder whose obsession was responsible for a reduced quality of life in her later years. Her cleaning business was a way of rectifying this.
Tuesday’s Child
The show started broadcasting at the end of September. It was created by Tuesday’s Child, a UK-based independent production company. Specialising in entertainment and factual shows, Tuesday’s Child was founded by Karen Smooth in 2012.
Its first commission was for a show titled “RV Rampage” for the Travel Channel. With an extremely varied back catalogue, including programmes such as “Britain’s Biggest Superyachts”, “My Crazy Christmas Lights” and horror reality shows like “Killer Camp”. However, most viewers would probably know it from the popular “Lego Masters” and music game show “The Hit List”.
It is unknown if the company plans to make more documentaries in Wales. However, the popularity of the show after its first episode suggests a second series could be in the works. With so many different communities and areas waiting to have their stories told, it could be that a goldmine of factual entertainment has been residing in the valleys all along.