Jamaica

Synopsis

Ten unruly British teenagers are sent to live with strict families in five different countries in an experiment to find out the right way to bring up a child.

Sam North, 17, from Brighton, and 16-year-old Charlotte Hart from Essex go to Jamaica to live for a week under the Christian regime of the Roses. Mum Sharon is in charge, but Sam refuses to go to church and humiliates her. He's sent to bed early and Charlotte is homesick and in floods of tears. At school Charlotte writes a terrible piece of work but Sam decides to knuckle down. The school call Sharon in to discuss Charlotte. Humiliated again she's devastated. Sharon tries to get under angry Sam's skin and Charlotte's in tears again.

At the weekend it's down to the family farm to toil the soil. The teens realise how little they do at home, and both their attitudes begin to change. Letters from home bring out the tears, as Sam opens up about his troubled background and Charlotte realises how much she takes her mum for granted. The Roses throw a party and heap praise on the teens, hoping they'll change when they return to the UK.

Related Links

• BBC Search+: Jamaica
• BBC News Country Profile: Jamaica (BBC News)

Credits

Director

Kirsty Cunningham

Producer

Kirsty Cunningham

Producer

Sam Whittaker

Broadcasts

1. Thu 25 Sep 2008
   21:00
   BBC Three
2. Thu 25 Sep 2008
   23:45
   BBC Three
3. Sun 28 Sep 2008
   20:00
   BBC Three
4. Mon 29 Sep 2008
   00:50
   BBC Three
5. Wed 1 Oct 2008
   03:45
   BBC Three
6. Thu 22 Jan 2009
   20:00
   BBC Three
7. Fri 23 Jan 2009
   01:15
   BBC Three
8. Mon 2 Feb 2009
   04:10
   BBC Three
9. Wed 29 Apr 2009
   20:00
   BBC Three
10. Thu 30 Apr 2009
    00:15
    BBC Three
11. Fri 1 May 2009
    02:40
    BBC Three
12. Tue 15 Sep 2009
    22:35
    BBC One (except Wales)
13. Tue 15 Sep 2009
    23:35
    BBC One (Wales only)