On Sunday night 15^th January, an alleged rape was broadcast live on the current, twelfth season of Big Brother Brazil. Meanwhile, one week later, in the UK Celebrity Big Brother House one housemate pulled down another’s trousers. Both events raise questions about gender, power and reality in contemporary society. Read the full story

Jamie’s Dream School, a UK Reality TV series, records the latest crusade of celebrity chef, “entrepreneur and activist” Jamie Oliver. After his attempts to revamp school dinners and get the nation cooking, Jamie took his next venture back to school. Read the full story

At the start of the new school or academic year, UK broadcaster the BBC, in its wisdom, has decided to present a ‘school season’ in television programmes about the challenges of schooling and, of course, the focus was either gender-blind or specifically about boys! There are 4 programmes – Unequal Opportunities, Excluded, Britain’s Youngest Boarders and Gareth Malone’s Extraordinary school for boys – that bear comment. Read the full story

Earlier this month Big Brother UK came to the end of its 11th and final year on television station Channel 4. I for one will mourn its passing. As a sociologist the chance to observe people talking, cooking, eating, sleeping, drinking and playing games together, making friends and falling out, was compelling. Read the full story