The Gogglebox Phenomenon

Gogglebox has been back on our screens for a few weeks now, and with the start of the show’s sixth season, The Indiependent thought it fitting to explore what exactly it is that makes the Channel 4 show so enjoyable and interesting to watch.

For those unfamiliar with the format, watching Gogglebox essentially means sitting and watching other families, couples and friends watching different TV programmes, for an hour. However, watching other people watch TV is a lot more fun than it sounds. Here’s why…

1. Human beings are nosy creatures

I’m sure you’ve caught yourself walking along the street in the evening, peeping into the front room of anyone who has forgotten to draw the curtains – I know I have! Whether you judge what they’ve got on telly, what they’re wearing, or whether or not their settee matches their wallpaper, we’ve all had a good old nosy into a total stranger’s front room.

Gogglebox makes it socially acceptable to invade a stranger’s living room for the evening – the fact there are so many different combinations of people on the show gives us an opportunity to see how people different from ourselves live and see the world. Whether it’s Jenny and Lee in a caravan in East Yorkshire, or Steph and Dom’s front room in Kent (which looks a lot like it’s been lifted right out of Cluedo), it’s eye opening to observe people in their “natural habitat”. It’s a tried and tested format – after all, Big Brother has been going on for years now, and that’s nothing more than glorified people watching.

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