Supernanny "The Dakin Family" (partially found unaired episode from Channel 4 reality television show; 2008)
UK title card
Status: Partially Found
Supernanny is a British reality television programme produced by Ricochet South. it follows Jo Frost devoting each episode helping a family where the parents are struggling with child-rearing. The program aired on Channel 4 and received instant success with multiple adaptations. While majority of the episodes can be seen online, one episode was abruptly cancelled and went unaired for unknown reasons.
Background
The Dakin Family is an unaired episode intended to be the third episode of season five. It was first advertised at the end of The Porter Family, being the next family Jo will visit.[1] The episode was then abruptly cancelled and unaired for unknown reasons, and instead Jo helped The Tomlin Family. The episode remained an obscure mystery until 2018, when a YouTube user uploaded The Porter Family episode, being the first glimpse of the unaired episode. It isn't known what the family's name really is, but it became referred to as The Dakin Family by fans because of an IMDB page of the same name.
Synopsis
“Jo takes on a fire-tempered 8-year-old boy who lashes out violently at his mum and a stroppy girl who throws tantrums and talks back. And mum has had enough. Can Jo get the kids in line and help this single mum or will things come crashing down?”
Theories and Rumors
Because the episode was never aired, fans started to speculate on why the episode never aired. While it's accepted that the episode was possibly unfinished due to scheduling issues, many believed the episode was a complete disaster, resulting in the episode's cancellation. Fans has also spread another theory that the family was another failed family. The theory draws to the most infamous failed family, The Hillhouse-Docherty Family. After their episode aired, The Hillhouse-Docherty's lives were ruined, and they got negative hate online, which many believe the episode was pulled. It is believed that Jo also failed the family as well, and the Channel 4 executives didn't want to go through another incident like The Hillhouse-Docherty, not being aired to protect the family.[2]
Given it's status, lots of rumors were made about the episode, some being the following:
- The mother and son were named “Clare” and “Joel"
- The reason this episode went unaired was the result of Jo snapping, and yelling at the family, even telling the mother to "f*** off!" Before ultimately storming off and leaving the family for good.
- The mother killed her children and received the death penalty. However, this was almost instantly proven false; executions in the UK have not been carried out since the 1960s and were outlawed entirely in 1998. In addition, news articles about this alleged incident would have circulated.
Availability
To this day, Neither Channel 4 or Jo Frost has talked about the episode. None of the family member has also been identified or come out, saying what happened during the episode. Out of the advertisement from the Porter Family episode, no footage of the episode has resurfaced.
Trivia
- This episode was most intended to air before The Tomlin Family, as both episodes have the same release date: October 8th, 2008. Had this episode aired on its intended release date, The Tomlin Family would have aired on October 15th.
- Because this episode was never aired, and the only evidence of its existence was its brief preview, this episode can be considered to be a piece of lost media. It is also one of the few truly lost episodes of Supernanny. Other episodes with this distinction include The Pandit Family, The Young Family (U.K.), The Terrill Family, and The Charles Family.
Footage
See Also
- Supernanny (partially lost original British version of Channel 4 reality television show; 2004-2008)