The Monastery (BBC TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = The Monastery


caption =
show_name_2 =
genre = Documentary
creator =
director = Dollan Cannell
creative_director =
developer =
presenter =
starring =
voices =
narrated = Barbara Flynn
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer = [http://www.rpiproductions.com/home.html RPI Productions]
country = UK
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 4
list_episodes =
executive_producer = John Blake
Charles Brand
co_exec =
producer = Gabe Solomon
Dollan Cannell
supervising_producer =
asst_producer = Elizabeth Stopford
co-producer =
editor = Martin Cooper
story_editor =
location =
cinematography =
camera = Jim Fyans
Steve Plant
Gabe Solomon
Dollan Cannell
runtime = 60 min
network = BBC Two
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_run =
first_aired = May 10, 2005
last_aired =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "The Monastery Revisited"
related =
website =
production_website = http://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/prog.asp?id=192
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

The Monastery was a documentary television series made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two which aired in the UK in May 2005. The program follows five modern lay men as they embark into a 40 day and night introduction into Roman Catholic monastic life at Worth Abbey, West Sussex, England under the guidance of Abbott Christopher Jamison and the community of 22 Benedictine monks.

The Laymen

Tony Burke

Tony was 29, single and from London. Worked in the world of advertising and production of television trailers for sex chat lines. Of all the five, it was Tony who's experience on the show was the most profound.

Dr. Nick Buxton

Nick was 37, completed a PhD in Buddhist Studies at Cambridge University and has as stayed in numerous monasteries around the world. After the series Nick began training to be an Anglican priest at St Stephen's House, Oxford University and has contributed to media with his thoughts on theology which have included a visit to the Coptic Monastery of Saint Anthony in Egypt. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/galleries/copticchristians/ Coptics]

Peter Gruffydd

Peter Gruffydd was 69, married and a retired teacher from Bristol. The published poet wanted to re-examine the faith in which he was raised in as a child having rejected religion in his youth.

Gary McCormick

Gary was 36, single and from Cornwall. Originally from Belfast, he joined the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) at 18 years of age. He claims to have been falsely accused of fire bombing a shop and vandalizing a catholic home which in turn led to time in prison. Now a commited Christian who found God at the age 23.

Struggling with alcohol and low self esteem as a consequence his troubled past, Gary decided to participate on the show to come to terms with issues prior to getting married to his fiancée.

Anthoney Wright

Anthoney was 32, single and from Nottingham. Working for a legal publishing company in London, he was raised by his Baptist grandparents, he was in search of a way to deal with issues surrounding his mother and alternatives to his hedonistic lifestyle.

After the series Anthoney became a singer and a practicing Buddhist. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/28/anthoney.wright Anthoney Wright (The Guardian)] [http://www.republicmedia.net/assets/anthoney/Anthoney%20Wright%20biog.doc. www.republicmedia.net]

Alternate Formats

* The Monastery Revisited (BBC Two, UK)
*The Convent (BBC Two, UK)
*The Retreat (BBC Two, UK)
*The Monastery (Discovery Channel, US)
* The Abbey (ABC, Australia)

ee also

* The Monastery (US Version)

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=754E88D725A5A846 The Monastery (YouTube)]
* [http://www.worthabbey.net/flash_index.html Worth Abbey website]
* [http://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/prog.asp?id=192 Tiger Aspect]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/04_april/22/monastery.shtml BBC]
* [http://www.findingsanctuary.org/monastery.htm Finding Sanctuary]
* [http://www.myspace.com/anthoneywright Anthoney Wright's MySpace music site]
* [http://www.worthabbey.net/bbc/tony.htm Tony Burke's story, Worth Abbey website]