Original title
Faking It
Released
9/1/2000
Origin country
GB, US
Genre
Reality
Production companies
RDF Media
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
9
Number of episodes
49
Faking It was a television programme originating on Channel 4 which has spawned various international remakes, including a United States version which began in 2003 on the TLC network. Devised by Stephen Lambert of RDF Media, the programme's original concept was "a modern-day Pygmalion", referring to the George Bernard Shaw play in which flower girl Eliza Doolittle is trained to appear like an aristocrat.The series ended on Boxing day 2006 with faker Sharon Pallister transforming from cleaner to burlesque performer and featured Wayne Sleep, Miss Immodesty Blaize and Dita von Teese
Alex Geikie, 20, is a softly-spoken Oxford-educated boy from the English shires. Training with kickboxing champion Tony Agastini, he has four weeks to transform himself into a convincing hardman before being sent to work as a doorman at London's Hippodrome Club.
Northern girl Lisa has four weeks to learn how to walk, talk and eat like the upper classes before attending a society function.
22-year-old classical cellist Sian Evans has four weeks to transform herself into a club DJ before working the crowd at prestigious nightspot The Cross.
With the help of experienced car dealer Dominic Littlewood, West Country vicar the Reverend Nigel Done learns all about the used-car trade before being let loose on a busy Essex forecourt.
Painter and decorator Paul O'Hare has four weeks to pass himself off as a modern abstract artist.
Burger-van proprietor Ed Devlin attempts to pass himself off as a professional chef.
Farmer's son Gavin learns the basics of hairdressing from legendary stylist Trevor Sorbie.
Ballet dancer Kaspar Cornish is taught how to fake it as a professional wrestler.
Nightclub dancer Shelley learns to fake it as a showjumper under the tutelage of Tim Stockdale and Marianne Trevor-Roper.
A one-off follow-up programme revisiting previous fakers to find out how appearing on the programme changed their lives.
Naval petty officer Spence Bowdler is transformed into a drag queen.
Fire Service operator Lynn Hurst is taught how to direct a live breakfast TV show.
City lawyer George Lubega, dubbed "soul man in reverse" by his friends for his complete lack of rhythm, style and musical ability, has a crash course in rapping and street culture before being thrown into an MCing competition.
Black-belt kickboxer and self-professed tomboy Jo Weatherill has four weeks to transform herself into a glamorous ballroom dancer.
Isurance risk asessor Matt Davies has four weeks to learn the basics of stuntmanship.
Stuart Matheson leaves the comfort of his desk job in the computer industry to learn how to surf.
Hospital radiographer David Keith is plunged into the glamourous world of fashion photography. Not only does he have to learn how to work the camera, he also has to learn to deal with models and technicians before facing a cover-shoot challenge.
Computer games tester Phil Deane takes to the racetrack for real, with the help of Johnny Herbert and David Coulthard.
Lucy Craig is used to a life on the ocean wave, but can this ferry stewardess manage to fake it in the world of yacht racing?
Chris Sweeney is the lead singer of a punk band, The Dead Pets. How will he fare when called upon to conduct a symphony orchestra?
A look back at the 2002 series of Faking It, following up on some remarkable developments in the lives of the participants.
Malcolm 'Woody' Woodcock, a bicycle courier from Manchester, has just four weeks in which to pass himself off as a polo player.
Twenty-year-old Christian choirgirl Laura-Jane Foley leaves behind her straight-laced Cambridge university life for London to be transformed into a rock chick.
Bachelor Rob Archer is a high-flying management consultant in London, but he swaps that role for one of an expert dog trainer - in just four weeks!
Twenty-nine-year-old working mum Jatinder Sumal puts her real life on hold and swaps bringing up children and working in the family newsagent for a crash course in TV reporting.
Former professional chess player Maximillion Devereaux trades his chessboard and rural idyll for the football pitch as he attempts to fake it as a football manager in a month.
Jessica Wright is a 25-year-old clog dancer from Cornwall, but in a few weeks she will be performing with R&B singer Jamelia in front of thousands, live at Earls Court.
Twenty-year-old country boy James Sawyer has four weeks to shed the tweeds, move into an urban jungle and convince us that he's a streetwise graffiti artist.
Twenty-four-year-old factory worker Mick Wigham leaves the grittiness of the production line for the glamour of the catwalk as he tries to fake it as a fashion designer.
Management consultant Rob Archer (31) attempts to impress as in the most difficult dog-training discipline - performing to music. But not only does Rob have no experience of the discipline, neither has the dog.
Jatinder Sumal (29) normally works in her family's newsagents shop, but with just four weeks preparation can she fake it as a showbiz interviewer on breakfast television?
Maximillian Devereaux is already a chess champ, but in four weeks' time he'll be instructing Chalfont Wasps Football Club from the side of the pitch. Does he have what it takes to fake it as a football manager?
Faker Sharon Pallister transforms from cleaner to burlesque performer. Featuring Wayne Sleep, Miss Immodesty Blaize and Dita von Teese.
A vicar swaps his parish for a job at Nevada's largest car dealership.
Welder Todd Farrand has four weeks to learn how to fake it as a model, even though his mentors reckon he's too old, too tall and too heavy.
Nursery school teacher Stephanie Jones has four weeks to learn the tricks of the bodyguard trade.
Organic farmer Grace Coffman is transported from Nebraska to New York to pose as a posh socialite.
Beverley Hills real estate is a long way from Kim Constans' normal life as a wilderness guide. A top mother-and-daughter real estate team have four weks to transform her into a ""lady of the listings"".
Cubicle-dwelling computer nerd Meaganne is taught how to be an exercise instructor, but after four weeks' training, can she convince a panel of professionals that her workout is the future of fitness?
History of Art undergraduate and lover of fine art, James Sawyer leaves his Suffolk home and is taken to the city to be transformed into a graffiti artist, with the assistance of David Samuel, famous graffiti artist.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
