Channel 4 viewers have been warned that a new documentary, The Experiment, is leaving audiences feeling 'deeply unsettled' even before it airs. The programme broadcasts tonight (October 21) at 10pm and is fronted by disability rights campaigner and television presenter Sophie Morgan alongside actor and writer Mat Fraser.
The 'bold' social experiment sees members of the public exposed to ideologies from the Nazi regime, presented under the pretence of a polished - and fabricated - care facility. SegriLife is portrayed as a progressive sanctuary for disabled and neurodivergent adults. While its residents are all actors, the members of the public who visit the facility are genuine. Sophie and Mat observe proceedings via concealed cameras transmitted to a control room as visitors are questioned about their opinions on the facility and its approach.
Testing Whether Propaganda Could Persuade the Public
In a joint statement, the pair said: "It was important for us to finally bring the catastrophic history of Aktion T4 and the Nazis' persecution of disabled people to our television screens, but more importantly we wanted to test whether the British public could be persuaded by similar propaganda today, to believe that disabled people are disposable, or less deserving of a place in society."
They went on: "These are extremely disturbing times for our community, with disability rights under threat in the UK and around the world. It is reminiscent of a time many of us would rather forget, but this programme shows that the chances of repeating the past are far higher than we think. Peering behind the veil of the public perception of disability isn't for the faint-hearted, but this is essential viewing."
Viewer Reactions to the Trailer
A brief trailer has been released ahead of the documentary's premiere, offering fleeting glimpses of the facility while promoting its methods as "tried and trusted techniques developed by revolutionary scientists," before raising the question: "Care or cruelty?"
One viewer commented beneath the trailer: "I don't know what's about to go down here but I'm deeply unsettled already. This is going to be good." A second viewer remarked: "Not sure I can watch this as the parent and carer of two severely physically disabled adults." While a third curious viewer added: "I'm so curious about how this was pitched to the people taking part."
Sophie Morgan's Warning
Sophie described The Experiment as "the most important documentary I've ever made" in an Instagram post ahead of its release. She added: "Whether we were peering back into the past...or staring the present straight in the face....I don't think I will ever unsee what we saw. It was terrifying."
The Experiment airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 4.
