Video Diaries - Season 8

First aired: 7/31/1999 5 episodes

Episodes

1. Lost Cowboys

Aired: 7/31/1999

Hank Wangford and his band travel to meet real cowboys in the Falklands during Camp Sports - the week in which the islanders let their hair down after a year's work on farms. As well as uncovering a passion for country music, Wangford encounters the local wildlife, including penguins, dolphins and albatrosses, and displays his aptitude for shearing sheep.

2. The Perfect Hostess

Aired: 8/7/1999

When Tim and Debbie Stevenson made a decision that Debbie should become a surrogate mother for her cousin, they had little idea of how it will impact on their lives. After first attempts at an implant failed to reap rewards, regular hormone treatment - and the accompanying emotional strain and physical discomfort - became part of their daily life. However, the problems really began when the long-awaited baby was finally due to be born.

3. Not Stupid

Aired: 8/14/1999

Anna is prepared to go to any lengths necessary to make sure her sons are afforded a decent education. But no school within an hour's drive from her house in west London is prepared to admit them because they are autistic. Frustrated at officialdom's lack of positive response, she applies to renovate a derelict school and run it herself as one of Europe's largest specialist establishments. This film follows Anna as she tries to balance the demands of being a full-time carer for her sons with raising funds, running a charity and wading through bureaucracy.

4. Giving Away Baby

Aired: 8/21/1999

Following an accident, Frances Rodgers 's life fell apart in the space of six months: she lost her job, her flat and her boyfriend. Now, five months pregnant, she tries to survive on just £37 a week in a council flat in Chesterfield. Determined to give her unborn child the happy family she never had, she has decided on adoption. Cameras follow her in the final months of pregnancy until the day comes when she must walk away from her baby.

5. Spit It Out

Aired: 8/22/1999

Actions most people take for granted, such as making phone calls and buying travel tickets, are daily struggles for Anuraag Parashar, who has a stammer. Recently graduated and looking for work, Parashar decides it's time to take action. Armed with a camcorder to record his progress, he embarks on a speech therapy course in London.