The chances of a 25 to 35-year-old owning a home have halved in the last 20 years – and 3.5 million pensioners live alone. A new series from RDF for Channel 4, will explore what happens when the two generations literally move in together.
Lodgers and Old Codgers will create the first ever flatmate ‘speed dating’ events at different cities around the country, where the young and old can meet and if they match, can then do a live-in trial to see if they’d like to continue living together. Based on schemes from charities like Homeshare and Crossroads, this is a new experiment for Channel 4 enabling wealthier OAPs to offer cheap rent to hard-up millennials. The accommodation is in exchange for company and help around the house; with any luck creating surprising friendships and mutually-beneficial relationships.
What really happens when the generation gap is so dramatically closed?
Lodgers and Old Codgers (w/t) will be a warm, life-affirming look at the pressure points in Britain’s housing system and the generation divide.
Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual said: “I can’t wait to see what happens when up-for-it young and old couples throw caution to the wind and share their living space in a funny and heart-warming show which is also genuinely trying to solve serious housing problems.“
Maia Liddell, Executive Producer, RDF said: “This experiment will give a fascinating insight into how the young and old feel about each other, their differences, but more importantly, how they can get along and help each other by living together, with some heart-warming and hilarious consequences.
Lodgers and Old Codgers (w/t) was commissioned by Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Shaminder Nahal. The six-part series will be made by RDF, a Banijay Group Company and was developed by Mel Bezalel and is executive produced by Maia Liddell and Jo Scarratt-Jones.