The Carrot or the Stick
Contents |
Host
Team leaders: Major Jolly (carrot) and Sergeant Major Roberts (stick)
Broadcast
RDF Television for Channel 4, 26 February 2004
Synopsis
12 men, of varying levels of fitness and similar levels of self-motivation (i.e none), were split into two equal teams to be trained for three weeks using different Army methods. One team of six were the 'carrot' team; they would never be punished, but they would be rewarded for doing well, whilst the other would be the 'stick' team; they would be punished severely for doing badly and never rewarded.
Each team would have to undergo severe military exercises in the sunny Brecon Beacons in an attempt to answer the question: which is the better training method; the carrot or the stick?
Every few days the teams would do battle and if the Carrot team won, they would be rewarded with good meals and hot showers, but if the Stick team lost, they would have to do the whole thing over again. The whole three week training course climaxed with a two day endurance challenge, and whoever won that won the competition.
Overall, it was a highly watchable series that was meant to be a psychological insight into the Army's training methods, but it eventually proved nothing. Unsuprisingly in a way, the Stick team won the final challenge by a considerable margin.
Key Moments
Major Jolly desperately trying (and sometimes failing) not to half-kill his troops after an abysmal performance in the first week.
