James Turner Street, Birmingham, UK

Channel Four’s documentary Benefits Street – aired last night – was unexpectedly shocking. And before lefties jump on my case, it was shocking in more than one way; it had the good, the bad and the OMG!

I can hear some ask, GOOD? How?

Well, let me first address the bad. It is always bad to see people suffer, bad to see humans live in what can only be described as dire conditions. And it is also bad to see some who clearly need help and can do with some professional intervention are left to their own devices. It is those people living on the margins of society that need welfare, the state’s help and community support, not the ones who spend their welfare giro on smoke and drink or those who steal and break the law as a lifestyle.

I don’t know about everybody else, but judging by my Twitter timeline during the programme, it was full of angry views from all sides. There was a lot of anger at the state, Channel Four, participants of the documentary but none of them (angry folks) seem to have looked beyond the surface.

Because there was good too! Beside the abuse, the neglect and despair, I also saw a caring community with a formidable matriarch, white Dee, who is everybody’s rock, caring and always ready to help. She is the street’s savings bank, social services, housing adviser and mother. Her door is always open and her kettle is always boiled. The beautiful thing about white Dee is she doesn’t judge and is not afraid to say it as it is.

There is also Smoogy, the 50p man. He is an entrepreneur who learned the hard way that crime does not pay, but unlike others did not take the easy way out and setup a mobile door to door corner shop. Where he sells everything, form tea and hot chocolate to detergent, fabric softener and toilet paper for 50p each. And even though, he himself is struggling and can barely make ends meet, he is generous and very kind to those less fortunate than him.

However, I was shocked by how naive and nonchalant some participants were about breaking the law on camera; guess many had a knock on the door this morning.

Benefits Street might not be everybody’s cup of tea. But it is a must watch, and like many Channel Four programmes is compelling viewing. And when you do watch it, please go beyond the surface to appreciate truly what is been shown.

If you missed the programme last night you can catch it on 4oD.