Amazonian tribe TV series accused of faking

A series about an Amazonian tribe broadcast by the BBC has been accused of "faking" scenes and mistranslating interviews to portray the indigenous people as "sex-obsessed, mean savages".

The programme, titled Mark & Olly: Living with the Machigenga, was aired on BBC Knowledge in South Africa last summer and shown on the Travel Channel in the US in 2009.

The six-part series, made by London-based Cicada Productions, followed Mark Anstice and Olly Steeds as they journeyed to the remote Matisgenka Indian village in the Amazon rainforest.

However, an eminent anthropology expert has accused the show of fabricating events and misrepresenting the tribe. Dr Glenn H Shepard, who has studied the tribe for 25 years and speaks their language fluently, described the show as reality TV reaching "new depths of irresponsibility".

In an article published in Anthropology News and on his blog, Dr Shepard accused the programme makers of "fabricating" many of the translations in order to present a "false and insulting" portrayal of the tribe.

He gave various examples of the show's "egregious mistranslations", such as false references to their sex life and supposed hostility to outsiders.

"I am shocked by Mark & Olly's narcissistic antics, their gross misrepresentations of Matsigenka culture, and their disregard for consequences inflicted on native communities," said Shepard. "I wonder what Living with the Machigenga was modelled on. Borat comes to mind."

Human rights organisation Survival International, which first highlighted issues with the programme, said that it was a "depressing example" of the way tribal people are regularly portrayed on television.

"One stereotype followed another, with the [tribe] variously portrayed as callous, perverted, cruel, and savage," said Survival International director Stephen Corryl. "TV is now getting away with portrayals which wouldn't be out of place in the Victorian era."

During filming of the programme, the Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK also reportedly submitted a formal complaint with Ofcom about the show.

BBC Worldwide, operator of the BBC Knowledge channel, said that it acquired Mark & Olly: Living with the Machigenga from Fremantle Media, but had no plans to broadcast it again.

"BBC Worldwide is committed to the highest editorial standards and will examine the claims made," said a spokesman for Worldwide. "We have only just been made aware of these concerns and we are in discussion with Fremantle to establish the full facts."

FremantleMedia Enterprises said that it only distributed the show and did not make it, but the firm is "investigating the claims" made by Dr Shephard and Survival International.

A Cicada Productions spokesman said that the company was not aware of the problems and had no further comment at this time.