The frock that rocked a nation

When was the last time a TV show really rocked a corrupt government? Was it one of the legendary investigative shows — 60 Minutes, Dispatches or Panorama? In fact, it was a tawdry reality show.

For all the efforts of hard-digging investigative journalists, one of the biggest recent scandals that came to light as a result of TV exposure was all down to the American wedding reality show Say Yes to the Dress. No, really. It almost brought down the government of Angola.

The show is a masterpiece of its type. Set in New York’s legendary and exclusive Kleinfeld bridal store, the concept is simple — every week, glamorous brides sashay in and, with the help of the brilliant cast of long-suffering stylists, they pick out their dresses. There are tears, there are rows, and there’s always a happy ending.

It’s one of the world’s most successful reality formats. One of the show’s 14 seasons is on air almost everywhere in the world, and as well as the original show there are multiple spin-offs in the US and abroad.