The episode followed the restoration of Emmaville cottage, its transportation to the Orange Botanic Gardens and the ongoing debate about whether the cottage was the birthplace of poet Banjo Paterson.

What many Orange viewers have found even more fascinating, however, is the footage showing some Orange councillors appearing to be openly hostile towards each other.

On screen, councillors Reg Kidd and Chris Gryllis disagreed on a range of issues including their years of service on council and whether the best way to honour Banjo was to build a statue of him or an oversized hat similar to the one he wore.

Councillor Ron Gander’s refusal to believe Emmaville cottage was Banjo’s birthplace also put him at odds with others on the show.

Several councillors contacted the Central Western Daily about the program, with comments about the way the councillors had been depicted.

While councillor Jeff Whitton said the episode was “comical to the point of embarrassment”, councillor Glenn Taylor took an even dimmer view, labelling the politics “pretty ugly”.

No matter what you think about the way the councillors were depicted, the reality is not everyone, including councillors, shares the same view.

However as anyone who has attended a council meeting will tell you, all of them take their role as councillors extremely seriously.

Councillors treat each other with the utmost respect inside the council chambers, but that doesn’t mean they’re not passionate and debate doesn’t become heated.

If you enjoyed watching our councillors on television, attend the next council meeting; it’s informative and surprisingly entertaining.