Living in the past: 1900 House and similar series

Barb D

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I'm currently researching a sequel for my 1526 YA time travel AND a 1902 middle grade time travel. I just remembered a great TV series from a few years back: In 1900 House a family (from 1999) spent 3 months living in a restored townhouse in London, as though they were actually in 1900. At least some of the episodes are on youtube, and there's also an official site with interactive features and lots of video clips.

There were several other similar series using different time periods.

UK
The 1900 House - a family "living" in 1900 London
The 1940s House – a family “living” through the Second World War.
The Edwardian Country House
The Regency House Party
Coal House – a 1920s Welsh mining community
Tales from the Green Valley - life on a 17th century British farm

Australia
Outback House – a family running a sheep station in 1861 Outback Australia
The Colony - Four families and several individual "convicts" try to live life in New South Wales of 1800.

Germany
Schwarzwaldhaus 1902 (Black Forest House 1902) – a family “living” without electricity, on rural Kaltwasserhof in Münstertal (August 2001 - January 2002)
Windstärke 8 – Das Auswandererschiff 1855 (about an emigration ship for the United States)
Die Bräuteschule 1958 (teenage girls attending a domestic science school in the 1950s)
Abenteuer 1900 - Leben im Gutshaus (The 1900 Adventure) - about a noble family and their servants in a manor near Berlin.
Abenteuer 1927 - Sommerfrische (The 1927 Adventure) - life in the manor from Abenteuer 1900, this time in the Roaring Twenties
Steinzeit - Das Experiment (The Stone Age Experiment) - life under conditions of the stone age.
Die harte Schule der 50er Jahre (Difficult 1950's School) - teachers and students experiencing a boarding school under 1950's conditions.
Abenteuer Mittelalter - Leben im 15. Jahrhundert (The Medieval Adventure) - people living in a 15th century castle.

USA
Frontier House – three families live as 1883 frontier settlers in Montana
Manor House – family of five and staff of 14 live in a 1900 English manor house (re-presentation of The Edwardian Country House)
Colonial House – set in the American frontier of 1628 (shown in the UK as Pioneer House)
Texas Ranch House – set in the American frontier of 1867
 
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waylander

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There was another one recently with people recreating a year on late Victorian era farm
 

Barb D

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There was another one recently with people recreating a year on late Victorian era farm

I looked through all the historical shows on the British Channel 4 (the network that originally aired 1900 House) and didn't find it. Do you remember the name or the network? Could it be the Edwardian Country House/Manor House one?
 

downtherabbithole

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I LOVE this series. Do the German ones, by chance, have English subtitles?
 

DeleyanLee

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I watched these first-run and own several of the DVDs. Priceless, on so many levels.
 

pdr

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If you want...

really solid research and less 'reality TV' then Judith Flander's book 'The Victorian House' and the BBC series 'Victorian Garden' including one on the kitchen are excellent.

Waylander mentioned a year on a Victorian farm, there is also 'Tales from the Green Valley' which is a year farming a 17thC farm. Again done by experts and really valuable if that is your period.
 

girlyswot

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I looked through all the historical shows on the British Channel 4 (the network that originally aired 1900 House) and didn't find it. Do you remember the name or the network? Could it be the Edwardian Country House/Manor House one?
It was on the BBC and it was imaginatively titled 'The Victorian Farm'. It was, however, excellent, since the people involved were real agricultural historians, who just rolled up their sleeves and got on with the work, rather than idiots who complained every time they were cold/hungry/miserable as if they had expected it all to be fun and games.
 

downtherabbithole

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It was on the BBC and it was imaginatively titled 'The Victorian Farm'. It was, however, excellent, since the people involved were real agricultural historians, who just rolled up their sleeves and got on with the work, rather than idiots who complained every time they were cold/hungry/miserable as if they had expected it all to be fun and games.

Colonial House was the absolute worst for that. I seriously wanted to reach into the TV and slap every single one of them. Did none of them read anything about Puritans? Didn't they read The Crucible in high school at the very least?
 

Saint Fool

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Except for Frontier House, all of the American produced ones have made me crazy. The family in Texas Ranch House drove me mad because they didn't even attempt to follow the rules. No ... well bred young ladies do not run about in their camisoles and petticoats in the Texas heat. And the garden? I wept. We don't like those vegetables so why should we water them.
 

History_Chick

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I enjoy them as well. I'm waiting for Blockbuster to get a few, but so far no luck. I was unaware that so many were made though!
 

pdr

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Ah...

good old Alice in Videoland! I used to get great videos for my students from there.

You can borrow the DVDs from me if you like as you are a fellow Kiwi Steampunkette. PM me if you're interested.
 

waylander

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It was on the BBC and it was imaginatively titled 'The Victorian Farm'. It was, however, excellent, since the people involved were real agricultural historians, who just rolled up their sleeves and got on with the work, rather than idiots who complained every time they were cold/hungry/miserable as if they had expected it all to be fun and games.

This is the website of one of the agricultural historians involved
http://www.ruthgoodman.me.uk/main/VictorianFarm.htm

and this is the book of the series
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1862058210/?tag=absolutewrite-21
 
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pdr

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Thank you for that.

Ruth was part of the 1620s 'Tales from the Green Valley' too. And the picture looks to show the same two young practical archeologist young men.

Must buy the DVD when I'm more affluent!
 

Steam&Ink

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good old Alice in Videoland! I used to get great videos for my students from there.

You can borrow the DVDs from me if you like as you are a fellow Kiwi Steampunkette. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks PDR! if Alice doesn't have the DVD I may just take you up on your kind offer :)
 

History_Chick

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OH! The Victorian Farm has a ton of info that I can use. ROCKIN. Thanks :)