Charles Dickens tried to help us understand. Who wouldn't dream of America in a situation like that.

Thank you for letting us know!! I really enjoyed "1900 House". I was disappointed with "Frontier House" as the female participants of the family constantly complained about daily life on the frontier and refused to do some portions of it and from what I recall, ended the show early.

THanks for the reminder. I am watching it now. It sure is sobering.

One thing I remember from the 1900 House, was the young boy who nearly starved himself because he wouldn't eat the food. He wanted pizza and burgers. He literally would NOT eat.

Tonight's episode of The Vic.Slum was interesting. I sure would try to find someway of coming up with meals for my family, gathering up odds and ends. Did the narrator say there were no cooking stoves in most of the apartments? That might prove a challenge.

I loved 1900 house, Coal House, Coal House War Time and even Frontier House even though Matti is right about the women of that show....I just love shows like this. I don't watch much tv but I watched these 3 or 4 times on youtube..wish there were more.

mama, you might like the series of British programs with Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Alex Langlands. It begins with "The Victorian Farm", then "Edwardian Farm", and then "Wartime Farm". Additional programs include "Tales From Green Valley", and "Tudor Monastery Farm".

History re-enactors assume the lives of farmers in each of these eras. I LOVED each one, even bought the DVDs but also had to buy a converted DVD player in order to watch the UK videos! It was worth it to me. The dvd player will run both USA and UK videos. However, each series is on Youtube. So just search for the titles and enjoy. You may have to get used to Ruth Goodman's enthusiasm esp. her uncontrollable laugh! But one really can learn a lot about past times and how people lived and worked.

I enjoyed last night's show. Is it one episode or will there be more? I haven't seen the others, will look for them.

edited to add: schoolhouse, I will look for those also :-)

I'm enjoying it, I think it may be a series.

First in the series, The Victorian Farm series

ETA: I couldn't resist and watched Episode One. It's been several or more years since I last watched, I think I'll have to get the DVD out. I've probably watched all the Farm series at least two - three times each.

shoot forgot to check the dial!! btw "this old house" has been running a series in Detroit...it's in an older section of the city (1930's) probably built by employees originally working for the car plants...while not the oldest homes, still worth a look...all brick...

Schoolhouse Thank You. I will watch these as soon as I have a moment to myself..I'll be addicted I'm sure..lol

Ooh, thanks for mentioning it -- I've just tuned it in (our PBS station repeats the prior day's programs on one of its subchannels)

A few years ago we took a walking tour of the Over-the-Rhine district in Cincinnati, which included a walk through an empty and mostly gutted Victorian tenement building. A very interesting tour!

Came back to say that I really enjoyed the show. The part where they were talking about the piecework and sewing work, especially in relation to immigrants, really spoke to me. My paternal gr-gr-grandmother and her 5 children and their children all worked in the garment industry in Cleveland when they first arrived in the 1880s-90s. My gr-grandmother, I was told, had small hands and so was able to do the finer work -- as a knitter. Others were cloakmakers, and tailors, Two were able to open a tailor shop about 10 years after arriving.

I watched it last night - OMG! Glad we don't have smell-o-vision, LOL! I don't think I'd have lasted very long in those conditions.

So happy for this thread. Now if I can only remember to watch. I do remember several years ago there was a series which I loved I think it was Manor House? Not sure but if I recall correctly it had lots about the serving staff and it was really so interesting. Will have to look for this.

I love all the living history shows. One of my favourites are The Back in Time for Dinner series. I have watched these and all the other ones on Youtube instead of waiting for them to come on tv. So many people ended up Workhouses. Growing up as a child my English Grandfather would also say "do well in life because you don't want to end up in the poor house" I had no concept of what that was until I started doing genealogy research and read about workhouses. Victorian Slum Episodes on Youtube

I tried to watch on YouTube but I can only get a small box not full screen. I've noticed this happening for most things on youtube in the past few months for me.

I forgot to mention the view was small. I don't mind. though because the picture is clear My tv is only 19 inches and it is across the room

I watched it. I usually enjoy those shows. What's interesting is, once again, the hypocrisy of people who think their word means until they change their mind. They don't want to acknowledge that things were different then. Women's lib was non-existent and everyone had to do things they didn't necessarily want to do but knew they had to do to survive. People today are so spoiled, it's truly sad that people don't have to experience some things our ancestors experienced so they could appreciate the things we have a little more.

I was talking to my sister about this show and she pointed out something interesting. This is a Brit show and all in all Brit women are way more likely to follow through on their commitments than will US women.

I was really intrigued by the guy with the partial leg. He essentially acknowledged that he was being given better treatment than most in the time and really tried to experience what handicapped people would go through in those days, and missing limbs were more common than we realize in those days. He was really upset with himself that he didn't produce what people in those days would produce, but in fairness, he didn't have the experience they had either. I was impressed how seriously he took the entire experience.