David & I have very much enjoyed watching various shows from PBS & the BBC which could be categorized as the "House" series I guess. Not the "House" you are thinking of that is the witty doctor, but "Manor House", "Texas Ranch House", "1900 House", "Frontier House", "Regency House Party", "Colonial House".
The basic theme is that the producers take a modern day group of people, including families and strangers, and place them in a controlled historical environment to make them live as the people of that year in history did. So, in "Texas Ranch House" a family from California and random guys came to a Texas ranch set up as it was in 1867. They had to wear all the clothes of the period and live the lives of a ranchers family & cowboys. They had to get enough cattle to sell by the end of the summer to pay the mortgage of the ranch.
"1900 House" takes place in England. They took a family in 1999 and placed them in a flat fully furnished as it was in 1900. They had to brush their teeth with soda crystals, cook on an iron stove, wear corsets, and buy meat from the butcher who came door to door.
The shows combine reality tv and history lessons at the same time. These shows bring history to life really. It's hard to know what life was really like 100, 150, or 400 years ago... but these people (and viewers like you) have the opportunity to bring history to life. Would you want to get your milk every day from the dairy cow in your yard? Or tie up a corset every morning? Or shave with a straight edge (cutthroat) razor? Or brush your teeth with soda crystals? Or wash your hair with eggs? Or bake in an iron stove with no temperature gauge but your hand? Interesting stuff!
We've checked out every one of these shows we could find at the local library. (Free movies, btw... why go to Blockbuster or do Netflix when you can check out almost any movie for free?)
