The first episode of 1900 House was really cool,

June 13, 2000 9:44 AM

The first episode of 1900 House was really cool, and I can't wait to watch the rest tonight. The main link (above) is to pbs.org's cool site about the project. And if you're not a fan of "reality TV," but you like history, you might still enjoy the Victorian links page.

Note: I love the Victorian period, but there are other periods that also interest me. It would be REALLY cool to watch a show called "Middle Ages House," but I doubt that will ever be possible. There were so many health and safety issues involved in just going back 100 years. In fact, the producers had to make some concessions for the safety of the family. No network would ever take the insurance risk of placing a family in any sort of authentically reproduced early period.
posted by grumblebee (12 comments total)

Here are the rules that the family has to follow
posted by grumblebee at 9:58 AM on June 13, 2000

I was watching the show while eating dinner and then while playing Ninja Girl 2 online. It was at that point I realized even if I could do it, I would not want to. I think it is a nifty experiment, but I am mighty happy to have been born into the post victorian world. When I saw the preview of tonights episode, and saw how they appear to be suffering, it was just fuel on the fire. I wonder when we will peak as a culture, when will be (or possibly have been) the best time to be a human on earth?
I probably would not mind being a neo-victorian ala The Diamond Age, but that would require a whole lot more action going on than Grumblebee's nanotech posting show happening.
posted by thirteen at 12:19 PM on June 13, 2000

I was thinking about the same thing, thirteen. If I was offered the opportunity to live in the 1900 house for 3 months, I think I WOULD do it. And I would curse myself for being such a fool every minute of every day. But if I passed on the opportunity, I would curse myself for the rest of my life.

I feel the same way about skydiving. I am somewhat afraid of heights, but if I was in an airplane and had the opportunity to jump, I would make myself do it.

"Better to have lived..."
posted by grumblebee at 12:36 PM on June 13, 2000

Hmm, the first episode was shown on our local PBS station last night. (They're notorious for rescheduling things.) So, you're saying that the second episode is tonight elsewhere? We have the national PBS feed on our satellite dish, so I guess I'll watch it there.

I really did think this was a great idea for a show and I'm looking forward to the rest. I think I read that there is a planned sequel that is an American frontier house.
posted by litlnemo at 2:21 PM on June 13, 2000

It was shown in Britain over the Christmas holiday period. Fun: I remember hearing that they most regretted the inability to use modern deodorants...
posted by holgate at 2:54 PM on June 13, 2000

Well, I'm a bit confused because my understanding was that they were going to run all four episodes during one week. But now it looks like that "week" is NEXT week--at least here in New York on WNET. I guess last night's show as a pre-show.
posted by grumblebee at 3:56 PM on June 13, 2000

Now, I've been out of touch, so could somebody fill me in. Who gets kicked out, and who wins the million bucks?

[half-seriously]

> ...health and safety issues involved just going back 100 years... concessions for the safety of the family....
> insurance risk of placing a family in any sort of authentically reproduced early period....

And yet people do that sort of thing voluntarily all the time.
posted by dhartung at 7:14 PM on June 13, 2000

Not to mention the Amish (faq), or voluntary simplicity.
posted by dhartung at 7:17 PM on June 13, 2000

I know nothing about this show, however, if they DID go back to the middle ages, would the floors be covered with straw and rat droppings? i would want it to be authentic...
posted by y0bhgu0d at 7:46 PM on June 13, 2000

dhartung, your link to that sca site made me laugh. Forgive me if that organization has changed over the years, but when I last encountered it (admittedly over a decade ago) the people didn't go anywhere near AUTHENTIC recreation of the middle ages. And I don't blame them! Who wants to walk of floors "covered with straw and rat droppings?" And I seem to recall a rather large number of lords and ladies and very few (none) peasants.

But the point of "1900 House" is AUTHENTICITY! And, unfortunately, they weren't about to quite create it. For instance, they HAD to have fire extinguishers in the house. Still, 100 years ago the world was close enough to the way it is now, health and safetywise (for middle and upper classes anyway), that not too many concessions needed to be made.
posted by grumblebee at 9:00 PM on June 13, 2000

I read a really interesting article on a similar subject a few months ago...how are we doing today in terms of what the average worker can buy compared to 1900? The author argues that we shouldn't be comparing the exact goods, but things that provide the same function.
posted by Electric Elf at 9:14 PM on June 13, 2000

I can't wait for them to do the 1940s House! Oooh, then the 1950s House, bombshelters and all! The clothes, the furnishings, ahhhh!
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 6:50 AM on June 14, 2000