Colonial House

[CaptainSatan]

In case you missed it when it aired on PBS back in 2004.

Colonial House is available on DVD at NetFlix.

Colonial House Website

The premise is pretty simple. The producers took everyday people and dropped them into a primitive replica of a 1628 village in New World. While it's not about pyracy. It is still an informative and entertaining program about daily colonial life during that era.

Edited August 18, 2009 by CaptainSatan

[Liam McMac]

While doing research at the library last week I came across this DVD set. I just finished watching it the other day and it was very entertaining. Kinda like a 17th century reality show, filled with crying drinking and drama. It reminded me of spending a week at rendezvous.

[LadyBarbossa]

It is interesting. Funny at times watching some people finally do work!

But I don't think can take the place of that one pioneer reality show they did years back with a large family who was so well off in the modern world, but sucked horribly in the pioneer age. LOL... the mom had no clue about cooking, everyone complained about the heat, etc. Yeah, can we say SPOILED SNOTS!

~Lady B

[Bilgewater Browne]

Did you see the follow up episode? The kids were bored silly when they got back to modern life. One of them said of the experience, "We didn't have much, but everything we had was special."

[Hawkyns]

Actually, I thought it sucked. I've done some volounteer work at Plimoth Plantation, and was a regular volounteer at the Salem 1630 village for a number of years. When the idea was first floated, a bunch of us with similar experience contacted the producers. We were told 'no thanks, you know too much'. They wanted divas, people with no clue but high emotional levels that would be prone to breaking down on camera. Having people who understood the scenario and could make it succeed was not at all what they wanted, they preferred to show the bad side of the new world. I'd like to see it done again with re-eanctors to show that it was not all the hardship, drama, and general suckage that was first shown.

Hawkyns

[CaptainSatan]

Actually, I thought it sucked.

Edited August 18, 2009 by CaptainSatan

[Silkie McDonough]

Actually, I thought it sucked. ...Hawkyns

I'm not surprised

[MarkG]

Actually, I thought it sucked. I've done some volounteer work at Plimoth Plantation, and was a regular volounteer at the Salem 1630 village for a number of years. When the idea was first floated, a bunch of us with similar experience contacted the producers. We were told 'no thanks, you know too much'. They wanted divas, people with no clue but high emotional levels that would be prone to breaking down on camera. Having people who understood the scenario and could make it succeed was not at all what they wanted, they preferred to show the bad side of the new world. I'd like to see it done again with re-eanctors to show that it was not all the hardship, drama, and general suckage that was first shown.

Hawkyns

We tried to get in, too. Same result. I hear from someone who supplied some of their household goods that they specifically wanted people who had no idea what they were getting into. I talked with someone at Jamestown who said that the project started with a producer calling Williamsburg wanting to do early 17th century.

We thought that Pioneer House was the best of the series with Colonial House second. Texas Ranch House really sucked. It's ending left such a bad taste that it killed the series. There were also some British ones that were boring.

BTW, the really silly spots - the issue long bows instead of muskets to the colonists. I'm guessing that the British producers were scared of guns. The ship they use was a copy of the Nina.

Mark

[CaptainSatan]

I thought that it was decent for a reality show (lol).

Of course the producers are looking for drama, personality conflict, and backstabbing.

Seeing skilled reenactors who could actually survive in 1628 probably wouldn't be as

interesting to the average couch primate as the trashier aspects of most so called

reality shows.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

No hardships or drama in 1628 setting!?!? Have you ever actually read the accounts of the first settlers? Many of them didn't survive then either. Good grief! That was a joke... wasn't it? Please don't make me get my books out with classes starting tomorrow.LoL

Bo

Edited August 19, 2009 by Capt. Bo of the WTF co.

[CaptainSatan]

I am talking about television and marketing.

Not actually taking a time machine back to 1628.

No need to break out your books (lol).

Edited August 19, 2009 by CaptainSatan

[Red Sea Trade]

The problem I had with the show--and with other, similar shows, is the lack of real consequences resulting from foolish actions. There was one woman who "wanted to do her own thing"--not attending church, being generally bitchy, etc.

They had a word for such people in early 17th century New England--"corpse". Early Americans, far from being the rugged individualists we think of, were instead rugged communitarians. Social cohesion was absolutely vital to survival in an unforgiving environment. People who wanted to "do their own thing" were of no value to the community. Some, like the founders of Rhode Island, were pushed out of the community. Some, like Morton of Merry Mount, were imprisoned until they could be shipped back home. Some were executed as witches.

If the producers wanted an even passing resemblance to reality, they should have given such individuals a choice: exile, imprisonment or "death". Any of the three would have resulted in removal from the show, and would have made for much better television.

[blackjohn]

If the producers wanted an even passing resemblance to reality

But they don't. They want ratings. It's like Capt Satan says above. They aren't looking for things to go smoothly or work well. They want dynamic conflict that will attract viewers.

[Hawkyns]

There's a difference between the actual hardship of survival and trying to meet the company goals, and the crap that they showed. Like all these so called reality shows, nobody was ever in any danger, nobody was going to starve, and there were no real consequences. With that scenario, there is no hardship involved, just a bunch of whiney moderns who could not handle life outside the 21st century. Any real reenactors or trekkers could have breezed through the show and turned it into a really good documentary on the colonists life in the new world.

Hawkyns

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Really those people didn't know what they were doing either. Read some William Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson, others that wrote of the first/early attempts at settlement. I think it really is more accurate to portray people in a new world that haven't got a clue. The first europeans here didn't either; historically accurate!

Bo

[Hawkyns]

Really those people didn't know what they were doing either. Read some William Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson, others that wrote of the first/early attempts at settlement. I think it really is more accurate to portray people in a new world that haven't got a clue. The first europeans here didn't either; historically accurate!

Bo

Read them, Bo. They may not nown about the new world, but they knew what was expected of them in their society. They knew the skills of a 17th century yeoman, they were prepared to work hard, because that was what they did. And they understood their place in society as it existed. The people on the show didn't even have a clue how to wear the clothes. Instead, they worried about the minor things, the whole relationship issue, which would have been a given in 1628. They took people who could not survive without the trappings of 21st century tech, which would have been unknown to them and therefore not an issue.

Hawkyns

[Red Sea Trade]

A truly interesting show, and one that was a forerunner of all subsequent "reality" shows, was one done in Britain in the 1970's. It was filmed at Butser Hill Farm, a recreated Iron Age Celtic settlement. Like the current crop of reality shows, the producers collected a diverse group of people for the experiment. One difference, however, is that all participants were put through an "Iron Age Boot Camp", so that they would have at least basic necessary skills. They were expected to raise crops, slaughter livestock, keep bees, brew beer and do all the other daily tasks of their distant ancestors. The only way to get any supplemental foodstuffs was to trade with "another village" (portrayed by members of the production team), and then only if they had goods to trade.

What was most fascinating is that, at the conclusion of the project, almost all of the participants expressed real sadness that they had to return to "real" life. Hmmm. What did they learn that subsequent reality experiments fail to capture?

[Silkie McDonough]

Wonder what would happen if they did follow through with the deaths ...I mean, if you do something unacceptable in that society just pluck them out of the filming, have a funeral service and keep going. Wonder if anyone would end up "alive" at the end. If the individuals are being paid they could have their pay cut. Require them to know the accepted behaviors of the times. Heck, look at the Amish ...there is a study right there. People are ostracized for not living the way they are expected to. That would be a truer portrayal of things IMHO.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

True enough about the 21st century, but really, humans have not changed in nature, well, ever. They had lots of trouble with loafers and ne'er-do-wells all through the colonizing efforts, remember John Smith's no work no eat policy?

On the other subject of having experienced re-enactors covering every detail, that would be no less of a fallacy, as those who made the history didn't have it to study.

OK, all poking aside, I know what you're saying, and all "reality shows" leave me confused as to whether I should laugh or shake my head in disgust. Thankfully we don't have TV, cable or sattelite, so I only have to hear about the non-sense.

Just havin fun on a rainy afternoon.

Bo

[Silkie McDonough]

I am not much for "reality" shows but I do find the "historic" ones somewhat educational even if not 100% historically accurate.

[CaptainSatan]

One thing I liked was how well the show demonstrated was how cushy and comfortable modern life is.

[CaptainSatan]

Any real reenactors or trekkers could have breezed through the show and turned it into a really good documentary on the colonists life in the new world.

And I would have liked to have seen that. But the back stabbing drama would has a wider appeal to the general public. The public doesn't want pure history. It wants entertainment. No conflict. No drama.

BTW the reason they were hunting with bows was because of their insurance company. I found Q&A page about the show that answered a lot of questions.

Colonial House Q&A

Edited August 21, 2009 by CaptainSatan

[Jib]

Although I did not see the entire series I did find many interesting things in the episodes I did see. The tools constantly breaking and hindering construction (I guess I would have never guessed this would be a problem since the tools of today are so well made). The frustration at milking a goat only to have it kick feces in the milk. The food going bad and the people still eatting it.

[LadyBrower]

My local library has this series and we watched it here a few months ago. the general consensus was that it was really funny. I liked when the guy left and went to the pub. lol.

I don't think it would ave been as effective a reality show if actual reenactors had done it... Part of the point was the contrast to modern life and what people were used to. The fact that we do this on a regular basis really would make it to easy and not have the same impact for the general public. Like someone said about the kids being bored when they got home, that is the sort of outcome people need to see. You know what I mean?

It was really over dramatic at times, but over all I recommend throwing it on if you have to have a marathon sewing party. =) If nothing else it is very amusing.