Iron Chef

Did anybody else watch this?

Here's the deal: PBS got three families to leave the 21st century to go and live in 1883 Montana for 5 months, using nothing but the tools, clothing, methods, etc of the era. Basically it's Survivor 1883 style, except that Jeff Probst isn't going to show up to do any reward challenges.

Last night the tree families were introduced, and given a crash course in living in 1883 Montana. They were each given a milk cow and a calf, and a bunch of living supplies that a settler would have on them. Each family loaded up a stagecoach and started to head out west. One family arrived at a fully built log cabin, one family arrived at a 1/2 built log cabin, and the third family arrived at a plot of land and had to build their cabin from scratch.

They all had problems ranging from one of the daughters almost getting killed by a horse , food rationing, starvation, hungry dogs, run-away cows, and a freak blizzard in the middle of June. That was just the first episode!

What a great show.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/

grunter

I caught the last half hour last night over dinner. Very interesting reality television. I'd much prefer to watch this over the "Survivor" also-rans.

Was last night's timeslot going to be the usual timeslot?

datagirl7

I'm sorry, but I find that one family annoying. The poor girls come out in the snow, shivvering, wet, pathetic, just wearing blankets, probably getting frostbite. Their cows got out and he practically yells at them. It's not like they intentionally let the cows out. They've got no experience at this. But I didn't understand why they milked it there. Then they have to carry the buckets back. I would've taken the cow back then milked it. Thankfully that other (more decent ) neighbor came by and helped. I could understnad if this really had been the past and the girls did something stupid to let the cow out, but they don't know any better. And even back then I think a person would have been more hospitable to 2 bedraggled teens.

Iron Chef

I think it's on tonight and Wednesday night too.

Iron Chef

I'm waiting for that Cali couple to start eating their children.

Scheherazade

I thought it was great! Especially when the kid was crying about that dog going "bazako", that was priceless. The Californians keep whining about how hard it is and that it should be easier then the Pennsylvanians whine about the Californians whining. The only family not complaining is that third one and they only have two people and were forced to make a cabin from scratch with no worker help. Seems they should be the ones complaining.

It's hard to compare to Survivor... not sure I'd call this reality TV. It's more of a documentary, but very entertaining. Can't wait to catch the rest of it, just wish it was available on DVD as well as VHS. And who in the world would name their kid "Rawhide"?

~Scheherazade

Yancey

That was an amazing two hours of television. I can't wait for next week. Very entertaining and enlightening. Just wonderful stuff.

Mark Holtz

Actually, it's running on consecutive nights. Because of scheduling conflicts, I'm not able to see Monday's episode until 1 AM Wednesday. Good thing Dish just added the search function to the 501 units.

Three Day Delay

This is an incredible show. The second part of tonight's episode is starting now.

Tesiae

I really like that son and his father. They look like such decent people.

Hey, did, anyone else find it.. odd.. that the only two non-whites in this whole shebang would be sent into pretty much penniless and forced to BUILD their own home? Leave it to the black man to endure! ;-)

But man, oh man, those other two families are headin' fer a feud. But I do like that Pennsylvania mother and her "screw you weakling" attiture. I like how she took the matress off the bed to reveal all the goodies she's been hoarding away. ;-)

Then again, she only has her husband and one kid to worry about. The California family has four kids. But it seems these people are gonna be cheating like crazy.

the_dude8

great show. how come the black family, the dad and son have to built their own cabin from scrath, while the two white familes (one cabin is complete, the other is 1/2 complete). in the end, do they win any cash prices?? or they get their 5 months of air time?

Yancey

At the beginning each family was randomly given the situation they would be starting in. They opened a chest and read aloud from a book saying who they were. The families just ended up how they did by chance.

CharlesC

Love this show. I watched all 2 hours of it last night.

I like the newlyweds best, but they all had their share of whining.

Thought it was funny that the Klune man thought he was deathly sick just because he wasn't a fatass anymore. Says a lot about our society.

I think I would be good at something like this. It would certainly help me appreciate my cushy office job.

Edit: Here is a good article on what happened to the Glenn family after the show. Possible minor spoilers.
http://www.tennessean.com/entertainm...15406032.shtml

J-Dubya

From what I've seen so far I enjoy, although I do wish I could purchase this on dvd. I might pick the book up as well sometime. I'd really like to get BBC's Castaway on dvd too.

monkeyboy

i came across this and saw the last half. i thought it was good. true, the californians did their share of whining, but that lady from TN is a shrew. "them west coasters, blah, blah, blah...." you have to wonder how much the producers of the show try to get the families riled up. they say things like, "so and so found out about the CA family complaining about not having sweets". before you know it, the TN lady is all fired up, pulling food out from under her bed, acting like the other family was personally attacking her or something. the producers are obviously pushing some buttons. i don't think they should be involved at all, let the neighbors develop relationships just like they would have back in those days.

i agree that the black pair seemsto be the most level headed. there was a scene where the son was talking about seeing his father's beard coming in grey and that he's starting to see his father in a new light and that he's getting pretty old. he almost started crying. everyone else is bickering and complaining while they push steadily on.

Apocrypha

I have watched all four hours with interest as I did some fencing work briefly near the land that they are filming on. It is high altitude (even for MT) and seriously rocky terrain.
That snowstorm in JUNE sucked for us in the 21st cent I was kind of laughing though, because none of them expected it.
This is good stuff it is entertaining and I think if you watch it with an open mind you should learn a little something about yourself.

whotony

here in philly we get to watch in HI-DEF.

Three Day Delay

I just wanted to say that this is one of the best things I have seen on television in a long time.

I had a friend over this evening as I watched this, and I caught myself trying to explain to her how much in the first episodes that the families were whining, the kids were griping, that everything was "too hard." Yet here they were in the last couple of months, functioning as if they had done this their entire lives. It was impossible to explain how these families went from complaining, spoiled individuals into cohesive, productive families. I wanted to see what had happened to them since then, but it almost felt spoiled to see the girls in the swimming pool high above LA, pointing out that there was simply nothing to do in 2001.

It was very touching how the young boy protested the death of his pig, but afterward was able to accept it when the reality of survival set in. I was amazed at how the children accepted hard-labor when it became a necessity of life. They found a way to live through the hardship, even thrive on it.

Also, in the beginning the women and girls complained endlessly about their looks, lack of make-up, clothing, etc. Yet to me, they became more beautiful the longer they were there. They were in wonderful shape, their faces were unspoiled by make-up and beauty products, and they had a strength to their character that was appealing. However, I am sitting across from a TV without smell-o-vision.

I can't believed it, but I was actually in tears when they had to leave the place. I think my emotions were caught by them building their own place, and be self-sustaining and self-reliant. I remembered leaving the first home that I bought, and feeling that sense of loss, though I'm certain not to their extent.

It was very telling that when they returned to home life, all of them were complaining that there was "too much" convenience, entertainment, choices.....except the house-mothers. Maybe that's where our greatest advancements have truly been made. It was a bit sad that the Cal. family spend such less time together now that the have a more "convenient" life. I couldn't help but think "If I didn't have my computer, I would be helpless...no way to get information or entertainment. But if I lived in Montana in the 1880's, I wouldn't have a need for the information or entertainment."

I don't want to over-dramatize this, but it's not often that you see something that changes your perspective on your daily life. But I can honestly say that this one has on mine. It was a wonderful program that will make you re-think your priorities.

Since I haven't used my smilie in a long time, this seemed as good a place as any:

minifigg

OH NO!!!!
I only saw the first (MONDAY) installment!!!
I thought it was gonna be on each week. My life does not support nightly viewing of a series! I need a marathon day to see it, I guess. And what's up with the no DVD thing????
Boo-hoo.
I have to say that the CA family is a lot more typical of how most of us would behave. Sad but true. AND I LOVE how self-righteous the TN family is when they did not have to do JACK. They had a house and corral built FOR them.
My favorite pair is the father and son, however. How wonderful that they are doing this together! What a great Dad and Son. you can see hrough the Dad why the Son is so cool. No matter what happens they stick together and seem positive. And the Dad was so eloquent. They made me cry.
mini

minifigg

OMG!!!
From the article:

CharlesC

Not really much of a shocker once you see the second episode. He mentions several times that he thinks his marriage is effectivly over.

I don't blame him really. That woman was the epitome of bitch. And from the article it seems that those kids weren't his (stepdad).

Iron Chef

like when he was building the chicken coop

CharlesC

Or when the sheep got out, or when they were arguing at the dinner table, or when etc...

He is probably the guy that got the most out of the experience.

Mini, how would you like honeymooning out on the homestead? I think the new wife did pretty well with the whole situation.

goLUCKY

Interesting show! I liked the guy who made whiskey!!

Scheherazade

Didn't quite like how cavalier he was about exposing his kids to it and letting them drink it though. And the one girl wasn't even his, I bet her parents gave him a tongue-lashing when he got home. Everyone ended up getting on my nerves except Nate, everyone else just whined and moaned. Not to say I wouldn't do the same... and I still loved the program.



~Scheherazade