Edwardian Farm

In this 12-hour BBC documentary miniseries, archeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn and historian Ruth Goodman abandon their modern lives, don old-style clothes, and try to survive as their Edwardian ancestors did prior to World War I, growing crops with pre-industrial tools while learning age-old tricks in order to protect the livestock and keep the household running during spates of bad weather and reduced income. With each episode devoted to the activities of a single month (although one amounts to a “day in the life” special), the program dramatizes not only the constant, back-breaking labor that people endured but also the fact that they were often forced to take seasonal employment in mining, fishing, and housekeeping just to make ends meet. Attention is also paid to changes that would revolutionize the countryside during the early 20th century—such as the introduction of railways—transforming rural life into something less provincial. While there is inevitably an element of dress-up play in these kinds of re-creations—with local characters ranging from real estate agents and stoneworkers to salesmen and grocers popping up in period garb—the running commentary by the three hosts, covering matters from cooking to scavenging for copper in the hills, is consistently genial and informative. Both students and armchair historians will likely learn a lot from watching this engaging series. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)