The Diets That Time Forgot

In this six-part reality series from Britain's Channel 4, a group of overweight Britons attempt to shed pounds using methods from days of yore. Narrated by Samantha Morton, the end result here thankfully plays more like The 1900 House than The Biggest Loser, with the nine participants gathering in the first episode at a castle in Norfolk, where they will remain for 24 days, dressed in historically correct garb—including corsets and girdles for the women. Sir Roy Strong, former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, oversees their stay, commenting at the outset, “I think they will have a perfectly horrible time. They won't know what hit them.” The dieters are divided into three teams—the first follows a high-protein Victorian diet, the second a well-balanced Edwardian regimen, and the third a low-calorie 1920s approach. Some of the challenges are predictable—one woman wonders how she'll survive without chocolate—but others less so, such as the requirement that the Edwardians chew each mouthful 32 times. Additional ordeals involve calisthenics, cold baths, and meals built around offal. In episode two, a man decides he can't take it anymore and exits (albeit 10 pounds lighter). Throughout, Strong is assisted by a nurse consultant, a professor of sports sciences, a movement coach, and a military trainer. Unlike American network shows, this one includes profanity, brief nudity, and even a look at stool samples (which is more visual information than is necessary)—but it's also more entertaining. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)