2024 - Top 10 Historic Reality TV

Good morning, we are winding down 2024 with the Top 10 documentary lists of the documentaries that had been featured on this list.  Today’s list is Historic Reality TV.  I define historic reality TV as modern people going back in time to live during a certain time period like the Victorian, Edwardian, and Tudor time periods.  They do their chores using the tools of that time period. 

My list of History-Meets-Reality TV has grown over the years and I believe I have enough series to do a Top 10 List. 

This is your reminder that these lists are my opinion and are not endorsed by any educators.  I am providing my ideas for shows to incorporate into a classroom setting especially if there is a substitute teacher in the room.

2023  Historic Reality TV
1. *Wartime Farm:  YouTube Each Episode 59:00
2. Secrets of the Castle - Episode 1 (59:15) Episode 2 (58:24) Episode 3 (58:49) Episode 4 (58:50)
3. Time Crashers - Episode 1 (46:31)  Episode 2 (47:16) Episode 3 (46:12) Episode 4  (49:37) Episode 5 (46:25) Episode 6 (46:23)
4. *Tudor Monastery Farm: YouTube Amazon Prime Each Episode 59:00
5. The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts - Episode 1  (58:47)  Episode 2 (59:14) Episode 3 (59:14) Episode 4 (59:12)
6. *Full Steam Ahead: Episode 1 (58:16)  Episode 2  (58:16)  Episode 3  (58:13)  Episode 4 (58:10)
7. *Tales From Green Valley: Episode 1 (29:12) Episode 2 (29:11) Episode 3 (29:12) Episode 4 (29:12) Episode 5 (29:11) Episode 6 (29:12) Episode 7 (29:12) Episode 8 (29:11) Episode 9 (29:12) Episode 10 (29:13) Episode 11 (29:12) Episode 12 (29:12)
8. *Edwardian Farm: YouTube  Amazon Prime Each Episode 59:00
9. 1900 Island - Episode 1 (58:56) Episode 2 (58:55) Episode 3 (58:51) Episode 4  (58:55)
10. Turn Back Time - The Family - Episode 1 (56:46) Episode 2 (51:49) Episode 3 (57:14) Episode 4 (53:20) Episode 5  (52:03)

2024 Historic Reality TV
1) *Wartime Farm:  YouTube Each Episode 59:00
Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langladas as well as new team member Henry live as farmers facing the conditions of World War II.  Goodman, Ginn, and Langladas startup with setting up the farm for war conditions, planting the fields, and trying their hand at recycling.  They deal with rationing.  They also take in war refugees, participate in home defense and welcome the Americans.  *Highly recommended for both middle school and high school history and agricultural classrooms.  Highly recommend it for independent study students and clips.*

2) The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts - Episode 1  (58:47)  Episode 2 (59:14) Episode 3 (59:14) Episode 4 (59:12)
The Arts and crafts movement was at its height during the Victorian Period.  A group of men and women are rewriting the rule books for design and architecture.  They were starting a revolution.  They hated the drudgery of the Industrial Age.  They wanted to turn back the clock to the time when the craftsman was appreciated and bring art to the masses.  So what can the modern period learn about the Arts and Crafts movement?  Six modern crafters are going to spend a month together in a Victorian Artist Commune and will be remaking a house room by room.  *Recommended for an art class.*

3) Time Crashers - Episode 1 (46:31)  Episode 2 (47:16) Episode 3 (46:12) Episode 4  (49:37) Episode 5 (46:25) Episode 6 (46:23)
Time Crashers is a history meets reality TV series hosted by Tony Robinson.  Ten celebrities go back in time to explore six different periods of British history.  The different periods include the Elizabethan Era, the 1460’s, 1913, the Georgian Era, the Victorian Era, and the Iron Age.  The ten celebrities are Keith Allen, Kristie Alley, Fern Britton, Charlie Condou, Meg Mathews, Jermaine Jenas, Louise Minchin, Chris Ramsey, Greg Rutherford, and Zoe Smith.  Can they survive what history has to throw at them?  *Recommended for a history class and for a fun day in history.*

4) Secrets of the Castle - Episode 1 (59:15) Episode 2 (58:24) Episode 3 (58:49) Episode 4 (58:50)
Tom Pinfold, Ruth Goodman, and Peter Ginn explore medieval lives and how to build a castle.  This series shows off one of the longest historical experiments in history.  Pinfold, Goodman, and Ginn explore a variety of aspects of castle building.  They kick off the series by establishing their base and then move on doing building projects.  This is a STEM and STEAM-heavy series. *Highly recommend for a middle school and high school history and science classroom.*

5) Victorian Bakers - Episode 1 (54:33) Episode 2 (52:52) Episode 3 (49:46)
Four modern bakers will be sent back to Victorian Times.  They will start in the rural bakeries of the 1840s, to industrial bakeries, and finally the high street bakery.  Our four bakers will experience 63 years of history.  They will experience the conditions of a Victorian Bakery.  The bakers will experience hard work and will try things that have not been baked in over a century.  They will learn more about the bakery trade.  *Recommended for a food science class and history class.*

6) *Full Steam Ahead: Episode 1 (58:16)  Episode 2  (58:16)  Episode 3  (58:13)  Episode 4 (58:10)
Peter Ginn, Alex Langlands, and Ruth Goodman explore the history of British Railways in this series.  They start with how the railroads impact mining and local areas before going into how the railways impact Britain as a nation.  The railroad had as big an impact as the internet had.  Ginn, Langlands, and Goodman demonstrate the changes the railroad brought over the decades.  *Highly recommend for a middle school and high school history classroom.*

7) *Tudor Monastery Farm: YouTube Amazon Prime Each Episode 59:00
Ruth Goodman, Tom Pinford, and Peter Ginn live life as farmers during the Tudor period for a full calendar year.  Monasteries were an important part of Tudor Life and they were the landlords during this period.  They plant a field, raise livestock, and keep house using Tudor methods.  Ruth manages the house and dairy while the boys' Tom and Peter manage the fields.  This playlist includes Tudor Feast at Christmas.  *Recommended for all ages as well as for both a history classroom and agricultural classroom.*

8) 1900 Island - Episode 1 (58:56) Episode 2 (58:55) Episode 3 (58:51) Episode 4  (58:55)
Four families are heading back to 1900 and living in a small fishing village for a month.  The men will go fishing and the women will take care of the home.  The children will be educated in the 1900 schoolhouse.  So what hardships will these families face living this lifestyle?  What challenges will these families face?  Will the families come together to help each other?  Will they fall in love with the past?  *Recommended for a history class.*

9) *Edwardian Farm: YouTube  Amazon Prime Each Episode 59:00
Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langladas live as farmers during the Edwardian Period.  Goodman, Ginn, and Langladas plant market gardens, raise livestock and keep house using Edwardian methods.  They participate in daily Edwardian life and show how the Edwardian period brought changes to England.  *Recommend for a history classroom, highly recommend for an agricultural classroom.  Excellent series for an independent study student.*

10) Turn Back Time - The Family - Episode 1 (56:46) Episode 2 (51:49) Episode 3 (57:14) Episode 4 (53:20) Episode 5  (52:03)
This earlier series is where three families discover how families lived over several different periods including the Edwardian Period, Depression, World War II, and the 1960s.  Three houses were transformed throughout the series to reflect the decade they are in.  They lived in each house for a week.  The families are living the lives of their ancestors.  *Highly recommend for a history classroom and a family and consumer classroom.  Good series for independent study students.*