Texas Ranch House-anyone watching?

[xmas74]

I'm addicted to the shows on PBS where they have people live as they would have in a certain time period. I think if my daughter were older I'd volunteer for one of the shows.

[miss_american_pie]

1. I watched last night

Not so sure I'd volunteer though. :hi:

[xmas74]

2. I've watched the manor house one,

the 1940's house, the Victorian one, the New World one and so on.

I think it would be one hell of a lesson for my daughter to learn and it would teach her to appreciate how those before us lived.

[miss_american_pie]

4. I got bored wth Manor House

but I watched the rest.

It would definitely be an education.

[xmas74]

7. The lords and ladies got too involved in their roles.

I was waiting for the fight.

[LeftyMom]

3. I've watched the others but

i have just a sneaking suspicion that watching something that takes place on a cattle ranch would be bad for my blood pressure, so I'll be skipping this one.

[miss_american_pie]

5. I thought about that last night

There was a branding scene.

[xmas74]

6. Probably would be.

They're getting ready to kill some older chickens to turn into stew right now. They said that they were almost out of food so they had to do it.

Still pretty interesting. I really would volunteer for something like this if my child were older. I think it would be a great experience and I'd hope she'd appreciate life as it is now.

[NNadir]

8. No, I'm not watching.

[xmas74]

9. It's kind of interesting.

They've already had a few leave. They just couldn't handle it.

[sendero]

10. Well...

... I'm fascinated with early Texana, and we recorded it and watched maybe a half hour last night.

My initial complaint is that this "series", much like it's commercial TV counterpart "reality" shows, seems to be awfully formulaic and goes out of its way to play up all the petty feuds that arise when you shove a bunch of folks together.

But I'll probably watch it anyway :)

[xmas74]

11. It's still kind of interesting, even w/ the arguments.

Right now they have some young men playing the roles of Buffalo Soldiers. They've sent them over to purchase beef.

[KittyWampus]

12. I was interested in Mother's reaction about sharing garden produce with

hired hands. Cowboys are getting sick from improper diet and they are essential to making things work. If they don't get that 200+ cattle penned in the Owner and his wife are going to be totally in debt.

How much work are those 3 daughters doing, anyway?

It was very cool they had Native Americans come and steal that first bunch of cattle.

All in all, I was surprised to have enjoyed this particular version. I was prepared to hate it since it's Texas :D

[miss_american_pie]

13. Yeah, I don't get that

Seems like they have more than enough produce. :shrug:

[xmas74]

14. I did like the touch of having the first bunch stolen.

And the produce bit-I don't know. You've got to wonder.

[KittyWampus]

15. anyone else watch this? it was interesting

[xmas74]

18. Looks like no one else cared.

I think American Idol was on at the same time last night.

[Hugin]

16. No, I was majorly bummed when I saw it was on instead of The Road Show...

I figured it was yet some more CPB propaganda and
tuned in to something else.

[xmas74]

17. Not really propaganda.

My best friend uses those series in her classroom and has her students roleplay what it was like and how they would react if they were sent back to that time.

Plus, PBS always has a decent Teacher's Guide for each episode of the series.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. Caught the first 20 minutes of it.

I've got questions about it's historical authenticity.

[xmas74]

20. Well, they do as much as they can.

The experiment only lasts a few months and they want them to get the full experience of a year's time.

They do use historians to recreate as much as they can of what life was like at that time. Here's the link to the historians used on the project.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ranchhouse/about_experts.html

They say the biggest factor is the who actually participates. Some go in and gully participate in how things would have been at that time. They read extensively about it and really throw themselves into the experience. Others think they can handle it, get there and back out of things like plucking a chicken.

I think it just depends on the person.

[tigereye]

21. I've seen all of the series

they were fascinating. The only reality series that I like. However, last night I was torn between that and Scrubs and Scrubs won. I don't watch much TV anymore, but I was in the mood.

I say go for it, I seem to remember that there were kids on the Frontier House series. Maybe when your little one is older....

[xmas74]

22. There was also a schoolage child on 1940's House.

I'd love to do it but would wait for her to be much older. Maybe someday...