Janette Oke: Die Coal Valley Saga

I really loved the first season of this show. It was very atmospheric, costumes were great and all the faces were naturally beautiful. Then suddenly all the women look like they're just out of a beauty salon. Lots of makeup, crispy clean and new clothes, fancy Hollywood hairstyles. There's no way pioneer women looked like that. It's so disappointing they ruined the atmosphere of the frontier town.

I came across this when scrolling through channels and was confused which time period it was set in. Not until I saw the cars did I realise it was set in the early 1900s.

The hair and makeup of the women and even the hair of the men, are not of this period. The women's hairstyles are very much of the current era and their makeup/eyeshadow too.

This series had great potential but I find these basic errors completely off-putting.

Even the language/slang used are too modern.

Poor show!

Absolutely love the program and all of the characters. Fairly certain however, that Crest White Strips and braces were not available in this time period. It's extremely distracting when every single character has blinding white, perfect teeth, and perfect makeup.

I really liked this show the first five years but every year it's a little less. It has become a modern day show of the "now" times but set back in the early 1900's. The women and men of that period would not have acted in the manner they are acting. From most of the women's hair styles and clothing to the men's submissive behavior towards the women. The woman seem to run the show. By that, I mean, that it seems all the woman wear the pants. It's just not realistic at all. Every year when the new season would start I couldn't wait to watch it but this year not so much. So hey, writers, producers, actors or anyone who has any say in this, can you do something about this...please?

The Hallmark team, with Michael Landon,Jr and Janette Oke have a winner here.

A seemingly period piece with contemporary issues , from overbearing parent' s expectations, and complaints about homework and disinterested students and let us not forget the mayor's wife dropping the founder's day play on the teacher; to the cooperative set up of the classroom with its many distractions and interruptions which really to do occur in today's public classroom. Being a public school teacher I could relate and thought the teacher anxiety over the play was portrayed nicely. Loved the scene when Elizabeth trips and Jack catches her.

Episode 7, dealing dyslexia. and the conflict with the parents was again portrayed well. Parents and teachers both meaning well, yet not sure what is really best for the child.

Episode 8, simply the best most moving, of the season a "wounded warrior" (recovering coal miner) from a life changing experience(lost of a leg)- how the individual,the family, and community responded to a person who is different in body and spirit now. Beautiful scene between Jack and Adam around the campfire about a child's perspective when a parent(father)- is injured- being male made it even more meaningful for- since fathers are often children's first heroes.

Episode 10 Had the more of western feel with the bank robbers and Jack in the saddle and alone so much and the camera picking up the landscape and scenery, was beautiful. The camera shots the morning after, when the characters were returning to town just stunning.

Please do not stop with just one season. Nice to have a family drama and meaningful stories for all family members to watch and relate to.