The Victorian Slum

Our PBS affiliate just aired the first episode of this series. When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded silly, but I did want to check it out for myself.

While this can be considered entertainment, because it is (real life) drama, I place this in the educational genre. The premise is that modern folk live and work within a fictional world that approximates life in 1860.

Frankly, I don't think many people realize how much human existence has changed in 150 years. This show is a reminder. Since the participants are placed into this micro-society directly from the 21st century, their experience might bear a resemblance to those who left an agrarian lifestyle for the big city or those who left other nations seeking a new start. In this experiment, all are assigned roles, i.e. occupations, when they arrive. A modern-day tailor learns to make or repurpose articles of clothing from used clothing or rags. A retired gentleman reports for day work at a bell-making factory that uses the same methods as those in the Victorian Era. Some women learn to make matchboxes from scratch.

Hanging over all the volunteer participants is the need to earn enough money for shelter and food. This is no simple task in this new-but-old world, and those with families really feel the pressure.

Along the way, the viewer learns much about how some people struggled to survive in what is typically called a dog eat dog world. Conversely, some families find that the proximity and the sharing of labor and daily challenges can bring them closer together.

Those who watch this show should consider what life was like in 1500 or 1300. Such exercises teach us much about society and ourselves.

I love this series. This is a part of British history that I knew nothing about.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is that I was a bit put off by Maria's false eyelashes and lipstick. I doubt these were even available at the time, let alone affordable.