Down on Victorian Farm

There's a new range of documentary series developing, that of long range projects (then being compressed into just a few episodes). TV series film over a long period, but usually with a lot of output. Now we are getting a short series of something that takes place over a whole year.

Case in point, Victorian Farm, in which three people lived life as it would be on said Victorian style farm... for a whole year, shown as six episodes. I'm not entirely positive they did spend every minute there, but according to the program they did. Now, they did have livestock to take care of, but I am not entirely believing they cooked and did laundry and such every day in the Victorian way. Certainly they did seem to have a BBC team of camera people with them the entire time too (with needing to accommodate them), and the three presenters presumably were paid for this? And were away from their families for the entire time?

Either way, we do get to see life as it was, and they have plenty of people come in to help demonstrate the 'latest technology' or to help them with various animals, and such. All dressed in appropriate Victorian period outfits, of course (but then the BBC have never had a shortage of period costume). They've spawned some follow ups, including the 12 part Edwardian Farm!

It represents a heck of an investment for the few hours of entertainment it produces. And yet... it is very popular. How long before this takes over reality tv entirely?

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