Great BBC series re food and lifestyle - Edwardian, 1920s, Wartime, 1950s etc

[swinggal]

This series begins in Medi-evil times and goes through to the 80s and ep is one hour. Series is called 'The Supersizers". They basically live in a time period for a week eating ONLY the food and drink from that time, wearing the clothing and living in a home from that period. and doing some of the things that people of the time did socially. They still drive modern cars and critique everything in modern way etc but it's the living that is important. (and yes, there is some taking the mickey as well of the things we once did so it's not perfectly accurate).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Supersizers...

Really interesting and quite funny as food and drink are not something that we, as lovers of these eras, think about too often. Even goes into health and fads, major events and lifestyle ideas of the day.

ALL of the eras are interesting but I've posted SupersizersGo...Edwardian, 1920s, Wartime and 1950s for you. They are all on Youtube

I'm watching the 20s one at moment.

Edwardian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKpV8yKFY-k&feature=related

1920s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLC_amJ7uSc&feature=related

Wartime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOE0VP0EZ0M&feature=related

1950s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTdRLPN3ZGY&feature=related

Enjoy

 

[vintage68]

Interesting twist for a series. Reminds me of the PBS series that we had over in the U.S. One was called Frontier House, about a group of families living like pioneers in the 1870's.

I've watched Edwardian House from the BBC and thought it was excellent. I wouldn't have wanted to be one of the "downstairs" people though, they worked incredibly long hours doing very hard physical labor.

I always like watching series like the ones you mention, so I'll check 'em out. Thanks.

 

[swinggal]

Yep, the 1940's House was great too.

These are less intense and a lot more fun a they are only a week and they still get to use some modern conveniences. But yes, the food and drinking habits of past eras are fascinating. The fact that people drank beer with their meals a lot in many eras was because the water was too dirty to consume. Can you imagine? Even baby's had to drink it from young age.

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

Ah yes. I watched this when it was on television.

It was surprising that when they did they health tests after they had lived in that certain area for a week things were better for them than they were previously.

I hope that doesn't sound too cryptic.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Just watched the Wartime episode, pretty funny!

 

[vintage68]

Yep, the 1940's House was great too.

These are less intense and a lot more fun a they are only a week and they still get to use some modern conveniences. But yes, the food and drinking habits of past eras are fascinating. The fact that people drank beer with their meals a lot in many eras was because the water was too dirty to consume. Can you imagine? Even baby's had to drink it from young age.

Growing up as I did in Europe, drinking from an early age was no big deal. We had wine almost every night at the dinner table, with the children drinking about 1/4 wine and the rest water until we got older.

Beer was consumed pretty liberally throughout history for the reasons you mention, not just in the Edwardian era, but pretty every era prior to the modern age.

I had to laugh though at the beginning of the first Edwardian episode where the VO begins "It was the Golden Age of British cuisine..."

 

[swinggal]

We used to be allowed to small small portions too when I was a child. Very watered down of course. With the amount of water I drink now though...if I'd be whacked all the time if I had to go back to those times!! No wonder people died young...their livers would have been shot!

 

[Puzzicato]

I loved that series. I have a girl crush on Sue Perkins.

I loved the 50s one with the picnic by the motorway and martinis in the thermos! How did anyone drive after that?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

They also did a Tudor one, I think. I remember chicken legs being tossed about etc. Maybe a Georgian one, too? They did a bunch of historical ones. very good shows, quite funny.

bk

 

[Puzzicato]

They also did a Tudor one, I think. I remember chicken legs being tossed about etc. Maybe a Georgian one, too? They did a bunch of historical ones. very good shows, quite funny.

bk

The Revolutionary France one was good too.

 

[Shangas]

I'm watching this series as well. It covers almost everything!

Medieval.
Roman.
Elizabethan.
Restoration (Stuart).
Regency.
Victorian.
Edwardian.
1920s.
1940s.
1950s.
1970s.

And I believe it ends in the 1980s...? I'm not sure.

 

[vintage68]

I'd be interested in the medieval and victorian episodes. Does anyone have the name or the link for these? Is there a production website?

 

[Shangas]

Every single one of them is currently on YouTube.

Just type in "Supersizers" and the appropriate period. So "Supersizers Victorian" or "Supersizers Medieval" (etc) to get the correct episode. Each one is an hour long.

It's amazing the kinds of things people will eat...

...Eel pie, anybody?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

...Eel pie, anybody?

mmmmm, bring it on! Eel is great (not jellied).

bk

 

[vintage68]

I like how the two individuals show a great sense of humor throughout the series. Nothing would ruin it faster than a deadly earnestness.

 

[1961MJS]

Growing up as I did in Europe, drinking from an early age was no big deal. We had wine almost every night at the dinner table, with the children drinking about 1/4 wine and the rest water until we got older.

Beer was consumed pretty liberally throughout history for the reasons you mention, not just in the Edwardian era, but pretty every era prior to the modern age.

I had to laugh though at the beginning of the first Edwardian episode where the VO begins "It was the Golden Age of British cuisine..."

Hi, America did that to a certain extent also. Beer and Wine weren't to get drunk, they were a way of making water taste good, and safe to drink. Dysentery is much more certain, and much quicker to kill you than a bad liver. Apparently, no one understood that boiling the water to make beer killed the germs and you didn't need to ferment it. I'm or course glad that they didn't understand. Beer good.

Um, I thought that British cuisine was kind of an oxymoron??

Later

 

[WH1]

Um, I thought that British cuisine was kind of an oxymoron??

Later

hmmm better run that one by Gordon Ramsey...hell's kitchen indeed

 

[swinggal]

Glad you all like them. I found the educational and great fun at the same time. I knew they would be appreciated here

 

[BinkieBaumont]

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[swinggal]

I know!! Very Jeeves and Wooster.