I just read an article in the TV guide about the Frontier House. It seems that the only birth control available in the frontier days were pig intestine condoms. I wonder what the newley wed couple is going to do.
Thanks for the Replies folks. Keep 'em coming as my vigilance seems to be getting on my roommates nerves. Onward…
Rocking Chair Thanks for the dope on the article.I’m hoping it’s posted on thier site. I’d sure love to read that review for myself. OK, so I’m supposed to not watch because of this bad opinion? NOT! Hell, it just makes me want to watch even more…What else do we watch Reality TV for if not to peek in on the mess others lives are?
Yes, We Americans may be whinney and backstabbing…but, it seems the apple don’t fall far from the tree and they still call us “The Colonies”?I’m thinking it is human nature to complain isn’t it?
It sure is too bad if the Brooks get lost in this.From their profiles, I’d expect these three to be just to be a bit better prepared and hence be a better show. I guess if whiney is what they show, whiney is what we will see?
Damn straight this is gonna be good!
Pundit Lisa What ya watch is least as important as what ya get out of it. whisper I’m ashamedly addicted to Bill Maher*…At least you know your place in the world, and your husbands…LOL So I guess we are alike in the fact we will watch from the safety of our warm chairs and be gratefull we wern’t silly enough to put ourselves in the running.
Just Some Guy Castaways sounds more similar to “Survivor” than the “Frontier House” although another of the promos from the program shows a rasher of greened ham. Even a citified girl like me knows that as long as the meat is smoked and scrubbed like heck, there ain’t no ham better! Hopefully, no problems of this sort will result.
Newsweek may not watch much Brittish reality programing but by the tone it is faily obvious that there are no better whinney, cheating, backstabbing dorks than We Americans! Makes me prouder than the Eagle!
Podkayne Thanks for the return. Well, I rekkin’ they’ll be strappin’ on the pig intestine now won’t they?Either that or don’t get any. Seems there will be too many sore muscles and tired nights to worry too much about someone getting herself preggers.Although, I’d have to disagree with getting whisked back to the modern world, unlees she is a first time Mother or a woman with a history of problem pregnancies. An experienced mother could have no problem with carring and delivering a child in this situation.A subject of some debate for up the road.
dragongirl OY! the mental picture your words conjured up was too funny!Something about spirals?..If the Younger Mr.Brooks and his new Mrs. have any brains, they will keep thier ideas of continubial bliss in thier heads untill they return to the modern world!
Keep 'em coming folks! and Viewers Like You! Thank You! 
A couple of cholera deaths?
Seriously, this does look pretty interesting. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m the husband of a reality TV freak, but I thought it looked interesting. Although my first thought was to ask what kind of jobs these people have that they can afford to take 5 months off? average Americans they’re not.
There’s a story in my local paper about this series, here; it sounds pretty interesting.
The one father sets up an illegal moonshine still and trades with his 21st-century neighbors.
It starts tonight, and runs tomorrow night and Wednesday night.
Who else will be watching?
As evilhanz said, who can afford to just walk away from their lives and jobs for this? I sure couldn’t.
Maybe they’ll explain that in the beginning.
Woooo Hoooo! Premire is tonight! I am sooo psyched! No Million just good TV (gawd I hope) OY! If PBS only knew.Thanks for the continued support on this thread. It’s runnin’ up my post count!
Bibliocat I’ll be poppin’ over to read that article momentarily. Sellin’ illegal moonshine? That’s going to be good.
Seems like something the elder Mr. Brooks would try.Sounds like a perfectly good way for a homesteader to get a few nice extras about.
HO YEA. bet your sweet little hinney I’m gonna be in front of that set tonight.
evilhanz Keep it tuned, I’m sure we will know quite a bit about these 3 families before this is over.Perhaps they have understanding bosses (r-i-g-h-t) or self employed? Independendly wealthy? A whorkin’ big saving account? Oh who knows? Anyway they can afford to do it is fine by me. I’m not wondering just watching.
Cervaise Can one be whined to death?..LOL. Good to see you’ll be joining us for this excursion into history. Just be sure your Beef Jerky is fresh.
Thank You for your support! I’ll be back tomorrow!
oooohhhh, i read today that one of the couples thought that this would help save their marriage…
hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
oh oh oh, it is starting…
Which couple is trying to save their marriage? Because I’ve got to say, there are some people on this show who really need some sort of help.
My guess is that it’s the ones from Tennessee.
I cannot believe how whiny those Californians are. Gordon whining about how the guns are too plain and how he has to walk a whole 150 feet to get to water (while the voice-over explains that real pioneers had walks of up to a mile!), the daughters complaining about how they have to walk a whole four miles a day (to go milk their cow twice), the wife actually crying the first time she had to go a whole day without wearing makeup. Why are these people so obsessed with makeup, anyway? Jeezum crow.
I liked the younger Brooks watching his Dad building the log cabin and commenting that it reminded him of his Grandfather.
His beard is getting white. He’s becoming old.
He’s started to treasure the time he has with him.
Look, NOBODY could have predicted a freak snow storm in June.
Somebody else see Oprah? I understand the Glenns and the Clunes still don’t get along. It’s about to get juicy.
Anyone who lives in Montana could. There are only three days of the year that haven’t received snow in my town.
In that same mountain range, I’ve gotten caught in a hail/snow/thunderstorm on the 5th of July.
Whistlepig
–Maybe PBS did more homework than I thought.
It’s like a “good” Survivor. 
Milking cows in the snow, in tears and wearing blankets…what great television.
Then the handsome bridegroom-to-be comes along and saves the day. No wonder someone wants to marry him.
Hey, is David B reviewing this series on RNO???
At first I thought the Tennessee people were reasonable, but at the end they just seemed mean. They made WAY too big of a deal over their cultural differences with the West Coast. They seem prejudiced if you ask me. They need to take an empathy pill, like the handsome teacher from Boston and his dad.
I would keep watching for the kids alone, not so much for the adults. The minors are very funny and human and outrageously frank. (Peeing standing up on camera, proudly showing off the family commode…)
Let’s hear it for TelcontarStorm, Most Enthusiastic Thread Starter! If I had such enthusiasm, my Kim Stanley Robinson threads wouldn’t die so quickly…sigh…
I KNOW! I was watching, thinking, “The water’s right THERE! What is he complaining about?” Geez, what a whiner. He was probably a good one to pick, Mr. Big Business Executive, used to being catered to, now has to walk to get his water, shovel cow manure, etc. 
The makeup issue is almost funny. I can’t believe they wanted to smuggle in a hair dryer. Where did they think they where going to plug it in? Duh.
Is it the Tennessee couple trying to save their marriage? This is her second marriage. She’s a real piece of work. Can I call her a bitch, even though this isn’t the Pit?
I like young Mr. Brooks. He seems like the only one with any sense. I was switching back and forth during the first hour, (I had to watch Third Watch, sorry). Was his fiance there for the lessons in churning and such?
I love watching last night and can’t wait to see more tonight.
The family from California are such a bunch of whiny people and they don’t seem to have any common sense at all. I guess since they’ve always had people do things for them, they just don’t need to have any sense. But the kid seemed to have a lot of fun digging the latrine.
At first , I liked the people from TN. and I understand their point about not wanting to have the neighbor’s cow in their corral, but they could be nicer about it and helped the girls bring the cow back.
I really like the Brooks family.
Good show. Terrible scheduling. Two hours a night, three nights in a row? Who the hell’s idiot idea was THAT? I won’t be able to watch it; can’t even tape it, as there are other things on at the same time I want to tape. They’re showing it all this weekend, maybe I’ll tune in from time to time.
Whatever happened to “an hour, once a week?”
Wow! Can those women be any more bitchy? Yikes! Like most of the other posters I at first liked the TN family, the Clunes seemed so whiny and the whole make up thing was just off the charts, but then they (the TN family) just got nasty. I can’t believe he came out and yelled at the girls milking the cow in the snow. Man, a little compassion goes a long way. And the mom - insisting that the other family ask for help before she will give it. Glad she ain’t my neighbor.
Gotta like Nate and his dad, though. They got the worst of it - having to build a cabin from scratch and all. No complaints from them. And when Nate comes along and helps the girls with the cow - what a guy.
In an earlier post I posited the theory that having more than one family involved would make the experience easier - eliminating the isolation factor. Whoops. Do you think PBS had potential conflict in mind when they chose the families? Conflict makes good television, you know. But, really it’s only for five months, not a lifetime, seems like a person could grin and bear it and be nice (or at least decent) for that period of time. Do you think they knew what they would sound like on TV when they said those things, or are they sitting home dying of embarrassment (as they should be)?
Howdy Folks! Can you believe this program?! Everything we love to hate about reality programing brought to you by the happy folks at PBS!
From the begining one can see the problems.One family is there to Bond?Save her marriage? “Super Mom” Vs “CEO” No wonder The Brooks get lost in the shuffle.
a hearty Haff to Laff for the contriceptive metting.The conspicuious absence of the future Mrs. Brooks was as suprising as Mr. C’s vacetomy.
Is it me or don’t you just have to love someone named Rawhide!
I got to thinking as I viewed that most of the whinning came from the teens, and then mostly in matter of vanity. This is the prarie for chrissake! “Leave the buscuits to the dogs”, and quit yer bellyachin’. One can put it away to the producers thinking the disputes, negitivity, and whinneyness is what the audience is tuned into see.
One of the Wives was heard to make a remark about the lack of comunity.The raising of the Brooks home was in itself a excercise in comunity!I hope she soon learns that comunity is more than having your way from your neighbors. A biggole round of applause for the Younger Mr. Brooks for seeing the girls and thier cows back to safety! clapclapclapMark was his name…In stead of telling those girls Not to milk thier cow in his yard why the hell didn’t he do as did Nate? That wonderfull sence of comunity can go for helping build a corrall as for building a house can it not? If you don’t want the cow in your yard then high tail it over and help build proper housing for the cows.
The Crow Chief who brough along the venison deserves a big round too! clapclapclap Ironic that the deer are protected species now and had to be brought by a Native American. My opinion of Native Americans has been raised a notch by that act of kindness. Too bad the families will learn exactly zip from it.
Already the teen girls have made positive remarks and progress with working with the soil and cows seem to be picking up on something fullfilling much sooner than the older women. As was with 1900 House. Signs are good that Someone will come out of this with a positive experience. Too bad thier Mother and her comtemparary can’t find something to do other than complain.
The dwindling foodstuffs seem to be a concern for one mother.The Producers would be stupid to allow any child to suffer much ill effect from lack of nutrition. But again I just have to look at some of my neighbors cabinets, just as sparce as these homesteaders’ to know they aren’t suffering anything that still isn’t a bane to our “Modern society” I’m sure those Meager looking rations, looking only that way seen through our “jumbo sized” American eyes, were quite hearty compared to those eaten by true homesteaders. Eating in the west didn’t become what it is today, or even what it was back in the days of Diamond Jim Brady untill the completion of the railroads.
Did anyone else note that Ken Burns’ Civil War is going to be rerun? MA! Get out the VCR!
Am I Disapointed ?! Hell No! Am I going to watch the rest of this series?! Hell Yes
tcluie Thanks! but it is readers like you that give me something to reply to! Compliments go out to EVERYONE who’s comtributed to this thread! Once again,Viewers Like You. Thank You! Be back after parts 3 & 4
Yes you can. I don’t call many women bitch, but this one is. She seemed to forget pretty fast that 80% of the first month’s work was already done for her and her family. That is, putting a roof over their heads.
Of course we’re not getting the whole story, but I was bugged when the Glenns insisted the Clunes get their cow out of the corral with seemingly no warning. It’s like “drop everything and build a corral and get it out of here.” The Clunes might have had more of a warning, but I don’t really know.
Also, what happened to the Glenn’s hospitality? I guess if I don’t take them up on their hospitality now I’m sinfully arrogant, it gets rescinded forever and take your fucking cow with you.
And the only thing lamer than the Clune woman crying about not being able to wear makeup for the portrait is the Glenn woman whining about it.
When then road was washed out, they should have had to deal with it the frontier way, whatever that is. Also, it seems like game would be a big part of the frontier diet. If these families aren’t allowed to hunt for game to feed themselves, then what are they to do? Points off for tieing the hunter’s hands behind their backs.
I like the Glenn children and the Brooks men. They seem to be working better with the cards dealt to them. But then they don’t have whole families to feed.
I’m having trouble believing that this wasn’t scripted, because I can’t imagine people acting this nasty on television. Seems to me that if you are on camera and you have three shivering girls trying to milk a cow in your yard that you’d be a bit more gracious.
Or maybe these people think it really is Survivor.
It’s amazing how unlikeable these people are. The woman from Tennessee in particular is a real piece of work. I was expecting something more like the Junkyard Wars type of spirit where there’s some occasional bickering but in general people work as a team and actually seem to enjoy what they’re doing.