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 Post subject: 1940's House
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 9:10 pm 
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http://lechaimontheright.com/2013/12/co ... -time.html

I read the above linked review of the various "House" series on PBS, and decided to follow the blogger's advice. DD & I got 1940's House from the library. Our local library didn't have it, but did get it for us on inter library loan.

It was a GREAT historical education for her (and I learned a thing or two, too, despite being pretty familiar with the era already : ) She enjoyed it so much that she watched it again on Saturday- during NON school time : ) !

The series (3 hours total) follows a modern family as they go back and try to re-live the experiences of those on the London home front during WWII. They re-enacted building a bomb shelter, installing blackout curtains, dealing with rationing and lots of other everyday experiences of the War. It was very well done - entertaining, educational & interesting.

There were a few of drawbacks - nothing that would keep me from recommending it, but the kind of details a parent might want to know about in advance:

1. The cast had an occasional bawdy sense of humour (for instance, when the adult daughter - a Mother & divorcee is given a single bed, her parents tease her about not being able to "have guests over.") But, there were only a few such jokes.

2. The female characters made the occasional comment about work outside the home being important and fulfilling, and domestic work being unimportant - a modern feminist sales pitch I don't agree with or care for. I would rather not indoctrinate DD with such ideas.

3. And, toward the end there was a BBC news cast about the Holocaust that I chose to fast forward thru - not knowing how much detail they might give, and how inappropriate it might be for DD since she is still quite young. I still don't know how that part of the show went so I cannot review it - but it was only about 5 minutes. (throughout the movie, the family occasionally sit around the radio and listen to actual BBC recordings of news and information bulletins from the war).

4. There was also a discussion of speculation about American G.I.'s "leaving babies behind" that was both factually unsupported and inappropriate for young ears - but probably would pass unnoticed by most children - as it seemed to by mine (I hope, anyway).

All in all I highly recommend it as a great look for families into the realities of WWII history - a fine addition to a history curriculum that will give a lifelike & memorable insight into the realities of those times.

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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 9:29 pm 
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I haven't seen that one yet! It sounds good. I'll have to check the library for it.

I've seen The 1800 House and The Colonial House (I think it was called.. it may have been called the Pioneer House.)

Both are good but for a bit older set than your dd's age.
More like teenage and up.


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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:47 pm 
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1940's House is also targeted toward teens & adults - but DD really enjoyed it, all the same. I think the fact that the family in the series had children made it more appealing to her - despite it being meant for an older audience : )

Are 1800's & Colonial house (or Pioneer House) inappropriate for younger children because they're harmful in some way, or are they "older" only because they're slower moving/more difficult vocabulary, etc?

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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:59 pm 
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I remember the colonial house having older teen girls and they were sometimes not dress appropriate for the times.
They seem to be flirty with the men, too.

There were several families in this one, not just one family, and they were each assigned a place to live. Some got built houses, some had to live in tents as the houses were being built, etc. They had to learn how to live as a community as if they had just come over in a ship.
Definately people didn't always get along.
I don't remember if there was drinking or swearing. It's been a long while since I've seen that one so I'm going completely by memory and mine isn't always too great these days, lol!

The 1800 house, there were a few references to woman's rights, the suffrage movement, etc. The older sister was not nice at all towards her little sisters. I didn't like her attitude. :(
In one scene the family goes swimming and the reason the mom and older dd couldn't swim was mentioned and they were play acting miserable because of their "curse".
Just suble things like that.
The mom has an emotional breakdown or two... crying, stressed out, etc.

It depends on the age of your dd as to what all she'll pick up on.


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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:08 pm 
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Thanks, Tory - I appreciate the review :)

now that you mention it, I must have seen the 1800 house (or whatever the title) many years ago when it came out. I remember that curse/swimming scene :roll:

But, I wasn't watching it with kids in mind, so I'll need to give it a good once over before we watch it : )

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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:04 am 
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I've loved all of those series. Need to hunt them down again. It's been a long time since I've watched them. I think they spark great discussions.


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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:42 pm 
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1900 House. I didn't like the modern bad attitudes. Especially the disrespect towards the rules the producers had wanted them to follow to authenticate the time period. A scene I remember when the mom and daughters snuck out to buy shampoo. In Pioneer House the main couple snuck in a modern mattress. These may have been scripted, or written in to provide 'interest' or 'drama', one never knows.

But it did make one think if one could have survived if going back in time. I for one would love to live pumping my own water, without electricity and riding my horse and buggy to town.

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 Post subject: Re: 1940's House
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 11:35 am 
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I'd probably bring my own potty! ;-)


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