Colonial House (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Colonial House is an American reality series produced by Thirteen/WNET
New York and Wall to Wall Television in the United Kingdom, following the success of The 1900 House
, an exercise in vicarious "experiential history
" that is characteristic of an attempt to provide an educational version of popular reality television
. It aired on PBS
in the United States and on Channel 4
in the United Kingdom in 2004.
in 1628 along the lines of the recreated Plimoth Plantation
, brought home to viewers the rigors of life for colonists in the early seventeenth century. The show was videotaped in an isolated area near Machias, Maine and featured colonists and several members of the current Passamaquoddy
tribe of Maine. Historians from Plimoth Plantation
and Maine historian and archaeologist Emerson Baker
of Salem State College
helped to make the setting as accurate as possible.
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
New York and Wall to Wall Television in the United Kingdom, following the success of The 1900 House
The 1900 House
The 1900 House is a historical reality television programme made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 1999. The show is about a modern family that tries to the live in the way of the late Victorians in 1900 for three months in a modified house...
, an exercise in vicarious "experiential history
Experiential education
Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is mistakenly used interchangeably with experiential learning...
" that is characteristic of an attempt to provide an educational version of popular reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
. It aired on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in the United States and on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the United Kingdom in 2004.
Overview
The series, intended to recreate daily life in Plymouth ColonyPlymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
in 1628 along the lines of the recreated Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious...
, brought home to viewers the rigors of life for colonists in the early seventeenth century. The show was videotaped in an isolated area near Machias, Maine and featured colonists and several members of the current Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
tribe of Maine. Historians from Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious...
and Maine historian and archaeologist Emerson Baker
Emerson Baker
Emerson 'Tad' Baker II, Ph.D. is a historical archaeologist and professor of history at Salem State College. Doctor Baker is well known in academic circles for his extensive work on witchcraft in Colonial America, as well as for his work on numerous archaeological sites along the East Coast of...
of Salem State College
Salem State College
Salem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
helped to make the setting as accurate as possible.