This was the first of History Television's "Quest" series' and so far the best. The next two were "Quest for the Bay" (2002) and "Klondike: The Quest for Gold". The premise was simple: take two couples and see if they can survive for a year on a farm, 1870's-style. Shot on location, cut off from the general public and their families and friends, the four "pioneers" are roughing it in the very literal sense of the term. A lot of emphasis is placed on everything being period appropriate, from clothing to tools to farming and hunting. What grows out of such an absolute commitment to the reality of their situation is a glimpse of what most settlers went through on homesteads such as this. The two couples, the Logies and the Treadways, are likable and offer insights into their situation through video-diaries. This footage is fascinating, as it often indirectly captures the inner struggle each one has being a 21st Century middleclass Canadian situated in the late 19th Century. Tom Anniko's narration (which is present in all the "Quest" series) is perfectly matched to rest of the show, lending an old-time-campfire-story touch to each episode. This is truly a series to be sought out by North American history buffs and even the casual channel-surfing everyman/woman. A further point of interest, if you catch this series on tv, is that an additional "Where are they now..?" episode has been added, which picks up with the Logies and the Treadways and shows their lives after this adventure. Investigate the other "Quest" series too, despite what I say about this being the best, as they are very engaging in their own right.
