Well, somebody at the BBC must have read my review of 'Back in Time for Dinner', and actually paid attention-what a breath of fresh air!.. A family where all members are actually enthused by the project, and not afraid to say so-they were even united in their dislike for tripe (I completely agree-I've been trying to make it appetizing for years-it's not the taste, it's the texture)... I'm particularly taken by the two daughters, Caitlin and Freya, who seem to be having a wonderful time, despite being the first 'casualties', and being sent South to find work in service, and rather surprised at the son, Harvey-who taught him such wonderful old-fashioned manners?.. I wish more younger viewers would watch and take note... His interchange with John Craven on the station platform was a revelation!.. He was so taken with it, I rather hope the producers gave him his bathing costume to keep...
Not quite so much enthusiasm shown by the father, Jon (love those sideburns), but then he is a dour Northerner, and presently (3rd episode-1960s) facing a dangerous and dirty life as a coal-miner, so perhaps not quite so surprising, but the undoubted star of the show so far must be Lesley, now a full-time housewife, having finished down at t'mill, and then done her bit to aid the war effort and the subsequent boom in the British economy-she is so animated and motivated compared to her Southern counterpart, Rochelle-completely undaunted by anything, she just rolls up her sleeves and gets on with it-donkey-stoning her front steps, preparing mock roes, or tackling yet another bowl of washing-up, with only a cold tap-nothing is insurmountable, and yet there's no real grousing, apart from mild irritation that 'the swinging 60s' were 'passing me by'...
It helps that the format of the programme has changed (and that that under-preened, supercilious git Giles Coren has been replaced by the gorgeous Sara Cox), with a more informative narrative allowing the viewer to place things more accurately within a social and chronological context...
All in all, a big step in the right direction, a far more educative programme than its predecessor, but still immense fun-next week, the 1970s-watch this space, and I shall update, watch the programme and enjoy!..
(Add.) Well, it's all over-we sailed throught the power-cuts and three-day-weeks of the 1970s (and the horrendous clash of clothing and household decoration), and dipped our toes into the 1980s and 90s. Last night was the repeat showing of the final programme, a compendium of all the best (and worst) bits, and some not seen before. The Ellis' family home was restored to the modern day (Lesley got her kitchen back, and mightily relieved she was too), and we visited Rusholme to see how recent changes (it's no longer the 'Curry Mile') are still encouraging people to try something new.
So, in précis, I stand by my earlier comments. What made this programme so appealing was the family's bounding enthusiasm, their willingness to pull together to overcome adversity, and their relative willingness to make fools of themselves in front of the camera. This, together with the variety of treats that they were offered, made their (and therefore our) experience so much better than the previous family's. I hope the BBC recommissions this series, although I'm baffled as to where they would go from here... Farther North to Scotland perhaps, or maybe a look at immigrants lives over the past 100 years... As long as they keep the basics simple and well thought-out, it should be juat as enjoyable as this series has been over the past six weeks. I wish the Elllis family well, and hope that some of their experiences have stuck-I can see Jon investing in a Vauxhall Viva, and perhaps the children will all have learned to help out doing the chores, but overall, I think all five members will have learned to enjoy time in each others' company, thus tying the family unit tighter together, and that can't be a bad thing... Can it?..
