Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9233 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-09
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 232 minutes

Customer Reviews

The 1900 House is sensational.
If you're a period enthusiast like me, then this will be for you! I bought this after watching a similar release entitled 'The Edwardian Country House'. I watched The 1900 House twice in one week and now and again will go back and watch the appealing bits. Episode 1 is fantastic where we see your classic late Victorian terraced house today be transformed into the genuine article of, yes, you guessed it, a 1900 house filled with all the artifacts of the time even down to the stove and gas lighting, fantastic! It was very interesting indeed to see how a modern average family of today would cope with living under Victorian conditions for the three month experimental period, the presenter Daru Rooke does a very nice job enthusing you along the way. Watch out though if you decide to buy this; there is an Region 1 version which has an American narrator instead of the brilliant Barbara Flynn. Highly recommended title.

Victorian Era in bite-sized pieces
I have rated this production with a '3 star' rating; this is for the excellent work and historical information that is evident here. Were I to rate the family and their participation, they would be getting a '1 star'. Personally, I think the production has suffered greatly from having such an inappropriate, whiney and downright boring family and, whilst I love Victoriana in general, I don't watch this often because the family spoils it for me.

The house is just beautiful - the reproduction of items like the range is sheer genius, and the decoration and inclusion of antiques is marvellous, exactly typical of the era and you can appreciate the work that went into sourcing exactly what was required.

Each sourced item was explained within the context of its use in Victorian life and the historical information given to the viewer is incredibly interesting with excerpts from books and newspaper articles of the day and explanations provided as to why life was the way it was back then.

I disliked the mother intensely, all she did was cry and complain throughout the programme. It made for very uncomfortable viewing.

I can't leave this review without detailing some good points about the rest of the family - so here we go - the little boy was cute and the other children didn't speak much. In addition, the father was 'out at work' mostly.

Daru Rooke was excellent - he is a naturally gifted story-teller and with a wealth of knowledge at this fingertips - so much so that you could actually believe he was there in Victorian times...

Mediocre
After watching the 'Edwardian Country House' this show was a bit of a disappointment.
Unlike the 'Edwardian Country House' this show is not really able to convey (in only 3 episodes) the feeling of 'what it would be like' to live in the time period.