Back to the Frontier

3 families try to live the 1880 homesteading life. They seem to have no knowledge of history. They arrive in summer by car and only for the summer. They are given a homestead with a shelter, furniture, food, outhouse and crops and they do nothing but whine and complain. Real homesteaders would travel for weeks, if not months by wagon, without roads. Arrive tired to nothing but raw land. An outhouse is a luxury and they complain about it. They are given a shelter where real homesteaders would be living in a tent or wagon till they built something.ready for winter. Have they never heard of the Donner Party? These are people who have never camped, never been hungry, unaware of how most of the world lives and unable.to appreciate what they have. They have modern medical support and law enforcement something real homesteaders could not even dream of. They know they can tap out of the show, real homesteaders faced death if things went wrong. I hope the families are not representive of Americans, but fear they are.

I'll start by saying I'd never do this. And for those that expected the producers to be homophobic, shame on you.

That said, the first episode was enlightening. Each family has their own strengths and struggles. It is odd that they didn't research what a family needed or did during that time. Although I'd never do this, I would've looked I to that.

I don't like that the homesteads are broken and missing walls etc. I think that was unfair. And I'm hoping they were given a means to purchase goods or barter.

I'm going to stick with this as all three families are interesting. I hope they all succeed but my money is in the Lopers as their kids seem to get it and want to help.

As others have said in their reviews the concept of the show is fantastic and a really fun idea.

Watching people live out the lifestyle of frontier America is a huge contrast to modern life and an interesting watch.

However the families chosen seem like a strange fit for the environment.

They don't seem to have many practical skills and there doesn't seem to be any real urgency for them to learn any since their homes and necessities have been pre built and given to each family.

Building one's own home would be a huge challenge and one that could have been a way to bring the families together in it's requirement for cooperation but instead the challenge just seems to be going without WiFi in a shed in the woods.

Since I've only seen the first episode I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt but it doesn't give much hope for the show as it continues.

I remember loving an older PBS series similar to this, so I was excited to watch Back to the Frontier. Sadly, the camera operators are right up beside the families and are way too noticeable. Also, you can tell the families are acting out scripted dialogue and contrived conflict. Watching them figure out how to cook and build is fun, and the grandmother is the star of the bunch with her life experience. I just wish the show creators had chosen to pull the cameras back where they don't interfere so much and resisted the urge to script so much of each episode.

These are not survival experts. They are spoiled 21st century families who want to experience life on the frontier. Yes there are cringey moments where reality sets in but the majority of first two episodes are honestly good and I will watch the rest of the season. It's Alaska the last frontier meets keeping up with the kardashians. It's nice to see the kids away from technology and learn how to survive on their own with limited resources. Something in my opinion every kid should learn. The fact that they have two experts ready and available to give knowledge to these 21st century families makes it that more intriguing.