A PBS Historical Re-Creation from 2002 that cast three families into the wilderness of Montana to recreate the experience of 1800s pioneers.
Tropes:
- Hillbilly Moonshiner: Partway into the project, the father of the Clune family acquires a still from his coworkers back in the modern world and begins selling moonshine on the side to supplement his family's livings. The production team decides this is period-appropriate and
permit it. - Historical Re-Creation: It's set in the American frontier of 1883, specifically Montana. The first goal assigned to the 3 families is establishing a homestead; the second is preparing for the unforgiving winter.
- The Simple Life is Simple: After filming from June to October, a panel of historical experts is called to judge which homesteads would survive the winter. All three families were found to have insufficient firewood, one didn't have enough food for themselves or the livestock, and one, while physically prepared, was crippled by developing domestic strife.
- Of Corset Hurts: Some of the women refuse to wear corsets after a while (and, in the hot weather, wind up wandering around in their underwear).
- Unconventional Wedding Dress: The participants have to dress and live according to 1800s US western pioneering families in rural Montana. The Brooks, who get married partway through the project, plan a period-appropriate gingham dress for Kristen because a white gown would be prohibitively expensive for the setting. Nate's family "bought" her a white gown anyway.
