Episodes
-
The 1900s
S1 E5 - 53m 39s
Observe the social changes the slum dwellers face as they move into the 20th century. A few families prosper, but others continue to face the poverty endemic in Britain. See what steps are finally taken to alleviate the plight of the poor.
-
The 1890s
S1 E4 - 54m 12s
Enter the 1890s, when mass manufacturing and social reform offer a bit of hope for some of the residents, while others are plagued by a water shortage that dashes hopes for a promising laundry business.
-
The 1880s
S1 E3 - 54m 10s
Despite high unemployment and intolerable conditions, people flock to London, desperate for work. When curious upper-class visitors are permitted to visit the slum as tourists, the participants realize how precarious their situation truly is.
-
The 1870s
S1 E2 - 54m 9s
Witness a dire economic depression heightened by the arrival of Irish migrants seeking work. Daily, the slum dwellers toil to fulfill clothing orders and make artificial flowers for factories. Some won’t be able to settle their debts.
-
The 1860s
S1 E1 - 54m 10s
Follow participants as they move into an 1860s tenement made up of sparse rooms, a shared water pump and outhouses. They seek to make a living by matchbox making, wood turning and the rag trade, work once done by their impoverished forebears.
Extras + Features
-
The Hardships of the Rag Trade
S1 E1 - 1m 27s
Tailor Russell and his family get to grips with the Victorian rag trade. Andy meanwhile discovers just how hard Victorian slum dwellers worked.
-
Preparing for Market Day
S1 E1 - 1m 45s
As the Howarths finish their wares for market day, Mandy feels close to her own ancestors and is moved by what they must have gone through.
WETA Passport
Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.
Similar Shows
10 That Changed America
Culture
Asian Americans
Culture
Playing Frisbee in North Korea
Culture
Dream of Italy
Culture
Richard Pryor: Icon
Culture
A Brief History of the Future
Culture
Chasing Voices
Culture