Living in the Past
1978
Documentary
A group of young people live and work on a replica of a prehistoric Iron Age settlement at a secret location in the West of England. Cut off from the modern world, the group try to re-create the way of life of Celtic tribesmen in the third century BC.
Language
EN
Status
Ended
First Aired
February 23, 1978
Last Aired
May 11, 1978
Networks
BBC Two
Where to Watch
Region US · Lang EN
US
No providers available for this region.
Seasons & Episodes
Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.
Season
E1
March
Air date: 1978-02-23
The Archaeological background. Building the settlement.
E2
April
Air date: 1978-03-02
Difficulties and delays.
E3
May
Air date: 1978-03-09
Spring at last.
E4
June
Air date: 1978-03-16
Learning to be self-sufficient.
E5
July
Air date: 1978-03-23
The first signs of strain appear in the group's relationship with one another. They have problems with their livestock, but some successes as well.
E6
August
Air date: 1978-03-30
Fun and games for the Celtic Festival of Lugnatha-a prehistoric August Bank Holiday. Harvest time begins and one of the group goes missing.
E7
September
Air date: 1978-04-06
The group take in the harvest and run into more problems. They kill a pig and begin preparing for the winter.
E8
October
Air date: 1978-04-13
The village has a disastrous crop failure. They train cattle, make clothes and shoes and deal with minor cuts and injuries.
E9
November
Air date: 1978-04-20
The villagers celebrate the Celtic festival of Samhain, better known today as Bonfire Night. They burn a wicker man and enact a play with the spirits of darkness.
E10
December
Air date: 1978-04-27
The Iron Age village prepares for the winter. Lindsay and Peter return home with the children and the others regret their departure. The villagers experiment with metal working.
E11
January
Air date: 1978-05-04
The Iron Age village in winter. The group begin to master the skills of working iron and weaving. They talk about the lack of leadership and the lack of privacy in the Round House.
E12
February
Air date: 1978-05-11
The Iron Age village during the closing weeks of the project. The group talk about the skills they have attained and their feelings about returning to the outside world. The archaeologists take over and give an assessment of the project as a whole, its failures and its successes.






















