1940s
In their final decade of time travel, the Robshaws enter the 1940s and experience a decade overshadowed by war and entirely fuelled by rations.
The Robshaw family are experienced time travellers, but this time they are going further back than they have ever been before - to the turn of the 20th century, to discover how the food we ate and the way we ate it helped shape the modern family. An ordinary house in south London is their time machine, transporting them through five decades and two world wars. Guided by presenters Giles Coren and social historian Polly Russell, they trace the incredible changes to Britain's diet and the extraordinary social transformation they reveal.
In their final decade of time travel, the Robshaws enter the 1940s and experience a decade overshadowed by war and entirely fuelled by rations. In their second world war of the experiment, the Robshaws get used to a diet of duty and determination. Gone are the treats of the 20s and 30s and the Edwardian excess is a distant memory. Now it is powdered egg, nettles on toast and imitation brawn at the dining room table, and they are even one family member down as Fred is evacuated to the countryside.
But the war brings them together too as they share a woolton pie in their very own Anderson shelter, the girls go dancing with Debbie and some GIs, and the whole family start to recognise the power of the family meal to bring them together in the good and bad times.
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Clips
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Dinner on rations
Duration: 01:16
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Wartime Swing
Duration: 00:56
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:03Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five
A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But A Bird
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00:07Alberto DomÃnguez
Frenesi
Music Arranger: William Grant Still. Performer: Artie Shaw. Orchestra: Artie Shaw Orchestra. -
00:14Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
Imagination
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00:15Deanna Durbin
Annie Laurie
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00:16Glenn Miller
String Of Pearls
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00:17Glenn Miller
A String Of Pearls
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00:19Harry Roy
The Hut-Sut Song
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00:22Harry Roy
A Man and His Drum
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00:24Deanna Durbin
Ave Maria
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00:24Lester Young Quartet
Afternoon of A Basie-Ite
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00:27Harry James and His Orchestra
Strictly Instrumental
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00:29Connie Haines & Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
At Last
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00:34Flanagan and Allen
Run Rabbit Run
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00:40Harry Roy
They CanÂ’t Black Out The Moon
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00:50Bob Lamm & Francis Craig and His Orchestra
Near You
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00:53Jack Beaver
News Theatre
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00:56Patti Page
All My Love
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00:57Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
Blues For Tanya
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00:56Perry Como
Bibbidi Bobbity Boo
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00:59Not Credited
Get Happy
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Giles Coren |
| Presenter | Polly Russell |
| Participant | Adam Henson |
| Participant | Rangan Chatterjee |
| Executive Producer | Emily Shields |
| Executive Producer | Emma Hindley |
| Series Producer | Nancy Bornat |
| Producer | Emma Frank |
| Director | Emma Frank |
| Editor | Matt Seccull |
| Production Company | Wall to Wall Media |
Broadcasts
- Tue 21 Feb 2017 20:00
- Fri 24 Feb 2017 23:05ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two except Scotland & Wales
- Fri 24 Feb 2017 23:35ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two Scotland & Wales only
- Wed 5 Apr 2017 03:00
- Wed 25 Oct 2017 19:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two except Scotland
- Fri 27 Oct 2017 19:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two Scotland
- Thu 11 Mar 2021 15:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two except Scotland
- Fri 25 Feb 2022 16:20ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two except Scotland
