South Carolina ETV
Pressroom
South Carolina ETV
Stay Connected
ETV Transports Viewers to the Old West in "Texas Ranch House"
For Immediate Release
April 26, 2006
Columbia, SC...Welcome to Texas, 1867—where modern-day time-travelers find themselves struggling to get a real-life ranch up and running. Viewers will watch the drama unfold in Texas Ranch House, an eight-part series airing on ETV Monday-Thursday, May 1-4, from 8-10 p.m.
Transplanted into the actual living and working conditions of the era, outfitted with period tools, technology and clothing, a brave family and a diverse group of cowboys-at-heart discover how the myth of the American West meshes with reality—and what the saddle-sore, rope-burned and sun-blistered ranch life was really like. During the roasting Texas summer of 2005, the group experienced the life of the American cowboy—building corrals, herding cattle, taming stallions and passing nights under the stars—while tending to their livestock and their daily needs.
As it follows the day-to-day life of the time-travelers, Texas Ranch House also illuminates the captivating story of merging cultures and changing social dynamics in post-Civil War Texas.
“Texas Ranch House may be the most challenging hands-on history series we’ve done,” said Executive Producer Jody Sheff. “The ranchers and cowboys are constantly working with temperamental horses, riding a harsh terrain riddled with ravines and rattlesnakes, not to mention the 100-plus degree heat. The physical demands on our participants and the distances they must cover make this House experience unique.”
At the center of the new Texas Ranch House community is the Cooke family of five from California and their 25-year-old appointed servant Maura, who in real life is a well-read and widely traveled Washington, DC native. The other valiant vaqueros, or cowboys, of Texas Ranch House include Ignacio (“Nacho”), 52, a native Puerto Rican now living in New York; Robby, 35, a USDA cattle inspector; Stan, 56, a retired colonel living in New Mexico; and 22-year-old Ian from Arizona.
At 20 years of age, Vermont native Shaun is the youngest of the male ranchers. Johnny, 22, is the spirited Englishman of the bunch. Rounding out the ranching crew are Jared, 30, from Texas; Anders, 25, originally from Sweden and now living in Missouri; and Rob, a 31-year-old physical education teacher and coach from Colorado.
“Taking people out of their comfortable surroundings and placing them in an unfamiliar and taxing environment is at the heart of this series. How will folks living today deal with the hardships of life in the Old West?” asked series producer Luis Barreto. “It’s fascinating to witness different strengths emerge from different people, as well as the cooperation in work, play and creative strategies for just plain coping. Unlike other unscripted shows out there today, we’re not looking to humiliate or embarrass anyone. It’s all about the experience and how one deals with the situation at hand.”
South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.
###
For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
FLICKR PHOTO
TWITTER
BLOGS
