Finding the right family was always going to be a challenge and the search began early. The ideal family needed to have at least two children. They all needed to be resilient, resourceful and have a good sense of humour to cope in the house for a whole three months.

The most important quality they had to have was to be usual -a truly twentieth century family. The documentary production crew knew that they'd get applications from a number of families who already lived without the trappings of late twentieth century technology. But this experiment would only be worthwhile if the chosen family had to come to terms with a life lacking the many luxuries we take for granted in our modern lives.

On the other hand, the family had to be unusual. They needed to have a genuine passion for history and a real desire to take full advantage of the unique experience on offer. More than just a sense of humour to help them through the hard times, they needed to be uninhibited in front of the cameras and able to express their views and emotions clearly.