BBC Will Recreate Victorian Poverty with The Slum

Dateline: If you've always been enchanted by the plucky adventures of Oliver Twist and his buddies, you will be happy to learn you can now enjoy the not-so-glamourous lifestyle of hungry Victorian orphans. Plus, viewers will watch and judge your grimy struggles from the comforts of their living rooms.

As part of a "living history" series--and the new "poverty porn" trend of Brit television--families will try to scrape together enough cash through tailoring, candle-making and wood-turning to "avoid the doss-house."  From the BBC's press release:

In this ambitious living history series for BBC Two, one corner of the East End of London will be taken back to the late Victorian era – a time when East End poverty began to make the headlines. For three weeks, modern-day Britons will make it their home. They’ll experience the tough living and working conditions endured by the millions that made up the urban poor in Victorian Britain. In a world with no safety net they’ll be expected to earn enough to put food on the table, pay their rent and keep the roof over their head.

The Slum will chart the story of what life was really like for poor Victorians and through this immersive experience participants and viewers will discover the surprising and complex history that changed Britain’s attitude to poverty forever.

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George Cruikshank Oliver Twist

Illustration by George Cruikshank from the workhouse scene with Oliver Twist asking for more food[/caption]Just to make it extra interactive, contestants will also sell flowers, soap and food to modern-day Londoners. So if some Artful Dodger-style scamp tries to charm  you into buying his sweet red roses the next time you're visiting the city, do it! You might be on camera. Also, they'll probably be priced at around two blooms for a penny, which is really a great bargain. (It's unclear whether or not participants will also be allowed to pickpocket tourists.)

This five-part series will air in 2016.

Source: BBC/The Independent