Australians are a bunch of inner city,
soft living wimps with no understanding of what goes on in the big wide
world, let alone what goes on in regional Australia. Foxes and dingoes
are predators. Life is tough in the bush, even in 2005, let alone more
than a century ago.

So what should we make of the bunch of simpletons and weak-kneed urban dwellers who’ve complained about the ABC’s Colonial House
reality TV series set in 1861? Viewers took exception to a rooster
being kicked and claimed that it broke its leg. Keep watching – in the
next episode the rooster is strutting on two legs. Little lambies are
born sickly and are allowed to die or big nasty Mr Fox comes and
samples one or two. It’s called “reality television” of a staged kind.

Here’s SMH‘s report on the collection of moans and groans from all the urban ABC viewers.

What
the urban wimps didn’t realise is that it’s not reality. In 1861 there
were no animal wranglers. But there was a vet and support staff
(including a head shrinker) off camera to help during the filming of Colonial House.
In addition, health and safety rules were followed seriously, and
there’s a spark arrester in the chimneys to stop sparks getting out and
setting fire to the surrounding country. They weren’t around in 1861
either. Some reality.

If some viewers don’t like the portrayal of life in 1861 they should stop watching or switch to Big Brother or 60 Minutes – or get a life.

Despite
its flaws, one thing this series has already done is to open viewers’
eyes to how ordinary people lived, worked and survived in this country
in years gone by. It will have been worth it for that.