24 Hours in the Past is a BBC One living history TV series first broadcast in 2015. Six celebrities were immersed in a recreation of impoverished life in Victorian Britain. Each of the four episodes represented 24 hours living and working in four different occupations.{{Cite serial

|title=24 Hours in the Past

|network=BBC One

|date=April 2015

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05t5l7t

}}

A key part of the series was its immersive nature. The four episodes were ostensibly filmed in direct sequence, and the participants lived, ate and slept in the often filthy conditions portrayed.{{Cite news

|title=It was not pleasant to live in Victorian times says Ann Widdecombe

|newspaper=Daily Express

|date=20 May 2015

|author=Ann Widdecombe

|author-link=Ann Widdecombe

|url=http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/ann-widdecombe/578383/24-Hours-In-The-Past-BBC-One-Ann-Widdecombe

}}

Living history had become a popular theme in UK TV series at the time, usually involving Ruth Goodman and regular collaborators in a long-term series, filmed in intermittent episodes with a cast of historians. This series took a different pitch, using a continuous filming technique without the respite of hotels between episodes and cast with "the randomest collection of participants" to create an air of surprise at their conditions.

Cast

= Presenters =

Fi Glover
Ruth Goodman, well-known consultant historian and TV presenter for many living history series.

= Participants =

Alistair McGowan, impressionist
Ann Widdecombe, former Conservative MP and cabinet minister
Colin Jackson, world champion hurdler
Miquita Oliver, TV presenter
Tyger Drew-Honey, actor in Outnumbered
Zöe Lucker, actress

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#BFE0BF |overall= |title= |aux1= |airdate= |aux1T=Location |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|Title=Dustyard

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|4|28|df=yes}}

|Aux2=Black Country Living Museum

|ShortSummary=A Victorian dustyard, where domestic rubbish was sorted. Some was then re-sold and recycled, such as rags, bones, sieved ash for building materials and "puer".{{efn-lr|Dog faeces, used in the tanning of glove leather. Pronounced, and often spelled, 'pure'.}}{{Cite episode

|title=Dustyard

|series=24 Hours in the Past

|network=BBC One

|date=28 Apr 2015

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05t5l85

}}{{Cite news

|newspaper=Birmingham Mail

|title=BBC's 24 Hours in the Past: Alistair McGowan forced to shovel muck in the Black Country

|author=Roz Laws

|date=20 April 2015

|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/bbcs-24-hours-past-alistair-9082407

}}

|LineColor=bfe0bf

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|Title=Coaching inn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|5|5|df=yes}}

|Aux2=The New Inn at Stowe

|ShortSummary=The cast work at a busy coaching inn, the New Inn, built by Lord Cobham in 1717 as part of his estate at Stowe. Diverse visitors to the inn are served meals, stay overnight, and have their horses groomed.{{Cite episode

|title=Coaching Inn

|series=24 Hours in the Past

|network=BBC One

|date=5 May 2015

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05twf3s

}} Ann Widdecombe begins a theme of the series, by protesting vociferously against working conditions.

|LineColor=bfe0bf

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|Title=Potteries

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|5|12|df=yes}}

|Aux2=Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

|ShortSummary=The cast move into the expanding factories of the Victorian era and begin work in a pottery. Things progress badly, with further agitation by Ann Widdecombe inspiring a strike and lockout of the workers.{{Cite episode

|title=Potteries

|series=24 Hours in the Past

|network=BBC One

|date=12 May 2015

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vncvw

}}{{Cite news

|newspaper=The Stoke Sentinel

|title=TV Review: 24 Hours In The Past – BBC1 ****

|author=John Woodhouse

|date=19 May 2015

|url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/John-Woodhouse-TV-Review-24-Hours-Past-8211-BBC1/story-26532441-detail/story.html

}}

|LineColor=bfe0bf

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|Title=Workhouse

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|5|19|df=yes}}

|Aux2=The Workhouse, Southwell

|ShortSummary=The cast, now presumed to be destitute, were consigned to the workhouse. After leading a refusal to wash, Ann was subjected to solitary confinement.{{Cite episode

|title=Workhouse

|series=24 Hours in the Past

|network=BBC One

|date=19 May 2015

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05wcwg0

}}

|LineColor=bfe0bf

}}

Reception

Critical reception was muted.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} The most scathing description as "frustrating and pointless watching" came from The Guardian.{{Cite news

|newspaper=The Guardian

|title=24 Hours in the Past: the randomest collection of participants in the BBC's weakest historico-reality-doc-thing yet

|author=Lucy Mangan

|date= 13 May 2015

|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/may/13/24-hours-past-review-bbc-weakest-historico-reality-doc-ann-widdecombe

}}

The most best-known cast member was Ann Widdecombe, a cabinet minister in the Back to Basics government of John Major. Some reviewers saw it as ironic that she took the role of a labour organiser protesting against oppressive employers.{{Cite news

|newspaper=The Independent

|title=24 Hours in the Past, BBC1 - TV review: Ann Widdecombe can identify with the bossy Victorians

|author=

|date=21 May 2015

|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/24-hours-in-the-past-bbc1--tv-review-ann-widdecombe-can-identify-with-the-victorians-especially-the-bossy-ones-10210943.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522011457/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/24-hours-in-the-past-bbc1--tv-review-ann-widdecombe-can-identify-with-the-victorians-especially-the-bossy-ones-10210943.html |archive-date=2015-05-22 |url-access=limited |url-status=live

}}{{Cite news

|newspaper=Mirror

|title=Lesson in Victorian values for Ann Widdecombe as she spends 24 Hours In The Past

|author=Kevin O'Sullivan

|date=2 May 2015

|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-reviews/lesson-victorian-values-ann-widdecombe-5624239

}} Widdecombe denied that any part was scripted and confirmed that all of the grim accommodation was genuine.{{Cite news

|newspaper=The Telegraph

|title=24 Hours in the Past: Ann Widdecombe gets dirty

|author=

|date=21 May 2015

|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11566510/24-Hours-in-the-Past-bbc-review.html

}}

Viewing figures were unimpressive. Although it did well against other programming in that slot, its series average of 3.3m (16%) was below the BBC1's slot average of 4.9m for the previous year. Viewing figures for the series dropped from 3.8m for the first episode{{Cite web

|website=Broadcast

|title=24 Hours in the Past transports 3.8m

|author=Alex Farber

|date=29 April 2015

|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/24-hours-in-the-past-transports-38m/5087121.article

}} to 3.2m.{{Cite web

|website=Broadcast

|title=24 Hours In The Past concludes with 3.2m

|author=Alex Farber

|date=20 May 2015

|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/24-hours-in-the-past-concludes-with-32m/5088490.article

}}