[strider3700]

For the past few years I've been trolling the bittorrent sites gradually collecting various shows of the same general nature that I've enjoyed a lot. They all revolve around basic things like growing food, alternative energy, raising animals.... Getting copies was relatively easy but knowing what to search for in the first case wasn't easy so I figured I'd share my recommended list.

River Cottage - Hugh moves to a rural area and starts raising animals while growing his own foods. He's a chef so a good percentage of the shows are about him preparing what he's raised. Over the years he's gotten larger in scale and has become famous enough to have causes. I'd love to be able to live his lifestyle. It's the show that got my wife interested in owning acreage.
a more detailed write up - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Cottage
a torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4407189 ... _Sept.2008

It's not easy being green - A family moves to an old house with land and starts trying to make it livable, raise animals, generate their own power/fuel...
wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Not ... eing_Green
a torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3513531 ... 01-XViD-WS
there is a season 2 but I don't see a link to it in 1 torrent. individual shows are available

The good life - a 70's BBC comedy about a husband that gives up his office job to farm his suburban yard, raise animals and generate his own power. A little dated but bloody funny. I believe this was called the good neighbours in the US.

wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_L ... _TV_series)
torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4374275 ... DRip_-_MFG

Survivorman off the grid - Les stroud moves his family to an abandoned homestead and documents getting it fixed up to live in. He goes into good detail about some of the non technical issues that come up with the move.
wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Stroud ... television
torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4590015 ... e_Grid.avi

Grow your own Veg - A gardening show broken down by month as to what she's growing and how she's doing it. Sort of interesting and although I've been gardening awhile I did see some new techniques.
I can't find a wiki link.
torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/search/grow%20y ... g/0/99/200

Permaculture party pack - A bunch of permaculture related video's all jammed together. Some old, some very old, but most of them are in someway interesting. Sepp holzers mountainside farm was really inspiring to see.
torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4006043 ... Party_Pack

Also related is this permaculture pack. I'm sure there is probably massive duplication between the two so review the individual files and see if getting this larger one isn't the better choice. I've just started grabbing this one so I can't comment too much on most of it.
torrent - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4070954 ... rmaculture

Living with ed - Ed begley lives in hollywood and is trying to go green. It's mostly revolving around energy production/saving. It's enjoyable but not great.
wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_With_Ed

If anyone knows of a torrent to this series I'd love a link. I saw it on TV.


If anyone has any more similar shows to share I'd love to hear them.

[Fishman]

Waltons.
Closer to the earth, less technology. Extended family living together and surviving. Little health care.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fishman', 'W')altons.
Closer to the earth, less technology. Extended family living together and surviving. Little health care.

[HeckuvaJob]

PBS's Frontier House
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/

The Woodwright's Shop - Roy Underhill (not sure if this meets your criteria, but lots of great info on hand tools and forgotten technology. He has a strong, cult following among woodworkers).

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/
http://uncpress.unc.edu/woodwright/index.html

Edit: I listed these ignoring their availability as torrents, sorry.

[strider3700]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HeckuvaJob', 'P')BS's Frontier House
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/

Edit: I listed these ignoring their availability as torrents, sorry.

[SpringCreekFarm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')ichard Louis "Dick" Proenneke (May 4, 1916–April 28, 2003) was a naturalist and survivalist who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska at a place called Twin Lakes. Living in a log cabin he constructed by hand, Proenneke made valuable recordings of both meteorological and natural data.

[Stonemason]

Pioneer Quest: A Year in The Real West ... if anyone can find it.

[strider3700]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SpringCreekFarm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')ichard Louis "Dick" Proenneke (May 4, 1916–April 28, 2003) was a naturalist and survivalist who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska at a place called Twin Lakes. Living in a log cabin he constructed by hand, Proenneke made valuable recordings of both meteorological and natural data.

[strider3700]

Ok I just finished watching alone in the wilderness. It's only an hour long and it did an amazing job at making me feel inept. I always thought I was pretty good at throwing together a building but watching him slap together that cabin with the skill and speed that he did it was amazing. And the lack of power tools made my shoulders hurt just watching him cut all that wood with the hand saw.

Amazing video. thanks again for recommending it.

[MisterB]

Not really a recommendation, because its not been on TV yet, but next Monday on BBC2 is a show I will be watching: Grow your own drugs