Hidden Killers of the Victorian/Edwardian Home review

As I work through some of the finishing touches of my bathing costume, I've been watching oodles of shows to pass the time. I found this via my recommended shows list from my watching history on Amazon Prime.

"The dawn of the 20th century ushered in an era of fresh inventions and innovations: Electricity, refrigeration and many other materials promised to make life easier and more convenient. But lack of understanding meant that they frequently led to death."

Based off the blurb line, it sounded like something interesting to watch. Yes, there were three episodes, but I wasn't under any type of obligation to watch all of them if I didn't like the first. Three hours later...

I watched it all, and wished there were more. The series was put together by the BBC and aired originally in March 2015. Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb, the narrator, does a wonderful job of delivering the material in a way that's easy to understand by the average viewer and in a fun and interesting way.

 

While the first episode focuses on the Edwardian Era, the next two episodes focused on the Victorian Era. Some of the killers are obvious - poor hygiene practices and unsanitary conditions for example. And then there's the hidden killers.

Arsenic in wallpaper and clothing, bread loaded with fillers including plaster, borax in the milk, chemicals in early fridges, and radium in everything from clock faces to condoms. Yes, condoms.

The blend of history and science is balanced just right to keep the viewer interested. Dr. Lipscomb does a great job of researching her material (although I would like to argue with her that corsets are NOT quite the killers they're made out to be) and showing this evidence scientifically.

Hidden Killers is a great little series to watch for passing time and for delving into some of the lesser known tidbits about advancement since the Victorian period. If you have Amazon Prime, all the episodes are available for free. They're also available on YouTube. Make sure to check it out!

Overall review - 4 out of 5