Having finished watching Back to the Rafters on Prime, we figuratively stuck a pin in the list of other Amazon programs and found ourselves watching a series called 1883. It’s a story about a group of settlers who form a wagon train and travel north-west from Texas to set up home in Oregon. It’s a current program with 7 episodes available and 3 still to come.
I struggled with the first 30 minutes; I couldn’t cope with the accents and had no idea what was going on. Many of the characters refused to open their mouths so their words were swallowed; the guide of the expedition had a bushy white moustache so it was impossible to see his lips move, even if they did. Others in the group had accents so outlandish, they might as well have been talking German. After a while, I realised that one group of prospective settlers was, in fact, German and their accent was not just an affectation. Marilyn, though, seemed to be enthralled so I didn’t complain. Gradually, I’m pleased to say, my ears adjusted to the words and I began to make sense of what was going on.
The story reminded me of a favourite book from the 1970s. James Michener wrote vast historical novels, like Hawaii, Texas and Alaska but I particularly enjoyed Centennial about Colorado which included stories of settlers travelling west in covered wagons. The journey must have been horrendous and included dealing with bandits, cattle rustlers and other predatory creatures. Various travellers were buried along the way and the party became smaller as the months went on. I’ve no doubt the program does not exaggerate the description of the privations suffered.
It's well worth a look.
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