Catch up TV

Series 1: Episode 5

The Ellis family from Bradford - are embarking on an extraordinary time travelling adventure to discover how a transformation in the food eaten in the North of England can reveal how life has changed for northern working class families over the past 100 years.\n\nThe family's own home is their time machine, transporting them through a different era each week - from the sparse furnishings and meagre provisions of 1918 to the modern home comforts and bulging freezer of 1999. \n\nGuided through their time travel by Bolton-born presenter Sara Cox and social historian Polly Russell, everything the family of five experience - from the jobs they do to the food they eat, is based on historical data and spending surveys of the era. The Ellises live through a time of dramatic change in the industrial north - experiencing everything from the mill to the mine, The Beatles to Thatcher and bland potato pie to the spicy delights of the curry capital of the UK.\n\nThe Ellises 80s home is a homage to chintz and magnolia with the exciting addition of some new technology: their first telephone, a chest freezer and that 80s kitchen essential - a toastie maker! Whilst traditional food still takes precedence at home, 1983 sees a revolution in eating out\nfor the family who enjoy a feast with top chef Marcus Wareing at a chain which launched that year - Harvester. The continuing influence of food from across the Atlantic means the girls get a job flipping burgers at Wimpy, while the boys pick up tea at a drive-thru fish and chip shop.\n\nWith Margaret Thatcher in power, the north experiences turbulent times. The family support dad Jon as he goes on strike from his job down the mine, and their bare kitchen cupboards are supplemented with a surprising Soviet food parcel. High unemployment across the region sees a\nwidening of the north-south divide, although new government policies give enterprising northerners the chance to start their own business. Jon and Lesley get a jacket potato van and soon realise that owning your own business means working come rain or shine. But it's not all work work work. With an outing to the dog races, BMX riding and Bullseye on the telly, there's still plenty of time for fun.\n\nBy the 90s, the north is back on the map as the Manchester music scene captures the nation and everyone wants a slice of northern cool. The girls dance the night away with Manchester's very own Sean Ryder and experience the boom of late-night kebab shops whilst indulging in a chip naan.\n\nTo celebrate the end of their time-travel journey, the family gather their nearest and dearest for a millennium party. With a beer in hand, black peas in their bellies and a firework display, the Ellises are ready to party like it's 1999!

Source: BBC 2