PBS hits the trail for the next series of experiential history television events with Texas Ranch House, an eight-part series that will challenge a group of 20 intrepid time travelers to experience the exhilaration and exhaustion of life in the Old West. Producers Thirteen/WNET New York and Wall To Wall saddle up once more, riding high on viewer and critical acclaim for previous projects.

“Texas Ranch House promises to take the hands-on history strand to a new cultural depth,” said Jody Sheff, Thirteen/WNET New York’s executive producer of history programs. “We’re exploring the dynamics of America’s multi-ethnic past, delving into the relationship between those diverse individuals who founded the young state of Texas, all while dispelling the romantic stereotypes of life on the open range in the Old West. And, what’s more, it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun along the way, especially for viewers!”

“The Old West has inspired some of our greatest films and literature and remains a source of inspiration for American culture,” said Jacoba Atlas, Senior Vice President of PBS Programming. “This latest production from Thirteen/WNET and Wall to Wall will give viewers an incredible window into what life was like and illuminate our history in a fresh way.”

In this latest experiential history series, participants will ranch, rope, ride and pass nights under the stars and in their haciendas as they experience life in the real West of the American cowboy. As it follows the daily challenges of the time-travelers, the program will also illuminate the fascinating story of merging cultures and changing social dynamics in post-Civil War Texas and explore the country’s diverse ancestry, including the cultures of European immigrants, Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans.

Scheduled to begin filming in Texas this summer, the series is projected to air nationwide on PBS in the spring of 2006. The production team began accepting applications for participants starting February 1, 2005. Applications and further information will be available online at www.pbs.org.

Casting For Texas Ranch House on PBS
PBS is calling all cowpokes and city slickers. If you would like to saddle up to experience life on a Texas Ranch in 1867, the show is looking for families and individuals who would like to go back in time to live and ranch on the Western frontier. Experience the past first-hand and get the challenge of a lifetime. The casting call includes parts for wranglers, cowhands, cooks, vaqueros, ranchers, and anyone interested in taking part.

Texas Ranch House continues the tradition of “House” series, developed and popularized by Thirteen/WNET and Wall to Wall for PBS. The string of hit programs began in the year 2000 with The 1900 House (2000) and continued with Frontier House (2002), The 1940s House (2002), Manor House (2003), Colonial House (2004), and Regency House Party (2004).

For more information, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/ranchhouse.~~~