In this brand-new show, 24 ordinary Brits leave behind their jobs and their homes for an extraordinary summer, cut off from the modern world, on a remote farmstead in Devon. Together, they live by the principles of a community which rejects modern values and technology – the Amish – eating what they sow and harvest themselves and going to sleep by candlelight when the sun goes down. Over six months, they are tracked by scientists, who measure the physical and mental changes that result from stepping out of the stresses and complexity of modern life – living simply, communally and frugally without phones, the 24-hour news cycle or social media. In this episode, the remaining volunteers are tasked with their own attempt at self-sufficiency following the departure of the Millers. With 40 acres and 25 livestock to manage, it’s down to the entire community to pull their weight. There was never going to be a good time for Lloyd, Edna and their three children to return to Ohio, but it’s particularly hard for everyone, and their leaving only highlights cracks within the community. Each member of the community has a very different view on how to live without their Amish guides, and with frictions continuing to mount over alcohol and household chores, there’s a shock discovery that threatens the biggest crop of the season – potato blight. With only weeks left until the experiment ends, will this new crisis be the making of them or the undoing
The Simpler Life
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