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Texas Ranch House: Season 1

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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58

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Ratings

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Texas Ranch House

Season Details & Credits

PBS | Season Premiere Date: May 1, 2006

Summary: The latest in PBS' series of reality shows about everyday life in different time periods, 'Texas Ranch House' transports a variety of non-actors (including a family of five) to a re-creation of a 1867 Texas cattle ranch, where they must live for three months without modern-day comforts.

Genre(s): Reality, News/Documentary

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. The Reckoning
Air Date: May 4, 2006
tbd
S1:E7. Blazing Trails
Air Date: May 4, 2006
tbd
S1:E6. Lord of the Plains
Air Date: May 3, 2006

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

58

Critic Reviews

100

Christian Science Monitor

Gloria Goodale

"Ranch House" is engaging, droll commentary on the American dream and how we became the nation we are today. Read full review

80

Wall Street Journal

Nancy DeWolf Smith

This being a made-for-television environment, no one perishes, but there are no happy endings here, either. Read full review

70

The New York Times

Anita Gates

Intriguing. Read full review

63

San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times

Charlie McCollum

"Ranch House" is the most ambitious of the "House" projects. Read full review

50

People Weekly

Tom Gliatto

I kept wishing for a rose ceremony to perk things up. [8 May 2006, p.39]

40

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rob Owen

Every reality show needs a mix of those you cheer for and those you jeer against, but "Texas Ranch House" has too many of the latter. Read full review

30

The Hollywood Reporter

Ray Richmond

So it turns out that being cowboys isn't so romantic after all. It's also mighty slow-moving from an entertainment standpoint. Read full review

SEE ALL 9 REVIEWS

Write a Review

6.4

User Reviews

10

GerriA

May 8, 2006

Someday we will want to send colonies to Mars, etc. I imagine someone will try to find colonists as they did for this show. "We need an administrator, a cook, etc." TRH shows just how far wrong we can go! A cook who is expert at fine cuisine can't handle atrocious working conditions. A Someday we will want to send colonies to Mars, etc. I imagine someone will try to find colonists as they did for this show. "We need an administrator, a cook, etc." TRH shows just how far wrong we can go! A cook who is expert at fine cuisine can't handle atrocious working conditions. A boss who's used to constant applicants for jobs doesn't know how to motivate and keep workers. Fascinating to see it work out in real life!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

Al

May 5, 2006

Billiant!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

PollyA

May 4, 2006

A real insight into human nature as well as life in the 1860s in Texas. Historically well done. It was definitely times that tried men's souls, and some of them came off very badly, especially Mrs. Cooke. Mr. Cooke, who prided himself on his management style, was hopeless with his wife A real insight into human nature as well as life in the 1860s in Texas. Historically well done. It was definitely times that tried men's souls, and some of them came off very badly, especially Mrs. Cooke. Mr. Cooke, who prided himself on his management style, was hopeless with his wife as well as with the men he needed to keep to make the ranch a success. Fascinating.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

6

John

May 19, 2006

I find it baffling that Mr. Cooke was so strongly against keeping alcohol on the ranch premises. If I had to share close quarters with his castrating wife, I'd stay crocked 24/7.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

5

kenth

Aug 26, 2006

I agree with most others, and the historiacl assessment by the experts. Mrs. Cooke was the worst problem followed by Mr. Cooke. Other than not respecting the women (chivalry), the ranch hands were goodl.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

5

AnnetteI

May 6, 2006

I must give it at leas a 5 since I did watch all 4 nights. I didn't really like all the 'drama'. I know that some 'critics' said that in was 'slow' until all the drama started but I like watching what people during that time period would have really done. I must give it at leas a 5 since I did watch all 4 nights. I didn't really like all the 'drama'. I know that some 'critics' said that in was 'slow' until all the drama started but I like watching what people during that time period would have really done. I don't think the cowboys were perfect but the reamining ones I really liked. Robby was my favorite (I think I'd ride with him any time) and Jared was my 2nd. I really respected all of them for riding out with Jared at the end. I had a hard time with Mrs. Cooke's demeaning attitude throughout the whole show toward the cowboys. She was always accusing them of lying and being dishonest. It was like she really wanted them all to leave so her and her family could have the ranch to themsleves. I got the impression that she did not 'get' that the ranch would not 'run' without them. I did not like the way she infulenced her husband to go back on his word to the cowboys. Can you imagine if he had done her about her house the way she did him about the ranch!? My respect took a nose dive at the meeting where Mr. Cooke got 'tough' with the cowboys. My respect for Mr. Cooke completely dissolved when he called the Indians "terrorists". I did not see a comparison between terrorists and Native American Indians. And his refusal to 'buy' Jared back...Oh, my. I thought all the cowboys should have left right then. Mr. Cooke hit an all time low when he tried to 'sell' Jared his own horse back! By Mr. Cooke's own admission and 'deal' with the Commanches he did not deal for Jared. So I was truly dumbfounded. Mr. Cooke should have read some Louis L'Amour books. *wink*. I also thought it was very low and a slap in the face when he tried to sell the horses for such a high price to the cowboys. I was insulted for them, after all their hard work. My personal feeling is that most of the desention between the family and the cowboys lay at Mrs. Cooke's door. Instead of endearing herself to the men on the ranch and showing them common coutersy and respect it seems she took most opportunities to demean them and find fault. I would like to see another Ranch House series but I would like to see a family in there that would embrace the experience and not try to be so controlling. With out the cowboys there would have been no ranch. My personal opinion is that without Robby specifically there would have been no ranch. He was a wealth of information on many different subjects that Mr and Mrs Cooke chose not to utilize. Robby, thumbs up from me. Jared, I hope you keep riding, you made a great buckaroo!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

0

AnthonyC

Jun 19, 2006

stinks

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SEE ALL 39 REVIEWS

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More From Texas Ranch House

SEE ALL TRAILERS

Seasons & Episodes

58

Series Overview
Season 1

58
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: May 1, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E8. The Reckoning
  Air Date: May 4, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E7. Blazing Trails
  Air Date: May 4, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E6. Lord of the Plains
  Air Date: May 3, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E5. Showdown at the Cooke Corral
  Air Date: May 3, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E4. The Great Divide
  Air Date: May 2, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E3. The Cookie Crumbles
  Air Date: May 2, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Good, The Bad & The Colonel
  Air Date: May 1, 2006
- tbd
  S1:E1. A Home on the Range
  Air Date: May 1, 2006