Texas Ranch House

:

Season 1
  • Network: PBS
  • Series Premiere Date: May 1, 2006
User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 43
  3. Negative: 7 out of 43

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User Reviews

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  1. CarolineM
    May 4, 2006
    5
    The 'cowhands' have had a hard time understanding that their job on the ranch is working for the roof over their heads and their food. The ranch owner has never embraced the idea that cows will keep him and his family from dying. Five women needed to feed one man in the main house and one man to feed 8 hands in the bunkhouse. Do the women no realize if they don't have The 'cowhands' have had a hard time understanding that their job on the ranch is working for the roof over their heads and their food. The ranch owner has never embraced the idea that cows will keep him and his family from dying. Five women needed to feed one man in the main house and one man to feed 8 hands in the bunkhouse. Do the women no realize if they don't have healthy working cowhands, there is no future. As it is hard for the woment to really embrace the lifestyle, maybe they could put a bit more of themselves into looking after the 'cowboys' so that they are well fed and ready to work. Mr Cook would have been dead in a very short time. We don't deal with terrorists-is he crazy. Mrs Cook seemed to get it when she understood the Cook's were on the Indians land. What cocoon has she been living in during 2006 that she didn't know that fact of the 1900s? I thought all the females would work to keep the homefires burning so the men could go off and hunt cows. I wouldn't have wanted to rely on Mr Cook to provide my safety, so he can go and ride too. Might do him some good and raise his ego if he finds a cow or two. Very disappointed, but not too surprised. Hard for modern day mentality to go back in time and leave their modern thoughts behind. Robby is the one I would want to point the way, although he too is saddle with his ethnic subserviant attitudes. Step up Robbie, you could have it all.… Expand
  2. jen
    May 5, 2006
    6
    The Cooke family made it very hard to watch this show.
  3. John
    May 19, 2006
    6
    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.
  4. TomG
    May 4, 2006
    5
    The "historical accuracy" of this program is undercut by the whining and pettiness of its 21st century participants. Few of the cast, especially the women of the Cooke family are willing to embrace the limitations and mares of the 19th century. The series has more to say about the current century than the 19th.
  5. AnnetteI
    May 6, 2006
    5
    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 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
  6. DinahL
    May 7, 2006
    5
    We enjoy this type of PBS program and were looking forward to Texas Ranch House, but from the first night we didn't get the Cooke family's attitude. They related to everything as though they were living in 2006, they didn't really adapt to the 1867 lifestyle. We couldn't stand Mrs. Cooke and her overbearing ways, it took away from the show and the 1867 staging. We did We enjoy this type of PBS program and were looking forward to Texas Ranch House, but from the first night we didn't get the Cooke family's attitude. They related to everything as though they were living in 2006, they didn't really adapt to the 1867 lifestyle. We couldn't stand Mrs. Cooke and her overbearing ways, it took away from the show and the 1867 staging. We did enjoy the cowboys, and their interactions with the indians. We couldn't believe how lazy the Cooke family was, especially the women.… Expand
  7. SE
    May 8, 2006
    6
    I kept waiting for somebody to knock off Mrs. Cooke. She and her idiot children should have been out in that garden constantly, when they weren't doing other "women's work" on the ranch (ala 1867). As for Mr. Cooke. He makes me think of the office manager on The Office. Clueless as to how disliked, incompetent, and useless he actually is. And, I loved their response to the I kept waiting for somebody to knock off Mrs. Cooke. She and her idiot children should have been out in that garden constantly, when they weren't doing other "women's work" on the ranch (ala 1867). As for Mr. Cooke. He makes me think of the office manager on The Office. Clueless as to how disliked, incompetent, and useless he actually is. And, I loved their response to the assessment. "Why are we reading this?" Why, indeed? They believed then and now that they were right, knew it all, didn't need any help. Yuk.… Expand
  8. kenth
    Aug 26, 2006
    5
    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.
  9. carlh
    May 5, 2006
    5
    Bunch of biggest cry-baby whinning cowboy's I ever saw. They want to write their own ticket. They work for the Owner, not the other way around. I would have given them diapers and fired them all. I did not mind the Cooke family. Hard to tell if the editing was do to skew the show. All we get to see is the arguments. How about some of the hard work taking care of the house and all?
  10. RichardF
    May 7, 2006
    6
    Everything that I'm about to say is predicated on the assumption that the editing of the film footage allowed for an accurate sample of the entire experience of the participant characters. I have to agree with the general assessment of those postings I've read so far. The Ranch owner, as the appointed leader, must assume responsibility of the overall failure of the venture. What Everything that I'm about to say is predicated on the assumption that the editing of the film footage allowed for an accurate sample of the entire experience of the participant characters. I have to agree with the general assessment of those postings I've read so far. The Ranch owner, as the appointed leader, must assume responsibility of the overall failure of the venture. What seemed very compelling to me was the way the human conflict seemed to mirror age old conflict that exists between capital and proletariat. Sorry, to make this obvious point but, without the cowboys, the most important work of the ranch couldn't be done. Kindness and respect is not a twenty first century development within human society. I feel the Cooke family and their house servant Ms. Finkelstein treated the working cowboys with extreme contempt - explicitly in the case of the Cookes, subvertly in the case of Ms. Finkelstein. (In fact, I found her overall influence to be pernicious because, in acting as family sycophant she reinforced their belief in the correctness of their selfishness. Thanks!… Expand
  11. Nancy
    May 8, 2006
    5
    The Cooke's were appalling on several levels - their treatment of the cowboys in general, the food issue (including the wasted garden), the "terrorist"negotiation.... how could they not realize that if your entire work force quits, that you have contributued significantly to the problem. Yes, cocky young men can be hard to handle but some food and respect can do wonders for their The Cooke's were appalling on several levels - their treatment of the cowboys in general, the food issue (including the wasted garden), the "terrorist"negotiation.... how could they not realize that if your entire work force quits, that you have contributued significantly to the problem. Yes, cocky young men can be hard to handle but some food and respect can do wonders for their morale. The cowboys and the ranch were mis-handled and the 21st century-isms were painful to listen to. I'm glad Jared took the horse, it was his and I agreed with what he called Mr. Cooke.… Expand
  12. JonP
    Oct 21, 2006
    4
    I know PBS purposefully chooses personalities that will clash and add an extra dimension of drama to these shows, but I would have enjoyed Texas Ranch House a thousand times more if they would have replaced the entire Cooke family. What an imbecilic, self-absorbed, and thoroughly worthless family!! Could have been another excellent show, but not with the Cookes on it!
  13. CE
    Jun 14, 2006
    5
    hmmmm... The show could have been so much more if a family other than the Cooke's had been cast. It is unclear why they would have volunteered for such a thing when none of them seemed to have the least interest in living an authentic nineteenth century experience. Mr. & Mrs. Cooke were interesting from a pure character standpoint - a woman and her wuss. Mr. Cooke is like a microcosm hmmmm... The show could have been so much more if a family other than the Cooke's had been cast. It is unclear why they would have volunteered for such a thing when none of them seemed to have the least interest in living an authentic nineteenth century experience. Mr. & Mrs. Cooke were interesting from a pure character standpoint - a woman and her wuss. Mr. Cooke is like a microcosm of all I find insufferable about modern man and Mrs. Cooke is simply a shrew. To each her/his own. The rest of the cast was enjoyable. I actually liked Moira and felt for her having to be trapped in the house with the Cookes. I think that was her real crises but since everyone in the bunkhouse was male it was turned into a 'battle of the sexes' storyline. I am glad she got to ride on the round-up and I hope she got something out of it. I read her interview and though she was probably somewhat of an anachronism there definitely were women like her back then who would have preferred traditional male gender roles. They would have been few and far between and would have probably faced more resentment than what was shown in the show. Overall Texas Ranch House failed to live up to my expectations of showing modern day people 'living' a different era. Instead the show and storyline were about the personalities and the dynamics between them - just another reality show. It was interesting but I think Survivor does this type of thing a lot better. Worth a watch but certainly not outstanding. I hope PBS casts a little more carefully in the future as this 'House' show was a real drop off in quality from the others they have done and I think the reviews on this site leave no doubt as to which roles were poorly cast.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Best TV Season of 2006
58
#58 Most Discussed TV Season of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    30
    A plodding series that really just proves life was unrelentingly hard and pretty monotonous in the not-so-wild West.
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  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Gloria Goodale
    100
    "Ranch House" is engaging, droll commentary on the American dream and how we became the nation we are today.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Richmond
    30
    So it turns out that being cowboys isn't so romantic after all. It's also mighty slow-moving from an entertainment standpoint.
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