S01E01 Episode 1
A look at the world of the pharmacy at the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837. In a unique experiment, historian Ruth Goodman, Professor Nick Barber and PhD student Tom Quick recreate an authentic...
Victorian Pharmacy
S01E02: Episode 2
The team find out how the discovery of germs made disinfectants a bestseller. The team take on the challenges of the 1850s and 60s, a time when overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions had reached their peak, leading to unprecedented outbreaks of disease. 'Cure all' medicines that had promised to cure virtually everything were all the rage and the team make their own out of rhubarb, liquorice, soap and syrup. They also venture into the uncertain world of electrotherapy and find out how the discovery of germs made disinfectants a bestseller; but to make their own they need to extract carbolic acid from coal tar. Plus Tom attempts to emulate an ambitious Victorian publicity stunt by building his very own dog-powered mortar and pestle. But will it work?
Overview
Victorian Pharmacy is a historical documentary TV series in four parts, first shown on BBC Two in July 2010. It was made for the BBC by independent production company Lion Television. It was filmed at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire. It is a historical documentary that looks at life in the 19th Century and how people attempted to cure common ailments. Since some of the ingredients of Victorian remedies are now either illegal or known to be dangerous, Nick Barber often uses his modern pharmaceutical knowledge to produce similar products without those ingredients. The other main presenters are Tom Quick, a PhD student, and Ruth Goodman, a domestic historian who also appeared in Tales from the Green Valley, Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm.
Episodes
S01E02 Episode 2
The team find out how the discovery of germs made disinfectants a bestseller. The team take on the challenges of the 1850s and 60s, a time when overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions had reached their...
S01E03 Episode 3
The pharmacy enters a period of new inventions and new laws, beginning in 1868. The pharmacy enters a period of new inventions and new laws. In 1868 pharmacies were regulated by law for the very...
S01E04 Episode 4
The team continue with the pharmacy through to the end of the Victorian era. The last programme in the series sees Ruth, Tom and Nick continue with Barber and Goodman's Pharmacy through to the end...
Cast
Ruth Goodman
Presenter
Tom Quick
Presenter
Stephen Noonan
Narrator
Nick Barber
Presenter
