Chip and Joanna Gaines never seem to rest. Yes, Joanna Gaines did take a three month sabbatical from running her Magnolia empire to decide what she wanted to do next, but she was clearly using that time to plan. Because now the mom of five is back and moving into this next stage of her life and career, starting with a new reality series that has her feeling "excited" about this chapter.
The Fixer Upper stars are switching things up from the tried-and-true home renovation shows, like Joanna's most recent Mini Reni series which sees her tackling smaller, more manageable renovations. Back to the Frontier, the new series the couple are helping to executive produce for Magnolia Network and Max, will see three "American families leave the 21st century behind and attempt to survive as 1880s homesteaders – without running water or electricity," per the official synopsis. "They tackle historical challenges and learn the skills that frontier families needed to survive a long winter."
Not only will these three families try to get by without those basic conveniences, they are expected to give up things like makeup, jewelry, and even flushing toilets. The families are expected to try to work together to survive being homesteaders rather than competing. As one of the contestant notes in a trailer for Back to the Frontier, "One out of three families fail when they're on the homestead, so we need to work together," before a montage of the families helping each other as they collect food, raise livestock, and reinforce their shelters for eight weeks.
The limited series drops on Magnolia and Max on July 10, with eight episodes following the families' progress as they learn how to overcome their need for modern conveniences and get back to basics. A concept that both Chip and Joanna Gaines have been interested in for a long time.
"This social experiment is unlike anything we've ever created, but we've always been drawn to the back-to-basics way of life and loved the idea of giving families a chance to go back in time to experience life as 1880s homesteaders — without all the distractions and technology of the 21st century," Chip and Joanna said in a statement to People before adding, "They learned it was anything but easy, but seeing the way these families come together to survive is something that stays with you. We can't wait to share their journeys with you this July!"
As a couple who are all about staying focused on their family time together, particularly as their older kids are leaving the nest, switching gears to a series like Back to the Frontier makes sense. And we're absolutely here for it.
