"Back to the Frontier, which is produced by HGTV icons Chip and Joanna Gaines, follows three families as they head back in time to the 1800s.

The brand new series "Back to the Frontier" transports participants to a meticulously recreated historical setting, challenging them to live and compete as pioneers. Contestants will perform tasks essential to frontier life throughout the series.

Magnolia Network's new reality show implies that 1880s pioneers lived more authentic lives than Americans today. But it's a flawed assumption.

Chip and Joanna Gaines challenge three families to live like 1880s homesteaders, forcing them to forsake modern conveniences such as internet, electricity and indoor plumbing for eight weeks.

The frontier settlers arrive without even the slightest demonstration that they know what life in the 19th century was actually like, leaving them shocked by things like outhouses and wood-burning stoves.

Trading Wi-Fi for wagon wheels, their prairie plunge sparked a culture-war stampede.

This week, a show premiered on HBO Max — formerly known as HBO and then HBO Go and then HBO Now and then HBO Max and then just Max and now HBO Max again — titled “Back to the Frontier.”

Skagit County modern homesteader Melissa K. Norris helps guide families on the new docuseries, streaming on Max starting July 10.