The BBC has lined up three families to participate in its 1927-themed reality show Coal House.

Each family will quit their 21st century homes and move into a small miner's cottage in Blaenavon later this month. The houses have no central heating, no running water and no indoor toilets.

They will spend four weeks in the cottages, and their day-to-day lives will be shown on TV three times a week on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

BBC Wales executive producer Martyn Ingram said: "In 1927, coal was the lifeblood of Wales, and through the Coal House project we want to capture a way of life and a time which will soon be lost forever. When these adventurous families enter the cottages they will effectively enter a time-travel bubble, going back in time and stepping into a real life history – and the real beauty of it is that the rest of the country can share their experiences through television, radio and online."

The three families selected are: the Cartwright family, comprising Joe and Annabel , both professors at Cardiff University, and their two children; the Griffiths family, comprising lorry driver Cerdin, housewife Debra and their three children; and the Phillips family, comprising carpenter Richie, housewife Stephanie and six children.