Back in Time for Dinner

About Back In Time For Dinner and the Campus family

Each week, host Carlo Rota introduces the Campus family to a new era of Canadian food, domestic trends, technological advances, world events and evolving gender dynamics.
In Back In Time For Dinner, The Campus family give up their modern diets and ways of life to see first-hand how the shifting world has affected society's eating habits and domestic lives through time. (Back In Time For Dinner / CBC)

Back In Time For Dinner takes one Canadian family of five on a time-travelling journey of a lifetime as they take on iconic trends in food, design and domestic gadgetry from the 1940s through to the 1990s.

The Campus family gives up their modern diets and ways of life to see firsthand how a shifting world has affected society's eating habits and domestic lives through time. Each week, host Carlo Rota introduces the Campuses to a new era of Canadian food, domestic trends, technological advances, world events and evolving gender dynamics. Back In Time For Dinner is based on the hit Warner Bros. format of the same name.

Evocative, nostalgic and rich with detail, Back In Time For Dinner gives viewers a glimpse into Canada's past, experienced through the unique 2018 perspective of a single family on an adventure through time.

About the Campus Family

Active and outgoing, the Mississauga, Ontario-based Campus family is used to nonstop action from morning to night.

Mom Tristan leads the pack, using her organizational skills and wit to keep everyone in line and on time. Dad Aaron is the family's calming influence, with an affable, laid-back attitude. He's also the family chef, always exploring new things in the kitchen. All three of the Campus kids — Valerie, Jessica, and Robert — have busy schedules.

Each family member has their own specific food preferences and enjoys the freedom to have whatever they each want to eat.

Like many Canadian families, the Campus' heritage spans the globe — Tristan's family is originally from Scotland and Pakistan, and Aaron's background is a combination of Algonquin First Nations, Irish and Austrian-Romanian. While they are busy, the Campus family is always ready to take on an adventure together, so Back In Time For Dinner is the perfect once-in-a-lifetime chance to do that!

Tristan Campus

A self-confessed perfectionist, mom Tristan keeps the family's schedule running smoothly. A busy nurse, in her limited downtime she loves gardening, taking on her own home renos, and is a total news junkie. Witty with a sharp sense of humour, Tristan is always ready to crack a joke, even if it makes her teens cringe.

Aaron Campus

Calm and affable, Aaron Campus is happy to claim his role as family chauffeur, shuttling his three kids to their myriad of activities. A professional multimedia designer, he is a tech-savvy computer guy who loves to experiment in the kitchen, so after work hours, he's also the family chef at home.

Valerie Campus

Valerie, 18, is the family's best planner, often taking the reins when it comes time to get the family on board for fun adventures she's dreamed up for them. Talented at every sport she tries, some of her favourites include softball and field hockey, but her competitive nature means she'll jump at a chance to play just about anything.

Jessica Campus

The most artistic member of the Campus family, 17-year-old Jessica loves to paint, read, and listen to music. Witty and bright, she is the family intellectual and style maven. She's always experimenting with her hair and makeup as another creative outlet to express herself.

Robert Campus

While he lives and breathes hockey, 15-year-old Robert is also the neighbourhood dog walker, go-to babysitter, and all-around helper for anyone who needs it. A fast-growing teen boy, he will eat anything that's put in front of him, with a special taste for anything spicy. The baby of the family, Robert's parents and sisters all appreciate his sweet, supportive nature and helpfulness.