Time Team has been axed!! :-(

Reoil

Gutted!

https://apps.facebook.com/theguardian/media/2012/oct/19/channel-4-time-team#start-of-comments

Tony Robinson's archaeology series to give way to new shows after 20 years as a cornerstone of its factual programming

It has unearthed historical relics ranging from the remains of the first Spitfire to be shot down during the Battle of Britain to skeletons of Anglo-Saxon monks beneath Westminster Abbey, but after almost 20 years on air Tony Robinson's archaeology series, Time Team, is being buried by Channel 4.

Robinson, who played the luckless Baldrick in the hit BBC comedy Blackadder, said: "Not many performers are given the privilege of featuring in two iconic TV series – but I've been lucky."

He added: "Time Team was not only high-quality public service television, it also attracted a large and passionate audience both in the UK and overseas. I'm proud to have been associated with it."

Time Team, which began in 1994, became a hit with viewers, with special editions such as The Big Dig in 2003 which dug up 1,000 sites around the UK live in a week. The show has been exported to more than 36 countries.

Around four years ago Time Team was attracting around 2.5 million viewers, but recently appears to have lost its way.

A revamp designed to boost ratings was criticised by one of the show's regular experts, Mick Aston, who left claiming it had been "dumbed down" and there was "a lot less archaeological content and a lot more pratting about".

The changes included hiring former model and Cambridge University archaeology postgraduate Mary-Ann Ochota. But she later left the show, saying the "series didn't work out quite how I wanted it to".

A special called Brunel's Last Launch, which aired last November, was watched by a smaller audience of 1.5 million.

Channel 4 said it wanted to focus on new and innovative history programming. "Channel 4 history is all about bringing the past to life in eye-opening, entertaining and innovative ways, from the best archaeological scoops, to big factual dramas," said Julia Harrington, commissioning editor for history at Channel 4.

New programmes include a documentary about the hunt for the remains of Richard III – called the King in the Carpark: Richard III – and a new series, the People of Stonehenge.

The final series of Time Team will air next year with a programme looking back at highlights from 250 episodes.

There will then be four specials which will play into 2014.

Channel 4 head of factual Ralph Lee said: "I am incredibly proud that, as well as providing hundreds of hours of education and entertainment on Channel 4, Time Team has invested, over and above production costs, more than £4m in archaeology in Britain over the past 18 years."

Lee said Channel 4 is discussing "other ideas around archaeology" with Time Team's creator Tim Taylor.

slowburner

Mick Aston's statement says it all really:

... there was "a lot less archaeological content and a lot more pratting about"

Hopefully, the void left by Time Team will mean that C4 might look to make some decent programmes on archaeology.
I won't miss that ridiculous 3 day time limit for excavation, or that truly irritating background music, or Baldric.

Clearly the audience is there, and a lot less dumb than the format of Time Team would suggest.

Meathlass

BBC 2 have a new programme starting on Monday night for 3 nights 'Prehistoric Autopsy' they reconstruct a Neandertal, Home Erectus and Australopithecus afarensis skeleton.

Prof. Alice Roberts presents so should be a good show.

Gee Bag

slowburner wrote: »

Hopefully, the void left by Time Team will mean that C4 might look to make some decent programmes on archaeology.
I won't miss that ridiculous 3 day time limit for excavation, or that truly irritating background music, or Baldric.

Clearly the audience is there, and a lot less dumb than the format of Time Team would suggest.

I don't know about that SB, channel 4 have been dumbing down an awful lot of late, my possible suggestion are-

• My Big Fat Bronze Age wedding
• Embarassing Bodies Special - The Neolithic Boy with a Baboons Arse for a Face
• Jamies Medieval Cookbook - Jamie Oliver shows how to cook using turnips

slowburner

I'm looking forward to 'Mesolithic Mum of the Year'.

wayoutwest

I'm looking forward to an Irish version of Timeteam [..it could be more relaxed, having 'week or two' deadlines etc] .....It would be the ONLY reason for buying a saorview box.:D

AngryHippie

I know the show could be annoying sometimes with its time constraints leading to unanswered questions, and too much time spent playing in a sandbox for some team members. That being said, I really enjoyed the show over the years, I think Tony Robinson brought a lot of passion to the subject matter and presented the whole dig process in a very engaging manner.
I will miss this show, I think archaeology will suffer with its loss, not only for the work they did, but for the publicity and interest they generated.

Cavehill Red

You knew this was coming when they sacked the archaeologists and replaced them with a model.

ednwireland

Cavehill Red wrote: »

You knew this was coming when they sacked the archaeologists and replaced them with a model.

who happened to have an MA in anthropolgy

the real problem is the formats stale (although obviously people still like watching stuff being dig up) for me (being and avid watcher since series one ) its gone on too long they should have rolled most of the presenters a long time ago.
then we have only have 3 days rubbish as well (well theres 3 days of filming - having met a few people who are regulars on the show)

i would actually be as interested in a lot of the prelim work that goes on. for me the diggings become pretty boring.

and its probably reponsible for my OH's career change and becoming an archeologist (shes a lecturer now and just got her doctorate)

slowburner

It seems all was not rosy in the Time Team garden.
see here

slowburner

ednwireland wrote: »

i would actually be as interested in a lot of the prelim work that goes on. for me the diggings become pretty boring.

+1
They seemed to focus on digging (hardly a spectator sport) of late.
A strange direction to take, when more than half the reward in archaeology is reading the landscape accurately, and doing sound research.
A few episodes were memorable, and possibly even a bit informative - I particularly enjoyed the excavation of a 'Broch' in nw Scotland, and a cist on the Isle of Man.

You can only look at so any tesserae, and villa roof tiles.
Mind you, if those finds were in Ireland, that would be a different story.

2rkehij30qtza5

This was more about guesswork than actual archeology so I don't mind seeing the back of it.

Cavehill Red

ednwireland wrote: »

who happened to have an MA in anthropolgy

and zero experience.

slowburner

Meathlass wrote: »

BBC 2 have a new programme starting on Monday night for 3 nights 'Prehistoric Autopsy' they reconstruct a Neandertal, Home Erectus and Australopithecus afarensis skeleton.

Prof. Alice Roberts presents so should be a good show.

So have folks been watching this?
The format seems to be a new genre for documentaries.
It's cropping up all over the place, and seems to be based on Gunther von Hagens' controversial autopsy series.

who the fug

Bugger, as a member of the great unwashed I enjoyed it specifically Stewart Ainsworth.

Their specials were interesting and a pity they don't do more in a similar vane

Dread to see what they replaced it with, hopefully nothing like that Cold Case bore.

Was that Alice Roberts show any good, the title put me off

slowburner

who the fug wrote: »

Bugger, as a member of the great unwashed I enjoyed it specifically Stewart Ainsworth.

I agree about S.A.
His frustration was palpable at times.
I met someone recently who had worked under him in the real world, and it seems that he was indeed frustrated by the direction the programme had taken.
Moreover he was frustrated by the fact that often the answers were patently obvious from reading the archaeological landscape.
But Time Team diggers had to dig.

Was that Alice Roberts show any good, the title put me off

Yes and no, IMO.
Methinks they tried to pack too much into the space of an hour, and are probably constrained by the slightly weird format.

who the fug

Suppose the Beeb won't bring back meet the ancestors either.

Fracis Pryor on it ending

tac foley

Is there any relavance in the fact that all seven of the programmes that took place in Ireland were actually in the north of the island?

It's not as though the Republic is short of sites worth looking at.

There is no shortage of skilled archeologists looking for employment in Ireland either, photogenic or not.

tac

Gee Bag

tac foley wrote: »

Is there any relavance in the fact that all seven of the programmes that took place in Ireland were actually in the north of the island?

It's not as though the Republic is short of sites worth looking at.

There is no shortage of skilled archeologists looking for employment in Ireland either, photogenic or not.

tac

This is going to be a bit of a long winded answer Tac..........

As I understand it the reason they never filmed in the Republic was because of the way licences to undertake archaeological excavations are issued compared to the UK.

Here if you want to direct an excavation (i.e. run the dig and be legally responsible for the work) you have to first sit an oral exam in front of a panel of three people made up of staff from the National Museum and the National Monuments Service. In order to be allowed sit for the interview you need to have at minimum a degree in archaeology or a related dicipline and have sufficent post-qualification experience in excavation and report writing (3-4 years is about the the average) The panel test you on your knowledge of-

• Irish Archaeological site types
• Legislation (national monuments acts 1930-2004, planning law)
• Types of artefacts and their conservation
• Excavation technique - what would you do in certain scenarios, etc
• Knowledge of relevant archaeological sources (books, journals, names of specialists, etc)
• other stuff that I can no longer remember

In the UK including NI the liscensing system is a bit more relaxed. If you have a recognised qualification and sufficent experience you can get a licence to excavate by submitting a CV with decent references.

In the Republic there is also an assumption that preservation in situ is the best way to deal with archaeology. This means don't dig a site unless you absolutley have to. Most archaeological sites which are excavated here are discovered during the course of development work (house building, roads, etc) and are unknown prior to this. To excavate a known site (all of which have legal protection) you have to have a valid research question that you wish to answer. Basically this is a big document setting out what you hope to achieve by excavation.

I was told that the Time Team chaps didn't want to sit the Irish excavation licence eligibility exam (its pretty tough and it would be emabarassing if they failed it). This meant they would had to have an Irish/non time team director running the dig which they were not prepared to do. In addition the cost of framing a proper research question was considered prohibitive. Finally, I heard that the National Monuments Service and the Museum had issues about the 3 day excavation format.

photogenic or not

P.S. If any TV moguls are reading I'm very photogenic (So my Mammy tells me)

tac foley

Thank you, Sir, for taking the time to get me such a useful and informative resploynse. I'm particularly indebted to you for sacrificing yourself in the local pub in such a fashion. Martyrdom like this is hard enough to understand where friends are concerned, let alone a stranger.

All makes sense to me.

Best

tac

pueblo

won't hear the words 'geo phys' as much now..

odds_on

The changes included hiring former model and Cambridge University archaeology postgraduate Mary-Ann Ochota. But she later left the show, saying the "series didn't work out quite how I wanted it to".

I may be old fashioned but I feel that any show that requires "models" and scantily clad hostesses (from game shows to Formula 1) to get an audience, does not have sufficient interest on its own to make a decent programme. It should be the content that principally makes a programme not the hosts.

Prometheus

Yeah sorry to hear the news as well. I am now studying archaeology because of time team.Sad to think that Mick Ashton feels he has not left a legacy.
Few things bugged me about the show though, Tony R,s respect for human remains was callous, to say the least, all about the presentation. Would have punched Phil Harding long ago, if had to work with him. I bet he is hard work! Guy D L Bedoyere was cool and was very easy to listen to.