Archaeology on RTE?

Neutronale

Archaeology is quite popular on the BBC and C4, and it occurs it would be equally popular on Irish TV, concentrating on Irish sites.

It need not be expensive, a glorified 'Nationwide' reporting from sites and explaining finds etc would do the job.

I know that emergency digs were all the go during the Tiger days and presumably greatly curtailed at the mo, in that case some of the sites from recent times could be reported on.

tac foley

You said it, and it has been mentioned here before, but there is no spare money around these days...a very great pity, as Ireland has a uniquely 'isolated' historical legacy to show the world.

tac

longhalloween

No spare money for new digs, and in fairness any money that can be found would be better spent analysing the finds from the last decade that are sitting in storage in the National Museum

Maudi

tac foley wrote: »

You said it, and it has been mentioned here before, but there is no spare money around these days...a very great pity, as Ireland has a uniquely 'isolated' historical legacy to show the world.

tac[/Quote i heard somewhere that the money from five thousand licence payers goes to making that gombeens p kennys wages..thats just a start... and thats why excellent suggestions like the op's programme will never be made..shame.

tac foley

The trouble is, and always will be, that what is needed is a programme that would appeal to the mass audience, the way that 'Time Team' does. It might look a trifle gauche at times, but more often that not there is real archaeology going on, in a country where it is very difficult NOT to find something of archaeological interest.

But it is coming to an end, after almost twenty years.

Time for an Irish programme to replace it?

Neutronale - sadly, to produce such a programme in the RoI WOULD be horrendously expensive, what with your extremely difficult-to-surmount laws, rules and regulations governing digs in the Republic. THAT is why, as was explone to me, that there were no Time Team digs in the Republic.

tac

Reoil

There's a new program on UTV on Monday nights called Ulster Unearthed.
It's like a budget version of Time Team.
Without Dr Alice Roberts.

Neutronale

Thanx for the replys folks.

I accept there is no cash for new digs and the Tiger dig days are gone.

I also accept an Irish TT would not be on; as I say a program that explores the finds of the Tiger digs and is basically an arch version of 'Nationwide' would be relatively inexpensive imho...

tac foley

Reoil wrote: »

There's a new program on UTV on Monday nights called Ulster Unearthed.
It's like a budget version of Time Team.
Without Dr Alice Roberts.

Anything at all on the island of Ireland HAS to be seen as a positive trend. GFO knows there's little enough done publicly to maximise the historical value of such a priceless treasure as ancient Ireland.

I remember going to the Brú Na Bóinne exhibition a few years back and having to line up to get into the car parking area. We were saved by displaying our daughter's blue badge - she is a wheelchair user - else we'd be there yet waiting to get in. It was a fine day, and we pushed her around 500 miles or so [well, it felt like it], and that, think of it what you will, is just one of many sites in Ireland.

I do recall spending about eu300400 on books in the excellent book store.

Nearby Knowth and the Brú Na Bóinne visitor experience took up an entire day, and we've since been back three times.

tac

Riamfada

I had a chat with some TV people I know and there really isnt the interest or money out there.

robp

Neutronale wrote: »

Archaeology is quite popular on the BBC and C4, and it occurs it would be equally popular on Irish TV, concentrating on Irish sites.

It need not be expensive, a glorified 'Nationwide' reporting from sites and explaining finds etc would do the job.

I know that emergency digs were all the go during the Tiger days and presumably greatly curtailed at the mo, in that case some of the sites from recent times could be reported on.

I do know one RTE guy who does take an interest in this stuff. He has even done some excavating himself. If you have an interest in contacting him just PM me.

Jogathon

I would watch this programme. Would love it in fact. I love Timeteam and to have it with an Irish flavour would be fantastic.

Gee Bag

The problem is that RTE are only too happy to produce the same mindless, inoffensive schlock year in year out rather than risk spending money on something new, Nationwide immediatley springs to mind. They also seem to insist on having a 'celebrity' as a presenter, hence they had the noted international expert on DNA and sometime gardender Diarmuid Gavin present Blood of the Irish and Blood of the Travellers. I know of two lads who approached a TV production company about an archaeology programme, they were told they would have to have some celebrity type as a presenter, the suggestion being..........................Rosanna fvckin' Davidson!!!

In fairness, RTE do commission some very good history programmes but they are few and far between. In contrast T Na G have regularly commissioned outstanding history programmes in the past decade. I'd be willing to bet that RTE spend and allocate more time to religous programming than they do to history.

As far as I remember RTE have produced 2 series specifically about archaeology in the recent past The Secret of the Stones was very well made, but had only two episodes which were broadcast months apart. The other show was called Secret Sights and was dire. The lad who wrote and presented the programme hadn't a notion what he was on about. Last year they made a trully awful two part show called The Only Viking in the Village with comedian Neil Delamere (surely a breach of the law on Trade Descriptions?) which consisted of him trying badly to take the mickey out of viking re-enactors at Lerje in Denmark. I was secretly hoping they would use him to re-enact a Blood Eagle, sadly, it was not to be.

I don't think there is any chance RTE would ever pony up the funds for a Time Team style programme. However, I can't see how a general interest archaeology programme would be more expensive to produce than other magazine type progammes such as Ear to the Ground or Nationwide.

All in all its a shyte state of affairs that a public sevice broadcaster in receipt of TV license fees and advertising revenue sees fit to fufill its remit by making pointless talent shows, inane chat shows (where the guests are usually other RTE presenters) and the like. I also feel it is my duty to mention the vast amount of money they deem fit to squander on gimps like Brendan O'Carroll, Ryan Tubridy, Hector, Joe Duffy, etc.

Rant over, I'm off to watch the rest of Deadwood

Maudi

Gee Bag wrote: »

The problem is that RTE are only too happy to produce the same mindless, inoffensive schlock year in year out rather than risk spending money on something new, Nationwide immediatley springs to mind. They also seem to insist on having a 'celebrity' as a presenter, hence they had the noted international expert on DNA and sometime gardender Diarmuid Gavin present Blood of the Irish and Blood of the Travellers. I know of two lads who approached a TV production company about an archaeology programme, they were told they would have to have some celebrity type as a presenter, the suggestion being..........................Rosanna fvckin' Davidson!!!

In fairness, RTE do commission some very good history programmes but they are few and far between. In contrast T Na G have regularly commissioned outstanding history programmes in the past decade. I'd be willing to bet that RTE spend and allocate more time to religous programming than they do to history.

As far as I remember RTE have produced 2 series specifically about archaeology in the recent past The Secret of the Stones was very well made, but had only two episodes which were broadcast months apart. The other show was called Secret Sights and was dire. The lad who wrote and presented the programme hadn't a notion what he was on about.

I don't think there is any chance RTE would ever pony up the funds for a Time Team style programme. However, I can't see how a general interest archaeology programme would be more expensive to produce than other magazine type progammes such as Ear to the Ground or Nationwide.

All in all its a shyte state of affairs that a public sevice broadcaster in receipt of TV license fees and advertising revenue sees fit to fufill its remit by making pointless talent shows, inane chat shows (where the guests are usually other RTE presenters) and the like. I also feel it is my duty to mention the vast amount of money they deem fit to squander on gimps like Brendan O'Carroll, Ryan Tubridy, Hector, Joe Duffy, etc.

Rant over, I'm off to watch the rest of Deadwood

ha ha im still laughing over the "noted international expert on d.n.a "...

Mountainsandh

I'd love a program on archeology too. RTE can produce some great programs when they put their mind to it, remember the one with the man travelling the waterways of Ireland, and some of the more recent wildlife ones, the one where they had to take pics of wildlife was great. It just seems like they're not bothered.

I agree, what a load of bs that idea of having to have a celebrity presenting, a lesson on how to spend money in the wrong place. :rolleyes: