Ok, so most of the Americans will look at this thread and go 'huh?' and even the Brits will mostly go 'yeah... so?' But there anyone else out there who shares my glee and enthusiasm for the archological jaunt that is Time Team, peopled by wombles in stripey jumpers and blondes with cut-glass accents and of course the irrepressable Phil Harding? And it has Baldrick - what more does a TV show need? Starts tonight - 5:40. They go looking for a Roman temple, and end up finding more temples than they know what to do with. More than even Phil can dig in three days, apparently. The guys at the Unofficial Time Team Forum are hoping for a return to the beer swilling that was noticeably absent from series 15.
I occasionally catch Time Team, but it's not something I watch all the time. I did watch 3 in a row on More4 yesterday, I think maybe I'm Time Teamed out for the time being.
I love Time Team! I must see if BBC Canada show it (and then remember to record it...). I love the enthusiasm of all the people involved. Tony Robinson is the perfect presenter for it too.
I like it, but can't say I watch it religiously. It is a very fun show though, and I've got it on in the background at the moment!
You'd have to watch it religiously tonight - they find four temples! No beer though I never got into Scrapheap Challenge. I've always loved Time Team since it started - though they've all got a lot older and hoarier since then.
I love Time Team. Watched every single one since day one. I've learned loads (although to be honest I've forgotten most of it again) about a whole host of stuff. I liked the earlier seasons when they did more social history stuff alongside their Teaming, and got the locals involved. Tonight's was great. You wait 15 years for a temple to come along and then 4 arrive at the same time! I got to meet Mick Aston a few years back at a book signing. I was actually hoping for Robin Bush to be there, too, but he was sick and couldn't make it. Great show.
Wow I'd love to meet Mick. Mind, I'd part with a limb to meet Phil Harding. Robin Bush was wonderful: dropping him was one of the worst mistakes the series has made. The bit I miss is the chat at the pub - that's been missing for a couple of seasons. Is it my imagination of have the team gained weight this year? Tony seemed to have a marked beer gut!
I agree. I used to love his artistic interpretations. He brought humanity and feeling to the pictures that are lacking in the computer generated images, in my opinion. My husband was only just commenting that they were all looking a bit porky. Phil's shorts were looking very tight!
Phil isn't exactly inconspicuous. You can often spot him wandering around town down this way. I've met him twice I think. What you see is what you get really, although in person he's a bit of a miserable so-and-so.
^I take it you live around Salisbury somewhere? Sadly that's a long way from where I am. I find it hard to believe he can be terribly miserable with that chuckle. Have you heard him play the guitar? I wasn't sure whether his shorts were looking tight or he had a lot of stuff in his pockets. They aren't nearly as tight as the shorts he wore in the 1990s. He's been developing a paunch for a few years. Tony, on the other hand, seemed to have sprung an embonpoint between series. And where was Mick? I love Francis (read his book a month or so ago) but I missed Mick.
^Didn't Mick and Francis usually alternate? The Goddess that is Helen Geake was on tonight. That was good enough for me. The perfect Sunday evening - Timeteam followed by Scrapheap Challenge.
She still does the odd dig, I think. But far less since she had children. Though I gather Time Team is very family friendly; diggers bring dogs, kids, partners - judging by the photos. Helen is wearing a wedding ring this series, I notice.
I LOVE Time Team. I know Phil is a majorly respected archaeologist, but I swear, when I once saw him deterrate something and he went, "Ooh, ar!" I started giggling. I swear he sounds like he should be raising sheep, but I *love* that guy. Tony
It's Francis Pryor who raises sheep. Iron age breeds, to be precise. It's part of his determination to understand how prehistoric people farmed. Phil does more of the technological stuff - I believe he's into ceramics. And yes, he's a respected archeologist - Southampton Uni gave him a an honorary doctorate last summer. I don't mind the accent; his Wiltshire is noticeably different from the Cornish I live with, and reminds me vaguely of my Dad's Bristolian. And I agree - I love him to bits.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Robinson (he signed my Time Team book too). A very nice man. I note also Helen Geake is standing in the next UK election (May 2015 ?) for the Green Party. Hope she does well as she is perceptive and intelligent. Her party has a fb site. A "dig" to commemorate the death of Mick Aston is going ahead I believe with many of the TT cast.
I loved Time Team when I was an undergrad in the UK. Only place in the world that would think of making a show about real archeologists doing real archeology... and be able to make it interesting!