"Your thoughts on the Time Team (UK) archeology series?" Topic

A few weeks ago, the "Time Team Official" channel popped into my YouTube "Recommendations". Living in the US, I never heard of the series. What is the opinion of the series? Good history or just a lot of faff for the masses?

It is a entertaining show and most of the Episodes will teach you something new and different about history and Archeology

Decaffeinate not faff for the masses. Archeology detail rather than broad look history.

x42

Time Team was a long running, and popular archaeology TV show. The team were invited in to undertake exploratory investigation and excavation at sites across the UK (I think they even popped over the pond to the New World for one excavation). They then had 3 days to try and make sense of the site. Archaeology, historical survey, landscape surveyors, historical researchers, experimental archaeologists, re-enactors, and a graphic artist all attempting to make the site come to life. There were even live broadcast versions. They made some significant finds including an unknown extensive Roman villa complex. The presenter was Sir Tony Robinson (who played Baldrick in the various Black Adder series), the archaeologists involved in the original TV show were top notch. A number of them have become TV celebrities in their own right, for example Prof Alice Roberts.

Time Team had/has a good reputation for what it is; a number of 'copies' of the format have surfaced over the years.

When it was cancelled by Channel 4 it was greatly missed. But has since returned via Patreon and YouTube. Many of the original academics are still connected to the show. I've only seen short clips from the 'new' incarnation which looks good, not quite as good as the original TV version. But that could be the nostalgia effect.

Recommended!

Of the original programmes there were a couple that looked at ECW sieges, lost castles, a Napoleonic prisoner of war camp, and more Roman settlements than you could shake a stick at.

I thought it really good.

martin

I found it, still find it, marvelous television and solid archeology. Very entertaining and informative.

I enjoy the series very much.

It is an excellent show – and they hit their stride pretty quickly. The last season or two suffered a little bit from adding "entertaing" re-enactment bits, but even these were watchable.

There were plenty with a wargaming slant – Spanish Armada wreck, medieval dockyard, Hadrian's Wall, so many castles and fortified houses. I wish they still made it.

Sounds like I'll enjoy exploring all their videos.

Classic Time Team with Tony Robinson & Co is great--nuts and bolts detailed history. I've seen every eisode. I saw one "New Time Team" and haven't looked very hard for another. All the arguments over interpretation and resource allocation, as in "why are you digging THERE?" were either not happening or happening off camera, resulting in a very bland product.

Excellent tv. The personalities of the participants certainly helped. The US version was, by contrast, dull and dour.

Not to be missed! My wife and I enjoyed every episode and were sad to see it end.

I'm adding it to my YouTube subscriptions. Thanks for the recommendation.

In fairness to the US, we're a couple of thousand years from the Time Team UK situations in which the Victorian country house took out part of the ECW fortifications which themselves obscure the motte and bailey castle and the Roman graveyard.

And we have no Phil Harding. I will treasure to my dying day the episode in which vandals stole their tools between Day One and Day Two and only Phil could dig in the morning--because Phil Harding sleeps with his shovel.

Some of the Dark Ages ones where they just find the shadows of post holes can be a little frustrating.

I was in a pub in Devizes a few years ago and spotted Phil walking past the window. I dashed out, followed by my son-in-law, caught up with Phil and requested a selfie (this was when selfie's were not that common). He was more than happy to oblige and I treasure that photo to this day. He was on his way to an archaeological conference nearby but was prepared to chat for a few minutes.

Splendid chap.

DBDD

I have met two of the "cast members", Carenza Lewis and Helen Geake, both still working near where I live.