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Time Team: the rise and fall of a television phenomenon

10 mins read

In mid October 2012 an all-points bulletin was emailed to Time Team staff. It announced that after 20 seasons and over 230 episodes the programme was being axed by Channel 4. A few days later news of Time Team‘s demise broke in the Guardian. It was a perfunctory end for a television institution that, over two decades, made British archaeology more accessible and popular than ever. Here we chart the highs and lows of a revolutionary format that aimed to bring archaeology to the people.

Photograph of three spades stuck upright in the ground, against a blue sky and rolling fields in the background. Phil Harding's hat hang's on one of the spade handles.

20 years is a long time in television. In the immediate aftermath of a programme’s cancellation it is traditional to attempt a post-mortem of what went wrong. But in this, as in so many other ways, Time Team bucks the trend. It is practically unheard of for a factual, specialist programme to spend two decades as the public face of its subject and become a national institution along the way. While Time Team unquestionably experienced problems, particularly in its final years, this much-loved show was an astonishing success, propelling modern archaeology into the public conscious as never before.  As Francis Pryor observed on his blog, in many ways the real question is ‘what went right?’

The beginnings of Time Team: season 1 stalwarts (from left to right) Mick Aston, Victor Ambrus, Phil Harding, Geraldine Barber, Carenza Lewis, Tony Robinson, and Robin Bush.
The beginnings of Time Team: season 1 stalwarts (from left to right) Mick Aston, Victor Ambrus, Phil Harding, Geraldine Barber, Carenza Lewis, Tony Robinson, and Robin Bush.

A brief history of Time Team

Time Team‘s genesis is a well-rehearsed story. Its prototype was Timesigns, a four-part series that aired in 1991. Exploring the archaeology of the Roadford Reservoir, Devon, this came about after Tim Taylor approached Mick Aston to present the series. With Phil Harding also on board, three members of the future Time Team core were in place. Yet despite bringing the past to life using the familiar ingredients of  excavation, landscape survey and reconstructions — including Phil felling a tree with a flint axe —  Timesigns is a very different beast.

Available to view on 4oD (www.channel4.com/programmes/timesigns/4oD), watching it now provides a salutatory lesson in just how revolutionary the Time Team format was. Slower paced, Timesigns has Mick talking directly to the camera in a style more akin to a history documentary or Open University broadcast. There is a focus on interesting, previously discovered, artefacts, while pipe music lends an almost mystical air to proceedings. Jim Mower (development producer, see his opinion piece here) believes that Phil Harding’s material was among the most innovative. Shots of him in woodland seeking out raw materials for a reconstructed axe allowed the audience to witness the hands-on practical process. Placing viewers at the heart of the action would become a Time Team hallmark.

While filming Timesigns,  Tim and Mick regularly discussed other ways to bring archaeology to a television audience. What proved to be the fateful conversation took place in a Little Chef on the Okehampton bypass. Mick mentioned that he had recently missed a train and, having a couple of hours to kill, decided to explore. During that time he deduced the town’s Medieval layout. Struck by how much could be learnt in a few hours, Tim wondered what could be achieved in a few days. When he took this pitch to various studios, however, no one wanted to know.

It was not the first time that a chance conversation with Mick had got someone thinking about television archaeology. A few years earlier Tony Robinson had joined a trip Mick was leading to Santorini as part of his adult education work for Bristol University. The pair bonded on the idyllic Greek island, where Mick’s aptitude for breathing life into the past convinced Tony that archaeology had untapped television potential.  But when he returned to Britain, Tony found the studios equally intransient.

The breakthrough came when Timesigns proved an unexpected hit. Suddenly Channel 4 was receptive to the idea of a major archaeology programme. Tim Taylor devised the name ‘Time Team’, and in 1992 a pilot episode was filmed in Dorchester-on-Thames. Never screened and reputedly lost in the Channel 4 vaults, this pilot captured a show that was as radically different to Timesigns as it was to later Time Team episodes.

Envisioned as a quiz show in the vein of Challenge Anneka — running on BBC 1 from 1989 to 1995 — the team were called on to solve archaeological mysteries while racing against the clock. Envelopes hidden at strategic points would set challenges along the lines of ‘find the Medieval high street in two hours’. Judged a misfire by Channel 4, it could have been the end.

Instead Time Team‘s format was radically overhauled. Shades of the quiz-show concept do survive into early episodes of Time Team proper. The onscreen introduction of team members and their specialist skills was a hangover from a time when participants would have varied from week to week, rather than coalescing into a core group. Meanwhile Tony’s role transformed from a quiz master to translator of all things archaeological for a general audience.

The final piece of the jigsaw fell into place during the fledgling Time Team‘s first episode. Filmed at Athelney, site of Alfred the Great’s apocraphal burnt cakes, the site was scheduled, precluding excavation. Instead John Gater, the programme’s ‘geophys’ wizard (see CA 252), surveyed the field. Despite the Ancient Monuments Laboratory having drawn a blank the year before, John’s state-of-the-art kit revealed the monastic complex in startling clarity. Best of all, the cameras were rolling to capture the archaeologists’ euphoria as the geophysical plot emerged from a bulky printer in the back of the survey vehicle.

National treasures

Mick Aston at a desk working through historic maps

As well as an arresting demonstration of the power of teamwork, Athelney showed how geophysics could be the heart of the programme. As Mick Aston observed ‘the geophys and Time Team have always gone hand in hand. It is the programme really. Geophysics gives you that instant picture you can then evaluate’. John has kept on top of technical advances, and the results of his survey of Brancaster Roman fort provide one of the outstanding moments in the forthcoming season 20. The breathtaking 3D model it produced of the buried structures persuaded English Heritage to commission a complete survey on the spot.

The original team brought an impressive breadth of skills to the programme. Victor Ambrus’ peerless ability to bring the past to life on the fly, for example, was harnassed after his artwork caught Tim Taylor’s eye in Readers’ Digest. The late Robin Bush brought a degree of historical expertise that would be missed almost as much as the man himself following his departure in 2003. Despite their varied talents and backgrounds it quickly became apparent that the team had a natural chemistry.

Time Team has sometimes been accused of peddling stereotypes to the public, but anyone who has met the archaeologists will know that they are not cynical media-savvy operators adopting false personas for the camera. Indeed, the only affectation on Time Team was Mick’s famous stripy jumper. Requested by a commissioning editor to wear more colourful clothing Mick turned up in the most garish garment he could find as a joke, only to be told it was perfect. Far from a media concoction, the unique individuals on Time Team were filmed going about their work with an honesty and integrity that has seen the series heralded as Britain’s first reality television show. There can be little doubt that part of the show’s early success stems from the audience warming to the group’s genuine passion for teasing out the past.

If there had been a mission statement for the show during those early days, it would have been the democratisation of archaeology. Rather than targeting the palaces and castles of the rich and famous, individual episodes modestly sought to solve simple, local questions. This was highlighted by having a member of the public read out a letter of invitation at the beginning, posing the question they wanted answered. The message was simple: this is local archaeology, it is your archaeology. Such an approach was perfectly realised by Graham Dixon, the director of the first few seasons. Schooled in observational documentaries, Graham followed the digs as they evolved. His technique fostered a sense of immediacy for viewers, placing them on the trench edge when discoveries happened and making them privy to key discussions.

Tim Taylor recalls that ‘some archaeologists were initially, quite fairly, a bit sceptical.’ One aspect that some treated with suspicion was the three-day deadline. Research digs usually ran for weeks if not months, and it was questioned whether anything approaching responsible archaeology could be achieved in a mere three days. Such speed was certainly not ideally suited to showcase all of the techniques available to modern archaeologists. Hundreds of pounds would be spent on scientific dating such as C14, with the results only coming back in time for a line of dialogue to be dubbed on months after filming had concluded.

Coincidentally, digging within a tight timeframe echoed contemporary changes underway in the profession. The implementation of Planning Policy Guidance 16 in 1990 enshrined archaeology within the development process and paved the way for today’s professional units. Obliged to cut evaluation trenches to meet the deadlines of multi-million pound construction projects, the 1990s saw a surge in short-term excavation projects. It led to an appreciation of just how much information could be quickly gleaned from comparatively modest trenching. The thrill of time running out also engaged viewers, and Time Team’s popularity was rewarded with increasingly longer series. Season 1, aired in 1994, had four episodes, while season 2 followed with five, and season 3 boasted six.

Golden Age

Seasons 9-12 are often seen as Time Team‘s golden age. Screening 13 episodes a year, as well as live digs and specials the programme was ubiquitous. Tapped into the national zeitgeist, its stars were household names and at its zenith Time Team was pulling in audiences of 3 — 3.5 million viewers. Now the format was safely established the programme was increasingly able to capitalise on its fame and access big name sites — ultimately even Buckingham Palace. While the allure of such sites created a powerful television spectacle, it also marked a move away from the programme’s humble local archaeology origins.

Time Team‘s status as a staple of the television schedule also wrought changes behind the scenes. The big step-change in output came between series 5 and 6 — in 1998 and 1999 — when the annual number of episodes leapt from 8 to 13. Such mass-production was only possible with more rigorous processes guiding filming. With the archaeologists at the height of their game, by now the team was so confident of the three-day regime that development producer Jim Mower describes their appearance on site as ‘like getting the A Team in’. Many a critic was silenced by seeing the team in action.

Tony Robinson, filming a piece to camera at Rise Hill.
Tony Robinson, filming a piece to camera at Rise Hill

Even after its star began to wane Time Team remained popular. An audience study in 2006 indicated that 20 million people watched at least one show that year. As late as season 18 the programme was pulling in a respectable audience of 1.1 million, partly because it had built up a loyal following, and partly because the team were still digging great sites. It was season 19 that changed everything. In 2011 the production centre for the programme moved from London to Cardiff. A political gesture aimed at building up regional television, Time Team was picked because it seemed a safe pair of hands. Jim describes this miscalculation as a ‘death blow’, which cost the show almost all of its behind the scenes staff. Expertise honed over 15 years was lost at a stroke, to be replaced by crew and production staff who knew neither each other nor archaeology. Despite some great new people who learnt fast, expecting them to produce the same calibre of product immediately was just too big a demand.

The 2006 audience survey also identified that Time Team‘s core audience consisted of families and people aged over 45 / 50. With Channel 4 keen to attract more supposedly affluent viewers in their 20s and 30s, season 19 also tinkered with the format. A number of archaeological old hands were sacrificed in favour of more youthful presenters. Disgusted, Mick walked out, explaining later ‘For some reason they didn’t think “oh, we’d better run that past Mick.” He’s the archaeological consultant, he might have an opinion about that’ (see CA 271). The changes proved too much, too fast, and viewing figures crashed to 700,000. While the yet-to-air season 20 promises a return to more-traditional Time Team values, it was too late. By the summer of 2012 Channel 4 no longer wanted ‘old’ Time Team. Jim summed up their approach as ‘messing with something perfectly fine, and when it wasn’t a success, blaming the people trying to make it work.’

Time Team‘s cost also made it vulnerable. Towards the end of its run an average episode would cost around £200,000 — a budget more on the scale of a small drama show in the eyes of television insiders — but over 20 years Channel 4 pumped £4 million directly into British archaeology. It is to the Channel’s credit that it did this despite much of that outlay being channelled into post-excavation work that never appeared onscreen. The money was well spent, and today only five Time Team sites remain unpublished — a record that shames many UK units and academics. Tim Taylor explains ‘because we’ve involved Wessex Archaeology in our work for the last 10 or so years the reports are really good quality. In terms of Cotswolds villas Time Team has probably covered more of them than anyone else. We’ve also done the landscapes around them, so if you want additional information then the Time Team reports contain that.’

And in the end

Time Team’s legacy leaves much to celebrate. It brought the money and expertise to investigate sites that would otherwise never have been touched. The Isle of Mull episode in season 17 is a great example of what could be discovered. With only some strange earthworks exciting the curiosity of local amateur archaeologists to go on, the programme was flexible enough to be able to take a gamble. The result was a previously unknown 5th-century monastic enclosure linked to St Columba. It enabled a local group to secure Historic Lottery Fund money to dig the site. Time Team excavations at Binchester’s Roman fort also helped kickstart a research project that is still in rude health (see CA 263).

Tony Robinson is proud of the programme’s success in making archaeology accessible. ‘I think we’ve brought it into the forefront of people’s attention. Prior to us, by and large archaeology was something you could only really appreciate if you read books with long words in them. Now everyone knows the word “geophys”. We always joke about that, but I think it’s indicative of how people understand archaeology is a process. People understand it isn’t treasure hunting — well, we probably still have some way to go with that one!’ Tim points to ‘Over 230 films that have been seen in 36 countries. People seem to enjoy them. So we manage to get something enjoyable, which at the same time is also useful. That’s fairly unusual.’

Anyone who visited one of their digs while shooting was underway will have seen the devotion it inspired in members of the public. And the journey is not quite over yet. With Season 20 airing next year, and a series of one-off specials running into 2014, there is still new Time Team on the way. While viewing it might be a bittersweet experience we should enjoy the moment while we can. We may not see its like again.


This feature was published in Current Archaeology issue 274.

Interested in keeping up to date with the latest archaeological finds across Britain? Subscribe to Current Archaeology — the UK’s favourite archaeology magazine — and like thousands of other people you too can get details of all the latest digs and discoveries delivered to your door, every month. Find out more here.

365 Comments

  1. Time Team went out of fashion because the rest of us got sick of being patronised by Tony Robinson, who seemed incapable of letting an entire episode pass without a snide comment or a sermon about “man-made global warming”.
    It was supposed to be about archaeology.

        • Lively interpersonal dynamics, celebratory meals and wine, inviting locals to learn more about the world around them back in time, diverse resources and approaches coordinating and appreciating each other- some reading. Excellent show.

      • Thanks Julia and Lizbeth. I agree with you . Tony Robinson seems an entirely likeable guy and does his presenting job with good humour and humility. What’s wrong with a passing reference to global warming – unless you are an eccentric climate change denier?

          • Hear, hear! I think Tony is a good fit for this program. I am an American who did real dirt archeology thirty years ago.I dug at at three historic sites and one protohistoric site in East Central Illinois.
            I also helped out at two hisoric sites with two different groups of 11-13 uear old kids who spent half a day five days in a row learning what archeology is.

      • Yes, speak for yourself! I enjoy watching this program on my computer(I never knew about it 10 years ago because we have so many garbage programs here on US television, they did not show it here.)

        I was so sad to find out that it is finished–Could we bring it back? Stranger things have happened!

        • I completely agree with you Lauren. Perhaps we could have a US/Canada version? I know we have no Roman history, but there are thousands of of places that date back thousands of years.

        • I agree .I have thoroughly enjoyed “Time Team” and was greatly disappointed when I switched on my TV at the usual time and found no sign of Time Team at that time or any other. PLEASE bring it back.

    • Harold Bush is lying. I once heard Mr Harding say ‘Oh arr’. I speculate that Mr Bush’s rant is based upon nothing more than jealousy over the fact that Mr Harding has obviously learned one more word than him whilst digging those big holes!

        • Axing time team is a huge mistake. What will Ch4 spend it’s money on now, even more American imports? What better way of introducing archaeology to young people than for them to see it on a Sunday afternoon? I have loved it from the first episode and who cares if Tony is a little OTT sometimes, he keeps it entertaining and all together

          • I AM SO UPSET AT THE ENDING OF TIME TEAM ! ! ! It is the ONLY program I think worth watching in all the rubbish put on these days ! I loved the camaraderie.. the discoveries.. the wonderful feeling of how people not only survived in early times..but were every bit as capable and inventive as WE think we are ! It was an opening into a different world that gave me hope that THIS one can be sorted out ! They managed against terrific odds.and that gave me a good feeling !

            I am devastated ! I had no idea it was finishing until yesterday and I missed the last viewing as I have flu and have been sleeping a lot.. OH DEAR !

            CHANNEL 4 … you just do not know what you have done ! DREADFUL ! .

    • I am off to channel four to ask them what is wrong with audiences that are over 40, 50 or even 60, what is wrong with older people’s programmes? Or are we all to turn off our televisions once we reach 40? Sounds ageism to me, isn’t that against the law now?

    • Changing all the staff behind Time Team was a big mistake, but ending it is even bigger. What is wrong with “older” viewers? We are a large audience. Sounds as though short sighted suits are at work.

    • Time Team cancelled by Channel 4? ARE THEY NUTS? This is just swell. Now British television can be as dumbed down and offensive as American television has become. With it’s awkwardly embarassing reality programming and multitude of “dream come true” talent shows American television is NOTHING to emulate. What on earth is going on and who is in charge of these moronic decisions! What idiot made this particular decision to cancel such an interesting and educational series! Crazy. Ridiculous. Biggest mistake ever! And anyone who does not like Tony Robinson probably doesn’t like Rowan Atkinson either, probably has not a read book over 30 pages in decades, and probably believes the Big Bang was what happened in their bedroom last night……..

      • I was just looking for where any dig sites would be this year and discovered the program was being axed! I’m sitting here on the sofa watching the usual More 4 showing on a Saturday morning. I always look forward to it when I get chance and to know that it is finishing is both shocking and disappointing.

        I’m in my mid 40s. My son in his early 20s always likes to watch it. My parents watch it. I therefore conclude that the program is enjoyed by audiences of all ages. What do we all enjoy about it? The enthusiasm shown by the crews, the information, the chance to get a flavour of what made our country and the historical influences in each area.

        Shame on you for cancelling it.

        • My children are 13 and 12, and we all like to sit down as a family and watch this programme together and learn something. How many programmes can a entertain a whole family at the same time, not many.

    • Totally gutted Time Team is going. Watched it since the beginning, some great episodes and fantastic digs. Tony was the right man to present, no doubt about that. But once the old hands started to disappear the magic went too. 2012 was a very low point and i half expected it to end right then.
      But would be top stuff if BBC 4 could pick it up and get things back on track. Only problem is the core members are getting on a bit, so no chance of it going another 20 years.

    • I also ‘never’ felt patronised by Tony Robinson, and loved the way he frequently asked questions that the audience would have wanted to know themselves. I enjoy his style of presentation. I just love this programme and am very sad to hear that there will be no more. I am still quite happy to watch repeats on Sky.

    • i have seen every episode of time team and i’ve never seen him mention anything like that other than one time, so you are a complete moron and need to look up what the word patronize means since i am now patronizing you.

    • What a prat.

      Tony used the rest of the Team’s expertise to bring to life what was often regarded as a crusty subject before Time Team’s arrival.

      What a wonderful 20 years we/they had. What a lot we learned.

    • It’s December 2016, My Hubby and I live in Queensland Australia,we have Foxtel and have the old show’s on a series link and never get tired of watching the Time Team. We hope that someone our there will take them under their wing and continue the show’s it’s been great,you have shown us so much interesting archaeology of our past from all the corner;s of our beautiful planet,and it’s hard work doing all that digging and trying to preserve it for our future children.
      We have it so easy in this day and age to compare to other’s in the past and we so loved it when Tony came to Australia and did some show’s about our ancestral heritage,we all walk past so much and never notice what’s in front of us,we miss so much rich knowledge right under our feet.
      Big Thank’s Time Team,will never get tired of watching the show’s,finger’s crossed you can make some more.

    • I do not agree. I have learned so much by watshing Time Team. Tony Robinson is a great presenter!

  2. A terrible mistake in the cancellation of Time Team one the most educational series on T V I and my friend in Canada cant wait each Monday evening to watch the show we both being amateur Archaeologists and worked for many years with the Ontario Archaeology Soc and find the show captivating and extremely educational and will be sorry to see it end.

    • I entirely agree with the article it was definately the loss of Mick and the two new ones that ryined it for me and I have always loved it!! BRING BACK TIME TEAM PLEASE!!!!

  3. They should have known how appealing it would be. Years earlier, Sir Mortimer Wheeler did some Archaeology pgms on TV and they were always popular. I’m sorry to see that TT is folding though. I will miss my bit of kulcha. I wish that ABC in Aus would start at the beginning and replay them all.

  4. Very sorry to see Time Team being finished. I could have watched it for another 20 years. I hope more episodes are made available on video!

    • Fret not, the programs will haunt the repeats channels until they become their own archaeology as a worked example of how the medium started to dictate the content.

  5. Sad Time Team series being finished. Over the years has shown archaeology all round UK. What lies under the ground of the country’s past. The marvelous experts have described items, historical facts and what could have been, may have been and what was likely to have been and possibly how the ancestors [residents and visitors alike] changed the landscape. A family programe deleted. WHY? There is more than enough rubbish shown on tv so why axe a good item that entertains, explains and raises more questions.

  6. Tony Robinson, global warming? My enduring memory of Tony Robinson during Time Team filming is him spending several hours of every day asleep in a massive American car with the engine running.

  7. Oh Dear. In South africa we have seen so few TT programs and when in the UK on holiday I imediately check for surren programs to watch. How amazing to see the history of England being unearthed. I loved every minute of it. The roman barge in Utrect was particularly interesting and my son in Holland wished to see it. Unfortunately my DVD recording did not work. Is there any posibility of obtaining a copy of this and the program on the barge in the river Rhine.
    I hope that someone has the sense to resorect TT even if it is repeated from the beginning. Afterall SA is used to watching loads of rubbish repeats every day!!!

  8. Certainly the revamp for the 2012 programmes didn’t do the programme any favours but another reason for the loss of viewers even before that must have been the lack of a fixed time in the schedules. It used to be on in the early evening at a specific time every week, but in recent years it has been moved to late afternoon with the start time changing by 5, 10, 15 minutes over the weeks making watching and even recording it more problematic.

  9. Will miss them! Have to admit they are probably the main reason I now spend a lot of my spare time out on the Thames foreshore with the Thames Discovery Programme- enjoying it hugely, and probably have them to thank, they showed us that anyone can get involved.

  10. Perhaps the question should be not what went wrong with Time Team, but what went wrong with Channel 4. This once innovative and ground breaking channel has started to descent to almost ITV 1 depths of dumbing down in recent years, it certainly isn’t the channel that Jeremy Isaccs created anymore. Time Time could go on indefinitely as long as it found a sympathetic home, and BBC Four would be ideal, their audience demographic would fit far far better than the current Channel 4 one, which is increasingly to try and chase the Reality/Makeover show market at the expense of original programming, and attract audiences that the advertisers prefer to exploit, rather than those with brain.

    • Alan Gale is 100% correct. C4 has descended to abysmal levels. In between programmes, E4 these days uses short clips of things like hillwalking and narrow boats to ridicule the interests of “old” people. Last night (17 June 2014), they had a prominent, crude cartoon of a man’s sexual equipment inserted into this highly humorous clip. It was so pathetic, TT definitely doesn’t need to have its memory sullied by association with the puerile crassness of the modern C4.

    • Also agree 100% with Alan’s comments.

      Channel 4’s choices are definitely a bit strange to many of us.

  11. Its always sad when a long running and reputable series ends. Time Team did a superb job and has an excellent track record of quality archaeology, bringing the subject to millions via TV and publishing the results! I think the writing was on the wall when the powers that be messed about with it, moving its base to Cardiff and losing quality staff and goodwill. We now need a new champion of archaeology at a time when budget cuts in public service have resulted in the shedding of many jobs in the profession and the threats from a new phase of building construction looming large.
    RIP Time Team

  12. Obviously I am not the only Australian (albeit English-born) to miss Time Team. The ABC in Australia invariably saw fit to show very, very few episodes of Time Team, although numerous repeats were televised, and like a good book, they were enjoyed by a public that is hungry for family value in TV productions. True, Tony Robinson did tend to upstage and steal a scene or two, but those of us who enjoyed one of the best programmes to ever hit TV, expected and accepted that. Time Team! You are going to be missed more than most of us realise. .

  13. Gutted! I am still watching episodes on Yesterday that I’d somehow missed. Great format, educational safe family viewing. Now I will be stuck with overproduced, watered down supposedly historically accurate twaddle 🙁

  14. We held a bit of a poll a few years ago with the Pagan Federation as to what the favourite TV programme was. Time team came back as a clear favourite, so for one of the national conferences we decided to contact Time Team so that Tony or one of the team could come along and give a talk. I am very sorry to see it go. Perhaps we can come up with a crew of our own with Ronald Hutton replacing Tony Robinson and I do know of a great film crew that would take up the filming. There are many pagan archeologists too.
    Just a thought/ John

  15. Like Philip Lethbridge I would be happy to watch TT for ever. I am now watching past digs being repeated on More Four. I thought Channel Four was supposed to be a cultural channel appealing to grown ups, yet the dire Big Brother has been inflicted on us for over ten years along with other ephemeral rubbish. If Channel Four thinks TT too expensive there is mileage in the “Return To” format for some digs showing some of the original programmes and then updating on subsequent research. No other archaeology programmes on any channels tackle the wide range of sites and periods that TT did or inspired many to become keen amateurs or to start a career in archaeology. Above all we learned something new in each programme , not the usual rehashed information served up in other one -off programmes on “popular” periods.

  16. i believe everything has a lifespan, and that must include television shows. The key participants deserve a rest at their age, and the joy obviously just wasn’t there. Having said that, I hope this means Time Team DVDs will now be more available to those of us in the US who adore the show. We’ve been able to order some DVDs from Australia, but we have missed many of the series since we moved here, and there is no way to watch them online.

  17. Far too many highlights to choose a favourite, but I’ll always have a soft spot for the tone of Tony Robinson’s voice when he explained that the sash-cum-swordbelt worn by Saxon fighters was called a “baldric”.

  18. Just recently I saw a show about Egypt using satellite infra red survey archaeology that could reveal all the subsurface features accross a whole landscape. What that will show in Britain will start another flood of interest in archaeology with all local likely sites of archaeology being revealed.. Time team might be gone but something like it will be back pretty quick I suspect.

  19. So sad to see my favourite programme on Channel 4 being axed. The writing was on the wall though poor scheduling . It follows so much what has been prevallent in recent years on Brittish TV and thats “dumbing down”. How right Mick Aston was.

    Robinson has been a superb presenter and long may he continue on historical based series .

    Perhaps the BBC could take over where Channel 4 has failed and get back to grass roots like in series 4-6. I am sure the essence of archeology would be attractive to a core audience once again.

    • There is definitly an opportunity for BBC2 together with The Open University to take over when Time Team ceases.

      Channel 4 can go to where it rightly belongs confined to History.

      Perhaps in gthe future we may have a project for a future Time Team

      “Channel 4 – where did it all go wrong? Headed by D Macall

    • Start a letter writing campaign to bring it back. I have scoured the Internet watching every episode I can find, some more than once. It’s the best show! I learn so much. They tried an American version but it didn’t have the natural chemistry that the original had. They tried to make it edgy and the thing I loved about time team was it’s lack of edginess? I wish I could study with Mick Ashton. Mick, can I come work for you? Rip, time team.

  20. What an absolutely stupid decision to ax Time Team! This informative, interesting program has long been a favourite amongst all ages of our family.

  21. For those people who wish to view old episodes back to day 1 surely all you need to do is put channel 4, possibly you may need to add UK.com, if overseas, into your search engine,register on line,confirm e mail address and then enter Time Team in the search box.You can even view Time Signs the original pilot series.

  22. I have watched Time Team since day one, and until the last two or three series have always enjoyed it. It has certainly opened up the world of archaeology to new generations, and has
    certainly helped to fill a lot of university places, even if many of those gaining degrees have gone on to other careers.

    In my mind, one of the contributing factors to the programme’s demise, were the increasing number of digs being done on behalf of professional bodies such as English Heritage, and local authorities. Long gone are the back garden digs.

    It may also be heresy to say so, but I think many people who were interested more in the archaeology than the banter, found the relationship between Phil and Tony, to be past it’s sell by date.
    Bringing in that awful woman for the last series was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

    It will be interesting to see how the new Village Dig series comes across on TV.

  23. Nothing lasts forever, including Time Team. I guess the nearest feeling to learning of its ending was like being told that your solid mates of the past twenty years are all splitting up and moving abroad. In relation to earlier comments concerning Mr Robinson, all I can say is that if he was patronising us then it must have been a residual echo of Baldric’s most cunning plan. Yes,he was often guilty of playing the devils advocate, but at such times he was the voice of many of us upon listening to yet another gigantic leap of hastily constructed faith or explanation of purpose for the sake of the less informed viewing massive.
    Time Team turned this particular builder into a complete archaeological anorak and made one increasingly curmudgeonly old fart in a sweat stain hat the one person in the world I’d most love to meet, hang out on a dig with and sink real ales with thereafter!

  24. I am looking forward to the “Village Dig” series, when it eventually comes to the small screen.

    I’ve loved Time Team since day one, but recently I’ve found it becoming a little too “cozy”

  25. I am shattered by this news. I have watched this program over the life of its showing and as a saturday morning archaeologist I was challenged to dig deeper (pun intended) by reading more into the theory and practice of archaeology. Surely television that inspires interest and development is too good to lose? Mick, and Phil, and even Tony all made a significant contribution to our understanding archaeology and they way in which it can inform us of our past. I note that none of them ever received a gong. Pity – arise Sir Phil????

  26. Ok BBC4, its time for you to take Time Team. TV & life not the same as early 1990s but I think the format is still sound (just don’t turn it into on old OU prog).

    • Yes please – BBC4 or anyone sensible – Time Team will always be popular if you listen to Tony (yes I am a fan) Mick and Phil and Helen (yes I am an even bigger fan of these guys). You only have to look at the demographic to see that a model was not going to be an asset to TT.

    • TT was an utter revelation. I have watched most episodes many times and it is a joy to come across one I have never seen before.

      TT changed how history programmes are made for UK TV for ever.

      The presenters never got enough credit for me, Phil, a hero and when can I share a pint with you? Always worked so hard and made sense of sites that could have remained a mystery.

      Prof Mick, great bloke and always so calm, Carensa made a lot of episodes more entertaining and TR – a god of comedy and history.

      Like Concorde, should be rescued by someone – BBC and revamped ASAP.

    • The format was part of the problem. If you ever wanted to check anything academically, you ran a brick wall which amply demonstrated it was seen by C4 as a Reallity show, complete with Dymock shots. Its disadvantage was that it had no scope to include z-list celebrities to manufacture controversy around, and so it was killed.

  27. I have just found out about the decision by C4 to axe “Time Team”, which was surely one of the best programmes on any television station anywhere. At least we can watch past programmes on More 4 on on the On Demand. I learned so much, as many others have, and admired the way it brought archaeology to everyone.

    As others have said, let’s hope that the B.B.C. will take it on.

    Thanks to all who were involved in Time Team in any way.

  28. I know “real” archaeologists are dismissive of Time Team but I loved it. Stopping TT is just another step in the dumbing down of TV and radio. Very disappointing.

  29. Just started to watch the latest series on C4, very very sad to be losing it soon. Maybe after all these replies BBC4 may approach the original team !!! fingers crossed

    • I agree. I have not been watching the show for very long because it was not aired in the US as far as I know. I love the show, and I have also fallen in love wit Faye Simpson.

      Pleas revive this programming.

      • I loved watching time team I want it to come back on the tv I miss watching it on Sunday afternoon

  30. Time to leave! Just watched a poor programme on Brancaster dig…full of errors and poor production. Tony R told us that “the fort was not connected by road” What???? And key graphic purporting to show the significant shift in building alignments between two phases did not actually do that but simply repeated the original layout! Poor.

  31. It is just so sad to read all of these comments, like a requiem for a friend. Time Team is a victim of Channel 4’s misguided quest for “progress”, and we hope that, in some form, the programme may rise like the phoenix from the ashes and take on a persona not far removed from the popular format. In other words, archaelogy, teamwork, and interaction in that order. The programme has no need for eye candy, no need to try to attract yuppies: archaeology is like genealogy – interest grows (although not exclusively) with age.

    • We’re currently watching the series (2012?) with the Amazonian co-presenter with the huge bonded teeth. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with her per se, but her presence is utterly unnecessary. We also miss Stuart very much. The major players seem tired and cranky, and while they are all professionals and are trying very hard to be positive and upbeat, it’s obvious that they are trying, and that ruins it. There is such a thing as going on too long with any endeavor, and in watching this series the definition of “too long” is clear. While I mourn the loss of Time Team, I think its death is a natural, organic thing that was simply going to happen sooner or later.

      • I so agree. The two new presenters just did not fit. The format changed and little was really seen of the dig. The 2013 series is so much better, very like the old times. What a shame to see it go, but what a swan song.

  32. Just heard about the axing of Time Team – what a shame! Hopefully it will be picked up by another channel.

  33. For me Time Team was a cultural oasis in a desert of dumb and lazy TV. Spent time today discussing post-holes with a friend, others around thought we were crazy, but that’s what Time Team was all about. Real shame its leaving our screens but it did give us so many hours of pleasure along with the odd glimpse of a young Alice Roberts and the occasional grumpiness of Mick. My own favourite was Stuart, to see him on his bike or wandering around looking at the landscape with his ability to fit any site into its landscape. What a hero!
    Time Team has left a legacy that few TV programs can match and i’m sure that generations to come will enjoy. Thanks to you all.

  34. Sir Tony I salute you and the team,its been a good innings! Its a shame we didn’t see you and the team doing more international locations. I am going to miss the show. (especially phil, that crazy bloke,lol).I hope channel 4 regret the decision to axe the show. Who knows,but hopefully in years to come we might all see a reunion? Thank you for educating and entertaining me over the years. I am looking forward to last series and specials over the next 2 years.The end of an era.

    Time Team RIP
    (all good things must come to an end)

    Time Team RIP
    RIP

  35. I thought the 2013 series was an improvement on the 2012 series, but tonight’s episode was disappointing. (Cardiff hillfort). Tony was constantly disagreeing with the archaeologists, and for some unexplained reason there was loud ballet music all but obliterating the commentary. Probably just as well this is the last series, but as many have suggested, a move to BB4 sounds a great idea.

  36. i am disappoited time team is to end after its next series a lot of people learnt more about the history of the uk.My grandchildren learnt more about roman history medieval times and other periods in our countries history than at school

  37. Loved Time Team and will miss it [endless repeats are not the same but I still find myself watching them anyway]. It has made the subject of archaeology interesting and accessible for everyone and if they were still active…there’s an interesting mound that desperately needs investigating at the end of our road. Vale Time Team, you will be missed.

  38. The writing was on the wall when it regularly began featuring cleavage shots of diggers and the dreaded re-enactments. We have watched it form the start and enjoyed it on various level hugely. The main loss will be the delight we have got shouting “bullshit-ware” at the screen as Paul Blinkhorn announces a small lump of stone is in reality early Anglo Saxon teaset.

    And of course who can ever forget Helen Geakes dress sense and haircuts !

    • So apart from discovering the female cleavage (along with Kleenex tissues) looking for Saxon pottery designed to hold bovine waste, expanding your knowledge of Saxon tea services as well as teaching both Vivian Westwood and Tony & Guy a thing or two…what other skills have you learned since watching Time Team?

      • I’ve learned that anything classed as “experimental” Is just filler as they’ve found nothing.

        That a pile of random rubble is a wall, a stain in the ground is a ditch and Tony Robinson is a supercilious pot bellied bore.

        And this program had run its course several years ago.

        • What a bore YOU are! Completely unable to absorb and assimilate well presented information in an entertaining style, and you completely misread the ironic style of Tony Robinson. Thank goodness there is a myriad of viewers who appreciate the achievement of Time Team. I and my husband have learned so much over the years (and are still learning): not only about archeaology itself, but about interpreting architecture, landscapes and social history, to name but three. Closed minds achieve nothing in life.

  39. Surely a revamp, no helicopters, fewer paid staff, smaller archaeological objectives, involve communities more – hence free labour would help. Time team seemed to be excavating at the behest of large bodies like English Heritage and the National Trust, not some amateurs or local individuals.
    Restructuring, avoiding dumbing down, possibly making it a shorter programme all could help. It all got too big, too ambitious. It needed to get back to its roots – look at the early episodes to see why it was successful.

    • I will be saddened to see Time Team go, but I agree that the production costs could realistically be reduced. An episode where a workplace expert was on stand by for structural shoring when common sense would have not wasted this kind of expense. The whole catering & accommodation aspect could have been trimmed, without loss of such a wonderful program. People like myself really appreciate history coming to life as Time Team presented it. Thank you all so verymuch for what you have accomplished.

  40. C4 what are you doing timeteam is a great show now u r going to put more rubbish on like big brother I know it not on your channel no more what a shame timeteam will b missed go on bbc take it on

    • Timeteam what a great show now we got to put up with shows like splash and x factor what is going on with tv now god help. Us all

  41. I’m writing this having just had my daily lunchtime fix of a Tiime Team repeat on More 4. Much as I still love watching them (though, annoyingly, More 4 often shows the same programme a week later), I can hardly bear to think there will be no more new ones.
    Partly, we all feel we are losing old friends after all this time but there’s so much trash on TV that its no surprise that its loss is so keenly felt. Channel 4 is a crude simulacrum of its original self and I agree that BBC 4 would be TT’s natural home.I’d love to see the old Time Team reunited – I’ll live in hope!

  42. Yes, Tony R was sometimes (often?) irritating – but he was a part of a recipe that worked for a long time. Yes, it became a bit formulaic – probably inevitable when dullard TV producers are involved. Surely, the way forward would have been to dig deeper into the technical aspects of the archaeology and to speak to the intelligent audience that made the program in the first place – whether the sites themselves or the techniques being employed. For how many years were John Gater and Stuart Ainsworth’s technical expertise presented as a pat cliche when the work of either could have been expanded? While the TV producers have obviously ruined a formula that entertained and educated millions of people worldwide for a couple of decades, I assume it is now beyond recall. If I were an enterprising producer on another channel, I would start a new series that build on the fascinating skills of Stuart A.

  43. Just been reading all the comments, and a lot of sensible thinhs have been said, and a few stupid ignorant ones as well. I was devastated to hear of the demise of this wonderful programme, but once they made the decision to bring in the awful Mary Ann Ochota as a co-presenter, the programme was doomed. She completely ruined it, and led to Mick Aston walking out on the show. It was just a ridiculous Channel 4 attempt to appeal to younger viewers, and failed dismally. Thank God for my Saturday morning lie-in watching four episodes in a row on More 4. Goodbye, Time Team, and thank you.

  44. So sad to see the demise of TT. My youngest daughter honed her love of history sitting with me on a Sunday evening watching Mick and Tony et al. Little surprise she became a history teacher. The idea/format needs to be revived by BBC4. In all fairness thank you C4 for having the foresight to do the programme in the first place but put the money saved back into culture, don’t invest it in any more ‘fly on the wall’ or ‘the only way is…’ type of programmes or you may just lose any of the credibility you’ve gained.

  45. As a lowyal Time Team viewer from Australia, I am devastated. This program has opened up so much of Great Britain to me and I am in love with suach a picturesque landscape and such a rich history. I know more today of English history and Roman occupation than I ever did before. It will be sad for it to end, but theres still a few epsiodes I havent seen. Inever felt patronised and loved the interation beteen Tony, Phil and Mick.

  46. I have watched Time Team from the beginning and love the earlier episodes and although its sad that its going it has changed considerably.Not the same without Mick his enthusiasm makes for great watching. Phil is fantastic as he has always been. Not a Tony Robinson fan myself but he is part of the show. But Channel 4 has dumb it down, the last episode i watched was at Henham Park down the road from me, They found out nothing that wasn’t local knowledge already. They seem to have replaced alot of the original cast for more easy on the eye team members, the new historian was a prime example. I used to love all the research that they put into it. That has gone now, so im going to just have to watch all the reruns on Discovery history ( and there are quite a few of them) and be happy.

  47. A great series, I still watch old repeats and will enjoy them for a long time. I really didn’t like that nasty dendrochronologist who wouldn’t show his results though – idiot!

  48. Oh dear what a shame as it’s such a great program especially with Phil & ALL the team.I think their sense of humour is almost worth a show on it’s own.Anyway a big thank you for many interesting hours as a an armchair archeologist.

  49. I love time team because it is filled with such enthusiasm and love for its subject. The last series was disappointing without Helen and Stuart who were replaced by people without half their expertise. The past shows took it for granted that the viewers were intelligent and did not need someone (other than Tony – I love him) to ask questions in his humorous fashion. Many of us have watched Time Team for ages and have been educated (along with Tony) on the ins and outs of Archaeology and did not need another presenter to ask superfluous questions (nice though she was). I will miss Matt and Bridgit and all the others – especially Phil. Please, please would someone bring the show back

  50. This is just another example of ‘Management’s’ old adage: “It’s perfect; let’s ‘New and Improve it”
    (Then, of course, it goes straight to Hell)

  51. Gee I feel gutted. TV is a wasteland and TT was an oasis in it. The producers screwed it with the inevitable dumbing down and trying to make it a show for the 20 to 30 year olds. God, is there nothing for older viewers who actually like to think? We do have money too you know. Hopefully, but unlikely, someone will gather the real TT people and give it a rebirth. But maybe it is time and we need to move on. I don’t think I could stand watching Phil’s grotty hat for one more season.
    Thank you all for giving us years of delight and thank God for DVD’s.

  52. I have only lately discovered time team and I love it I record as many episodes as I can and I think all of the cast make the show I was never interested in archeology but I am addicted now just watchedthe Salisbury plain one with the soldiers who are coping with life and one said that watching TT helped hime to relax and began to enjoy life again
    This is true I don’t go to bed without at least watching one episode I would too love to get involved but at 67 a bit too old

    • Don’t let it stop you Margaret. One of our students is well into his 70s, he’s been in the field with us both on our formal field school and in a volunteering capacity. age is no barrier in archaeology and many of us don’t start until our 40s and 50s. Try local volunteering opportunities, if you can still get out in the garden and walk and talk and are willing to learn then it will be great, and you will make lots of new friends of all ages.

  53. I have always loved history but the subjects in school were dull. I started watching TT in 1998 (2 years after leaving school) and it showed that history can be not only interesting but also fun. I now watch with complete interest in what is going on in the world of Archaeology and love everything about our great nations past.
    I will miss TT more than any other show I have ever watched and I’m extremely disappointed that C4 have decided to axe a show that brought History into the hearts of so many people.

    Thank you all at Time Team for a wonderful 20 years.

  54. I have watched time team since episode one and I am gutted . Thank you channel 4 Thank you very very much . Now I have no reason what ever to watch ch 4 now or in the future . What is the matter not retro enough for you !
    RIP Channel 4

  55. I’ve watched since episode 1 as well and yet I’m not gutted because these days you see a lot more archaeology programmes on tv as a result of their achievement. Think what we learned.
    It wasn’t perfect but the catty remarks are uncalled for. I feel sure we haven’t heard the last either.

  56. RIP Time Team. It may not have been archaelogical perfection but it did make archaeology appealing to many and did digs that no one had the funds or interest to do. It was my favourite show for many years and definitely, for me, left so many other scientifically accurate but boring-as-bat-poo documentaries in its dust.

  57. I have always enjoyed TT but the latest series seems to have lost it’s spark! Carenza’s missing as is Helen, I see Mick walked out as I also presume Stewart has too. Who is Mary Ann & what does she bring to the table? (a bit of eye candy maybe if your of that age) Sad to see this very good program going down the pan. There is nothing else like it on TV. RIP Time Team.

    • This is not the present series – I wonder where you are watching? The new series is getting nearer to the original format, I think, except for the one featuring the soldiers, which, dare I say it and risk castigation (?) although a WONDERFUL outlet for the undoubted heroes, is not archaeology and not what I feel Time Team needs. What do other TT viewers think?

  58. catty remarks what catty remarks it is like every other tv program if it is not a soap opera or so called reality tv it gets brushed aside ch4 is one big yawn if you do’nt agree just what else is worth the price of electricity

  59. Like others I have loved TT right from the start and have always enjoyed it. It was an intelligent, thought provoking, and entertaining program. I enjoyed all the archaeologists and presenter Tony Robinson. I didn’t always like the reenactments but it was interesting when they dealt with diet and medical issues. I was sad to see Carenza leave and sad to hear of the death of Robin Bush. The programs were never the same when Mick was’nt on. Victor is a great artist and bought sites to life. I think Phil is a genius at being able to read the ground he is digging up. John and his team must have walked miles. But for me the real genius is Stewart who can look at a landscape and tell you what it was like hundreds of years ago. It was Stewart who discovered the true route of the Roman road as it went through Greenwich Park. What a great detective. I hate the way that today producers think all people are stupid and try to dumb down TV. The only thing that surprises me is that they didn’t include a so called comedian. I am watching repeats on Yesterday but hate the constant adverts. TT would be ideal on BBC4, which is a very good channel, and it would be great to see a full hour.

    • Here in South Africa we ahave been treated to some series and odd programs which I really enjoyed. I would be very interested in acquiring DVDs of the whole series to watch at my leaisure. Are any available at the moment does anyone know?

  60. I am totally gutted to learn of the demise of TT. I have watched every episode from season 1, some many times. I feel like i know all of the presenters personally they had that effect on people.I watched it evolve over the years and couldnt wait for each knew series. It was my highlight of the week especially now i am disabled and dont leave the house very often. To all the people who wrote nasty comments on this forum about it, I leave you with this question why are you on this site at all if you didnt love it like the rest of us? Please ressurect it someone soon.

  61. We are saddened to hear that a great T.V show which entertained and informed is being axed. .As always it will, I supposed be replaced by some run of the mill program, American sit com or soap. There are some of us who actually enjoy watching interesting, factual, historic programs.
    We totally agree with Nick Robinson, we too will be enjoying repeats and cursing Channel 4!.
    ,

  62. Totally agree have enjoyed this programme since it started. Meet the Ancestors was also a good programme we need more Archaelogy programmes on TV. Especially ones which dig a site

  63. I have watched Time Team over the years. My politics are not Tony Robinson’s or Mick Aston’s, but both deserve warm congratulations for what they did for archaeology and viewers over two decades.Tony Robinson seems to be largely responsible for the successful populist formula, the zest and the humour–and the succinct resumes to stop viewers getting flummoxed., He deserves a knighthood but presumably he would just wrinkle his nose. Mick Aston is a damn good archaeologist and his departure was a serious loss to the programme. May be he could be a Lord? The attempted dumbing down of Time Team smacks of dim executives meeting to dish corporate cliches out to one another. Channel 4 has lost one viewer it won’t get back.
    By the way, if the executives’ mild revamp caused viewer figures to plummet, how come it was the programme and not those executives who got the flak? And what lies behind the strange decision to give us two rehashes of old material at the end of the 19th season? A monumental row and walk out, one would guess. How come journalists never seem to tell us these sorts of things?
    The programmes were sometimes slight and of course a three day dig is only a sketch rather than a full canvass, but Time Team enriched my life. But thanks guys — and I am pretty sure that someone somewhere will pick up the baton.

    • Bravo to your remaks. As an aside seeing your label “Non-Richardian Yorkist” what are your feelings about the parking lot discovery?

  64. Channel 4 manages to produce some really rubbish ‘reality’ programmes to titivate the youthful masses it hopes to attract. It also produces some amazing factual programmes to expand our knowledge and it is extremely worrying that the latter are being sacrificed for moronic programmes like ‘Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ which add nothing to our cultural enlightenment. It would be nice if Channel 4 admitted its error and reinstated Time Team in its proper format.
    Thank you to everyone who made this such a wonderful programme.

  65. Well…Ray Watters has voiced my opinions exactly…watched every show many times…learnt a vast amount…laughed aloud…cried for Robin Bush….visited many sites…watched live digs on the internet…favourite themes are Saxon/Medievil so the latest episode at Oakham was superb…What can we do…Can we get our own website or freeview channel or satelite channel…THE TIME TEAM CHANNEL…wow…endless repeats and a vast back catalouge…i have every episode on a hard drive…dont tell…sssshhhh….I would be very happy to subscribe…i am currently paying over £20 a month for Sky Sports and only watch it about 5 times a week…Please let me know what you think and lets hear which are your favourites…mine is Hartlepool as this is where i am and my mother was born on the site of the Ancient Abbey…Heres hoping

  66. Perhaps if Chanel 4 had stuck to the old adage of “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” we would still have had this gem of a program to look forward to enjoying for many years to come.. with shows like Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor, Dancing on Ice, Big Brother etc etc etc all being aired every week, Time Team was an oasis of entertainment and education in a vast desert of mundane TV programming. It will be sorely missed. Perhaps one of the other channels will see the folly of C4’s ways and pick up the program before it’s too late?

  67. I loved Time Team in its early format but over the years got fed up listening to the boffins suddenly announcing a high status (Favourite phrase of TT) building eg temple or palace had been found after unearthing a piece of stonework that would get lost in my rockery. What about the number of times they were wrong? Eat ‘umble pie you are having a laff.

  68. I have watched and enjoyed Time Team for many years I am one of the oldies watching but my children grandchildren and great grandchildren are all avid viewers I feel the makers of this program had no perception of it’s impact on different generations when they set out to close the program down.

  69. Have only just found out that Time Team has been axed after 20 years and I am gutted.
    Hated that they axed Mick Aston and brought in other new people!!!
    The old team are the best Mick, Phil, Tony et al….. think Channel 4 have made a HUGE mistake… bet they won’t listen to the public….. NON of these corporations do they think we are all idiots who will do as they as told like little children in school!!!!!

  70. Maybe the BBC can resurrect this show. I loved it. You can never run out of history in Britain. Shame I can now only watch it at 5am on the History channel. Am now in the process of buying the DVDs.

  71. yes, I too have treasured every episode, and it has been the one programme of all channels that I never wanted to miss, even asking family to record it if I went on holiday, in the early years before I had a dvd m/c.
    Stewart has always been my top hero too, although I loved everyone without exception till the changes happened.
    Fond regards to everyone from the past on TT

    Sheila Mynard

  72. I enjoyed Time Team and I will miss it – Carenza and the later Helen Geake were the highlights for me – there was always a sense of tension when you heard a shout of ‘Tony…’ not knowing what find they’d unearthed. I agree the lady they brought in for Series 19 was disappointing and that it does show how far C4 has come in the last 20 years.

    • Yes, the original core team with Carenza, and then Helen Geake, were great. Hated that “glamour” woman – simply the wrong “feel..” Very, very sorry that management mis-handling killed it. And so agree with all here who say that C4 is very sadly dumbed down from its early days and mission. BBC4 seems to have picked up the baton, thank goodness….!! And as others have said, perhaps it could be resurrected on BBC4???

  73. This so Heartbreaking. Now, instead of honest archeology, we are going to be swamped with American “hystorical” programming, in which they assume we all have a 1 second attention span, need constant recaps (at least 4 per 10 minute “part”) and need it all (badly) acted out by ridiculous, cheap, and hugely inaccurate costumes, backgrounds and language.

    We NEED Time Team. The Mick Aston informative, involving wide range of age and expertise-or students out in the field working version, not the americanised teenybopper version as touted by c4 accountants.

  74. very sad day that channel 4 are taking time team off the air.when time team started my husband and watch the show and we were hooked from then on. And now our children and grandchildren watch the programme but not for long now. if thereis any justice in the world they shoud change there minds.TONY MICK PHIL STEWART JOHN MAT RAKSHA BRIGID CARENZA TO MENTION a few. if there is a petition please let me know.i would like to put our names down. if you can i would a reply.also HELEN IS ALSO VERY GOOD. I WONDER what rubbish they will put on instead. yours MRS HILDA LESLEY CARRINGTON.

  75. How DARE they axe Time Team, it has been one of my few regular watches for a long time. Much better than most of the rubbish we get now that there are so many channels chasing adverts & broadcasting ever increasing repeats. How about a petition to Channel 4 demanding it’s continuation? TV is going downhill faster & faster. Good job I have the internet to log onto.

    • I agree with Brian, a petition might make Ch4 sit up and realise that we, the viewers, have got brains and like to watch programs with interesting and informative content.

      • There is a petition already, on Facebook, which is not the ideal place. I am not sure who set it up, but you can find it by searching for Time Team FB page. There are only about a thousand signatures so far.Personally, although I have signed, I don’t think it will do much good. A viewers petition is probably the most difficult to achieve. And anyway, why would we want Channel 4 to keep TT? They almost succeeded in ruining it until this present series.Channel 4 have betrayed the cast, crew and viewers.

        • I’m the guy who set it up, iv got the page on Facebook, Twitter and the main website that i run. The Twitter page has been great up to now. while the Facebook page is slowly building! will take time, i was successfull on a Campaign on another show before so i know what i have to do, The Campaign is to have a new lease of life on another tv channel. Channel 4’s loss their gain :)…
          Lee

          • viewer outrage worked in Australia with ‘The Movie Show’. When SBS decided to bring new hip young presenters in to replace the two experienced, knowledgeable and popular presenters who had made it from 1986 to 2004, and made it an institution, the ratings plummeted, and the new format was canned after 2 years. there was total outrage and ABC picked it up with the two ‘oldies’ . ABC altered the format marginally and called it ‘At the Movies’. It took off instantly and has been there going from strength to strength since 2004. It works when the product and the people who are involved are so good. Maybe it will work with time team too

          • Yes, really hope so! Congrats to Lee Brady for having the knowledge to set up the petition and we must (using the current idiom) “cascade” to as many people that we can to sign too. We will suffer forever without the seasonal hours of archaeology, in all its forms. The fun gone out of Sunday teatime!

  76. Not a surprise really when you consider the presence of the “suits” through all the times that Time Team and others have explored and documented. The focus groups of today, the council chambers of yesteryear; all determined to make their “mark”, put their “talent” on show. From the fall of TT on the minuscule scale, to the fall of a Royal house; loss of a battle; collapse of an empire.

    sic semper erat, et sic semper erit

  77. I’ve watched TT since it began & never missed an episode, I was in the 20’s age group that they are now trying to attract when it started. I’ve enjoyed watching all the archeologists old and new & think Tony Robinson is a great presenter. I will miss it & Sunday afternoons will not be the same-I’m all for a petition -there aren’t many programs on now that are educational & family viewing with no risk whatsoever of offending anyone, there are too many reality programs these days & that seems to be what the ‘young people’ are watching. When discussing the latest TT episode at work/with friends sadly there doesn’t seem to be many others who watch it, I’ve always been interested in history so maybe it’s just me & maybe the young people of today aren’t being taught that history can be exciting/interesting.

  78. I am gutted Time Team is for the chop, I love it!!! and have watched it since the begining. I am signing up to the campaign to keep Time Team!

  79. I loved watching Time Team in Australia, way better than the American version. So sad to hear that it came to an end. It opened my eyes up to so much of the UK, in particular my ignorance of Roman settlement. I would joke with my kids when doing some gardening that I might unearth a roman soldier or a roman coin. Maybe the finding of Richard III might encourage a change of heart. I have watched the episode from Barra several times. This little part of the world (so far from Australia) was the birthplace of my father in law. Great memories sadly missed.

  80. As a Aussie viewer addicted to Time Team (even if we do seem to get more repeats than would seem necessary) I am amazed that this program has been axed. Shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  81. I guess it was always going to happen when TV administrators who, judging by the few I’ve seen interviewed, are challenged by words of more than two syllables come into contact with educated professionals.

    Perhaps if TT had included a Big Brother style segment of drunken, debauched university students or only dug up the gardens of minor celebrity reality tv show contestants they’d still be on the air.

  82. I have watched Time Team from day one, and now my 11 and 9 year old daughters love to watch it, in fact my youngest commented she would like to be an archaeologist when she grows up, and this is from watching Time Team, I cannot believe Time Team has been axed, its a national institution.

  83. Great news that it is ending – now we can have even more programs about yobs drinking abroad, crappy makeovers, the life of white van drivers and buying houses that cost £250,000 or more. Thanks for the many years of wonderful, intelligent, entertainment Time Team, we will really miss you.

  84. Most of what I feel about the demise of TT has already been said here. I have several friends who are “serious” archaeologists who have been dismissive of this program over the years, some of their comments about the lack of time for each dig are valid. However over the years TT seem to have worked on sites that have been known about for a long time, but have remained unexplored for whatever reason. C4 have put money into British Archaeology, when no one else could or would presumably, and as has been pointed out, much of that money went into post excavation work, which although not good TV is absolutely vital as far as each site is concerned. The huge plus for archaeology in general has been the raising of the profile of a branch of science that prior to this program was the province of a fairly small group of people.

    All the members of the team are keen to promote archaeology, I once witnessed Phil Harding rushing from trench to trench when TT were in York, stopping, turning off his radio and spending time talking to some enthusiastic kids about what he was doing, how he was doing it and why, the kids were transfixed by his enthusiasm, his ability to communicate his subject at many different levels being an inspiring sight.

    £200k an episode? Sounds like a bargain to me, how much do the BBC spend on the series presented by David Attenborough? Lets hope that BBC4 takes up the genre. What’s wrong with cozy? The easy familiarity between the people on the programs has been such a contrast to the egos and prima donna attitudes you see in so many other programs. Yes TR can be intensely irritating at times, but as the years have gone by I think his appreciation of the experts has increased and they have learned skills from him about presentation.

    Think again C4, as someone who is 40 years outside your target audience, all axing this program has done is make me switch channels, so demographically relevant or not you have simply lost another viewer and surely viewer numbers are more important than some misguided attempt to only appeal to a certain age group?

    So thank you TT, you helped rekindle my interest in history and if I’d been 40 years younger you would probably have been instrumental in a career change!

    • This comment by Peter Thomas is an excellent precis of all that has been said. I would make just one more: yes, we love the established contributors, our well loved favourites, but what about the good new talent being seen in this present series (2013)? Their presentation skills are very good indeed and could develop even more if the programme continued (not with Channel 4 please); eg Tracey, Jimmy, Susannah, not to mention Raksha, Matt, Paul, Helen, John and Stuart, all of whom are young enough to take over from the “elder statesmen” who could still guest if they do choose to retire one day! I wonder if channel programmers read these blogs?

  85. I have watched TT for the last 20 years from my mid 20’s. I remember John Gater and his long beard.
    The worst thing they did was sex it up. I cannot think why! I loved Mick and Phil and Stuart et all, picking on Matt for any rotton job. They were like a 70’s open university program with their hairstyles and clothes. It should have stayed like that and people would have carried on watching.
    I will miss it and them dreadfully.

    • we dont want more programmes that is rubbish there is more than i could even say. time team is the best progamme on tv. i record all the T T i can i have brought T t dvd. the cast were so friendly to each other and the show was so intresting and made you think off our past . the only programmes on t v seems to me rubbish ‘ what are all the staff going to do as they have been on the show for so long. . GOOD LUCK TO THEM ALL.

  86. I have enjoyed Time Team from day one. It was responsible for me going on a dig and having a great time. I have enjoyed Tony Robinson’s commentaries. It is a great shame it is finishing and I am very sad!!

  87. Time Team brought archaeology to the public’s attention (including mine) and will be sorely missed. Bringing history to life is far from an easy task but the combination of the experts’ knowledge, Tony Robinson’s ability to act as the interested layman – asking questions that the audience wanted to know the answers to, as well as the interaction and camaraderie between the members of the team I felt worked really well. It was a formula that worked for the target audience and trying to attract a different audience by dumbing down the content was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The thing that should be axed is the TV exec that made that decision.

  88. I am a 57 year old Aussie and I watched this program every episode I could see. I too am upset that this has been axed. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the digs and finds discovered by the crew. I loved the banter between Tony, Phil and Mick and anyone could see they enjoyed their jobs. Such a shame a beautiful show as this is axed and they show such dribble as reality tv shows blah yuk. Bring back Time Team.

  89. I have been watching Time Team since its birth and can quite candidly say, I have never seen and enjoyed such a beautiful piece of television. If this were a BBC programme, then this alone would be worth the license fee. The team of Tony, Mick, Phil, Stuart, John, Carenza, Brigid, Guy, etc etc filled me with warmth and satisfaction. I do agree, bringing the new blood in(an ex model, who I don’t think was all that good looking) without consulting certain long standing experts, was wrong. This programme could have run and run with the younger people such as Helen Geake, Brigid, Matt and Raksha taking it into the next 20 years. If ever there is a petition to bring this back, count me in.

    • Look at Lee Brady’s comment 23rd Jan. There’s a link for a petition he’s got started. When I signed there were 1,600 names.

  90. Now we are nearing the end of Series XX I feel a tinge of sadness that a programme which both educates and informs will be with us no more.

    This is the sort of Programme that would thrive on BBC 2 in conjunction with The Open University.

    You only have to look at the great interest shown over Richard III to realise that yes there is a market for a programme of this nature.

    What screwed up Time Time was poor scheduling two years ago and an attempt to “sex up” the show and this failed miserably. Also it being on an increasingly miserable Channel (4) did it no favours whatsoever.

    I hope its not the end of Time Team. Come on BBC . Take up the mantel!!

    • I KNOW i keep on saying it but i cannot get my head around channel 4 is getting rid off such a great programme it is seen all over the world. if only someone could afford too get all thecast back and go on channel 2 or 5 any ware but not on 4 .. who ever made up there minds to get rid off TT I HOPE there bosses can see the error they are makeing.very sad to see it go.

  91. If Channel 4 wish to cancel TT why not take it to another channel – If jonathon Ross, Parky and Graham Norton can do it why not TT

  92. No more Phil! How will I live? I will have to content myself with watching the 4OD repeats for ever now. 🙁

    Can’t we have Phil once a week digging a hole in a pub garden, please?…xxxx

  93. How outrageous to think that the 45s are not a worthy audience. It is hardly surprising that I rarely watch TV these days apart from repeats of old favourites – thank goodness we still have 20 years worth of repeats. Shame on Chanel 4!

  94. Would love to see a new Time Team series up and running again especially now they’ve found King Richard lll’s body, also instead of 3 days to uncover make it a 5-7 days to uncover maybe Geo-physics could find out a lot more information so here is a challenge to all the mainstream TV channels bring back Time Team!

  95. Although Channel 4 is due the recognition it deserves for its faith and investment in archaeology over the years its decisions over the last couple of years will be a media studies case study “How to destroy a successful programme and alienate millions of viewers”

    I am appalled. Having been a loyal fan for 20 years it beggars belief at the changes made in series 19 without any reference to Mick. Despite his sore loss, he did the right thing to walk out.

    The comment by Peter Thomas is excellent and is a very eloquent summation. I would echo it completely.

  96. It was over when Mick went AWOL. Faced with the loss of a stalwart the production team then proceed to sideline the other star of the show Phil Harding for most of the airtime, and we get all that “Chief Investigator” nonsense, coupled with the bright young things who were the televisual equivolent of the black death for the programme.

    It lost its way because of the producers. The lesson is that if you have a slightly faded masterpiece, don’t try and touch it up with the aid of novices.

    • Although I partly agree with Geoff Stelling regarding both the departure of Mick and sidelining Phil somewhat, I do think that the young archaeologists in this the last series show a great deal of promise (Jimmy, Tracey, Susannah, for example) and we are being unfair to their input to be so critical. Yes, we all love the longtime archaelogists (sorry, can’t do “stars” – I would say they wouldn’t like it either – it is rather derogatory of their abilities!) but they won’t last forever and young blood is always needed. (But not, ever, I would agree, grinning totty!) This series is in my opinion (and hubby’s) a satisfying end. Most of these posts hope that the Beeb could resurrect TT somehow, but AN ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO THE CAST AND CREW FOR THE FABULOUS YEARS THEY HAVE GIVEN US.

    • Time Team isn’t the same without Mick and Phill is the token hot tottie (uh hum!) but our family loves Phil.

      • why change what works well and T T did work well . very sad day for us and the time team cast. tony and all made history come to life to the public and we {as a family] looked forward to the one great programme aweek but know more,,,,how old are the producers ,if they watched t t perhapes they could learn that life does not always mean MONEY MORE MONEY £ £ £ £

  97. What a bummer! The Aussie fans are disappointed too that T T will be finishing up. Didn’t like the changes either to the team it change the dynamics of the program but kept watching anyway. 🙁

  98. The explanation for the end of Time Team is that the people who run Channel 4 are all about 12 years old. If it doesn’t involve foul-mouthed yobs eating too much, drinking too much or better still both, they aren’t bovvered. Innit?
    One of the best programmes on television.

  99. Yes very sorry to see TT go, Sky at night still going both are just as important to us here on Earth and I think it will be missed in the future though the recordings are still available to evertbody but the forum is lost, Grrrr channel 4.

  100. Well it seems the bean counters got their way. I dread to think just where the Television industry is looking for its viewers ” In the Night Garden. Telly Tubbies”. or anyone with an IQ of 50 and below, or the attention span a bit longer than a small herring. Is this why some of the Adverts are much better than most of the currant programmes. It may be in fifteen or so years a new Time Team will go digging in the archives of the defunct Channel 4 to explain how with the audience Channel 4 had for an entertaining and informative programme Which bright go ahead executive (IDIOT) came up with the Idea, if its not broken we must fix it. and which would be the best way to alienate the people working on the programme. That executive was not recruited from the intellectual highbrow Channel 5 was he? R.I.P. British Television just one more nail in your coffin.

  101. Time team is one of the programs I love to watch. History is a fascinating subject but
    To me time team brought all facets of history alive to the ordinary person. I cant help being captivated by the digs. Watching the archaeologists and seeing their enthusiasm at even the smallest find,is to me infectious.
    time team has over the years discovered great things. Without time team on the television the world of tv is going to be a poorer place. What about the good time team has done?
    Did you watch the episode of operation nightingale where the maimed ,psychologically injured soldiers from conflicts abroad found an inner peace and a feeling that they were no longer helpless in the world. Their participation and enthusiasm clear for all to see.
    I dont know. Who made the decision to axe time team but it is a mistake they will regret. I ask other time team regulars get writing and see if time team can be saved either by another tv station or a rethink by channel 4.
    I lost my job recently due to illness.time team made my days. I regularly tape the programmes as it is shown on a variety of stations, history,yesterday, and channel 4 being some.
    Tony, Mick,and Phil will be missed.

    .

    ..

    • does anybody really care what those idiots say surely it is what the public want that matters but no channel 4 has a foolllll running it.. heavan forbid we should have a great program T T ware we think and enjoy it plus it is great family veiwing and may i say also very interresting. I am sooooo sad that it is going and so is my family and friends..I would like to know what every one is going to do now our friends we see every week,I love the banter between everyone but no more. very sad day in T V HISTORY.

      • No, sadly… when it comes to TV, viewers don’t get what they want, they get what they are given… Trouble is, the people who make these decisions can be misguided, and very stupid. One only has to consider the creative arc of Channel Four itself, to have noticed that it’s a shadow of what it set out to be – and frankly, those who run it now should be ashamed of themselves, relieved from duty, and prevented from working in TV ever again………

  102. For years I had little interest in any of it but as time went by this programme made me interested…. Such a shame its being axed at a time its claimed the viewing figures are at its highest… make little sense to me…. All I can say is thank you to all at Time Team.

  103. Sad that time team is no longer , they should go back to how it all started , don’t mess with what is ok . Give it back all the back room staff and put new life into it , a great progame killed off for no reason , Len

  104. Keep the show going its fantastic I’ve been watching it as long as I can remember
    & has never been more pi**ed off 2 here that it’s being
    axed is their a petition running ?????

  105. Channel 4 obviously think we are all brain dead morons who need to watch the endless mind numbing soaps or the even more pathetic American rubbish that now dominates our screens. Maybe the TT should be recalled for a one off programme and instead of digging things up they could bury the CH 4 production managers and all forthcoming rubbish they plan to screen

  106. My wife is very upset about the end of Time Team she adds its like losing and old friend Please Please channel 4 its not to late to change your mind

  107. Have just watched the very last episode of my beloved Time Team … And feel desperately sad.. It was one of the most brilliant Programmes ever on TV. I will miss it desperately and want to say thank you to them all.. What a fantastic 20 years… Bye bye Tme Team…I will care for Phil’s hat …..

  108. I am so sad and gutted Time Team has been axed. And so disappointed in ch4. I have loved Time Team since episode 1, and have never, not once, missed an episode. It has taught and shown me so much, I have a wonderful interest in archaeology thanks to this show, and loved hearing and seeing our past. And there is still so much they can show and teach us. I met Phil Harding a few years ago at old sarum castle, Salisbury, we had a lovely chat, he’s a fab bloke. And I’ve always thought tony was perfectly great as the show presenter, interested and fun, a joy to watch.
    This show has been a wonderful joy to follow over the years, and I shall so miss it.

  109. A terrible loss to the worlds of broadcasting and archaeology alike, with luck a pheonix will rise from the ashes.

    For those too grief stricken to cope right now, subscribe to the youtube video blog of ‘Dig Village’. This is a project in its preliminary stages, run by Tim Taylor. Your sorrow will be eased by the sight of a few old, friendly faces.

    Whilst on youtube, also check out dig ventures; another fantastic project with another familiar face.

  110. Good quality programmes do cost a little extra.Have watched the programme from the start and my 6 year old daughter did also and was entertained by TRs presentation, she can still imitate that enthusiastic burst of speed across a field whilst talking to camera. “Its all happening ere Tony”

  111. Really gutted TT has finished, and shame on Channel 4 for this decision! Come on BBC, take up where C4 left off… PLEASE!!

  112. Time team has been a part of tv watching since its beginning . Hope it returns… anne from Ontario Canada

  113. CHANNEL 4, YOU ARE A COMPLETE BUNCH OF IDIOTS!!!.
    I have watched Time Team for years as has my son and many many friends. It is made up of real people and I have learnt so much from it. I cannot understand why you are axing it!!?
    What are you going to replace it with? I assume it will be more imported American rubbish or so called comedy. YOU HAVE JUST NOT THOUGHT THIS THROUGH!

    YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.

  114. Out of interest, Time Team fans, how many of you would be willing to pay directly to watch new programs? If an episode costs £200,000… and average 1.5 million viewers, would 1 million be willing to pay 20p via mobile phone or subscription towards making it, or 400,000 willing to pay 50p per episode?

    Interesting, in these days where we (oldies) are not responding to adverts as much as the supposed young and affluent… to think of alternative crowd-sourcing models for financing programs that we like. Pay per view TV? Yes/No?

  115. I would just like to thank Tony Robinson, Mick Aston, Phil Harding and all of the crew at Time Team for many years of fascinating TV. The programme has been an inspiration to me and I am sure to many people and for me has kindled an interest in history via archaeology that we can find all around us in our everyday lives. Thanks. Surely this can’t really be the end??

  116. What a shame to see TT let go. I enjoyed the later seasons in HD quality quite a lot, and I wish they would keep going for 20 more years. Oh well, TV is doomed.

  117. After a career as a professional geologist I researched for a PhD at the Palace of Knossos on Crete. In 2003, I joined the amateur Biggar Archaeology Group which, among other achievements, discovered the oldest known archaeological site in Scotland. About the same time I discovered TT and became a dedicated viewer and have viewed all their programmes thanks to More Four. As an amateur digger, I envied TT’s resources – a JCB on call, geophysics, dendrochronology, C14 dating, DNA analysis. However, as a viewer I hugely enjoyed the opportunity to share in the Team’s excitement. I found TR irritating at times but accepted him as part of the show. Perhaps there were too many Roman sites with their predictable layouts.

    I hugely regret the demise of the series and sincerely hope that it will resume or that a similar, archaeology-based series will take its place.

    • sundays seem empty without my time team fix. thank god for the repeats. there must be a law t
      against what channel 4 have done… o no they will get a pat on the back and a good pay off for being stupid .. so sad we wont see friends like the time team on our t v screen again.,,

  118. I cannot believe that there will be no more Time Team, I hope the idiots at channel 4 read this site. I have four sons we have been Time Team fans for years. My eldest son is now 19 and guess what he is studying at University (say no more) thank you Time Team. My second eldest is 18, and we only watch one program together as our interests are so different (that would be Time Team). My youngest is 10 and has been a fan from as early as I can remember, he has his own dig at the bottom of our garden and a massive fossil collection. The dig has only found old bits of pipe and 1950’s china, but it really does not matter, what matters is the program has inspired my children. By the way I am 52, so I guess I am too old for channel 4, but tell my kids that. Will miss the team, at least we have more 4.

  119. I too have enjoyed Time Team and am amazed that it has been scrapped. There are quite a few of us down here watching repeats ( up to 5 times) but even so they are still interesting. Don’t think that the U.K. has the monopoly on scrapping popular shows it happens here in N.Z. too, although not often. I agree with the above sentiments, get the brilliant crew back. THEY DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS. I take my hat off to them. I’m 77 and was taught English history at boarding school, but Time Team has made it come alive and with so much meaning.

  120. I am American and Time Team is my favorite program. I download everything I can from the internet and watch on American PBS stations when I can find it. You know they say the difference between Americans and the British is that the British think 250 miles is a long distance and Americans believe 250 years is a lot of history.
    I am sooooo sorry the series is over. I will miss Mick and Phil and Tony. I guess I will have to plan a trip to the UK to get my archaeology fix now.

  121. Never too late to register shock and disgust at the decision to axe Time Team which has opened up the hidden world of archaeology to generations. Just watched the first instalment of Time Team America (H2,Thursdays,9pm). Poor second best but something is better than nothing. Channel 4 please think again you have made a monumental mistake!
    Steve Singleton
    Lytham St Annes

  122. It is absolutely fantastic to see the amount of people who have followed this programme and the comments above are pretty amazing. My own thoughts are this, why should we allow channel 4 to take this away from us, are the Team ready to call it a day or do they feel like me that there are another thousand potential sites out there to dig. I’m tired of the idiots that run TV and I’m ready for revolution….who’s with me!!!

    • I am! I was digging my veg patch yesterday and I found a napped piece of flint. My husband said I bet you want to get Phill round now. I wish! He only lives about 10 miles away. But it just goes to show how Time Team in ingrained in our family!

  123. Here in NZ we are only now starting Series 19,in Bitterly, at present. Very sad to hear Time Team is ending. Phil annoys me at times, by always stealing the limelight when lesser mortals had done the hard graft,but, the highlights were when lesser mortals (IE Raksha, Matt or Ian) had exciting finds and were allowed to show.Victors drawings were more lively and thought provoking than the boring computer graphics.I will start to miss the programme in two years time, when we finally complete seies 20.
    I suppose I will have to go back to Dad’s Army for a bit of sanity then

  124. Robyn Australia
    My 100year old mother started,me on T.T.years ago & in turn my children and now the grandchildren watch ,ask questions and research . I wonder if channel 4 realise how far T.T’s popularity stretches and how informative it is for all ages. So thank you time team I hope someone with a brain brings it back

  125. The fact that TT was the only programme I regularly watched on Channel 4 I am very sad to see it go. When I get a chance I watch the repeats on More 4. The programme certainly triggered my interest and my wife’s interest in Archaeology. There were times when I would have liked to see some longer digs being featured and I would still like to see that, but it seems likely that it will not be Channel 4 doing it. Like others I would like to see somebody else either bringing it back or developing the format.

  126. Good riddance to Time Team; patronising in the extreme, and as for that prat Robinson leaping about a la Baldrick, reduced the entire thing to music hall. And as for the “Ooh.. Ah, that be ce’r monial, that be…” in the dialect of a village idiot just about summed up the whole package.

  127. We’re currently watching the last episodes, with the delightfully enthusiastic Francis Pryor, on ABC TV in Melbourne, and we love ’em, even if there aren’t always lots of finds. What a pity we had to endure that young lady fashion model who merely read her script for a couple of episodes. On the other hand, all good things come to an end. We will miss Tony, Mick and Phil and the team. I bought a couple of the DVD sets and have just ordered a Phil Harding coffee mug from Wessex Archaeology to keep the memories alive.

  128. I started looking to find more information about the history of Henham park & was so sad to see the show has been axed. I always made sure be there watching when it was on. I just love the way English history came alive & feel like the team must have lots of fun doing this job.I was hopeing to find them on a dig when I come over to visit .Lets hope the powers that be decide to bring it back or make a new show similar to it. I have told so many people about Time Team & my grand daughter has been trying to decide should she be an archaeologist or a geologist because of it. Time Team you have inspired so many people .THANK YOU

  129. Hello from the US. I am Canadian-born but living near Atlanta, Geogia, and travel to the UK often. Started watching British TV while on exchange with the RAF. When Time Team came along, I got absolutely hooked on it. Recently went to Jamestown where the 1st Time Team America was taped…that was amazing. You can watch some TT episodes on YouTube, you know-that one included. What a disappointment that BBC4 chose to cancel the series! I learned a lot about my British roots by watching and have shared the knowledge with my family. Incidentally, to my British friends & fellow TT fans I have to say that I agree with the comments in this thread that the American shows that BBC chooses to air in the UK are garbage, but what a shame the excellent documentaries and history-related productions are not offered in your part of the world. Don’t judge based on the rubbish you get over there. In most places over here there are literally hundreds of channels with endless variety. My cable TV subscription gives us awesome selections for history, science, and information buffs! (3 different history channels, Discovery channel, Travel channel, Military channel, National Geographic channel – the list goes on and on. Let’s not overlook Public Broadcastng with its excellent programming, either). So, Ch4 – why did you do away with this gem of a program? So sad. Incidentally, Mr Harding, this “flygirl” will gladly buy you a pint, any day – and would love to hear stories about years of pulling history out of the ground one piece, one bone, and one shard at a time. Like you, I find nothing more pleasant than to end a hard day in a Free House with a cold one and a good conversation. As for the rest of the Team, hats off to you for the great fun and excellent archaeology – looking forward to a few TT specials.

    • Refreshing to see non-Brits find our history/heritage of great interest. However – ‘BBC’ (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a state-owned institution from inter-war origins.

      Time Team was the product (exclusively) of ‘Channel 4’ – a commercial TV-only company that was created in the early 80’s.

      BBC’s own channels will have ‘BBC’ prefixing the number and anything not by the BBC will obviously by without this prefix.

      Enjoy

  130. Gutted that Time Team has ended! It was this show that gave me the inspiration to study history and I will really miss it. Its like having a child grow up and leave home 🙁 The cast felt like family that I would visit each weekend and even my 11 year old daughter enjoyed it so much she joined a young archaeologists club. I hate that its producers felt the need to ‘change its face’ to meet the ‘modern’ idea of glamour! Maybe it was better to end the show before they replaced the entire cast with ‘celebrities’ from TOWIE.

  131. Thank you Time Team for all those wonderful hours of thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. It was wonderful stuff and it was so great to be able to sit on the informed and incredibly interesting conversations between the archaeologists and the repartee with Tony Robinson. Special thanks also to the fantastic people behind the research, graphics, computer animation that added so much to each episode. Very sad that all great things have to come to an end one day. Without any doubt whatsoever ‘Time Team’ was the best show on TV and a ‘giant’ amongst the crappy stuff we have to put up with these days such as reality TV shows. Thanks to all the past & present members of the crew and cast. Thank goodness for DVDs of past episodes. Regards Peter Mulready Australia.

  132. I now live in Australia and love watching shows on my homeland. I do not think that the British tourism board and channel 4 realize how much interest world wide their is in British history. Many of my friends would love to travel to the UK because of shows like Time Team and Escape to the country. HATE all the crap American shows taking over the tv. Please BBC take this show under your wings !

  133. This has to be one of the biggest tragedies of modern television times. I’ve watched TT for years now and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is true “Reallity Television”.
    Why is it that when you get a winning format, which TT clearly is, you get the morons in suits, who obviously haven’t a clue what the audience want, having to justify their existence by changing things. What a bunch of idiots. You clearly have no idea what you’ve done. You should be ashamed of yourselves, especially the way you have treated Mick Aston after all those years of dedicated service.

  134. I am one of the over 40’s – over 60 in fact. I was introduced to Time Team when visiting relatives in Selby and have loved this family of buffs who presented the UK to the world at large. There is a huge following in Australia and after the debacle with the producers bringing in you know who as a co-presenter (of cleavage), the show started its slow path to division. The UK has always been relied on for quality productions and Time Team epitomised these values, but obviously, some young Turk in a rented tux has been allowed to jazz it up. IT DID NOT NEED JAZZING UP. It presented an intellectually enjoyable show to the many mature aged citizens of planet Earth and COULD continue to do so if someone with an gram of sense would realise that this show still has enormous appeal for the right demographic. Not all of us want mindless “reality” TV that costs a few bob to present.

  135. Lois & Tara, Australia
    We only recently discovered the Time Team show and rush to ensure we don’t miss a show. I never had any interest in my UK ancestors heritage and the conditions they must have endured until I watched the team in action. My nineteen year old daughter has always been passionate about having a career in archaeology even more so now. Sad to hear the show is coming to an end but hopefully repeat episodes will frequent our screens for a long time to come. To an incredible all round team we thank you and to Phil damn we will miss you!

  136. I have only recently discovered TT and am currently watching 4 episodes a day, courtesy of More 4 and Discovery History channels, and am utterly devastated to learn that it has been axed.
    I have no idea which series I am watching, I think it must be a mixture as Tony’s beer belly ebbs and falls and Phil’s hair waxes and wains, though Mick never seems to have changed. Learned lots of the history of the show from these posts but I don’t know whether I’ve seen ‘the cleavage’ or whether Mick’s absence from a dig is because he’s doing something else, on hols etc or because he’s gone.
    Also I don’t know how many episodes I’ve got left to watch and am dreading the day I realise I’m rewatching episodes I’ve seen before, though that’s still better than pretty much anything else on TV at the moment.
    It’s put me very on edge not to know where I’m up to and I think Channel 4 should be funding my medication for hypertension, blurred vision (tears I think) and severe withdrawal already before it’s ended.
    What am I going to do now knowing there isn’t an unending stream of new TTs to feed my addiction? Off now to have a quick dig in my garden then on to Salisbury to stalk Phil Harding…….intelligence soooo sexy.

  137. I have loved Time Team for years and wish that there were not so many bone heads in Channel 4. They have onbly made a couple of mistakes, 1 was letting Mick go and the other was axing Time Team. It is about time ABC Australia got there act together and started to replay ALL the episodes, from the first, so that we don’t all go crazy from withdrawal symptoms.

  138. I wonder whether the viewing figures took in the worldwide audience – I know lots of people watched and enjoyed it here in Australia. Our family enjoyed Tony Robinson’s performance, but what made Time Team great was Mick and Phil and Carenza and Matt and Stewart and Raksha and Mick the Twig and Bridget and Raysan and Victor the artist and the geophysicists and Robin the historian and all the others whose contributions brought together a cohesive story for a site from a range of disciplines.

    Alarm bells began to ring for us when Mary-Anne appeared – it seemed to coincide with a dumbing-down of the show. Not blaming her particularly, but her entry seemed to also disturb the group dynamics of the cast, which was one of the things that made it so enjoyable. We’re not archaeologists but we’re not stupid either – it really did feel like they had decided the audience was unintelligent. And to lose Mick Aston … well, that was it for us.

    I wonder if some young Channel 4 TV executive is proud of his/her decisions. “Hmm, let’s take a show that works, tinker with it, decide the audience is wrong, treat the intelligent people in the cast and crew with disdain and see what happens.” Great work mate, you’re a champion. Said no-one, ever.

  139. We are shocked to read that Time Team is finished. This has been one of our few favourite programs; not only has it been informative, but it has been entertaining in the best-possible sense. Yes, Upton Castle was a bit of a mess in terms of style, but it held our interest. We wish Phil, Mick, Helen, Sir Tony and the team well for the future and thank them for the pleasure they have brought us.

  140. I am deeply sisappointed that time team is now defunct its one programme thst I really love I felt that I could learn a little bit about my ancestors in the uk

  141. C4 the tv channel run by lack of imagination.
    Karenza Lewis archaeological sex on legs. Only a fool would get rid of an engaging program like TT

  142. I am incredibly disappointed at CH4 for axing a fine British programme. I have been in awe of the items the team dig up and the re-construction’s. Admittedly, in the last year or so I have found myself increasingly disinterested in the programme. This is in no doubt as a direct result of the post production. That is, the irritating new team members, the irritating clanging noise when Tony narrates and the increasingly less time spent in the trenches.

    I love watching the old episodes, the ones where there was fantastic camaraderie between the team, excellent and atmospheric music in the background – which always complemented the era of the dig and the extravagant clothing worn by the team.
    You always felt a relationship with the team, they appeared friendly, very enthusiastic and appeared to be there for the love of archaeology.

    As is the case with so many entertainment channels, these days – the focus is on the younger generation. The same has been witnessed with the BBC. Cutting some excellent TV and radio presenters in favor of younger ones. This segregates the viewers and leaves fans like me stuck in the middle and slightly upset at the notion that my favorite programmes have been taken over by people who haven’t got a idea. Piss-up and brewery certainly spring to mind.

    I for one will not watch any new episodes. In fact, I actually struggle to watch any anyway, as I made clear at the beginning – the post production is irritating. swinging camera booms. Cliche good looking, middle-class presenters who appear somewhat dull in enthusiasm. Less time looking at the scrapping away of mud from a piece of skull.

    C4, please bring back the previous and successful formatting of Time Team. Please bring together the old team – Mick, Phil, Carenza, John, Francis and Stewart. This would be the only way of successfully reincarnating Time Team and fixing your pathetic and ignorant and unsuccessful changes.

  143. Hi Alan, thanks a lot for your reply very helpful. I love a list and now I can tick off which ones I’ve seen in a suitably anal fashion. You’re right about More4 but try Discovery History which is showing what I think must be very early ones judging by the colour (and amount!) of Tony’s and Phil’s hair. Failing that I can recommend looking at Google Maps satellite pictures of your local area looking for earthworks – hours of fun!

  144. It’s interesting that Ch 4 is dropping a program on history and education, are they really dumbing down to suit a younger age group whose programs contain bad language smut and sex, bad attitudes and a large sense of self. Promotion of family values good natured banter and above all a love of the past which TT has shared with us over the years is disposed of Shame, Shame, Shame.

  145. As a teacher of Ancient and Modern History in Australia, I found the T.T programs a wonderful way to back up the various topics I taught. The students became instant converts to the program. This is a disaster in t.v programming where currently all you get is the banal reality of the likes of Toddlers in Tiara’s .The Time Team over the years became like welcome friends into your home and you wished you could join them in the pub at the end for a beer. I hope there are more DVD’s on the programs will be made as I have every current one at the moment. VALE Time Team, a wonderful Viking/ Roman pyre is burning and we are drinking ourselves to oblivion.

  146. Phew! The foregoing is an exhausting but entertaining read. We shall mourn the loss of TT in Australia, although the episodes arrive on our screens years after they are made, which means we’ll be watching them long after the series ends – we’re still with the old format so I can’t comment on the new look TT.
    Congratulations to all concerned on a great program. It is amazing to contemplate the staggering amount of archaeology lurking beneath the surface of the whole of the British Isles. It’s a wonder one isn’t constantly tripping over roman floor tiles and Anglo-Saxon wine jugs every time one steps out of one’s door. I’m sorry no-one’s put in a word for the lovely Raksha – always good-natured, hard working and incredibly knowledgeable. And, unlike Phil and Mick, one didn’t long to give her a haircut!!

    • I agree Shiela, a long read but entertaining, and an indication of TT’s popularity. I first came across it a few years back while channel surfing “Hey I know him – that’s Baldrick”. They were digging Roman ruins in someone’s back garden and explaining in detail what they were doing and what it told them – hooked then and there. It has become a staple in our family, even with the ABC running older series in high-rotation – it beats the rest of the 6pm options hands down, even in repeat mode. Apart from the marvellous people who made up the Time Team over the years, the way they used the ‘magic of television’ to highlight features of the dig, overlay geophys visualisations onto the site, extend a fragment of a pot into a full representation, and so on, made this program an exemplar of how to produce truly educational television; and the way the passion of the Team members and their expertise was allowed to shine, coupled with a witty front man, showed that educational does not have to mean dull or dumbed down.
      Well Done Time Team, sad to hear you are soon to be no more. And thank you Mick, R.I.P.

  147. I cannot believe that Mick Aston has died, so very young, I thought he would go on forever. He was an inspiration to me and to so many others. My heart goes out to his family.
    I will think of you when I am digging in a field this afternoon, that you once dug, and bury a memento in your memory.
    Good bye Mick. x

  148. Condolences to Mick’s family, his friends and his colleagues.

    He brought archeaology to the public domain and helped us discover where our nation began, how it grew and how it is still changing.

    Thank you,Mick, for all that you gave us…….and thanks to Mick’s family for sharing him with us.

  149. Mick Aston was a remarkable person – intelligent and well informed but still able to get complicated concepts across in an way that was accessible to all. Like Paul said (June 23 comment) ” … you wished you could join them in the pub at the end for a beer” …. Couldn’t agree more. We will miss his humour, his knowledge and his warmth. If those of us who have never met him mourn today, how much more must his friends and family be feeling his passing? Rest in peace, Mick, you added more to people’s lives than you probably ever realised.

    • I am devastated to hear about Mick Aston.. I just can not believe we will not see his fabulous jumpers again.. ( except in repeats of course ). He brought a wonderful empathy to Time Team.. his kind detailed replies to Tony’s frustration always impressed me ! I think he was a lovely man… SO SAD !

  150. If they won’t reinstate Time Team ,then why not release All episodes in a DVD BOX set . That way we still get our fix when we want to remind ourselves how good this series was.

  151. here was atransfixing series, turning elitist subject into everyday knowledge for the ordinary man.
    A brilliant series has been lost to the older viewer.
    BRING IT BACK. IT WILL WORK, IT WILL BE SUPPORTED.
    Without Mick Aston it will not be the same, but as such it will be a fitting tribute to a great forward thinking man.
    RIP MICK ASTON.
    RESURRECT THE PAST!

    • First RIP Mick. I always wondered if the lady in the office who had a jumper like yours was your wife?

      I first saw Tony when he did a coverage In Australia and was surprised to see my pop involved in one of his series ( my pop was a cop ). Because of TT I have reached more into my family and can get back to 1300s with a direct 13/16th great grandfathers. Both Bards – both had a school. Aenghus being more the star of the family. I think it was this one who was stabbed in the back when the cook overheard him tell someone that the food was horrible. I have 50 poems now and was sent pics of the lower part of their school. If u ever do TT again please give an old Aussie a chance to see her before I pass away.

  152. channel 4 needs to take a look at the BBC they cut and brought back Dr Who look at how its made a great comeback. i say don’t be too quick to make a stupid decision

  153. Having the great pleasure to work in the UK for an Engineering firm, I was able to watch the early years of this program, up to the end.

    20+ years is a remarkable feat for a television program, and this isn’t Dr. Who either. It is that dull and droll science of Archeology, which when one attends a lecture on the subject, or a program on television normally results in boredom, numbness, squirming, or easy sleep.

    But TIME TEAM managed the impossible. It excited the viewers, gave a good history of The United Kingdom, and made one waiting for the next episode, all due to the enthusiasm and clever programming of the show.

    And now it has been pulled, left to the re-marketing of DVD, and the Internet. And we have just recently lost Mick Aston, the Rock of Gibraltar of the show. How very sad.

    I read a number of the same comments over and over here, and some are quite valid. There was a early chemistry here of personalities, as well as expertise. The obvious situation is that if it kept to the original cast ( which it did not ), then there would be a problem immediately when someone left, or passed on. This did happen in fact, but the show kept going with Mick Aston and (Sir) Tony Robinson always at the helm. People came and went, such as my favourite Robin Bush, but those two remained, as did their stamina and zeal for the show.

    Unlike many here, I think Mary Anne Ochota was a qualified addition to evolve and maintain the momentum of the series. A known anthropologist and archeologist ( Emmanuel College, Cambridge ), to describe and dismiss her as a ” former model ” is a bit unfair. Was it her sultry beauty, or easy going attitude that rubs some the wrong way ? Her role, as a foil to Sir Tony, was complimentary, and never as an expert. I’m sure it was meant to interest younger viewers in Archeology, a noble enough concept.

    It worked before, if you think about it. The first show of 1994 featured a young, dark, long-haired Tony ” The Wildman Baldric ” Robinson, with a equally younger long haired Mick Aston, some of which was not quite all grey. There was a youthful energy to them back them, which was part of the attraction. So why could it not continue on and evolve in 2013 ?

    Yes, the interest remains for the show. There is a market here to be tapped. And there is much yet to dig and poke at historically in the world, let alone Great Britain. Dues have been paid, so get Sir Tony back, along with some younger faces and writing talent, and get cracking on a new TIME TEAM !!!

    • “There was a youthful energy to them back them, which was part of the attraction. So why could it not continue on and evolve in 2013 ?” Because the major players were all quite old, and as you will have heard age is the surest antidote to youthful energy. The show ran on the chemistry among the original team, and failed to work as they left or lost interest. Mary Ann Ochota – qualified or not – added nothing substantive unless the viewer was starved for gratuitous cleavage shots and huge white beaverish teeth. I found her to be frightening and tedious at the same time, and to this day I fast forward through the segments where she is featured.

  154. Re-assemble the team ! Do specials instead of a series. Do 5 day digs instead. Bring them back !

  155. Time Team was on television, but not of it. The more ‘TV appeal’ execs tried to inject, the less people wanted to watch. It’s a shame yet highlights the offensively patronizing view metro-based TV people have of the general public.

  156. Oh so true. I would also back the idea that rural people have the most interest as they can see the landscape every day and the changes on it. In the country you have more sense of the spirit of a place.

  157. I never saw any of these shows until a week ago when I stumbled over them on youtube.

    It is obvious to me that they were always working on their format and that Tony was the TV guy while the others were the science folks.

    The cast and crew were pretty obviously seriously “digging their roles”, (bad pun semi-intended sorry about that sort of).

    I now look forward to watching as many individual shows as I can in the future.

    I want to salute everyone involved in this show!

    20 years is a great run for any show on TV.

    Best wishes to everyone ever involved with the show.

    Your contribution to TV and Archeology is now history itself!

    Kind of poetic in a way imo.

  158. Our family love TT and watch it together. We range in age from 8yrs to 82yrs and have loved Tony, Mick, Phil, Carenza, Helen, Faye, geophys John and most of all Stuart. We didn’t do much history at school and we have all learned so much from TT. I think the only things we didn’t like so much were the cleavage shots and the daft re-enactments. Thank you to all of Time Team for 20 wonderful years.

  159. pain… this is all I can say in thinking that the single most important program ever to put PASSION in archaeology has been culled for giving more profit$ in adverts to run of the mill crap… so long TimeTeam but rest assured you have YOUR place in history now…!

  160. TT was an outstanding program. Mick, Tony Phil, Carenza Lewis, etc bring it back as there are no current programs that come close. Please bring it back with all the original cast the new ones where good but I preferred the old cast and format.

    • Raphael, you can’t have the old cast back. Some of them are dead, and the rest have moved on. Yes, it was a great show, but it’s over now.

  161. My idea of heaven, sitting in pub day 1, discussing what has/has not been found, what may/may not be found, Phil looking for flint, Mick not wanting Roman, Carenza keeping the peace, John anxious about the ploughed geophys, Tony querying the tentative theories, and Stuart saying it’s the wrong place!
    And a pint or 2 as well, EUTOPIA.

  162. A good friend of mine was a ‘guest’ archaeologist on several T.T programmes and it was my good fortune to go along on production. I can honestly say that what you saw on the television was what you got in real life. A thoroughly good bunch of people with a true PASSION for their subject !
    That they were able to achieve what very few others were able to achieve and give a ‘thirst’ to the man-in-the-street in what could be classed as a ‘dry’ subject only adds weight to what they were able to achieve in such a fantastic way.
    R.i.P. T.T…. along with Mick Aston, Robin Bush & Beric Morley.

  163. I will miss time team I have watch all the series since it start
    In 1994 January 16th until 2012.rip time team along with mick Aston
    And the team.
    I am a mega fan of the show. From jan Marie jaser

  164. I was thinking, isn’t it about time Time Team was on? Gutted to learn it is no more.
    What’s on at this afternoon? Big Bang (repeat), Simpsons (repeat), Simpsons (another repeat), Maid in Manhattan (good grief!). Enough said.

  165. Just did the same as Leigh trying to find out when the next series is due to start. I had no idea it had finished. Buggering about with scheduling times has buggered many a decent tv series. Real shame, feels like I’ve lost my friends!

    • Most days, I have been watching the TT repeats on More Four in the afternoons. This is no good for those at work or school. However I would contact Channel Four to find out when they will be repeating it again and maybe arrange to record the programmes.

      Emails,from those who have just learned that TT was cancelled a year ago are still dropping into my in box. Channel Four seem to be missing a trick that gthe BBC would have undoubtedly have profited from by issuing DVDs of the most important digs over the years. Also, the most recent posters may not have heard of Mick Aston’s premature death.

  166. What is the point of Channel 4, if not to do something different? Hopefully some other channel will take up the format eventually. I loved it and speaking as an Hibernian, the only thing I found mildly irritating was Tonys’ obsession with all things Roman. Never having been colonized by them I guess we in Ireland may have a slightly less reverential view of their “civilizing” effect on the native culture.

    • I watched every show, every season, and I never noticed that Tony had an “obsession” with Romans. In fact, since Tony had no input at all into what digs were scheduled, I don’t see how that could even begin to be true.

      • No offense Lizbeth, I really like Tony, but I still think my observation is accurate. Your “Upper Classes” have been re-inventing themselves as “New Romans” and “Empire” builders for some time now, particularly in the last few centuries.They lost touch with who they ACTUALLY were and their own people. Their “ethos” has been propagated through the educational system and I feel that it’s still there (though fading)
        Have a look again at the programme where Phils’ DNA results come in and watch Tonys’ reaction. Quod erat demonstrandum. (Bog Latin)

  167. what fools these youngsters are. look forward to some more american rubbish or more twits in big brother type of rubbish. well done on ending one of the best programs on tele.

  168. My wife Ida & I never missed a program for years. It was broadcast over TVO Toronto Canada. My wife was not well for several years & she found Time Team to be one of the few programs worth watching. One of the people she missed was Carenza Lewis. Sadly, my wife passed away in January 2012 but I carried on watching it until it ended. I found it much preferable to the Planet Earth shows of David Attenbrough. I used to tape the shows & send the tapes to my sister in Winnipeg who enjoyed them as much as as we did Phil & Tony were our Favourites .

  169. Shattered.
    I’m an Englishman, came to Australia as a 12yo in 1970. I have been planning to return for several years now for a holiday and to catch up with friends and relatives. Whilst on holiday, I was very keen to spend a day or so, if possible, with the Time Team crew wherever they might be shooting.
    So disappointed to hear the show has been axed.

  170. Twelve months on and I still miss it. If ch4 wanted to save money why not repeat them from programme 1 …. 20 years of viewing no extra costs… Faye, Bridget, Alice et al brightened my week … And I learnt something … Or we could watch some thick tosspot nobody acting like a tw4t and manufactured into some 3rd rate star…

  171. I am 81 & have watched & enjoyed TT for many years. My wife was unwell for many years but TT was one of the few TV Shows that she got pleasure from. Sadly,she passed away 2 years ago but before she went, she told me not to forget to watch TT. Somehow I feel her nearness when I watched it after she was gone. TT had a great following here in Canada. I still watch the series on U-tube.

  172. I have just realised that time team is to be axed by c4. I was surfing the internet to obtain correct titles for some episodes that I recorded earlier. This was the best educational programme that looked forward to every week and also all the repeats that were broadcast on more 4. What can replace the jovial banter of all the dedicated team that gave us an insight to what was going on thousands of years ago. I am an ex water board worker and I still don’ t know where they obtained the patience to go into a hole in the ground and dig with a trowel. I used to go into a hole with a size 9 shovel and spent nearly 33 years digging around obstacles like gas, electric, sewers, to name a few and I can assure you that I did not have the patience of some of this team. I THINK THIS IS A SHOCKING DECISION AND CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IT IS REVERSED!!!

  173. I have just realised that time team is to be axed by c4. I was surfing the internet to obtain correct titles for some episodes that I recorded earlier. This was the best educational programme that I looked forward to every week and also all the repeats that were broadcast on more 4. What can replace the jovial banter of all the dedicated team that gave us an insight to what was going on thousands of years ago. I am an ex water board worker and I still don’ t know where they obtained the patience to go into a hole in the ground and dig with a trowel. I used to go into a hole with a size 9 shovel and spent nearly 33 years digging around obstacles like gas, electric, sewers, to name a few and I can assure you that I did not have the patience of some of this team. I THINK THIS IS A SHOCKING DECISION AND CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IT IS REVERSED!!!

  174. Time Team was the best program I have ever seen or hope to see. All of the team can be proud of 20 years of quality television and the many lives touched and informed. How many people can look back on a twenty year’s span of such a masterful contribution to human culture? It must have been amazingly hard to pull together the locations, permits, and logistics, add the art, historical research, music and local involvement, let alone process the dig sites. Yet time and time again they did it with grace, charm, humor and knowledge. From Phil’s glee over Stone Age flints, Tony’s wisely playful and challenging banter, Mick’s sage hand on the dig’s tiller, John’s gentle determination to get the best cartography the technology can provide, Francis’s round house fireside mussing on an Iron Age man’s joys in life and Stuart goes walk about so we can get the lay of the land and know our place in it was amazing, every bit of it. You have left us wanting more which of course is the best way to end a show. Wouldn’t it be lovely if all teams could be like the Time Team? Maybe the resulting reruns and you tube videos will be a template for all group endeavors. Best wishes, good luck and God’s speed to the lot of you!

  175. Without Time Team I would not have known how much I could enjoy archaeology and I’m pretty sure it’s why my 7 year old wants to be an archaeologist when she grows up. Tony Robinson’s role seems to one of a viewer who does not completely understand what is going on although logic says he must have a reasonable knowledge of the subject. He asks the questions that some people must be sat in front of their TV asking. I’ve loved all of them (apart from the guy who placed the stones/coins/sword on his land deliberately) – but that wasn’t Time Team’s fault and they did prove they couldn’t be taken in.

  176. Please … bring back Time Team with Tony Robinson. It remains my all time favourite reality TV show and I really miss it.

    With regards to a few folk’s comments about Tony Robinson. His presentation throughout all of the series, which I have almost finished running though for the second time, is stellar. And let’s be honest, it doesn’t get any better than watching absolutely great British television presented by the all time best supporting TV character, Baldrick. Sir Tony can do no wrong with me.

    It would be remiss of me not to mention that I was so sorry to read of the passing of Mick Aston. He was an outstanding presenter for the show.

    An Aussie.

    • I absolutely agree with everything you said ! I have missed Time Team SO much.. It was the highlight of my life ! I watch any that come on now.. saw one yesterday about the digging our of the 2 world war planes in the bogs.. INCREDIBLE ! I was glued to the screen.. Thankyou for what we have ! and long may you show them PLEASE pauline x

  177. I am trying to get a contact e-mail address for Tim Taylor (IV) because a group of archeologists in Canada would like to see a Time Team Canada started and we need advice and any other help from the expert. Can anyone help us with the contact? Regards, Paul Tressel [email protected]

  178. Time Team was a massive part of my life, I’m still watching it even now on more 4 :O

    Its one of those few things in life that meant so much, really looked forward to every episode. Will there ever be a time when I wouldn’t watch Time Team repeats? NEVER. The team are irreplaceable, such a huge whole left in life once the program ended.

  179. Sunday afternoons will never be the same, a wonderful programme. Spoilt in the end by “Fixing something that wan’t bust”.

    • I watched all but episode 1. A relative alerted us to Time Team knowing.my husband and I were long term enthusiasts. I had drawn him into the subject a few years after we married but I had the privilege of degree training. I thought the programmes inspiring and my grief was genuine at its loss of experts like Mick Aston and the programmes’ ending.The occasional sighting of a long lost member like Carenza Lewis in a published Report makes me wish for the experience as it unfolded once again. I still enjoy my archaeology despite my age not being able to take part in the reality. I recommend Current Archaeology to young and old as a way of covering all eras and defining ones particular interests in the subject.

  180. just found TT on Acorn streaming. Have watched 8 seasons and enjoying them all. Love the show and all the characters – especially Phil!

  181. Time team is currently repeated on more-4 each midweek day and sometimes Saturdays, but I still miss fresh episodes and the original presenters and everyone should put pressure on c4 for more episodes even if it were one a month !

  182. Yeah. Spent many an hour intrigued by the whole show and the people on it. Brilliant. Brought up 3 kids on it. I’m retired now and would love to get involved in archeology at some level. Inspiring stuff.

  183. Possibly my favourite television programme. I was disappointed with the change in format, it was like losing family. Finding it was to completely end, not, as I’d hoped, to revert to its more successful format I was quite heart broken.
    If I’d been younger when the programme first started I would have loved to have studied archaeology to work in such a fascinating area, I had little knowledge of or interest in archaeology before. and I’m so grateful to all the Time Team members for a wonderful 20 seasons.

  184. We live in USA. Discovered Time Team after visiting U.K. In 2014. Loved the history of U.K. So my husband looked for more info. Found Time Team on You Tube. It’s our favoite show. It has also helped me find out more about my own history that goes back to U.K.

  185. Have caught onto Time Team on the History Channel. I record episodes that I cannot watch on the day. What a great show. The UK is lucky that it has such a long history. Not that I want to live there though am quite happy to be an Australian. My nana came from England in 1901. All the others as far back as 1828 from Ireland and Scotland. Yes as convicts and bloody proud of it.
    Mary-Ann Ochota caused the Time Teams slow demise as she and the behind the scene executives strangled a Team that had worked played and laughed together over so many years making not good but great viewing. I am wondering how many viewers watch the Time Team now. 2017

  186. My husband and I decided to get rid of our tv when we had 2 young sons. Reason: we hardly spoke to each other and what we were watching on tv was hardly worthwhile. Still, we liked to watch something online every now and than rather than read a book, play a game or just talk to each other and that’s when my husband showed me the first episodes of Time Team, which he remember from his youth. And really, TT changed my life! The way Phil, Mick, Tony and company have made an impact on my life, you have no idea. With my boys now being 8, 6 and 4 years old, we are still watching the episodes and in our holidays we try out some of the things we’ve seen on TT. My oldest son and my husband dream of being as good in tapping flint as Phil! 🙂 Too bad for the changes they made, these new guys tried hard, but you can’t replace what the “old” team had, the magic, the small things,… Still, I’m grateful for what they achieved and for what it has meant to me and still does. Thank you, Time Team!!! Always will be in my heart! xx

  187. Hi. The time team has brought history, archaeology, geophys and a devoted team of professionals into my life. I rue the fact that as a child we used encyclopaedias 20 years out of date. Thank you time team, one and all, I constantly watch the reruns on the history channel here is oz. and use my iPad to follow through my own enquirers. Thank you, thank you, I’ve loved the passion, warmth, fun, humour and absolute professionalism that you all have brought to history. I often wish you could all come to my back yard 1 acre) and help me find the many many pairs of secateurs buried therein. Cheers. Toni Victoria australia

  188. Time Team brought so much into my life, being bed ridden, television being a large part of my life now. Team Team gang were so funny with their understanding of each other and professional approach to their subject, their knowledge of it all and portrayal to the audience was so entertaining, and Tony added an open view to a usually flat subject, with his level headed approach to academics and gave it life. my point in this is, ‘why try to fix it if it ain’t broke’ change is not always as good as a rest. now I rely on repeats. very sad.

  189. You wonder what kind of palsy comes over TV programers when they occasionally axe the best shows, shows with strong, solid substance!!! Shows that actually ADD something GOOD to the mix. Strata indeed! This was a fresh ongoing series with a warm and positive vibe, an interesting treat on TV. Whichever fool(s) cut it, perhaps they are now also, gone…so please bring Time Team back… it was a great staple!

  190. An absolute feast of mind, interest and the ever curiosity of young and old alike about “What lie underneath that humble plot of soil?”….TIme Team approached that “humble plot” we would all like to delve into….they bring that knowledge of ‘how” with them and together unveal little glimspes of anothers past which we back bring here, to today….as a reflection and connection….like a mirror between centuries and times…and sunrises and pleasant breezes of a long ago Sunday afternoon…

  191. I thought it was the Bi..o presenter the doomed it for sure, brought in because we are all suddenly dumb. (and its cost increases)

    • Was it one persons requirements that brought extras into the show, persons not wanted nor needed, also not as talented as a walnut. I wonder how Tony felt with this introduction, as he had been doing the job for so long, and never once boring.

  192. archaeology..is what my 11 year old gran daughter is looking into training for…..shows like these are needed more

  193. We love Time Team and are astonished at its demise. My grandson is a budding archeologist and watches it over and over again. He is 10. His Uncle, my brother, has to dig up a dig with him when he comes on holiday and he is in there like a professional. Its amazing. And they have taken it off and broken up a brilliant team. All the best shows are taken off and all we are left with is the boring and so untrue Archers. Sad days.

  194. Miss TT so much. A unique combination of expertise, enthusiasm and humour. I would love to see as many of the team as posible brought together for specials or even to tell us what they are involved in now.

  195. Back in the olden days(late 70’s) I was accused of being an anglophile by the University of New Mexico professor who was trying to recruit me, an English Major, into his new American Studies department. It seems there was no need for one before Women’s Studies and all those other nonwhite studies. I had to think about it before I realized what he meant. My dad worked for the National Park Service and I was born quite near Chaco Canyon[(a universally important archeological site) in a Navajo mission(Christian) hospital]. I will watch Time Team episodes as long as I last. Hopefully, I will be able to visit some.

  196. Time team proved that nothing I is really lost it us just covered up soil sand and water 3 cheers for the team ron atkinson

  197. One of the best programs EVER. We are headed to the UK in May from the US to see some of the TT sites.

  198. RIP Mick Aston
    I love time team. I would be very happy, if it was revived.

    I am team Ainsworth, so he would have to be brought back.

  199. I am watching as many of the daily episodes as I can on New Zealand’s History Channel.It makes me nostalgic for the British history and archeological sites. I continue to be in awe of the fantastic skill and enthusiasm of the presenters.May TT be always available to us.

  200. It makes me want to poke nyy head in and see the Geophys, operate the diggers to open a trench and pick up a trowel and start digging! Archeology isn’t aloof anymore…TT built a bridge between laymen and pros! Who was the idiot that canceled it???

  201. I want Time Team brought back. I am sure there are more sites for them to investigate. I was especially interested in the programme on Looe Island chapel as my grandparents once owned Looe Island and I had been there and walked over the chapel remains.
    Please bring Time Team back.

    • They can’t bring it back. Some of the regulars have retired, some have moved on to other things, a few have departed for Tír nan Óg or the Field of Reeds…

  202. My absolute favorite TV program! I watch Time Team on Amazon Prime here in Phoenix, AZ USA every day!! Some episodes I’ve seen over three times each. I’ve always adored darling Tony Robinson since his days as “Baldric”, and Mick (RIP), Phil (gotta love him!) and the entire bunch breathed fresh life into the sometimes boring subject of Archaeology. It encouraged me to study the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. I owe a debt of gratitude to the wonderful Time Team ensemble. If Tim Taylor or anyone at Channel 4 ever got the itch in their pants to dig it all up again (pun intended) it would be so awesome. And if you do, please include the adorable and hilarious Raksha Dave, dear Francis Pryor and Stewart Ainsworth, all of whom have places near and dear to my heart.

  203. I’ve binge watched Time Team on YouTube and up to S17. Watching how the team coalesce over time and their skills mature. It’s brilliant and helps this Singapore based Brit to feel less far away. I’ve learnt so much and enjoying every minuteo

  204. If you had to justify the value of television as a medium that can inform as well as entertain, Time Team would be the perfect example. But it’s also the fact that they didn’t just impart accumulated knowledge, they made new discoveries as we watched.

  205. Oh! my gosh, I am from Chula Vista Ca. and I just came across the time team on my tablet in November 2019. All I can tell u is that I was hooked. I love archeology, and it was so educational seeing how it is done. Enjoyed Tony and the whole crew, felt like u were part of the dig and part of the crew, they were all like family. It is to bad that the show was cut, there are so much more to find, discover and educate us all. I really loved the show and learned so much.

  206. TT has inspired me to take up the challenge of retraining at the age of 67 for a second career in Heritage and Museum studies. Thanks Guys!

  207. I have been fascinated by archaeology since reading Golden Books “Lost Cities and Vanished Civilizations,” at the age of nine, but only recently stumbled across TIME TEAM quite by accident one night. Desperate for a good documentary to watch over a late dinner, I discovered Tony Robinson’s Time Team special on the Mesolithic and “Doggerland.” Immediately, I was hooked. I generally watch one episode a night, but on weekends I sometimes binge watch until my eyeballs beg for mercy. Learning? I’m getting to the point at which I can glance at a find in a digger’s hand and exclaim, “Oh! Southern Gaulish Samian ware,” or ” Green Glaze, 14th Century.” Observing how so many, different, recondite specialty fields come together — paleopalynography. paleo-osteology, finds experts, experts in the Bronze Age or Rome — I am as raptured as Phil squatting in a newly opened trench exclaiming, “Oooh! Arrr! Looky tha’!” For me, as a genealogist, an episode really takes flight when, in addition to the dig, Robin Bush, or Guy D., or Carenza bring out a mediaeval charter, the Domesday Book, or the A.S. Chronicle. That some suburban folks welcomed the Team to pull up their patio, knock down their potting shed, and bore holes in their rafters, used to amaze me. Not any more. The Team had a comradery like that of an elite military unit. With Mick in his amazing technicolor jumpers playing father and patient teacher, fielding Tony’s layman’s questions, Phil as the eccentric uncle who could dig with the instincts of a terrier after a bone, John and his whiz-bang geo-phys, and all the other “children” hard at work in their specialties, the programme wasn’t merely TIME TEAM — it was TIME FAMILY.

    • I agree entirely. I love Time Team and regularly binge watch – have seen many episodes several times. I have always been engrossed by archaeology. I studied art and have worked for the V&A, meeting many interesting historians. TT is without doubt, the best offering in British television. It brings together entire families and to my mind, is of huge importance, in that it makes us aware of who we are and where we came from and the way it was presented to us was magical. Now, many dislike Tony as he is renowned to be a woke leftist with an attitude, but as a presenter, I thought he did magnificently well. His role translating archaeology into laymens terms was pure genius. The banter between him and the otherwise notoriously stuffy academics was legendary. Seeing an entire brigade of scientists down at the pub for lunch made the show so human and readily acceptable. Channel 4 should never have discarded such a treasure. I am thrilled that TT is returning in 2022, but saddened that Phil, Raksha and Tony will not be participating. I sincerely hope this will be remedied.

  208. Time Team repeats on You Tube are helping to keep me sane during the Covid19 lockdown

  209. I have been binge watching on YouTube whilst laid up with a medical issue. Tim Team has finally brought British history into focus for me. It is sad to read the mechanics of its demise and, worse, to see it played out on screen. The utterly ridiculous “Dig by Wire” (S19E01) would have put me off permanently had it been the first episode I had seen (What, helicopters don’t work on Gateholm?). Fortunately, it wasn’t. Leave it to an insular management team to screw it up.

  210. I’m 78 years old. Because of Time Team I now want to become an archeologist. I live in Minnesota and am anxious to explore sites of the indigenous people who lived and continue to live here. I can’t believe how much I have learned during Covid lock down because of Time Team. Thank you.

  211. I don’t think a Presenter is supposed to be a devils advocate. Also, a Presenter is not supposed to insult the experts he is reporting on. Tony admitted a number of times that he is not an archeologist. He should have stuck to presenting instead of trying to take command.

  212. i never knew the show existed until last year 2021. any chance for reunions and a chance to interact as like conventions do here in the usa? i never knew this show was available as the colonies never mentioned it. i like everything about it. do they ever have reunions whereby you could meet the surviving characters.. i hate computers these days, they act up. anyway the technology is facinating and makes history come alive. anyone want to correspond about this i would like for them to write me. [email protected]

  213. My wife and I are from the States and discovered Time Team on Amazon Prime after watching/ loving other British shows- Rick Stein’s culinary travels, Timothy West’s canal cruising, etc. TT is very fun to watch after nearly 30 years from the first episodes; watching the GeoPhysics change from season to season (week to week for me as I binge) is great for this engineer. This article is 10 years old but like a spoiler.

  214. I have always wondered what happens to all the dirt that the Time Team dig out of their sites after the 3 days of digging?

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