News that Monty Don will be returning to Gardeners' World has really got you talking! Hundreds have responded to my blog about the changing presenter line-up.
News that Monty Don will be returning to Gardeners' World has really got you talking! Hundreds have responded to my blog from last Wednesday about the changing presenter line-up when Gardeners' World returns next March. In fact, this is the biggest response to any blog ever posted on gardenersworld.com.
"Fantastic news," posted Liz. "I'll definitely be coming back to GW now."
"At last the Beeb has taken note," said bobdog. "Welcome back to real gardeners, and welcome back Monty Don."
Others were surprised by the announcement. "A real shame to see Toby go," wrote Aaron Abbott. "He is my kind of gardener."
"Why the sudden change?" asked Joe Rose. "I was just getting used to Toby and I enjoyed his style of presenting. Does this mean that the money ploughed into the present site by the BBC is to be wasted?"
It's a difficult challenge producing a single gardening programme that appeals to everyone, from beginner to expert alike. As Gardeners' World developed over the past two years with a new presenter lineup in a new location, and using new production techniques, it quickly became clear that not everyone was happy.
By trying to produce a programme that appealed to a new audience (younger and less experienced), the established and more experienced and committed audience became increasingly unhappy, with many ceasing to watch Gardeners' World. The traditional heartland Gardener's World viewers were vocal in their dissatisfaction, resulting in a detailed review by the programme production team.
As jgd posted on our blog: "it is clear that the Beeb would do well to have more than one gardening programme. There needs to be at least one for veg and one for design/flowers - 30mins a week is obviously not enough to meet the needs of both novice and experienced gardeners."
At the start of this year Gill Tierney, Executive Producer of the programme, said "change is always difficult and sometimes you don't get it completely right. We have listened to the audience and have taken the criticism on the chin, which is why we are making the changes we are making. We are simply going to refocus to satisfy the needs of our core audience."
However, criticism of the programme continued through 2010, leading to the announcement last week of further changes for 2011. This raises many questions, as your comments highlight.
Many people will miss Toby and Alys, who, sadly, will not be returning in the new series. "I enjoyed the banter they had," posted Karen on our blog, "and loved Toby's enthusiasm and Alys's quirkiness". There's no news yet on whether alternative TV projects are in the pipeline for either presenter.
And what's going to happen to Greenacre, the TV garden created over the past two years for the programme? All the BBC production team has said, so far, is that the new series will definitely be coming from Monty Don's own garden in Herefordshire.
In my opinion this is great news, as I think the tradition of Gardeners' World coming from the home garden of the lead presenter made the programme in some way more real and relevant. Now, I accept that Barnsdale started off as a bare field when Geoff Hamilton first started - much like Greenacre - but Geoff's field adjoined his house. It was also his garden, and not simply a rented piece of land. That makes a big difference to the way presenters engage with the garden.
I'd rather see presenters gardening in their own garden any day, much as we've enjoyed when visiting Carol Klein in her garden at Glebe Cottage.
Monty's views in his piece in today's Daily Mail reflect my own. He regretted that GW did not film in his own garden when he presented the programme a few years ago, and while he became fond of Berryfields, it wasn’t the same. Monty says of his garden "it is not a TV studio but a family home, and I firmly believe the programme works best when it is honest and true and does not try to patronize the viewer by faking things."
"We will not be building any fancy greenhouses or sheds or buying expensive, huge plants. As much as possible will be propagated [...] if something breaks we will mend it."
When Gardeners' World returns it will have a very different feel to it. As Monty says in his article today, "we will be making a simple, straightforward gardening programme from my back garden. I love it with all my heart, and all I hope is that viewers will grow to love it, too."
Well, I for one can't wait!
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