Gardeners World - not back for 4 weeks! - Page 6

country file manages to be on every sunday; which I enjoy but they often have programmes that seem made up of clips from old ones! So why is it never off because of other programme priorities? Is it that porgrammes traditionally shown on a sunday are less likely to be disrupted? or perhaps there is a stronger lobby for it in the BBC If so lets have Gardeners World moved to a sunday please. I noted in an earlier comment that Monty is away filming for another series but really how did they manage when he was ill. His co presenters performed heroically so surely they could hold the fort for a few weeks? I say move it to a sunday and lets have it as a weelky programme throughout the year please BBC

Well I watched POV this afternoon and the GW question came up, with several comments from angry viewers. They even had a chappie in the studio to answer questions about this and other matters. It's worth a look on BBC iPlayer. See what you think. Hog-wash I think!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kncq2/Points_of_View_2012_Episode_10/

What a sweeping statement and really, why do people bother complaining to the BBC, they don't listen and are not interested. They know they have a captive audience and we will be watching again when it returns.  Thanks for the link, diggingdoris! 

sotongeoff wrote (see)

GW is off air for two weeks because of Wimbledon-the other two weeks would appear because of televised Prom concerts

This does happen ever year-but cant recall it being 4 weeks in succession

As I have said before BBC1 and 3 are the designated Olympic channels but that does not mean that all usual programmes will be shown on BBC2-I think we have to accept that this year of all years GW might get disrupted-we have seen 14 episodes out of 31 so there is still plenty to come.

To add to what I posted this morning the Proms are a week earlier than normal-so that does explain the 4 weeks.

ColinTheComet wrote (see)

It's coming the end of this year's series but we get an additional weekly gardening fix by watching Anns a' Gharradh. ...

In my last post I should've added that this delightful little programme is on the Gaelic language channel BBC Alba available on both Sky and, I think, Freeview (& BBC i-Player). It's on this week so why not give Calina & Eilidh a try, regardless of where you live?

why should sport take over all chanels   

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Fancy a repeat anyone?

BBC Four are repeating a program first shown last year, Hidcote A Garden For All Seasons. It's on tonight Monday, at 9pm.

This program: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011s3pw

Thanks for the heads up on that

They've even taken GW off iPlayer. Seems to have happened this weekend. Maybe if you complain to the BBC they throw their toys out of the pram. Just seen your post about Hidcote Gary. Hopefully that will be on iPlayer as I've missed it

quercus_rubur wrote (see)

They've even taken GW off iPlayer....

They have indeed removed ALL the GW programs from iPlayer. Even last week's program has been taken off!

One can only assume that this is a copyright issue, and they are planning to release the programs on DVD, or on some pay-to-view system. So you'll have the privilege of paying again, to see old programs that you've already paid through the nose to watch the first time (through the £3-per-week-to-get-nothing Licence Tax).

The Hidcote program from last night, is still available on iPlayer, for 7 days only, here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011s3pw/Hidcote_A_Garden_for_All_Seasons/

Consumer-friendly ITV leave their programs on ITVplayer for 4 weeks after screening. Their Love Your Garden is here: http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=319801

Or you can watch a new episode in real time, on ITV tonight.

I have jusr had a really unsatisfactory reply from the BBC basically "tough" in so many other words. they had the nerve to imply I should have been grateful that Monty at least gave us a "heads up" that it would be off the air for a month. Aparently the BBC have to balance the needs of a terribly "loyal" GW audience with the need to transmit sport et. al. and "sometimes" I quote have to take GW off to balance the needs of other viewers. What about the endless repeats and reruns, not to mention the repeat of many programmes later in the week or at the weekend. i don't really think the BBC are bothered and to take GW off the i player is just typical. so glad I have my old tapes to watch to keep me going for the forseeable!

I have been watching Real Gardens on 4OD  they are rather old repeats but quite interesting to watch when you can't get out gardening because of the RAIN!

Feels like summer's never going to come! 

I've now had my reply to my complaint to be BBC,. It sounds a lot like the one you had, frensclan. I'll try pasting it in here:

"Thanks for recently contacting the BBC. We aim to reply to complaints within 10 working days (around 2 weeks) and do for most of them but cannot for all. The time taken depends on the nature of the complaint, how many others we are dealing with and can also be affected by practical issues, such as whether a production team is available or away on location.

This is to let you know that we think it may take us longer but that we will respond as soon as we can. We would therefore ask you not to contact us further in the meantime. This is an automatic email sent from an account which is not monitored so you cannot reply to this address. If it does prove necessary however, please use our webform quoting any case number we provided.

We issue public responses to issues which have prompted large numbers of significant complaints on our website at www.bbc.co.uk/complaints along with full details of our complaints procedure and how we consider the issues raised in complaints.

In the meantime we’d like to thank you for contacting us with your concerns. We appreciate your patience in awaiting a response."

Woops, sorry, that was my interim reply. Here is the proper one:

Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘Gardeners’ World’ on BBC Two.

I understand you’re unhappy the programme won’t be broadcast during the month of July.

‘Gardeners’ World’ is incredibly important to BBC Two and we’re aware that it has a very loyal audience. However we have to balance that with the channel’s many other commitments including sport.

The transmission of sporting events is dependent on their dates and every year we juggle the schedule to accommodate Wimbledon, Athletics (including the Olympics) and The Open golf which are contractual sports. This sometimes means that ‘Gardeners’ World’ takes a break but it isn’t the only programme affected and it’s necessary to move all types of programming around in the schedule.

Monty Don did advise viewers at the end of the episode on 22 June that the programme would be taking a break but would return in a month’s time.

I’d like to assure you I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily and is available for viewing by all our staff. This includes all programme makers and channel controllers, along with our senior management. It ensures that your points, along with all other comments we receive, are considered across the BBC.

I agree with everyone here - its outrageous that it is taken off air for 4 weeks because of sport, surely there could have been some time found for GW - afterall it only takes up 30 mins a week.  I actualy like sport, but still don't really get why GW is off air.

Wimbledon 2 weeks ,Prom Concerts 2 weeks

The euro football was on BBC and ITV at the same time the other night. I decided to sit in my garden in the rain. It was far lovelier getting wet than watching sport. Why cant they make football more interesting and put 2 balls on the pitch! With all this sport on this summer I will be outside. Maybe we should cancel our TV licences until GW is back on!!!

I'll be outside most of the time, too (in a tiny summerhouse).

Unfortunately OH is "so old" he doesn't have to pay for a TV licence, so we can't cancel ours.

It's ironic that sport is fundamentally an outdoor activity. All of these athletes are outside, running around, getting wet.

TV sport is designed to appeal to couch-potato spectators who are stuck indoors glued to their TV screens, and to many of whom doing sport is a actually an anathema.

TV sport can be bad for the nation's health. Gardening is certainly good for the nation's health.

There are a lot of people who for one reason or another can't get outside or don't have gardens-to them the tv is their world and the only way they get to see sporting events-you can't right everybody off as couch potatoes.

As I keep repeating GW being off is not just for sport -it is for the proms as well but strangely enough I don't see any body saying they don't like that.

To give a bit of balance this is a one-off Olympic year in this country,there is a big football tournament every 4 years,Wimbledon is every year,GW always gets displaced-there are still over half of the scheduled programmes to be shown.

The point surely is we should get both but lets not knock the sports lovers they have their interests too and that, no doubt for some, includes gardening.