Gardeners World - not back for 4 weeks! - Page 7

sotongeoff wrote (see)

... this is a one-off Olympic year in this country,there is a big football tournament every 4 years,Wimbledon is every year,...

I enjoy watching Wimbledon myself. In fact this year I've seen a lot more than I normally watch, simply because I've been cooped up indoors during the day, due to the bad weather;  .

But if the weather had been nice, then I'd have been outside. I would have ignored the TV and Wimbledon, during the daytime. I wonder how many people would choose to stay indoors, all day, on a nice sunny day, to watch TV, rather than be outside.

When the Olympics comes, I wonder how many people will sit indoors for 3 weeks watching continuous telly, even it's gorgeous weather outdoors.

(I realise that 3 weeks of gorgeous weather is extremely unlikely).

When I sent my complaint to the BBC, I was assuming that (as they'd said) sport was the reason GW was taken off. But on the first GW-less Friday, BBC1 showed a compilation of outtakes from "Would I Lie to You?" and then an edition of "Have I Got Old News for You" (an out-of-date edition of a topical news show - what's the point in that?) So rather than fresh, original comedy, we had a whole hour of outtakes and repeats, which no one would have missed if GW or Wimbledon had been allowed to replace them.

And yes, there are (a few) other gardening programmes around on other channels. But GW does its best to engage our interest in various ongoing and topical projects (Monty's pond, etc) and then just when we want to know more, they suddenly vanish for a month. That just makes no sense.

Green Magpie wrote (see)

... on the first GW-less Friday, BBC1 showed a compilation of outtakes from "Would I Lie to You?" and then an edition of "Have I Got Old News for You" ....

And also last Friday, on BBC2, at 9pm, there was Simon Schama talking about Shakespeare. It is completely untrue for the BBC to say that there was no room for GW.

It is true tons of people like sport and they should be able to watch it  but as Gary pointed out there is room to air GW if the BBC had put enough thought into it.   Wish there was someone in the corridors of power who could assure us that they would re-think this on another occasion.  It is not enough to use the Olympics as an excuse, it is not as if this has not happened before.

Having not seen it and reading the comments on Alan Titchmarshes new programme, Love Your Garden, I watched it this week and I have to say, its ok.  There is nothing wrong with showing what can be done in small gardens and what imagination can be used even if viewers only take a few ideas from it.  After all Alan is doing what he is does best and bringing gardening to folk who do not always have the confidence to go further.  And what is wrong with helping families who need it.

Mind you he must have had a hell of a budget!!

No budget needeed all items are donated for a healthy endorsement.

Thank you joslow. Good to know, thats commercial TV for you.

BEL wrote (see)

... Mind you he must have had a hell of a budget!!

Each garden makeover would cost around £10,000, if anyone had to pay.

But the most interesting point is how much Alan Tichmarsh is getting paid. He's being paid £5,000,000 for the 2-series, plus his daytime show.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-1723673/How-rich-Alan-Titchmarsh.html

I can't believe that Monty gets anything like that. I'd have thought that Gardeners' World was one of the cheaper programs for the BBC to make - there's no studio, no sets to build, they don't consume much. There's a very small cast of presenters, and they only use a couple of cameramen. Gardeners' World would seem to be a low-budget program. 

At one time, there was an appreciably larger number of gardening programmes. I'd like to know why, in a time of recession when everyone is being encouraged to embrace greater self-sufficiency by making and growing things, the programmes that help us learn to do this are dwindling and the most popular one of all is regarded as so completely dispensable. The only way that anything will change will be if gardeners en masse make a protest. I'm not suggesting violent demonstrations(!) - just letters and emails, texts and messages on Facebook and Twitter. Most people, perhaps, grouse and do nothing. The Beeb regards 70 letters as a significant, I am told, so a few hundred protests could be very significant in their eyes.

Hi All, I am so glad I started this thread and glad to see its still going strong, had a bit of time off the internet in the last week because my 15 month old got a little ill, better now, so now a bit of time to myself! My husband has just come in finally from the garden and I was telling him about everyone's totally agreement on the love your garden, we did watch a little again but soon agreed if you went back in a year the majority of work was too high maintenance to look stunning a year on, isn't meant to be easier for the poor people!  Please can someone let me know where to complain to the beeb I still can't find it quickly looking through the thread. I agree with Gardening Grandma lets dig the heels in ( no pun intended!) 

To complain to the bbc

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/

Just read the above response from the BBC wbehich I did have first as an automatic message but this is the unsatisfactory reply I finally got from them:
Dear ...... 

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.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints

Has anyone else had this self same reply??? consoled myself today by buying a couple of gardeneing books to curl up with in this continual rain as there is little chance of getting out at all this week.

Green Magpie -on page 6 had the same reply-as probably will anyone else who complained

Surely GW could have been shown in an earlier or later time slot, the vast majority of people have the facility to record a programme even if they can't physically be there to watch the transmission. I was incredulous when Monty Don announced a 4 week hiatus, I have no interest in sport and as a novice gardener need all the help I can get from the one gardening programme the BBC deign to show!

Welcome Penninepetal! We gardeners are only allowed 1 slot a week. You'll have to switch to house buying, or antique buying, or having a baby by your boyfriend's mother's uncle's Mother-in-law to get more than 1 slot. You could watch Beechgrove, oh I forgot they've taken that off as well 

I Totally agree with ALL of the above Comments, Gardeners World will be A HUGE LOSS over the next four Weeks, The busiest time in the Garden. ( Ireland)

One thing that I miss is that GW is topical and more or less in real time. This means they can refer to  things like exceptional weather (!!!) and advise us how to cope. By the time they're back again, my broad beans will have died from chocolate spot, my strawberries will have rotted, and my petunias will all be torn to shred by the gales and rain. I don't suppose GW could have prevented any of this this, but they might have been able to give some encouragement and useful tips as to how to limit the damage.

Everyone who compains will get the same anodyne reply, but that's not the point. The Beeb will keep a log of the NUMBER of complaints and that is what will influence their decisions in the future. They think gardening is a minority iinterest compared with sport, which it is, but almost everyone has a garden, even if it is a balcony or a back yard, and these are becoming ever more important as more and more green areas are built over and there is less and less food for bees, etc. I feel a letter to the Beeb coming on!.

This week's Radio Times has a letter making some of the above points. I'm sure it's not the only one RT has received on the subject. As you say, GGrandma, they do take notice of the number of complaints, so it all helps. The Beeb ought to be pleased really - it's quite a positive thing to have a programme so well liked that people get really upset when you take it off the schedule.

I've nothing against tennis - in fact I intend to watch the men's final this afternoon, but first I am heading for the garden as it is SUNNY!

sotongeoff wrote (see)

To complain to the bbc

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/

 

I've made my complaint but find myself even more irritated and frustrated but the fact that I can't make all the points I want to make because the beeb's email meesager will not allow me enough characters! Only a letter will do!