Gardeners World - not back for 4 weeks!

My husband and I were so disappointed to see due to 'sporting' events that our 'gardening' TV is being put on hold! Its Summer, a key time to garden, what is the BBC thinking! There is so much other repeats on the TV, I am sure they can find a slot on Saturday night..! What a real shame. 

I think it is disgusting.   We pay so much for our tv licences and with gardening as the UK's leading favourite past time, the BBC take off their one gardening programme for sport.  How many of us are real sport lovers, I can't stand it.   It shows the BBC don't really care .

I totally agree, its only 30 minutes of out a whole week of programming. I have never been on a forum but I felt this was a bridge to far, so I registered!  I feel a Anne Robinson letter coming on... showing my age.. not sure who it is now.. feel free to let me know anyone! Maybe there is budget constraints and the 'sport' is just an excuse, who knows but I do know I have an unhappy husband!! What is Monty Don going to do for 4 weeks... and there is no point going over all ground ( no pun intended) when its been and gone! Bring it back!

If you wish to complain to the BBC try here, but no one is listening to us

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbpointsofview/NF1951566?thread=8361882

I agree, very disappointing that it won't be on for 4 weeks. It's only a 30 mins slot each week.

I'm not a sport lover- looks like I won't be watching much TV for a while- but I will be still paying my license fee

A number of posts has been made on the POV message board.  I doubt that it will make any difference - GW always seems to be dispensible when there is sport to replace it on a Friday night.  The BBC seems to forget that gardeners also pay their TV licence fees.  And half an hour a week surely isn't too much to ask, is it?

Unfortunately Shrinking Violet, I think you are right, it will make no difference, and no 30 mins each week isn't to much to ask

It's outrageous and I am thoroughly disgusted in the BBC. They have four channels and a red button and our half hour of telly per week gets ditched every time!

Really BBC, it's NOT funny. Sort it out.

Wintersong wrote (see)

.. They have four channels and a red button ..

During the Olympics, the BBC will be providing TWENTY-FOUR dedicated HD channels, available on Freesat, Sky and Virgin.

They are packing 2500 hours of coverage into the 2-week slot. More details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18071080

The BBC can provide air-time and capacity when they want to.

Presumably GW is being shunted off for the next 2 weeks because of Wimbledon. One could make the case that Wimbldon should be streamed on Red Button channels (I think it is) and those who want to watch continuous coverage should watch it there.

It's also an opportunity to give Monty and the team a break. The time off might also be an opportunity for them to do some filming in sunny exotic locations.

I'm horrified that GW has been booted off the screens for 4 weeks.With all the rubbish on BBC3&4 what are we paying our license fee for-surely it could have been slotted in somewhere. Come on BBC, get your act together!

I agree with everybody else - nowhere near enough gardening programs on as it is!

I sometimes find myself watching those commercial channels where they sell plants etc to get a 'gardening fix' and I *hate* adverts, so much so that I usually switch channels the second one comes on!

Love Your Garden back on Tuesday 8pm itv1

http://www.itv.com/alantitchmarsh/loveyourgarden/loveyourgardenreturns/

I am really, really disappointed! GW is too short already, each subject is just given a brief mention, even my daughter (16) said last night that although she doesnt like GW (fibber, she always watches it with me...but its not street cred when youre 16!)...she doesnt think its long enough or goes into each subject enough. So many projects could show us how to make, or set up, or listen to expert advice on, than currently given air space for. Please can we have an hour long programme with more discussion and advice...please?? I love Friday evenings with GW, it's a full stop to my working week...I can immerse myself in my passion for gardneing...bit indulgent maybe...but hey, I work hard enough to indulge once a week. But no more for 4 weeks!!! now thats really taking the biscuit! not even any special GWs to make up for it? please BBC think on for next year...one hour programme each week with little or no sporting interruptions please....pretty please....

This is typical of the BBC I have no interest in sport exept the WRC rally and they don't show any of it.

But when it comes to football, olympics or any of the over rated over paid sports everything is cancelled to accomodate them and force it down our throats. Not everybody is interested in sport BBC so stop pulling programes we like and start taking notice of the licence payers we are after all paying your wages so put GW on for an hour and leave it alone !!!

Such a shame, it is as others have said only 30 mins once a week. 

I am also really surprised. Two Freeview channels, BBC3 and 4, have nothing on until 7 o'clock. Channels are showing Hairy Biker and Michael Portillo repeats and other stuff that could go anywhere at any time, as well as the execrable antiques and house-swapping programmes. There sometimes seems to be an invisible but very strong wall between Beeb channels - isn't it just a matter of flicking a few switches to get a programme shown on a different one?

Joe, I believe BBC3 and BBC4 are broadcast as CBeebies and CCTV (or whatever is the kids' stuff) during the day, and they morph into grown-up broadcasting from 7pm.  (Actually, there are many exceptionally good programmes on BBC4, so the Beeb can get it right when it so chooses).

Every year, GW is taken off air for Wimbledon.  (As a fan, I enjoy the tennis - but even I find the saturation coverage a bit OTT).  But Wimbledon fortnight doesn't explain the following two weeks' absence.

Four weeks takes us up to 20th July.  The following week the Olympics start.  So I presume we'll be granted ONE programme, thank you and goodbye for the rest of the summer, see you, if you're lucky, in the autumn.  Bah, Humbug.  I pay a licence fee too.  I expect better - but shan't hold my breath - the triumph of hope over experience.

The BBC reckon that their mission is "To enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain." and that "Audiences are at the heart of everything we do."

Don't think they're really achieving that for many of us.

If audiences are at the heart of everything they do, blueberry, then I reckon this is a cardiac arrest that requires an urgent transplant!