GW Presenters - Page 3

HEAR, HEAR!!!!! Totally agree with you. They should just get on with it.  Gardening programming is not the same as other 'entertainment' programming.  It's about imparting information in a film type context.  It isn't about great cinematography - the plants speak for themselves.  That is the glory of gardening but like everything it's all about the careers of the staff involved.  It all forms part of their portfolios hence the fancy camera work, scripting and editing.  Today Gardeners' World, tomorrow The Nine O'Clock News.

I don't really agree with that.   Monty Don is clear about his passion for gardening and plants, that is the main thing.   I don't much like Carole but she is quite obviously passionate about plants too.  That is the important thing, not what else they do afterwards. As you said, the programme is about gardening and  presented by people with a passion for gardening.  What does it matter then, what they do afterwards?

You don't seem to have grasped what I'm getting at. I'm not talking about the presenters.  They all do their job admirably and while you don't 'like' Carole, she is an excellent gardener and an extremely knowledgeable plantswoman.  I have to say that she's a hero of mine but I've been watching her for the past twenty years.  I'm talking about the production team, i.e. cameramen, directors, producers, etc.  Programmes like this are spring boards for other, maybe more rewarding, jobs in their chosen fields.  That's why we have all the clever camera shots.  I'm sure it's all to make the programme more interesting and to draw the viewer in but I don't need the 'cosy' shot.  That used to really hack me off when TB, AF and JS huddled in that shed as if that were normal.  We all know it's just a programme and when the director says, 'that's a wrap', they all head off home in seperate directions without a backward glance.  It's a job just like any other, for Pete's sake, not an episode of Friends. I don't need to see Monty wandering round wistfully round his plot.  I have enough imagination (and experience) to realize he probably does that all the time just as we all do. 

I don't particularly care who presents it as long as they are knowledgeable and enthusiastic - I like Carol for both these reasons. I'm more upset that GW always has to take back seat to B**** sport! For goodness sakes the telly is currently monopolised by football, and Monty announced last night that GW won't be on for 4 WEEKS! It's B**** summer! We don't get any garden programmes in winter or autumn! It's a never ending turnover of football, rugby, tennis, athletics, and whenever they're on - despite being on every other channel, they always take off GW. To paraphrase Bruce Springsteen 57 channels and nothing on gardening.  Touch GQT and I'll be round the BBC, pruning shears in hand! Do I sound upset?

I agree with you about the scheduling.   There are other forums talking about this and there is a Points of View forum about the BBC that you can complain on but good luck, as the BBC doesn't care what anyone thinks, obviously.

And does anyone know whether we'll get Gardener's World on during the Olympics or will it be cancelled as for the football etc?

three guessess?!?!?!?

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

And does anyone know whether we'll get Gardener's World on during the Olympics or will it be cancelled as for the football etc?

BBC1 and BBC3 are supposed to be the main Olympic channels-leaving BBC2  and 4 for normal programming-of course that may mean some BBC1 programmess might get moved to BBC2-Eastenders?-so some programmes will not be shown-also GW usually takes a Summer break-so who knows?

I have watched and enjoyed GW for more than 50 years(except when TB and AF did a double act for an HOUR in a pretend garden in such a patronising manner!!)

At least MD is in a REAL garden and not so in your face and condescending like some others. Also, his side kick is SOOO handsome!

The BBC has ALWAYS compromised and sidelined us gardeners as they feel that there are less of us and  that we are old and will not make a fuss. They forget that we pay a licence fee too. It is pointless complaining as they do not take notice and threaten to prosecute  if we withhold our licence fees.

Compared to SPORTS coverage we get far less airtime yet they make a big issue of giving us comprensive cover of the Chelsea Flower Show. Obviously gardening programs do not make them as much money as sports programmes do. But hey, who said that fairness counts? Those who shout the loudest always get what they demand.

Agree- and gardeners tend to be more reserved and pragmatic.Sport is fine in it's place, but it should hgave it's OWN place and not just make GW 'shove over' to accomodate it! what's wrong with killing off Eastenders for the duration? cue email to BBC prog.planners...........................

Did you notice at the end of Friday's programme, Monty said GW ill be here every week till November? Despite the olympics! Hey, someone's listened to us!

I have just watched Gardeners World from Friday and I did notice what Monty said about being on every week.  At  last, it does see, like someone is listening.  It feels good.

Looks like this thread has gone cold but for what it's worth I'm going to comment.  I think the content of GW is old and tired. I record it and prefer to watch Alan T from 1999 then this weeks offering.  Monty's garden is intolerably boring. He covers the same old ground every year. Trimming his giant hedges, diging potatoes on his birthday, strawberry runners, nothing is topical and new. Alys fowler was in touch with new ideas regarding health and growing your own veg. I want to see making the most of small spaces, vertical gardening, veg and fruit growing. How to do it the easy way I'm not into double digging. A bit of design but not too much.  Alan T did it all and I just can not stand Monty's poor use of English.  The word is Accurate not Ackrit. It's Sliver not slither, snakes slither.

 You have listed a few ideas for a few shows,what about the rest of the year? everyone hated TB when he tried to jazz it up.

AT has sold his soul now

I think they need to at the very least ring the changes with the setting. Monty's garden is so unrepresentative of most peoples.  What ever they do they shouldn't repeat and repeat the same thing again and again.  I can't give suggestions for a whole year's shows in this short space but I could come up with a more interesting catalogue than we have see in the last two years.  I want to know how to grow veg in my garden not Monty's huge space. I want to know what I can do to keep and preserve and enjoy it. I want to know how to fill my garden with scented plants, to keep interest going all year not just one season. How many plants give double duty, Flowers in spring and colour/berries (even edible hedges) in autumn. What interesting things can I use for containers. How can I keep fertility going in containers and how can I control vine weavel (the bain of my containers).  What can I grow besides tomatoes and cucmbers in my greenhouse. How can I control temperatures in my greenhouse. Dick Strawbridge had a great idea using stored heat from the sun to keep a greenhouse warm in the night. What inovative ideas can they come up with other then blowing the budget on expensive and wasteful electric heaters. Parafin heaters are awful, they give off fumes so what's the alternative.  What can I do to create a propagation area out side early in the year, i.e. insulation, lighting heating a small space to grow seeds early and not just on a windowsill. I could go on and on and on, why the heck can't they when they are supposed to be the paid experts.

As for hating TB, he was a little stiff at the beginning but he eventually got going and I though he had improved by the second year. Yes the 30 min competition was a bit silly but at least he gave some new ideas.  I think he would have been better had he stayed.  I think it was a knee jerk reaction to bring Monty back, nothing personal here but I hate his garden.  He's fine as a presenter but boring and even if that appeals to some there is definitely a new element/trend to gardening now a days that looks to growing food.  What has he shown us in recent years very little and nothing new.  What about unusual veg, seakale for instance or globe artichokes. Carol Kline is a really nice person and I love her enthusiasm but if she tells me about geraniums AGAIN I think I might scream!  Give us something new not warmed up leftovers.

Ok- have watched GW from the 1970's-and it has always been the case that you adapt the ideas to suit your own plot and at the same time the programme cant ignore old issues just to show new ones- what about new gardeners?

As to your points over the years I have seen most of them deal with-vine weevils came up last year-containers and fertility a couple of weeks back-propogation and growing on in cold frames often shown-I think the trouble is you may be looking for an individual training manual which is not the remit of the programme

Nothing is perfect and GW will not please all-but then what does?

Gary Hobson wrote (see)

obelixx wrote (see)

GW is currently the Beeb's lone offering for gardeners and it' snot enough ..

In my opinion, gardening, as an activity/pastime is very similar to cooking.

How many cookery series do the BBC have. It's seems there's a different cookery program on every day. And some individual cookery programs (Ready, Steady Cook) are sometimes on every day. And there are the various cookery/travel programs that feature cooking around the world.

I pay the same licence fee as cookery fans to, and I get just one program a week; sometimes none. I want a refund.

 Totally agree!  Come on BBC we want more and often plus repeat but do make it worth a repeat please.

 

True but one would think that GW team would be in touch with the latest interests and not just serve up the same old stuff year on year.  I'm trying to come up with suggestions as asked to elaborate by Joslow.  I have recorded GW for the last few years and since Monty came back he virtually copies his last programme dialogue in places it's blatent.  Look at the start of the March programme when the clocks changed, his opening words are virtually identical, it's terrible. I want a refund on my licence if that's all he has to offer.  I'm only asking for somthing different and dare I say it INTERESTING !