Mick Aston leaves Time Team

Cullhaven

Cullhaven

Hernes Son
Absolutely gutted about it, but can't blame him after the awful changes Channel 4 have inflicted on the show this (last summers) season.

I love and have loved this show since series one 20 years ago. Last series, some new young things in the C4 management decided they wanted the show to be less about the actual archaeology and more about the "exciting" rushing about between trenches. They appointed some not needed new people including a co-presenter and seriously reduced the role of one of the most important members of the Team - Stuart Ainsworth. Lots of other little "Dumbing down" has been perpetrated as well and Mick has gone.

Dunno if anuone else in the Current clan is a fan - Jane Lee was but she seems long gone. Just felt the need to vent :(
 
Swither

Swither

Full Member
Agree, in so much that I rarely can stomach Time Team, as it has been more about the 'oh quick look over here' for some time.

If it has got worse it will likely be the death knell.
 
Anubis

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
As a professional archaeologist, IMHO Time Team has done its job, by getting the public interested in the subject. However, some of the methods are just bad archaeology, and the show is far too much (and increasingly so) about the TV rather than what archaeology is about. I agree that it has got worse, and also agree Stewart should have been kept as a main presenter. There are too many people who are too young and I don't think knowledgeable enough (or try and fake enthusiasm) maybe a bit star struck
by being in front of the cameras.
As for Mick leaving, they've lost one of the country's top experts and have shot themselves in the foot. I remember seeing the advert for the new producer, and did not apply as I felt I lacked experience in a couple of important periods (ie Saxon, medieval).

I spent 5 weeks on 2 evaluations before Christmas and we found virtually nothing...
 
Cullhaven

Cullhaven

Hernes Son
I like Francis Pryors evealuation that Micks Legacy is that before Time Team, Archeology was very much a niche subject and now its almost a national pastime. Looks like Francis will be involved a lot more in the coming series to replace Mick while Chanel 4 work out how much to backtrack. My only worry there is that Francis is somewhat "Blinkered" in his thinking and sometimes doggedly refuses to change his mind in the face of fresh evidence. Mick was always willing to do that.

Yeah, the main reason Mick left was the reducing in Stewart and Victors part in the show as well as the lack of actual archeology and passing of information. The Daily Mail have tried to make it look like it was mary-Anne he had the problem with, but I think she was way down on his list of grievences.

I am very jealous of you Anubis! If I could go back to the time that I left school and could retain the knowledge that I have now - I'd definitely have become and Archeologist.
 
Anubis

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
It's not all good - a few weeks unemployed here and there, low pay, bad weather, no social life as you're often away from home to name a few.
Francis Pryor is the top person on the Bronze Age (if you are near Peterborough have a look at Flag Fen), but sometimes the top people are loathe to change things (it happens in Egyptology as well). Mary-Anne is no archaeologist, and that was a large part of the problem, getting rid of good people just for a bit of eye candy (typical of today's culture, on Strictly where a good judge was replaced by someone who did not have a clue what she was talking about...). I say get Neil Oliver involved :)
 
Cullhaven

Cullhaven

Hernes Son
+1 to Neil Oliver, I'd Like to see Jenni Butterworth and Professor Alice come back if they need any eye candy :)
All those things you mention as drawbacks honestly wouldnt bother me that much - I'd be doing something I loved as a job - a luxury I never had a s a working man. And yeah, I'm not putting down Francis too much as I really think his enthusiasm is fantastic, just dont think he is right as permanent team leader. I hope we see a lot more of Helen Geake and Guy de la B�doy�re back as well. I'm sure its not the last we'll hear of Mick Aston.
 
Anubis

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
I can't stand Jenni, she is completely disinterested in what she does and lacks personality. Alice is a fly swatter, eye candy yes and speaks well (and I have heard awful in the field), but she flaps around unnecessarily. profesor... that makes me professor also :) Guy is great and Helen also. Phil is exactly as you see him, an old school archaeologist, set in his ways, earthy but I got on well with him duing my short time at Wessex.
 
Zed

Zed

Rogue Chimp
Like Anubis Ive probably followed 75% of the seasons year on year and can remember watching some incredible digs.

This season though - ep1 - wheres stuart?. Ep2 - no really wheres stuart?

Conflicting information in that some are saying (on the TTFF forum~) that Stuart was tied up in some English heritage work last year he couldnt get out of, but then i saw the Mick comments and realised it was kind of a death knell.

I would have liked them to end Time team as we know it at the end of next year (this summers) digs. It would mark the 20th year and as everyone can see the main folks of the show are no longer spring chickens, if they do that now, it would be without Mick which is a shame really.

I always preferred the old approach - digging in back gardens etc - that to me showed people archeology could be accessible and not in some blokes field who would go mad if you dug it up!

id be suprised if they carry on past season 20 now though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top