Kitchen Garden Forum

I don't understand why the criticism focuses on the presenters rather than the production team but then I am not party to the process that puts a programme together.
I have a dream that one day we'll get a proper programme. Maybe it will be called "The Vegetable Course" and feature Joy Larcom, Jekka McVicar and Nigel Slater with somebody to pull it together like Pippa Greenwood. Bit like Monty Don's original "Fork to Fork" before the BBC destroyed him.
Name your dream team - perhaps the BBC read this forum!

Geoff, We videod that programme fork to fork and I still watch it from time to time, I liked Monty but wished he would slow down everything was done as though he hadn't a second to lose.
Bren

Geoff wrote:I don't understand why the criticism focuses on the presenters rather than the production team but then I am not party to the process that puts a programme together.

Me neither. I'm sure that a windswept field of a "garden" was not the presenter's decision, nor the faffing about in the shed, or the minute makes (gardening is a pastime, by definition not suitable for those in a rush).

Then again, I suppose the presenters could have rebelled like Paxman when asked to read the weather at the end of Newsnight !

The production team have come in for criticism too. But the change in format came along with a change of presenter and the presenter is an important part of the programme. Toby Buckland has been quoted in various places as stating his vision for the programme so presumably he has some say in how the programme develops.

He is quoted as saying that he wanted to widen the appeal which is probably why the programme is accused of being dumbed down. In widening appeal it has lost its original audience.

One half hour or even an hour programme just can't be all things to all gardeners! Its a case of jack of all trades being master of none.

I think a lot of the problem could be that Gardeners World is/was watched mostly by people that have some, if not a lot of experience at gardening. So it should aim to please these folk first. There should be a totally different programme aimed at the folk just starting from scratch, or that are interested in little D.I.Y projects. And i'm sure that newbies to gardening would still find a more informative program interesting.

Alan Titchmarsh did something like that a while ago didn't he?

I agree that they should have more targetted gardening programmes and to take it a step further even break them down into more specialised areas.

No nominations then?

I don't know enough to have a dream team as such, but Alan Titmarsh gets my vote, he has a natural, simple way of explaining things, along with a lovely turn of phrase.

Bring back Muck and Magic!
JB.

I think Alan T, Chris Beardshaw and Carol Klein.

Maybe they could just do repeats of the old Geoff Hamilton programmes. I really liked them - the pace was right, and when he showed you how to do something, he did it thoroughly and carefully and explained what he was doing and why.

Binky wrote:Maybe they could just do repeats of the old Geoff Hamilton programmes. I really liked them - the pace was right, and when he showed you how to do something, he did it thoroughly and carefully and explained what he was doing and why.

...and imagine all the complaints about "Yet more old repeats on the BBC."

OK Alan .... so they could put them on in the afternoons, after we have had our naps, instead of those dreadful programmes about buying houses, with those smarmy, smirking estate-agent presenters.

We went off Toby Buckland the minute he was interviewed on BBC Breakfast TV and tore the plastic round a root of a plant and emptied all the soil over the red sofaand the floor and thought it really funny. The presenters did not think it was funny but he did after that we did not like him at all. We have watched a few programes but the only person we like watching is Carol Kline. It was in the paper recently that she was not asked to head the programme when they were looking for the new presenter other wise she would have jumped at the chance. She and Chris Beardshaw and Rachel would beat the socks of the current presenters.

I have not had the time to read all the other comments on this topic recently so if I am repeating anyone elses comments I apologise.

If they dont find some good presenters then it will dissappear like other programes.