The world of television gardening
| 16:09 UK time, Thursday, 21 August 2008
Echoing Rosemary's blog of last week I can say that I am thrilled that Toby is to be our new lead presenter.
What is so wonderful about Gardeners' World is that, from time to time, the programme is refreshed by a new face with a new approach to gardening. I never got to work with Geoff, but worked with Alan and Monty - both fantastic and experienced gardeners, but with such different personalities. Now, I'm sure Toby will have his own individual approach to gardening. So it's going to be so exciting for us on the programme working with him and I'm really looking forward to it.
It's also a bit of a change for me for a few weeks as I get to work on Gardener of the Decade which is a 'champion of champions' challenge for former Gardener of the Year winners! It all looks like a lot of fun at the moment as we put the finishing touches to the challenges and, of course, they've got to have quite a degree of difficulty as our former winners are all formidable gardeners. I'm looking forward to meeting them when we film in a few weeks and you will be able to see the results later on in the year!
In the meantime, enjoy the Gardeners' World special programmes coming up and Gardeners' World will be returning to half hour programmes with Toby on the 12th September.
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~29~RS~)
Comments
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why could Carol klein not have got the job? she has consistently presented Gardeners world, and other excellent programmes in a friendly accessible way, she has a real screen personality, and to put it mildly knows her onions! she has apassion for gardening .
It seems that the BBc is unable or unwilling to have women presenters in positions of authority, i am very dissapointed, it wont stop me watching, but if ITV put on a gardening show with carol klein at the same time then your viewing figures would drop by one.
I hope you will keep Carol klein as co presenter at least, and make sure she has an equal position to toby Buckland, otherwise the women gardeners of England may rise in protest, seriously , I know i am being flippant, but this masks a genuine boiling anger that has been expressed and shared by other women, i think the BBC is confirming itself as sexist and agist, and i had hoped for more from gardeners world,
and carol , i think you are Fab!
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I am quite happy with Toby as the main presenter and hope he will be as popular as Alan, Geoff and Monty. Carol is a ray of sunshine and always watchable and who knows perhaps she did not want the responsibility of the 'top job', there are always two sides to a story. My main concern is the format of Garderner's World. I am quite frankly bored with it now. Please return to the days of making inexpensive garden structures; informing us of how to take plant cuttings - for longer than a few seconds; stop showing us landscaped gardens and get down to the basics as Geoff Hamilton and Alan used to. But we seem to lurch from planting a few flowers in Berryfields borders, to the huge pond, and so on and IT IS BORING. I look to Gardener's World as informative with tips such as those they carry in their Magazine. So Good Luck to Toby and Team, but please wake up the Production Team and give us something interesting to watch.
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shocking news, my gardening pals are in shock
rest in peace Alan Titchmarch
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Crestalady (2) I agreed with everything you say. I am getting tired of the filling in of time with looking at other people's gardens. It may not be thrilling, but I need someone to tell me what I could be doing now, and how I could be doing it.
Last year I took cuttings from my pinks and lavendar, but my husband didn't water them when I was at work so they didn't root. I can't remember when I should have done it now so I have probably missed the boat for this year. I saw the visit to the wonderful garden of the lady who grows pinks, but no advice at all - just a lot of realising that mine look nothing like hers!
I am witholding judgement on Toby - can't call his face to mind at the moment. He has three tough acts to follow, but the team with him (Carol, Joe, Rachel, Christine etc) are all good, and I am looking forward to see what he makes of the programme. Will it stay at Berryfields?
tod
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I agree with crestalady - the format needs to change on gardeners world - even my 86 year old is bored! I find the most frustrating thing is that the show is not actually shown that much - any little reason (cricket, olympics, tiddlewinks!) the show is not screened so you miss the follow up to a previous tips on sowing, taking cuttings etc - even news on progress of seson trials is poor. Make it weekly - move the time slot if needed so that it is never missed. Go with the times - a much better weekly update on Joe's allotment would be great as everyone wnats to grow there own now and save money! Just do something to keep the programme alive - a new presenter doing the same is not the answer.
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I agree that Gardeners World has become
boring for the normal gardener.No practical
stuff these days unless you own a very large
garden all very well for those that do but most of us do not.
It needs to get back to what it used to be.
interesting
Just like Scotlands Beechgrove Garden which
is everything that Gardeners World is not
Mind you I do not expect any change because the BBC use Gardeners World as a
fill in between the snooker tennis and the
Proms and any thing else that requires a
space
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I have just watched the programme tonight 05.09.08 and am so disappointed in the quality ,presentation and content.I have always looked foward to Gardeners World on Fridays and this episode was so lacking in the qualities that held my attention for many year.The presenter...I can't even remeber her name....did not actually look as if she was capable of digging a single hole !
Bring back Carole as the main presenter...she is earthy, practical , inspiring and charming.
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I have only today heard that Toby Buckland is to be the new presenter of GW and while interested to see how he fares I have to say I am deeply disappointed that Carol Kline was not given the job. I have been a fan of hers since the old days of Channel 4 Gardening Club, she has a warm and accessible style of presentation and is hugely knowledgeable. After Monty Don's decision to stand down due to ill health she did a sterling job and seemed like the obvious successor, so when I heard the news today I assumed she had declined the position, but after investigating various news articles I was disgusted to learn she had not even been offered the job and, indeed, was hugely disappointed to be overlooked. As it is obvious I am not the only person who feels like this I think the BBC should take a hard look at itself and consider the consequences of alienating it's loyal viewers.
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As a female gardener, I think Carol made a wonderful presenter. Her enthusiasm and knowledge shone through. But I am sure ageism has played a part in the BBC's choice of Toby Buckland. I am really disappointed she was not even asked.
I will continue to watch because I do want to give Toby a chance, but I feel cheated, as I am sure does Carol.
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Gardeners World used to be compulsory viewing for my wife and I. I could not take to Monty Don as I did not watch in order to be preached to. My wife continued for a little while but she too fell by the wayside. We watched the new series but quickly turned away. I know nostalgia is not what it was but I yearn for proper gardening with proper gardeners with dirty fingers: Geoffreys Smith and Hamilton, Alan T.
I agree completely with Stephen B. ( for the first time ). Please make a proper gardening program
Ian
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I was far from impressed with the choice of new presenter for Gardeners World but thought I would give Toby Buckland a chance. Well. . . he's had his chance and the programme is awful; puerile, feeble and lacking in content. Where is the actual gardening, where is the information about gardening, where is the expert knowledge???
The inane chatter and flirting between Buckland and his cohort Alys Fowler is pathetic to watch and their obvious lack of committment to the show and its ethics lamentable. Maybe they should do a gardening show for children, it is much more their level. Makeover TV is definitely where they should be, where not a lot of actual knowledge or ability to impart useful information is required.
Gardeners' World is the only programme on television for dedicated gardeners; surely we deserve our only programme to be rich in information, dedication and serious content. It has been dumbed down so much even my granddaughter, who is seven, has said she prefers the old programmes, they were more interesting.
I can fully understand why Carol Klein is distancing herself from the programme, doing her section from her own garden. She should have been made the lead presenter with her knowledge and enthusiasm. I should imagine she and Joe Swift are embarrassed to be associated with the new look programme, I certainly would be if I were them!
I have continued to watch so far in the hopes that it would get better, but alas, no such luck. All my friends in the various horticultural societies I belong to have given up and now, so shall I. Unfortunately, the only outcome of this will be that eventually there will be so few viewers that the programme will be taken off the air and lost forever. A sad demise to a programme that has kept gardening alive for the past forty years. I have rarely missed a programme in all that time, but I certainly won't be watching in future.
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I have been a regular viewer of Gardener's World for a number of years, and I have just a few comments to make about the current format.
Carol, as ever, is superb; her enthusiasm, smiles and broad-ranging experience make her a joy to watch. Likewise, Joe's 'guy next door' approach is refreshing, welcoming and his sense of humour always shines through. Unfortunately I'm struggling with Toby and Alys, experienced though they may be.
There seems to be an odd dynamic between them which at its worst - snappy comments, sarcasm, irritation etc. make me cringe and I struggle to watch. I fear that there is a hint of misogyny with Toby and he is somewhat patronising; as for Alys, does she actually want to be there? Her monotone delivery and lack of on-air enthusiasm is really dull.
I tune in now to watch Carol, Joe and other people's gardens. I would hate to stop watching, but I'm struggling now to find reasons to view.
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The BBC does not actually control when sporting events happen. However it likes to show them live. Is it not then obviously that a program in prime time will be shuffled about a bit???
Mysogyny??? How many women have you seen him relate to? Lack of on air enthusiams? Are you kidding?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvwZDasYbF8
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I thoroughly agree with the latest comments about the format of Gardener's world. I used to eagerly await each programme and now cannot even be bothered to watch the show with any interest. I realise that the format of the programme needs to move on but where has the enthusiasm gone? This is only shown by Carol and Jo (when he doesn't join in the inane chatter). Instead of "Play School" we need a real garden and real information.
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