I so much wanted to like this programme because of the subject matter but having now watched five episodes - I missed the second one (well four and a half to be precise as I am half-way through this one) I am beginning to see the flaws - and there are a lot of them!
The first episode I watched was about the Wars of The Roses' battle at Towton and not knowing much about this (other than having my interest piqued with the BBC Drama "The White Queen") was pretty impressed Especially with the experts Tim Sutherland who had spent 25 years researching this particular site (impressive) and the chap who did the "underground radar" (which after nearly two decades of "Time Team" we ALL know this as "geophys") who also happened to hail from Yorkshire - A nice touch to see locals being used. However I was a bit surprised when the show's conclusion was they pretty much didn't know any more than they did when they started!
Well I thought that maybe that could be refreshing - an honest programme that didn't try and FORCE a result upon us so I sat down and started to watch the second episode. This one was about Agincourt or Azincourt and looked to be just as interesting as the first show apart from the woman author who kept referring to it as AgincourT (with a hard T at the end). Well even my basic history knowledge has taught me that this is WRONG! Still, SHE was the expert in the matter so I let her attempt to Anglicise it go.
So off we go to the site itself and who should pop up as the "expert in the field" non other than Tim Sutherland again and alongside him his faithful Yorkshire companion on the "underground radar" (For the last time, it's GEOPHYS)! Apparently Tim has specialised on this battle for en years (not quite the 25 years as an expert at Towton but still impressive nonetheless and what a co-incidence that he is an expert in both). Another co-incidence was that at the end of this episode they knew nothing more either! Shame.
Episode three (four) and off to Masterby and guess who is there? Hello Tim, nice to see you! Fancy you being over here in Gotland, Well I guess Masterby does sound a bit like it could be a Yorkshire town, Well now you are here would you mind doing the honours. Oh and Richard the radar man is here as well. What new information did you find? Oh. Nothing? Nothing at all? Oh well.
My episode four (and in reality five) and we are back to Yorkshire. Home turf and in the case of Radar Richard - almost literally. A field where aged 11 he discovered his love for battlefields and he and Tim were able to reminisce about how they clear away the overgrowth years ago. Oh yes and let's go and see the our friends at York University to analyse things. ( Id I mention a that Tim Sutherland is from York University - no - how remiss of me? Guess what we found out at the end? Yes, you are beginning to get the picture.
Tim is now appearing as the expert so often that I has convinced myself that he was also the narrator; he wasn't, that is Jeremy Freeston! Phew so it is not that nepotistic then after all! (Well actually a quick scan down the list of cameramen etc will see that it is but I'll leave you discover that for yourself)
So onto the final episode and no Tim or Richard yet but we are back to York University!
This time looking at disease and pestilence and we are seeing lots of very impressive people (they are all "Doctors" you know). Impressive that is until one of them refers to A bacteriA. Again, my grammar school education did not extend to Latin but even I know the difference between single and plural! Suddenly I lost all faith in the programme.
I still have the final 30 minutes to go but I am going out on a limb here and guessing that they do not actually find out anything! Call me a cynic but hey.
This programme held my interest for the subject matter but the presentation was poor and amateurish. The presenters/contributors repeated the same bit of information two or three times and the whole thing felt like it was made on an incredibly low budget. It just felt like a show produced by students!
Does the University of York have a course in media studies? Anyone know?
The first episode I watched was about the Wars of The Roses' battle at Towton and not knowing much about this (other than having my interest piqued with the BBC Drama "The White Queen") was pretty impressed Especially with the experts Tim Sutherland who had spent 25 years researching this particular site (impressive) and the chap who did the "underground radar" (which after nearly two decades of "Time Team" we ALL know this as "geophys") who also happened to hail from Yorkshire - A nice touch to see locals being used. However I was a bit surprised when the show's conclusion was they pretty much didn't know any more than they did when they started!
Well I thought that maybe that could be refreshing - an honest programme that didn't try and FORCE a result upon us so I sat down and started to watch the second episode. This one was about Agincourt or Azincourt and looked to be just as interesting as the first show apart from the woman author who kept referring to it as AgincourT (with a hard T at the end). Well even my basic history knowledge has taught me that this is WRONG! Still, SHE was the expert in the matter so I let her attempt to Anglicise it go.
So off we go to the site itself and who should pop up as the "expert in the field" non other than Tim Sutherland again and alongside him his faithful Yorkshire companion on the "underground radar" (For the last time, it's GEOPHYS)! Apparently Tim has specialised on this battle for en years (not quite the 25 years as an expert at Towton but still impressive nonetheless and what a co-incidence that he is an expert in both). Another co-incidence was that at the end of this episode they knew nothing more either! Shame.
Episode three (four) and off to Masterby and guess who is there? Hello Tim, nice to see you! Fancy you being over here in Gotland, Well I guess Masterby does sound a bit like it could be a Yorkshire town, Well now you are here would you mind doing the honours. Oh and Richard the radar man is here as well. What new information did you find? Oh. Nothing? Nothing at all? Oh well.
My episode four (and in reality five) and we are back to Yorkshire. Home turf and in the case of Radar Richard - almost literally. A field where aged 11 he discovered his love for battlefields and he and Tim were able to reminisce about how they clear away the overgrowth years ago. Oh yes and let's go and see the our friends at York University to analyse things. ( Id I mention a that Tim Sutherland is from York University - no - how remiss of me? Guess what we found out at the end? Yes, you are beginning to get the picture.
Tim is now appearing as the expert so often that I has convinced myself that he was also the narrator; he wasn't, that is Jeremy Freeston! Phew so it is not that nepotistic then after all! (Well actually a quick scan down the list of cameramen etc will see that it is but I'll leave you discover that for yourself)
So onto the final episode and no Tim or Richard yet but we are back to York University!
This time looking at disease and pestilence and we are seeing lots of very impressive people (they are all "Doctors" you know). Impressive that is until one of them refers to A bacteriA. Again, my grammar school education did not extend to Latin but even I know the difference between single and plural! Suddenly I lost all faith in the programme.
I still have the final 30 minutes to go but I am going out on a limb here and guessing that they do not actually find out anything! Call me a cynic but hey.
This programme held my interest for the subject matter but the presentation was poor and amateurish. The presenters/contributors repeated the same bit of information two or three times and the whole thing felt like it was made on an incredibly low budget. It just felt like a show produced by students!
Does the University of York have a course in media studies? Anyone know?