This looks like a good show

[Kenleyboy]

I thought it was quite good , bit of gentle TV .

[TheFenTiger]

So, just consulting my kings and queens ruler, it must be a misprint as I can't see Henry VII in the 1600s......

[Oxgirl]

So, just consulting my kings and queens ruler, it must be a misprint as I can't see Henry VII in the 1600s......

It was corrected after but they used the wrong bit of film

[TheFenTiger]

So is Henry a detectorist or was he just interested in detecting because of the programme?

[Oxgirl]

So is Henry a detectorist or was he just interested in detecting because of the programme?

I believe he has a friend who detects and just thought it would be interesting, but no he doesn’t detect.

[Saffron]

I had missed this thread as not been on here so much recently, and only found the program by accident due to retuning the TV last night (it was on the old channel number for the program I wanted!).

I thought it was "OK", but not sure I would go more than that. However in fairness there is only so much you can get in a 45 minute program (which is all it was with adverts removed).
They had a FLO on but did not say what "FLO" stood for or what they did
Although the PAS was included in the credits at the end it would have been nice if they had explained what it was, the nearest it got was the FLO vaguely mentioning that the "medieval broach" , which was more likely to be a 19th century hair grip or maybe furniture decoration, was "nice but would not be recorded".
As others have said they were detecting around a castle, but no mention was made of protected sites, nor that permission was always required to detect. So unsurprisingly Voldemort has commented 'They are going to hoik artefacts out of Britain's "finest historical sites" to see who can find the "rarest and most valuable find" and therefore "end up in the money".' I am sure other "antis" will pick up on this.

Obviously good to see our own Catherine / Oxgirl on the program, and although introduced as being from the NCMD, as with the FLO no mention was made of what this stood for or what they did.

On a positive it did show the amount of rubbish that was dug, and especially considering the location the limited amount of good finds (more so when they were divided by 10 detectorists over 2 days).

Evan

[Oxgirl]

That’s a fair summary Evan They filmed a lot about responsible detecting but didn’t use it. There was too much to cover in one show I guess but a minute on getting permission and protected sites would have definitely been useful.

What was really good though was there were no seeding of finds, the push for big blingy stuff or showing the hobby as finding loads of valuable items. It showed the big pile of rubbish which, as we know, is the reality for most of us.

[tesorobri]

I thought it was ok, crap shown w ith the best bits, will watch again if there,
s any more

[Saffron]

One thing that did put some people off (even before the show was broadcast) was the word "Treasure" in the title, it was very good to see that at the end they strongly made the point that metal detecting was about the history, and not treasure or the value of finds.

Related to this was how they said that if a good find was made you could not rush off to Christies auctions but had to report it and the FLO then said about they and the coroner had to be informed within 14 days and that it could then be claimed and the finder and landowner get a 50 /50 split, or the returned.

Evan

[Blackadder43]

I think that we all need to remember that this was a TV show, and in such, and even though they involved experts in their field, but ultimately on the cutting room floor, is where the decisions are made as to what stays and what doesnt stay
I have heard that a lot more details on the whys and what fors was discussed, but didnt make it past the editing suite

We all know from our life experiences that rules and regulations take second place in TV shows, especially if they are trying to give it legs to get viewers, and advertising income....

I agree with all thats been said though, and its been a fair assessment
I thought it was ok, but cant see a future for it really.

[figgis]

Just watched it.

I think that most of the gripes people seem to have with it stem from the fact that they're viewing it from the viewpoint of detectorists. Forget that - it's an entertainment show and the niceties and rules that we all know go with the hobby will take second place to making it a popular show with the general public. Yes, some what we know are important things were either missed out or glossed over but there are two reasons for this.

1. It's a pilot. There's only so much you can fit into 50 minutes and the main thrust has to be with regards to getting a series commissioned, which means making it watchable, probably at the expense of the "boring" stuff like rules and regs. They included some, but it should come as no surprise that not everything would be included.

2. Editing. Good tv is all about showing drama where you can find it and it that's at the expense of what we as detectorists regard as important then that's what'll happen. I know from personal experience how the director's/producers' need for drama can result in the kind of editing that make you wonder if you were actually present at the time of filming.

This wasn't a documentary - it was entertainment, and a one-off at that (so far at least). You can't reasonably expect them to include everything you'd like to see in one short programme. Indeed, in order for the full story of detecting to be put across you'd best be hoping for a series to be commissioned, thereby giving plenty of time to address the realities, rules and true wonders of this hobby.

I think although there were some glaring omissions and cringeworthy aspects, there's the kernel of a decent show here once the wrinkles are ironed out

And Mrs F wants to know how Cath manages to look so "fresh and bright"

[jcmaloney]

Hopefully it will remain just a one off and will soon be gathering dust in the bowels of the ITV4 archive and the really annoying bloke trots off to do something else.

As a hobby it isn`t "exciting" enough for TV, unless it is heavily edited, and then the baby goes out with the bath water.

They showed how much they understood by filming it in great filming conditions..... which are the worst possible detecting conditions.

[Pete E]

Only just watched the program now and have mixed feelings about..I get that it's entertainment, but I am not sure that would have been particularly entertaining to Joe Public?

That said I think it was a very fair representation of detecting though, and I am glad they pushed the history side, rather than just the treasure aspect....

If it goes on to be a series, I think I would continue watching and I think it has the potential to evolve into something much better. Personally, I would be happy to see the competition side be dropped and for it to be more about just uncovering history...

Finally, I would have liked a little more time devoted to the FLO discussing the finds...Also, during the wrap up, what happend to the groat that was found early on? Did I miss that, or did it end up on the cutting room floor?

[Saffron]

Sadly I fully agree with what both Blackadder and Figgis said about it "being a TV show" and that a lot of the good detecting rules and regulations stuff would have ended up on the cutting room floor, even if that is not what a lot of detectorists would have liked to have seen.

But no TV show will survive on the small audience that it would get if only detectorists watched it so it has to be aimed at "the general public". I thought the "marking" of the finds at the end was a bit of a gimmick in a one off show, but if this became a series the general public like an element of competition so I could well see marks being given in each show and running totals being kept so that everybody could follow their favourite pair f detectorists.

Like Pete I would have liked a little more time devoted to the FLO discussing the finds, there is an limited amount of time anybody will watch holes being dug and ringpulls being found, and discussing the finds would provide more of the history element - eg as they did with the German WWII wounded badge and the POW camp at Sudley. (FYI: Some of the prisoners actually married local girls after the war and the families are still in the area).

Finally Pete said "what happend to the groat that was found early on?", there was not a groat found, towards the start when introducing the detectorists they showed some of the finds they had made in the past and the groat was one of these finds. The only hammered was the cut half.

As local to me (sadly I do not know Dent-Bocklehurst, and even if I did I doubt if he would let me detect there!) a few footnotes
1) A hoard of 251 silver coins connected to the Civil War has been found at Winchcombe
https://www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/col ... oin-hoard/
2) In Anglo-Saxon times Winchcombeshire was a county, with Winchcombe as its county town.
3) For a time Winchcombe had its own mint https://finds.org.uk/earlymedievalcoins ... int/id/242
There is a section in spinks about the late Anglo-Saxon and early Norman mints as well.
4) The River Isbourne (basically a large stream) rises above Winchcombe on Cleeve HIll and is the only river in England to run directly South to North, joining the River Avon at Evesham.
5) The main road through Winchcombe runs parallel to the Isbourne and has narrow roads that drop steeply down to it, the one to Sudley Castle is called ... Castle Street, and the one past the Roman vineyard is called .... Vineyard Street.
6) The main attractions are Sudley Castle, Winchcombe pottery, and the GWSR heritage steam railway that runs from Winchcome to Broadway, the church and a museum.

Evan

[Pete E]

Does anyone remember a detecting documentary series from a few years back following two guys as they went around detecting different sites? I seem to recall one drove a Defender and he carried every conceivable bit of kit including full scuba gear? I am trying to recall the name of the series???