Time Team

Although it can be seen every day, all year round on the Discovery channels, new series are filmed in the summer and broadcast very early the following year. Obviously Live digs are different and potentially more exciting. I like Tony Robinson and Mick Aston, but my two favourites are Carrenza Lewis and Phil Harding. In the past few years, Phil has been in danger of being a bit of a caricature with his hat with the feather and his shorts regardless of the weather. He needs nothing extra to be the star of the show as he exudes both enthusiasm and professionalism. My favourite programmes are the roman digs when there is always something to see. Mr least favourite are those from prehistoric times.

Time Team has now entertained the likes of myself for 10 years. With episodes like the 2 visits to Turkdean or the Mosaic at Dinnington or even the thousands of tons of soil moved to reveal the viaduct in Wales, how can you help but be in awe at the speed Tony, Mick, Carenza, Phil and all the hard working diggers excavate sometimes hard to work sites. I haven't missed many episodes and if I have it will only be some of the very early ones. I hope they never stop making this unmissable piece of entertaining education.

Each show covers one archaeological dig - start to finish - incorporating the expertise of historians, anthropologists, paleontologists, area locals, geo-physicists, cartographers and area surveyors to name but a few. The team use artists to both sketch out archaic scenes as well as design computer graphics to show 3 dimensional perspectives of once existing structures. Adding re-enactments, experiments and the rebuilding of artifacts by modern experts only adds to the diversity of the show.

The holistic approach to the dig-site provides a fascinating, multi-tiered study that is accessible to the viewer, regardless of their background.

An archeological dig in your back yard, as you discover what happened in your back yard 350 or 3500 years ago, if you live in England, where your history didn't begin 400 years ago. The dig begins today, and they fill the whole thing back in, after they've been at it for three days. The excitement of the discoveries uncovered as they occur, the involvement of the property owners and the neighbors as they find the history around them.

The uses of computer animation to show how things used to look (or might have looked!) and the technology that allows the scientists to 'look' into the ground even before the first shovel full of earth is turned over.

The show is seen in the US on the History Channel International channel, and is well worth looking up.

Time team is without doubt the best telly show in the know universe. One day quantum archeologists from beyond infinity will dig some singularity trenches and discover traces of Time Team.

From this the profound discovery will be made; namely that there were pockets of humanity that were truly inspirational individuals.

Phil Harding is the absolute guv'nor.

Al out.