Messsage for Daniel Haynes and Adam Paco. Your over the top celebrations of the "Good News" and the email from Gardeners World delighting in Montys return were very disrespectful to Tony and Alys who will no longer be providing us with normal down to earth wit and wisdom. I will no longer buy Gardeners World magazine and doubt I will watch the program when it retruns lacking for me the excellent Toby and Alys.
A good change - Toby B. was far too simplistic - although to be fair, the programme content was planned for him so producers behind the scenes made conscious decisions to focus on the gardening beginner as opposed to the knowledgeable enthusiast and now Toby has been sacrificed as the scapegoat.However, it is a retrograde step to choose Monty Don, although siting the programme in a real garden is a definite improvement, as long as vegetables do not take regular centre stage. Why does the BBC have such a short-sighted view of potential horticultural presenters? There are loads of charismatic personalities who are real gardening experts - Chris Beardshaw, Roy Lancaster, Andy Sturgeon,or even Diarmuid Gavin!I do hope that presentation is really scrutinised prior to the new series - it is necessary to show skills, explain stages and describe what success and failure looks like - hopefully then the 2011 series will return to being a learning, developing and evaluating medium rather than another version of Blue Peter!For a blueprint of perfection, just refer to the recent 4- part series delivered by Alan Titchmarsh - beautiful gardens, analytically and historically explained,with planting styles clearly and enthusiastically conveyed.
Really delighted to know Monty will be back to make my Friday evenings a really treat and that he will be teaching us all through his work in his own garden. I will hang on every word!
I am so thrilled that Monty is coming back as presenter, he has been truly missed. His love of gardening just oozes from him, I will be returning to view Gardeners World once more - sorry Toby but just found the programme so deadly dull I am afraid that I stopped watching. The fact that it will be coming from Montys own garden is a definite plus, his book about creating his garden is fantastic.
Welcome back Monty - looking forward to the Spring now!
This is definitely an early Christmas present! No disrespect to Toby, but I really missed Monty Don, and am overjoyed at his return. GW will once again be one of the highlights of my week. How will I contain myself till March?
The production team are to blame for the demise in popularity of GW. But, changed the format back to normal viewing. Though to late. Damage done. It was never the Alys and Toby's fault. They where originally the team behind the camera. Making the Don's and Klein's look good, as presenters. Highly qaulified, and inspirational to all up and coming students of horticulture. Bad Karma BBC!
I'm in mixed minds about the decision. I enjoyed watching Monty when he presented GW, I liked his organic gardening methods, and I was sorry when he left through ill health. I did stop watching GW during the first season with Toby due to the new style of the programme and not the presenter. The programmes over the last year have been a big improvement and I was starting to enjoy watching GW again and I liked Toby's style of presenting. It will be sad to see a knowledgeable gardener like Toby leave. I feel sorry for him as he seems to be the scapegoat for the poor decisions made by the producers in their attempt to revamp the programme. I also think it's a really poor decision to replace Alys with Rachel. Rachel may be pretty but I find her quite dull and not very knowledgeable. I'm glad Carol Klein is still on GW - a true plantswoman.
There needs to be something to enthuse those new to gardening, but those of us who are lucky enough to have been gardening for longer need encouraging and enthusing as well.
Posts
Welcome back Monty - looking forward to the Spring now!
He and Carol Klein teach in a painless way.
There needs to be something to enthuse those new to gardening, but those of us who are lucky enough to have been gardening for longer need encouraging and enthusing as well.
You have made my week.