I do so agree with the above post. The BBC has too many cookery programmes though and quite a few folks do like to be out gardening. Come on BBC give us a proper garden selection - just make sure you include Toby and Alys as I really like them and would watch if they were on.
So the beeb have spoiled gardening and we end the year on a low point with quality gardening prog GW wrecked by taking away Toby and Alys. And then nothing to look forward to in the New Year unless we get them back on a garden programme.
My earnest New Year wish is that the BBC will give us a proper garden programme with Toby and Alys - the Monty fans can keep him (and GW) but let us have a decent programme of our own. Bringing back Monty means I will not have any garden programme to watch at all as I will not bother watching him faff about.
I haven't read all the posts yet but I will get to them all. I will certainly not be watching GW with Monty. I was inspired by Toby and Alys. Surely the Beeb can create another gardening programme presented by Toby and Alys. I hope they both read this blog and take heart from all the support.
Thank goodness Monty is back! I feel sorry for Toby but his style was very hap hazard and a struggle to watch.Monty was the inspiration for me and my husband to start growing our own veg and we welcome his natural motivation on our screens. We had the great pleasure of meeting him at GW live last year at the book signing and he's a great bloke too. XX
I will really miss Toby and Alys. I loved their style and was inspired to copy quite a few ideas from their programmes. I used to enjoy Geoff Hamilton and made lots of stuff from his programmes and books. I have not found any of the other presenters at all inspiring and think that the beeb have made a huge mistake. I have read quite a few of the posts and can understand that some of the viewers are angry about this backward move. I also support the idea that Toby should get his own programme. Some of us are devoted fans and will not want to go back to Monty. I will certainly not be wanting to do so and am thus an exGW viewer. I can see that some people are pleased to have Monty back but they had their go - why should we have to do without Toby just to keep them happy?
I am completely disgusted that Monty Don and the ornamental RdT are back on GW. What a retrogressive step. I had watched GW for 20 years but a few months of Monty Don and I stopped. I really enjoyed the down to earth approach of Alys Toby and Jo. I never did like Carole - the way she overemphasizes her words drives me bonkers. I am SO disappointed and will NOT be watching in future. I feel the programme lost it's way when Geoff Hamilton died - Toby has brought back that practical aspect. Alys is really passionate about plants and is an interesting, knowledgeable and personable presenter. Give them their own show and see how GW holds up in comparison - if you dare!
Oh well that is two viewers you will have lost. I just can't stand Monty thinks he is so great.
Toby will be sadly missed. At least when he was on it looked like the presenters got on well unlike the frosty false smiles when Monty led the "team"
Toby had the guts to try new things not the same old stuff trotted out by Monty. I remember one whole episode when he was obsessed with the garden pan.
I can only echo the views of so many people here who are appalled that Monty Don is returning. It's the equivalent of getting rid of Geoff Hamilton in his early days before he really caught on with viewers.
Don is a has-been who never really got there, if that's possible. His gardening knowledge was (and I'm sure still is) skimpy, and his presentation boring and wooden by comparison with the excellent team that the idiotic BBC has just got rid of.
But then, that's the BBC for you, isn't it? Mundane low-brow programmes to appeal to low-brow viewers who really ought to stick to ITV and Sky.
Toby and the team were a breath of fresh air - MD is absolutely the opposite of that. Stale, boring, has-been - I could go on.
Until Don's gone, I won't be back to watch GW, and I see from the Radio Times and all the comments above that this is probably the majority view. Maybe most of the Monty Don fans can't write?
Sadly whilst the Toby fans are vocal and we are very keen to have him back the BBC is stone deaf as well as stupid. They have decided to drag GW pack to the bad old days and ignore what the majority of gardeners want from the programme. I know a fair number of gardeners who have said that this is the point at which they are giving up GW because they do not want to go backwards in life.
Posts
I have read quite a few of the posts and can understand that some of the viewers are angry about this backward move. I also support the idea that Toby should get his own programme. Some of us are devoted fans and will not want to go back to Monty. I will certainly not be wanting to do so and am thus an exGW viewer. I can see that some people are pleased to have Monty back but they had their go - why should we have to do without Toby just to keep them happy?
Toby will be sadly missed. At least when he was on it looked like the presenters got on well unlike the frosty false smiles when Monty led the "team"
Toby had the guts to try new things not the same old stuff trotted out by Monty. I remember one whole episode when he was obsessed with the garden pan.
Don is a has-been who never really got there, if that's possible. His gardening knowledge was (and I'm sure still is) skimpy, and his presentation boring and wooden by comparison with the excellent team that the idiotic BBC has just got rid of.
But then, that's the BBC for you, isn't it? Mundane low-brow programmes to appeal to low-brow viewers who really ought to stick to ITV and Sky.
Toby and the team were a breath of fresh air - MD is absolutely the opposite of that. Stale, boring, has-been - I could go on.
Until Don's gone, I won't be back to watch GW, and I see from the Radio Times and all the comments above that this is probably the majority view. Maybe most of the Monty Don fans can't write?
I know a fair number of gardeners who have said that this is the point at which they are giving up GW because they do not want to go backwards in life.