TV and Radio permalink
Digging Deep
This discussion has been closed.
-
Message 1.Â
Posted by Plocket (U684859) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
This new series is starting on Ö÷²¥´óÐã2 on Tuesday at 8.30pm. Does anyone have any inside information or have we just got to watch and see?
Funny how this "reality" style programme got to be prime-time viewing while Carol's programme was shunted to "school-time" viewing!!! -
Message 2
Posted by ken-71 (U2340356) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
Something here Plocket, sounds psychological , immerse yourself into the deep deep reasons why you garden.
-
Message 3
Posted by Plocket (U684859) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
Thanks Ken! Dopey here started reading the Eastenders plot by mistake and couldn't work out why it had nothing to do with gardening (I don't watch Eastenders so the names mean nothing to me!)
The idea of the programme sounds pretty out there to me, but if they can create a lovely garden, without rushing it, I guess the programme could be interesting. I'll try to remember to tune in!
-
Message 4
Posted by Lottie (U2331125) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
This may or may not put you off Plocket!
LL x -
Message 5
Posted by William (U2169036) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
Digging deep - the quest for shallow rooters?
-
Message 6
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
From what i can see, the show is about two morguish, misery hawk, hearse chasing yuppies who are setting out to entertain me with their flamboyant joy de vivre.
Great.
Something tells me I'm going to love this. -
Message 7
Posted by William (U2169036) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
Ah, do I spot a shallow rooter?
-
Message 8
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
From the press release "After examining the garden, the pair explore the owner's life and personality to help design a garden that will revolutionise life in their outside space"
That should fill half an hour or so. What about if the pair of them popped round to Fred and Rose West's garden? "Ummmmm" ponders Andre intelligently, "I feel that this garden has seen muuuuch disturbance"
This looks like its plummeting the depths. I can't think of anything sicker or more exploitative the twits behind TV gardening could have come up with. Feng shui the lot of them perhaps? No, sorry, that would be soooo 1990's. -
Message 9
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Sunday, 15th October 2006
Mikey - I'm really looking forward to this programme as it promises to be very entertaining but am secretly a little worried it will be so crass I'll have to hide behind the sofa.
-
Message 10
Posted by U3112597 (U3112597) on Monday, 16th October 2006
"Ummmmm" ponders Andre intelligently, "I feel that this garden has seen muuuuch disturbance"
YES!!!! Ground Force meets Revenge of The Sith. A sure-fire winner!
Unless of course it's more like Ground Force meets The Phantom Menace in which case we're all in trouble. I have a bad feeling about this... -
Message 11
Posted by Slugger (U2316506) on Monday, 16th October 2006
Looks more like a programme for Reality TV psychos than for real gardeners.
I'll give it ten minutes.... -
Message 12
Posted by Plocket (U684859) on Monday, 16th October 2006
That long Slugger???
-
Message 13
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Monday, 16th October 2006
Shock, horror!!! I'm in total agreement with Mikey Toon! To repeat what I said on another thread about this...reading the synopsis every programme appears to exploit someones dreadful illness and heartbreak all of which can be made better by a new garden of course. No doubt every sad story will be accompanied by sad music picked out from a computer database store of "music to pull at people's heart strings" a la Dave Lee Travis! Watch it and weep!
THis could be nearly as good as Coach Trip!
Rhoda -
Message 14
Posted by Ken Smart (U1158196) on Monday, 16th October 2006
An absolute must for me to avoid. Everything I loathe about TV is encapsulated in this style of programme. Of course I've only seen about 30 seconds of advertising (a few times), and that's been enough to give me the creeps. In the best traditions of modern TV, the 'male' presenter sounds a bit of a 'big girl's blouse', and I can hardly make out a word that the old female shrieks. These traits of course, are nowadays regarded as 'artistic'. Why for ..... .... can't they just make a decent gardening programme these days without all the gimmickry? This board is now awash with people with lovely gardens, who would be a damn sight more interesting to listen to, than this pair of publicity-seeking nonentities.
-
Message 15
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Monday, 16th October 2006
Ken Smart - I thnk you've cracked it. Those who have the technology should all make a little film of their garden to post on You Tube. We could have our own gardeners' corner with a Garden Movie thread as per the Garden Gallery thread on the Designboard..
I must put a digital video camera higher up the Xmas list. -
Message 16
Posted by auricula (U3244275) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
ping
-
Message 17
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Who was the awful parasite of human misery Radio One DJ who used to exploit misfortune, in the guise of compassion, for ratings in the 1980's? I can't remember, but his show would have some almost pornographic story of unbelievable sorrow followed by some platitude drenched soft rock ballard (usually that sentimental dross from "An Officer and a Gentleman")and the end was always positive, if not in outcome then in outlook, which always led me to believe even at a young age that it wasn't true. Just sinister, exploitative and dark. Another modern day Hernando Cortez. And it also taught that some people will allow themselves to sink to despicable depths and happily leave their souls at the door, just to claim fame and celebrity from a starting platform of utter utter lack of talent, ability or insight.
Him anyway, wonder if he's going to be on this?
"Have you been affected by any of the issues raised on tonights programme? Please phone this number, our producer would like to take time out from having a terrified mute traumatised young boy, freshly flown in from a war zone, clean her hollowed out seal pup moccasins with his own dead sisters hair, to speak to you about series two".
Ping? more like "ching ching", i'm sure theres a book in this for the, em, expert presenters.
More from me later i reckon. -
Message 18
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I think (as I mentioned above if you had read it) that the parasite was Dave Lee Travesty. Would anyone like to second guess the sound track?
I'm thinking:
Trouble - by Coldplay
American Beauty - Thomas Newman
Gnossiennes - Sate
any other music which is generally background to pictures of famine starved children around the world.
My personal favourite would be
Patches - Clarence Carter, which has the immortal lines....
..Oh Life had kicked him down to the ground
..When he tried to get up Life would kick him back down!
Or that tearjerker Honey by some American bloke. -
Message 19
Posted by grahambeek (U3917037) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Wasn't the DJ Simon Bates with his Our Tune slot?
-
Message 20
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
You are absolutely right GrahamBeek! No wonder Mikey TOon didn't notice my post. I guess I had just removed the idea of Simon Bates from my memory!
Rhoda -
Message 21
Posted by Margi (U2334861) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Did DLT do it before Simon Bates, then, Rhoda? I can hear him doing 'Our Tune' now...
Margi x
PS - Sorry if I'm helping you show your age...! -
Message 22
Posted by Dame Wombat (U2332024) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
some American blokeÂ
Bobby Goldsborough. Err yuck! I can't believe I can remember that. Must have something to do with trawling up the buried memories of my one enounter with performance art. I wonder what other dormant horrors have been stirred up in the murky pondlife of my mind.
Err, more yuck, I think Bobby Goldsborough actually sang about the "murky pondlife of my mind". His mind, not mine obviously, I never met the man.
Anyway much as I would like to watch what promises to be an all round truly horrible programme tonight, there's football on the other side.
Yippee! It pays to be a sports fan! -
Message 23
Posted by Lottie (U2331125) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I still get it on my local radio station
LL x -
Message 24
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Sorry if I'm helping you show your age Â
Don't worry Margi, when I first got ME I aged 50 years over night and had to be wheeled around like Granny Grimble with a woolly hat and a tartan blanket over me. As I recover I am becoming younger and younger - I will be hitting 40 again soon and second time round I look even better! No wonder Chris Beardshaw was so taken with me!
Rhoda -
Message 25
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Hi Rhoda
yes it was your mentioning of "the hairy cornflake" (anyone, win a free night out with me and my friend Rooster - who will dance the Prima Ballerina from Bagpus, for you, in a bar, not as performance art, but because he's 16 stone, bald, and its the best thing I've ever seen- IF you can explain to me why DLT has that moniker)that got me thinking.It was indeed Simon Bates "Our Tune".
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but this show sounds so exploitative of humanity that the theme tune has to be the seminal 1982 Anti-Nowhere League classic "I Hate People". Perhaps Andre and the woman could snarl and spit at the camera and sybolically smash wooden guitars over the head of the weeks victim to indicate to us all just how messed up there life had been. Until of course, their garden is flamboyantly redesigned. The closing music could be "Hooray Hooray its a Holi-holiday" by Boney M, and Lazarus like, our presenters can lead the risen victim around the garden in a gay dance followed by happy glowing children, twinkling pixies and knowing nods.
In fact, thats what they should call the show and accompanying hard backed book. "Lazarus Landscapes". You see folks, these celebrities aren't just great, they can do miracles as well.
And strangely, when we met, Mr Beardshaw was not very taken with me. I thought it would be funny, and secretly indicative of the contempt i have for the cult of celebrity if notof MrB personally, to pretend that i couldn't speak clearly due to a terrible impediment and so a helpful Scouse work colleague "interpreted" for me while i tried to speak backwards russian. It was great. But i guess you had to be there.
Pip pip -
Message 26
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
No Mikey you didn't need to be there. I can picture it all very clearly. I don't know how you could be so cruel to the young god!
Rhoda -
Message 27
Posted by Dame Wombat (U2332024) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I can picture it too, and the way it's looking in my head it is very funny indeed.
But that could just be something wrong with my head. -
Message 28
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
MikeyToon you are outrageous and I love it but I don't think CB cultivates celebrity - lots of other stuff but not that. I'd love to see you do the same to Monty though because he seems to be lacking a sense of humour and this pair we have in store tonight because I suspect they will deserve it.
-
Message 29
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Well let's face it, you have never been quite right since you got knocked over by that bus!!
Out of interest had these two come round to tackle your back yard when you were staggering around with your head in a bandage, short term memory loss and triple vision, would you have been pleased to have an Australian rainforest (and/or desert scenario) erected in your garden? It could be argued that reconnecting in this way with your Australian roots would have aided your psychic recovery?
Rhoda -
Message 30
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Wombers is originally Kiwi. They would have had to do that black garden we saw at Chelsea and fill it with flightless birds to keep her personality menagerie company.
-
Message 31
Posted by Dame Wombat (U2332024) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Rhoda, Obbers. I hope the two of you aren't suggesting I head-butt another bus just so I can get on the telly?
I don't know what sort of garden you'd have to recuperate from brain damage, but I think I might have inadvertantly made it myself.
The whole idea of this new programme disgusts me - which probably means I will end up watching it. At least on most garden makeover shows the clients admit they were just too bloody lazy to do it themselves - no holistic happy clappy crap involved. -
Message 32
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I have to say I totally agree with you although I suspect we are all wrong in discussing this as a gardening programme at all.
I do feel quite strongly about what I perceive as the exploitation of (and possibly by) those with disabilities in this area. When I was so ill I couldn't even walk up my small garden I spent the winter months designing a new one. My OH put in most of the labouring work and by the time the hard landscaping was done I was well enough to plant perhaps one plant a day. A year later I was up to tapping in the loose laid bricks on one of the patios sometimes achieving up to 6 bricks a day. So that when the garden was 'finished' the sense of achievement it gave me (and the OH) was a huge boost to my shattered confidence and a big step on the road to health. Far from being a sob story the whole thing was totally enjoyable. Although it was frustrating to have not been able to help the OH in the clearing and building task I sat in the garden with the cats and watched and supervised so we felt like a real team on the project.
I am sure that there are plenty of mentally and physically disabled people out there helping themselves. How much more interesting to see their achievements than to put up with this lifestyle rubbish where people are usually portrayed as victims unable to help themselves.
If anyone reading these has featured on one of these programmes please feel free to argue to put your viewpoint and correct any misconception I may have about this. Perhaps after watching tonight I may feel differently. I doubt it.
Rhoda -
Message 33
Posted by toonia (U4760062) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I wonder how they advertised for people to appear on this show?
-
Message 34
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
That is an interesting question Toonia. I think there are websites that list programmes looking for certain types of people to participate. Although that implies that the participants have selected themselves rather than the producers seeking out worthy causes. Occasionally people post on here saying that their gran or whatever is a wonderful person but is tragically ill and can someone do her a garden makeover. I'm sure that some of them are meant sincerely but if I was "Gran" I believe that I would appreciate an effort by the family to dig the garden and perhaps plant a shrub in my honour much more than having a TV team tramping all over house and garden imposing their selves and ideas on me.
Not that all programmes have to be worthy - I enjoy America's Next Top Model!
-
Message 35
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Rhoda you do seem to listen to some weird radio programmes and now here you are with weird TV too.
I would much rather have a programme about garden therapy in action for those who will benefit from doing it rather than have a pair of personalities vying for screen bytes. There must be a programme or even a series about Thrive or Mencap and garden work just waiting to be made by someone competent and balanced and sensitive - not after sensalionism for ratings sake. -
Message 36
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Ok - I've watched it now. Everybody involved should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
-
Message 37
Posted by Plocket (U684859) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I watched the last five minutes or so, and that was enough to put me off tuning in next week. How much gardening was actually shown in the programme please, before I completely write it off?
-
Message 38
Posted by veratrum (U5606302) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I so agree with you, just out interest what happened to the children, surely the garden was for them too?
-
Message 39
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
"Lets pause for a stabilising breath before we go any further darhrrrling"
Are TV gardening presenters representative of gardeners in the UK? I was just wondering. I'm a bit on the common side and didn't go to a Steiner school- is there any future for me with the Ö÷²¥´óÐã? These two tonight, they didn't look like any gardeners I've ever met. She said darling twelve times. She pronounced Weigela as if it was "Nigella" with a "W" at the start. Funny that.
Disgusting vultures
Voyeristic vomit
Intrusive and ghoulish
Because we are all the same, we need stylists like this to 'brainstorm' for us. Because we are all a bit useless, we need pompous arrogant yuppies to get us to talk to each other. Because we lack creativity, we need to listenm to "design speak"- a language talked by people in art galleries who are able to talk for hours without actually saying anything. Because its the Ö÷²¥´óÐã it gets past the quality and good taste censor. On which planet do these people live? Is there life outside Kensington? No. I think there isn't.
I recommend everyone looks up the book 'Intellectual Imposters' by Alan Sokel and Jean Bricmont for an expose of those that attempt to sound profound in order to disguise their lack of substance (Sokel and Bricmont had an article published in a Postmodernist jargon ridden publication that actually, although gramatically accurate, meant absolutely nothing and made no sense- but the editors didn't realise and the readership did not notice).
These two tried it on but was anyone convinced, for a minute? When the man Andre was chatting to that fella, did he really care?Is he qualified to deal with the emotions involved in the serious illness of a loved one? how ** crass is that? And you can't rearrange gardens like you can a living room you pillock. Plants, unlike say, a sofa, have evolutionary adaptations that make them suited to certain areas and makes it unwise to move them wiilly nilly.
Red pink and yellow roses. Genius.
A gazeebo. Well I never did.
All they wanted was a patio and a bit of grass for the kids and instead they got the rear end of a Knightsbridge coffee bar.
Can't wait for next week! -
Message 40
Posted by Slugger (U2316506) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
As promised, I gave it 10 minutes.
No more luvvy gardeners for me - they were truly aweful, saccharin, show biz egos.
Yuk! -
Message 41
Posted by Larkshall (U4033662) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Back to the subject.
Who watched it?
I thought it was another Ground Force, 5 days it was supposed to have taken. From experience of Ö÷²¥´óÐã filming, to get 30mins on screen requires much more time than that. Some of my colleagues spent all morning to get 2mins on the screen.
The amount of work they were talking about would take more than five days if it were done properly.
They have a term for it in the Breckland - "Blacking it over" -
Message 42
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
At one point the lady who had cancer said "If only we could have had this garden two years ago". Well perhaps your partner could at least have made a start on it by dismantling the sheds! I know people who in between bouts of pain and sickness (during their chemotherapy treatment) have put in a lot more effort in their gardens than that. Astonishing that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã could actually create a programme that made you feel so little empathy or sympathy with people in their position.
Where on earth did the Ö÷²¥´óÐã pick up these truly revolting presenters from? I thought the Beeb had pretty much hit rock bottom with Christine.
Not even an ounce of ironic humour to be gleaned from it. -
Message 43
Posted by mr naughty corner (U2456974) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
What do you mean "back to the subject"? I thought everyone was on the subject that it was dreadful from every angle. Do you understand that?
Your colleagues can't be much good working all morning to get a two minutes done. That's just rubbish! -
Message 44
Posted by Margi (U2334861) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
I got a bad feeling from this programme during the opening titles, when a Digging Deep logo revealed itself in a suspiciously similar way to how a certain Christine's Garden logo had previously revealed itself... and unfortunately it didn't get any better.
While I have a huge amount of sympathy for the couple whose garden it was, and who have obviously gone through hell, I thought the imposition of those patronising, self-centred pseudo-psychobabblers onto their garden and their lives was totally unforgivable... prancing around the garden with lengths of fabric so they could imagine flowering plants, and draping more over the swing frame to represent a rose-covered arbour - utterly pathetic! I experienced more of what I call my little 'Tourette's Moments' during this half hour than in the previous five years put together...
I wish the couple much joy of their garden which, apart from several horrendously self-conscious and bad-taste planting gaffes, was actually quite nice (though not particularly child-friendly...) but the programme itself was utterly nauseating on all levels.
There is a real, serious field of horticultural therapy (as championed by the excellent charity Thrive) which makes a huge difference for the better in many people's lives. Horticultural therapy has been done a serious disservice by this programme, and doubtless by the rest of the series.
Shame on you, Ö÷²¥´óÐã, for perpetrating this kind of trash rather than giving a respected, knowledgeable horticulturist like Carol Klein a prime-time slot for her new programme and relegating her programme to a time when most gardeners cannot watch it!
Margi -
Message 45
Posted by plantaholic (U3147925) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
Just read a few of the comments and admit I turned over after just a couple of minutes and it didn't appear any better when I flicked back later.
It looked revolting and certainly not for me!!!!!!!!!!
Px -
Message 46
Posted by Larkshall (U4033662) on Tuesday, 17th October 2006
"Your colleagues can't be much good working all morning to get a two minutes done. That's just rubbish!"
No it isn't, if you ask any serious videocameraman how much of the time spent shooting actually finishes up on screen, it's about par for the course. Don't forget people forget their lines, an aircraft crosses overhead, somebody doesn't move right for the camera and it all has to be done again. I involved a club I belong to, to shoot scenes in Cambridge on the Thursday morning for Look East. We did 12 scenes, the cameraman said 11 were OK, one was not because a van crossed the picture. He went back to his producer, who said do it all again on the Sunday.
I refused. -
Message 47
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Wednesday, 18th October 2006
I watched this from start to end but I did have to leave the room briefly to fortify myself with a glass of wine.
Wasn't it awful? I found it hard to sympathise with this couple letting their garden go to rack and ruin. It would have been far more positive if they'd at least kept the grass trimmed for the kids to play thus easing some of the child care burden on frazzled parents and maybe even giving her somewhere to sit and soak up the sun to make her feel better.
As for the garden design I didn't think the end result was too bad as an area for the parents to be calm and relaxed but leaving nowhere for the kids to play, sit, hide, make mud pies, eat etc beggars belief. I would have liked to see clear plant names on the screen for those of us who care about plants and combinations and I do hope they gave that pair instructions on after care and judicious pruning.
The only truly good part of the programme was where the darlings were sitting in dappled sunshine drinking champagne while they doodled. That I can relate to and will put into practice at the earliest opportunity but with NZ Lindauer as it tastes better IMHO. -
Message 48
Posted by Rhoda Dendron (U2176380) on Wednesday, 18th October 2006
I have to say I did wonder if the whole thing wasn't a complete fake. The garden was supposed to go to rack and ruin but there was one long shot where there appeared to be a reasonably well-trimmed lawn with children playing on it. The various sheds (which looked new) hanging about just seemed like someone (the producers?) had plonked them there for effect.
I was wrong about the background music - no Simon Bates stuff there. I felt no connection with the couple and began to wonder if their story wasn't manufactured as well. I think one of their lines was that the garden had helped them open up to each other - but there was no exploration as to why this might be. Next time the OH and I are not communicating do I go out and plant a few 'healing' plants and then everything will be fine? -
Message 49
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Wednesday, 18th October 2006
I wondered about that too Rhoda but then admonished myself for being cynical. However it does seem odd that a caring parent would just dump a perfectly good wendy house like that and not keep bikes and toys safely for their kids.
-
Message 50
Posted by Piggin (U4839534) on Wednesday, 18th October 2006
I have to agree with everything that has been said. Absolutely nauseating, patronising, drivel.
What happened to the children? Don't they come into the equation?
I think the programme planners at the Ö÷²¥´óÐã have all gone completely mad. Whoever commissioned this outrageous garbage should be instantly dismissed or given psychiatric help themselves, and as for the presenters.......... T
o say I was horrified by this is an understatement. I'd better go now before I get modded.....
About this Board
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Search this Board
Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD
Ö÷²¥´óÐã navigation
Ö÷²¥´óÐã links
Ö÷²¥´óÐã © 2014 The Ö÷²¥´óÐã is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.