What if Time Team made a come back?

Series producer and creator Tim Taylor catches up with some of the show’s original team at the Festival of Archaeology to see what they think.

As we celebrate 25 years since the first series of Time Team, we have all been repeatedly asked, “When is it coming back?” Before we answer that question, we need to ask a you few questions.

Who would be in it? 

Sadly, some of the original team are no longer with us – not least, the irreplaceable Mick Aston – while others have since retired or moved on to pursue other interests. So, would a group of contemporary archaeologists be able to face the challenge of doing a Time Team – even if they had a bit of help from the old hands?

“Mick was very clear that Time Team was always about more than the individual personalities involved,” explains series producer and creator, Tim Taylor. “Most importantly, it was a great way of evaluating archaeological sites. It was a methodology that enabled us to evaluate hundreds of sites that otherwise would have never come to light.”

So, is there a good reason to bring Time Team back? And, if so, could the current crop of archaeologist’s cope with it? Tim puts the question to some of the programme’s original team members, Carenza Lewis, John Gater, Francis Pryor and Stewart Ainsworth.

“I think there certainly is, in a different format perhaps,” Francis Pryor tells Tim. “But there is definitely still a need. There is a huge public interest in archaeology, and I think it should come back.”

“Picking up the point about whether younger archaeologists could take over the reins: yes, of course they could,” says John Gater. “But you might realise we weren’t picked for our good looks, with one or two exceptions. Phil, maybe, is the exception! As long as they’re true archaeologists, true professionals, who are going forward onto TV for the right reasons... The other thing is: are they prepared to let their livers take the beating of 25 years? I’m not sure they’d be up to it, and I’m certain they wouldn’t want to end up looking like us!”

Stewart Ainsworth: “I do think it’s vitally important to encourage members of the public to get involved in archaeology, and to have their say in local forums – with your local councils, with your local members of Parliament – to tell them how much we value archaeology and how much we want to share archaeology with our children and grandchildren. Television plays an important role in advertising that, and Time Team has probably been one of the biggest thing that has happened to archaeology for many years – to make archaeology and history accessible, and we need to keep that profile going whatever way we can.”

“Yes, I’m sure it could come back,” adds Carenza Lewis. “I think one thing perhaps... we were all quite general in terms of our range of knowledge. Archaeology in many ways has become more specialised. So, I think you need people with a more general spread of knowledge, and I think I was certainly lucky in being involved in the pre-social media era. I think the immediacy of a series like that now, where you’re constantly having to respond immediately, would face different challenges. But there is certainly an interest and a huge thirst for it... Time Team was always about archaeology in the ordinary and unexpected places, ‘guerrilla archaeology’ if you like, and I always thought that was when Time Team was at its best. My experience, personally, when people are involved in archaeology in their own communities, shows that archaeology is relevant to anyone... because it’s about the shared space that people have. So there will always be a place for archaeology in people’s lives, if you give people the chance to access it.”

"It's vitally important to encourage members of the public to get involved in archaeology... we need to keep that profile going whatever way we can."

Stewart Ainsworth

So, a new incarnation of Time Team certainly gets the blessing of some of the original team. But what do you say? If, by any chance, Tony wasn’t available for every programme – he is currently incredibly busy – could you think of anybody who could stand in, on occasion?

We’d love to know what you think. Share your thoughts by emailing membership@timeteamdigital.com.

We'll publish some of the best responses in Issue 3 of our newsletter, Trench 2. If we feature your response, a Time Team weekend bag will be heading your way!