TV and Radio permalink
Bring back Greenacre, Toby and Alys
This discussion has been closed.
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Message 1.Â
Posted by AngelaWatson (U3126654) on Monday, 14th March 2011
I watched GW over the weekend and although I like Monty and have nothing against him, I definitely felt the programme was lacking in inspiration. I loved the way Toby presented the programme when it came from Greenacre and he definitely made you want to get out there and crack on.
I just found the whole format so very boring and I found myself fast forwarding bits that I wasn't interested in. Like so many other posts, it would have been better had they included Monty in the GW format with a section from his garden and at least we would have seen how Greenacre had faired over the winter period, and which plants had survived etc, now we shall never know.
What has happened to Toby and Alys, are we going to see them appear on new programmes?
Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ get your act together otherwise you are going to lose a good few viewers. -
Message 2
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Monday, 14th March 2011
They already have lost viewers with Toby presenting. It seems there are plenty returning judging by this message board.
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Message 3
Posted by Vermiculite (U14586684) on Tuesday, 15th March 2011
They already have lost viewers with Toby presenting. It seems there are plenty returning judging by this message board. Yes, plenty of people are returning but most are coming on here to complain about Toby leaving - not because they are happy!
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Message 4
Posted by DiggerSean (U14704361) on Tuesday, 15th March 2011
They already have lost viewers with Toby presenting. It seems there are plenty returning judging by this message board. Isn't it a bit of a myth to say viewing figures dropped under Toby's time? As far as I recall the most dramatic drop in viewing figures happened when Monty first fronted the show.
If there was a drop when Toby was there it may have had something to do with the frustrating dropping of the show for 'other' events/shows and the summer breaks!!
As for people returning, I'm not so sure. I just think there are quite a few unhappy viewers at this moment in time. If people are saying that they have returned to viewing the programme after stopping watching it with Toby in charge because it was so bad, and now its such an improvement how would they know if they haven't been watching it. But I guess we're all going over old ground. -
Message 5
Posted by tony field (U2429972) on Tuesday, 15th March 2011
green acre was lovely garden, it had really come on in last couple of yrs and i feel its real shame that we now wont get to see what all that work over the last few yrs would end up like ,even the green house and sheds were modern, and good on the eye.
Monty Don Nothing against him is mono tone,a butcher wen it comes to gardening, boring , the garden of his is borin, nothin about friday ngts garden inspired me at all, what are the bbc thinking of? why go back to this? only persons garden i would pesonally like see would be alan`s, end of, please get rid of monty and take swifty with you , his jokes are really not funny , -
Message 6
Posted by PrueC (U14802098) on Wednesday, 16th March 2011
I watched GW over the weekend and although I like Monty and have nothing against him, I definitely felt the programme was lacking in inspiration. I loved the way Toby presented the programme when it came from Greenacre and he definitely made you want to get out there and crack on.
I just found the whole format so very boring and I found myself fast forwarding bits that I wasn't interested in. Like so many other posts, it would have been better had they included Monty in the GW format with a section from his garden and at least we would have seen how Greenacre had faired over the winter period, and which plants had survived etc, now we shall never know.
What has happened to Toby and Alys, are we going to see them appear on new programmes?
Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ get your act together otherwise you are going to lose a good few viewers. I agree with everything you said. The new GW was all very flat. Almost every week when Toby Buckland was presenting I was inspired to try something new or to follow his advice. I wish we had Toby and Alice back for fun and really good practical and inspirational ideas. -
Message 7
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Thursday, 17th March 2011
Heaven forfend! Greenacres was initially filled with promise but was so badly managed it became a farce. The whole design concept, the too rapid introduction of new features without consolidating the first steps, the lack of follow up to show what had worked and what hadn't, the mad 30 minute projects that we never saw again because they probably fell apart 30 minutes later, the vastly expensive raised beds and that ludicrous water feature..............
Not to mention the slapdash way Toby in particular treated his tools and, worse, the plants and even his colleagues.
Gardening is, for me, about having fun, about working with the soil and the plants about creating something beautiful or quirky or a haven for wildlife or something good to eat. It's a slow game with natural cycles and hugely satisfying. With Toby at the helm it became frenzied, rushed and embarrassing.
As I've said elsewhere, he may be a good gardener and a good writer but he's a dreadful TV gardening presenter. I've seen him on other gardening shows on the now deceased gardening channel and he was just the same on those. I never understood why he was given GW.
Having said that, I remain to be convinced about the wisdom of going back to Monty Don but it is at least being filmed in an owned garden which is cherished so the odds are it will grow on us and provide useful, timely and relevant advice and ideas for all levels of gardeners. -
Message 8
Posted by itreesaregreen (U3066222) on Friday, 18th March 2011
I agree. It is nice to share a garden which has been built from scratch over the years by people who have poured their love and labour into it. Thank you to Monty for allowing the cameras to invade his own private paradise, as all gardens are to owners who love to garden.
This is not Montys fault, and although I do feel very sad for Toby and Alice, I am pleased to see Rachel and, yes Monty again. It is obvious that we all need different things from the show. I think, as somone suggested earlier, that a show for begginers and one for the more experienced gardener would be great.
As for the size, I love to see all types of garden and can find ideas and inspiration from the smallest to the largest.
I would watch both as any gardening programme for me would beat much of the inane rubbish that seems to be on TV. I love sitting down to watch GW on Friday and always have regardless of who has been presenting, although I do have my favourites.
Lets hope they dont give up on us all together and scrap GW!! -
Message 9
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Friday, 18th March 2011
Arghhhhh.....It's NOT bluddy 'ALICE', it's ALYS!!!!!
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Message 10
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Friday, 18th March 2011
Lighten up DK. Alys is a very esoteric spelling of a common enough name so easy to mistake.
The rest of the message was positive and considered and we should concentrate on content, yes/no? -
Message 11
Posted by Lowena (U14575314) on Friday, 18th March 2011
I bet she was registered as "Alice"
Seeme like a bit of an affectation to me - I have a niece called Lucy, who now insists it is spelt Lucie.. Alice/Alys sounds the same and has no bearing on her as a gardener methinks -
Message 12
All this user's posts have been removed.
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Message 13
Posted by RoseAnne Dempster (U14817751) on Friday, 18th March 2011
I watched GW over the weekend and although I like Monty and have nothing against him, I definitely felt the programme was lacking in inspiration. I loved the way Toby presented the programme when it came from Greenacre and he definitely made you want to get out there and crack on.
I just found the whole format so very boring and I found myself fast forwarding bits that I wasn't interested in. Like so many other posts, it would have been better had they included Monty in the GW format with a section from his garden and at least we would have seen how Greenacre had faired over the winter period, and which plants had survived etc, now we shall never know.
What has happened to Toby and Alys, are we going to see them appear on new programmes?
Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ get your act together otherwise you are going to lose a good few viewers. I agree with everything you said. The new GW was all very flat. Almost every week when Toby Buckland was presenting I was inspired to try something new or to follow his advice. I wish we had Toby and Alice back for fun and really good practical and inspirational ideas. I agree. Last weeks programme was boring! The only bit I found funny was that Joe Swift and Carol Klien were banished from Monty Don's garden - and what was that winter visit to a garden by Carol Klien- even she looked bemused! Joe Swift looked as if he had wet pants on when he was clearing the pond. Toby was inspirational and really brought gardening to life- and Alys Fowler was diverse in showing gardening techniques and appreciation of nature. Bring back Toby and Alys! -
Message 14
Posted by RoseAnne Dempster (U14817751) on Friday, 18th March 2011
Are you due back on GW over the summer. Have ´óÏó´«Ã½ got plans to update the edible garden?
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Message 15
Posted by Fran (U14817758) on Friday, 18th March 2011
Although lovely to see Monty Dom fit & well, I found Toby fun, knowledgeable, inspirational & a fantastic presenter. I loved the banter between gorgeous Joe and ALYS (HE HE). It was fasinating to watch Greenacre grow, as I have been trying to create a rather large garden from bare grass myself. Alys had some fantastic food ideas, loved the foraging episodes amazing to know what is edible in our countryside, although not sure I would trust myself to do this, prob land up with a bad case poorly stomach. Can we not have two Gardeners World one with Monty & Rachel the other with Toby, Joe & Alys.
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Message 16
Posted by Shirleyv (U14817821) on Friday, 18th March 2011
I am so pleased to find someone else who is disturbed by the complete silence on Greenacres and Toby and Alys. The new GW is OK. Monty is a nice bloke and his garden lovely but I want to know what happens at Greenacres as well. Please give us some information. You can't just abandon a growing garden so what will happen to it? Do Toby etc still do the work?
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Message 17
Posted by lowart (U14414783) on Friday, 18th March 2011
Greenacre is no more - a scandalous waste of money. Tax payers now support the development of MD's scruffy plot! No wonder he agreed to come back!
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Message 18
Posted by cufcskim (U14483815) on Friday, 18th March 2011
It's been said on many on the daft amounts of threads on this subject, Greenacres is once again a playing field.
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Message 19
Posted by Norifolk (U14817852) on Friday, 18th March 2011
I watched GW over the weekend and although I like Monty and have nothing against him, I definitely felt the programme was lacking in inspiration. I loved the way Toby presented the programme when it came from Greenacre and he definitely made you want to get out there and crack on.
I just found the whole format so very boring and I found myself fast forwarding bits that I wasn't interested in. Like so many other posts, it would have been better had they included Monty in the GW format with a section from his garden and at least we would have seen how Greenacre had faired over the winter period, and which plants had survived etc, now we shall never know.
What has happened to Toby and Alys, are we going to see them appear on new programmes?
Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ get your act together otherwise you are going to lose a good few viewers. I have to agree - gardening programs aren't exactly flooding the airwaves and tonight's program was a real hotchpotch. After the winter we've had and the way so many hardy (and expensive!) specimens have been lost we could be doing better than finding out how to prune redcurrants.
As much as I love Monty I really think we're not getting the best value from him - after all his years of experience we've descended to planting lilies!
It also seems to me that this format is a total turn off for younger viewers considering the wealth of potential there is in gardening. At least Toby and Alys had a less traditional approach.
Think again ´óÏó´«Ã½ - this is not one of your best! -
Message 20
Posted by lowart (U14414783) on Friday, 18th March 2011
You are so right - there seems to be a coming together of opinion that the best way forward is to have two shows - one traditional for established gardeners and one to encourage gardeners who might have less space and/or experience. What was so great about Alys is that she had extensive knowledge but this was coupled with an ability to not intimidate inexperienced gardeners, she drew people in.
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