Saturday 30 March 2013

"Brun, Baby, Brun": UK-Norwegian Hoard Hunters

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Networks UK’s History channel has ordered what is billed as a "new factual series", the eight episode "Hoard Hunters" from ITV Studios. This is a "docuseries following archaeologist Mike Webber and his team as they travel to sites of known treasure hoards around the UK to piece together history and perhaps find more artefacts". The treasure hunting escapade is described as a "character driven series that feature amateur enthusiasts who are the best at what they do”:
Hoard Hunters follows Gordon Heritage and Gary Brun as they team up with archaeologist Mike Webber to embark on a quest to unearth hoards of treasure and unlock historical mysteries. Each week the treasure hunting heroes take on a fresh challenge at a new UK location, heading to sites where previous hoards have been found in an attempt to salvage what may have been left behind and maybe even find a whole new hoard
It was described by Andy Cook one of the TV researchers thus:
A sort of Top Gear meets Time Team for the History Channel, made by ITV Studios. Hoard hunters follows Gordon Heritage & Gary Brun, expert metal detectorists as they re-visit the sites of old hoards with bigger and better equipment than before. Combining history, humour the show resembles a boys own adventure – as we follow Gary and Gordon on their quest, whilst historical investigator Mike Webber looks into what they might find.
It is called an "archaeology" programme. Well, what can we expect after the ITV's PAS-produced "Britain's Secret Treasures"? Now we are not going to have even secret ones. The presenters will show just how easy it is for any Tom, Dick and Hamid to go to the records, find a likely Treasure spot and get the metal detectors and spades out and dig up the rest of the archaeology at these sites. Sites, that is of the discovery of nationally important archaeological remains, so by that token these are themselves nationally important archaeological sites, not suitable for ad hoc digging willy-nilly on a Treasure-hunter's whim. What is going on over in the UK? Has any archaeological body given the producers of this treasure-seeking adventure film full of "characters" the low-down on the possible undesirable side effects? Or has the PAS already put its name down to supply FLO-Characters (the pop-star, the cute one, the jovial bald one) for the needs of the programme?

Mike Webber does a lot of work with mudlarks. My guess is that anyone who has seen some of the river detecting or the depth-advantage videos Messrs Brun and Heritage have been involved in will feel that it is very likely that (like Ric Savage's "American Digger" over in the States), this one is not going to present UK metal detecting in the most favourable of lights. We will see.


Sources:
Patrick Munn, 'History UK Orders Two Factual Series ‘Banger Boys’ and ‘Hoard Hunters’..', February 22nd, 2013.

 History UK orders “Banger Boys,” “Hoard Hunters”...', Real screen February 22, 2013. 

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