UKTV Gardens - Gone

[Creemteez]

Yup, another "P'd" off viewer of the Garden channel here.
When I got in from my shift at the bakery at nine a.m., it was kettle on, coffe made, feet up and watch an episode or two of GW or somesuch. This morning? S*dding "Escape to the Country". Those "lifestye" programmes make my toes curl

[maytreefrannie]

I've watched Big Dig, Digging for Victory, Victorian Kitchen Garden, the old GWs and the others, some of them watched a few times, always found something new that I hadn't noticed before.

I haven't watched the channel they've replaced it with, but - only going by the names of the programmes - it looks to be of much lower quality than Gardens.

I emailed UKTV about it, though will probably just get some kind of form reply.

[Lucylou0069]

well, that will explain why i couldn't find it tuesday evening when i had the tv all to myself for a change. Gutted

[BilboWaggins]

Thanks NOG, that explains why the re-runs of Geoff Hamilton's Cottage Garden series went AWOL. At least I got a few on them recorded on Sky+. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing them again and GH's regular comments about saving money, making it yourself, and so on. Wasn't there a hoo-haa on GW some while back 'cos there was some pressure on presenters to encourage us to buy stuff rather than recycle and reuse (could be having an elderly moment and mis-remembering....)

I did think the great man would be turning in his grave when I saw the sponsor - Roundup or some such glyphosate-based chemical.

[HotStuff]

The gardening programme about lotties was called the big dig and compared a lottie inWales and one down south i forget where, i loved it as they were two such different sites, approaches and the characters who grew on them were fab.

The other lot were in Highgate in North London. The series was presented by Simon Mayo. It was good fun to watch. The other series I enjoyed was "James Martin Digs Deep".

[Paulottie]

Bit upset when I pressed my favourites button to find it gone last night....so its 'what not to wear' and plastic surgery shows according to the menu. Can't keep up with all this re-branding...is uktv being broken up or something?

Gardening is hugely popular at the moment.... so they thought they would axe the only dedicated channel on TV. Don't know who 'they' are; but they've cheated me out of one my life's little pleasures. May their garden wither and the fleas of a thousand camels infest their pubic hair.

[BumbleB]

It used to be so good to just switch on when you had the time to watch for some inspiration. I used to watch very late at night. Dont they realise us gardeners are a busy lot and need to unwind after a heavy day digging etc.

[NOG]

Bit upset when I pressed my favourites button to find it gone last night....so its 'what not to wear' and plastic surgery shows according to the menu. Can't keep up with all this re-branding...is uktv being broken up or something?
.

I think the parent company must be in trouble.

[Mac]

Gutted! Can't see any gardening programmes scheduled for the next umpty hours! Just have to sit and watch my chilli's ripening!

[Safhyre]

[maytreefrannie]

I got a reply from them saying they'll be running the best of the gardening shows on their channels - Home, Really and Blighty. The only gardening shows I 've seen listed since the change are
Ground Force - which is interesting but in my opinion is more of a makeover show than dealing with actual gardening and
City Gardener - while I enjoy this and love Matt James I don't feel it's enough, and again, quite often it deals with bringing order and beauty to spaces rather than growing food, though it sometimes deals with that.

I miss those allotmenteers from Rhonnda and Highgate and the old Gardeners World and Victorian Garden's Dodson and.... ah, I could go on, but UKTV have spoken and in place of the Garden Channel we have the Really Channel, which I think should be called Really??? - having said that, I've not watched it at all, only read the programme titles and the info but it looks like a TV version of a tabloid mag bulked out with re-runs from Home.