Time Team is a British television programme that originally aired on Channel 4 from 16 January 1994 to 7 September 2014. It returned in 2022 on online platforms YouTube and Patreon. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining the process in lay terms. The specialists changed throughout the programme's run, although it consistently included professional archaeologists such as Mick Aston, Carenza Lewis, Francis Pryor and Phil Harding. The sites excavated ranged in date from the Palaeolithic to the Second World War.
In October 2012, Channel 4 announced that the final series would be broadcast in 2013. Series 20 was screened from January–March 2013 and nine specials were screened between May 2013 and September 2014. In May 2021, Taylor announced the return of the series, with free episodes to be shown on YouTube. The first episodes of the revival began appearing on YouTube in 2022.
Series overview
Team members A team of archaeologists, usually led by Mick Aston or Francis Pryor (the latter usually heading Bronze Age and Iron Age digs), and including field archaeologist Phil Harding, congregate at a site, usually in Britain. The original Time Team line-up from 1994 changed over the years. Historian and archivist Robin Bush was a regular in the first nine series, having been involved with the programme through his long friendship with Aston. Architectural historian Beric Morley featured in ten episodes between 1995 and 2002. In 2005, Carenza Lewis left to pursue other interests and was replaced by Helen Geake, an Anglo-Saxon specialist. The regular team also included Stewart Ainsworth, landscape investigator; John Gater and Chris Gaffney, archaeological geophysicists; Henry Chapman, surveyor; and Victor Ambrus, illustrator.
The team was supplemented by experts appropriate for the period and type of site. Guy de la Bédoyère has often been present for Roman digs, as well as those involving the Second World War (such as D-Day), and aircraft (such as the Spitfire). Architectural historian Jonathan Foyle has appeared in episodes relating to excavations of country estates. Paul Blinkhorn (pottery), Mark Corney (coins), Carl Thorpe (pottery), and Jackie McKinley (bones) have appeared from time to time. Mick 'the dig' Worthington, an excavator in the early series, occasionally returned as a dendrochronologist, whereupon he was dubbed 'Mick the twig'. Osteoarcheologist Margaret Cox often assisted with forensic archaeology, mainly between 1998 and 2005. Other specialists who appeared from time to time include historian Bettany Hughes, archaeologist Gustav Milne, East of England specialist Ben Robinson, architectural historian Richard K. Morriss, and David S. Neal, expert on Roman mosaics. Local historians also joined in.
In February 2012, it was announced that Aston had left the show because of format changes. The disputed changes included hiring anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota as a co-presenter, dispensing with other archaeologists and what he thought were plans to "cut down the informative stuff about the archaeology". "The time had come to leave. I never made any money out of it, but a lot of my soul went into it. I feel really, really angry about it," he told British Archaeology magazine. Time Team producer Tim Taylor released a statement in response to the news reports saying "His concerns are of great importance to me. We have addressed some of them" and that "you've not heard the last of Mick on Time Team".
Regular team members in later years included archaeologist Neil Holbrook, Roman coins specialist Philippa Walton, and historian Sam Newton. Younger members of Time Team who made regular appearances include Jenni Butterworth, Raksha Dave, Kerry Ely, Brigid Gallagher, Rob Hedge, Katie Hirst, Alex Langlands, Cassie Newland, Ian Powlesland, Alice Roberts, Faye Simpson, Barney Sloane, Tracey Smith, and Matt Williams.
Time Team members
+ Name Occupation Role Tim Taylor Creator Executive Producer Sir Tony Robinson Actor & Presenter Presenter Jimmy AdcockGeophysicistGeophysicist Mick Aston Archaeologist Site Supervisor Phil Harding Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Carenza Lewis Archaeologist Strategist Robin Bush Historian Historical Specialist Stewart Ainsworth Archaeologist Landscape Archaeologist John Gater Geophysicist Archaeological Geophysics Chris Gaffney Archaeologist Archaeologist Helen Geake Archaeologist Presenter,Small Finds Victor Ambrus Illustrator Archaeological Illustrator Neil Max Emmanuel Illustrator Historical Illustrator 2D Motion GFX
Art Director Raksha Dave Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Matt Williams Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Mark Horton Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Tracey Smith Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Brigid Gallagher Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Jackie McKinley Osteoarchaeologist Bones Specialist Miles Russell Archaeologist Presenter,Archaeologist Derek Pitman Archaeologist Presenter,Archaeologist Lawrence Shaw Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Francis Pryor Archaeologist Site Supervisor Beric Morley Architectural Historian Architecture Specialist Henry Chapman Surveyor Survey Specialist Guy de la Bédoyère Romanist Roman Specialist Jonathan Foyle Architectural Historian Architecture Specialist Paul Blinkhorn Archaeologist Pottery Specialist Mark Corney Numismatist Coin Specialist Carl Thorpe Pottery Specialist Mick Worthington Dendrochronologist Wood Dating Specialist Margaret Cox Osteoarcheologist Forensic Archaeology Specialist Bettany Hughes Historian Historical Specialist Gustav Milne Archaeologist Archaeologist Ben Robinson Archaeologist East of England Specialist Richard K. Morriss Architectural Historian Architecture Specialist David S. Neal Romanist Roman Mosaic Specialist Mary-Ann Ochota Presenter Presenter Neil Holbrook Archaeologist Site Supervisor Philippa Walton Archaeologist Coins and Small Finds Specialist Sam Newton Historian Historical Specialist Jenni Butterworth Archaeologist Archaeologist Kerry Ely Archaeologist Archaeologist Rob Hedge Archaeologist Archaeologist Katie Hirst Archaeologist Archaeologist Alex Langlands Archaeologist Landscape Archaeologist Cassie Newland Archaeologist Archaeologist Ian Powlesland Archaeologist Archaeologist Alice Roberts Doctor Bone Specialist Faye Simpson Archaeologist Archaeologist Barney Sloane Martyn Williams Broadcaster Podcast Presenter Keith Wescott Metal Detectorist Metal Detector Specialist Dani Wootton Archaeologist Presenter,Finds Specialist Giselle Király Archaeologist WWII Specialist Richard Parker Archaeologist Buildings Archaeologist Meg Russell Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Raysan al-Kubaisi Designer and Architect Graphics Specialist Gus Casely-Hayford Cultural Historian Presenter Naomi Sewpaul Archaeologist Environmental Archaeologist, Float Tank Specialist Richard Osgood Archaeologist War Specialist Hilde Van der Heul Archaeologist Field Archaeologist Matt 'Bear' Clark 3D media artist Recreations, 3D Illustrator, Graphics Specialist
Production Time Team developed from an earlier Channel 4 programme, Time Signs, first broadcast in 1991. Produced by Taylor, Time Signs had featured Aston and Harding, who went on to appear on Time Team. Following Time Signs''' cancellation, Taylor went on to develop a more attractive format, producing the idea for Time Team, which Channel 4 also picked up, broadcasting the first series in 1994. Time Team has had many companion shows during its run, including Time Team Extra (1998), History Hunters (1998–1999) and Time Team Digs (2002), whilst several spin-off books have been published. The programme features special episodes, often documentaries on history or archaeology and live episodes. The programme has been exported to 35 other countries.Time Team America, a US version of the programme, was broadcast on PBS in 2009.
On 13 September 2007, during the filming of a jousting reenactment for a special episode of Time Team, a splinter from a balsa wood lance went through the eye-slit in the helmet of one of the participants and entered his eye socket. 54 year-old Paul Anthony Allen, a member of a re-enactment society, died a week later in hospital. Channel 4 stated that the programme would be shown, but without the re-enactment sequence. The episode, dedicated to Allen, was transmitted on 25 February 2008.
Cancellation In 2012, Aston announced he was leaving the show after criticising format changes that focused less on archaeological activities. Channel 4 subsequently announced that the final Time Team series would be broadcast in 2013. Viewing figures had been in decline from 2.5 million in 2008 to 1.5 million in November 2011. The regular Time Team programme ended on 24 March 2013. Aston died unexpectedly on 24 June 2013.
In October 2013, Robinson said in an interview with Radio Times that he believed Time Team still had life in it and suggested that after a three- or four-year absence it could make a return. He also expressed support for a fan-organised Facebook campaign to bring the Time Team crew together again to carry out a dig in memory of Aston. The final Time Team special aired on 7 September 2014.
Revival In December 2020, producer Tim Taylor announced that Time Team would begin airing episodes on a YouTube channel called "Time Team Classics". Taylor also announced the launch of the Time Team Patreon page, allowing fans to financially support efforts to revive the series. On 29 January 2021, the project exceeded its goal of 3,000 patrons.
On 17 May 2021, Taylor made an announcement on the return of the series, with episodes planned to air for free on the YouTube channel. Confirmed team members included Carenza Lewis, John Gater, Helen Geake, Stewart Ainsworth, Raysan Al-Kubaisi, Neil Emmanuel, Naomi Sewpaul, Matt Williams, Henry Chapman, Dani Wootton, Brigid Gallagher, Neil Holbrook, Suzannah Lipscomb, Jimmy Adcock, Natalie Haynes, Derek Pitman, Lawrence Shaw, Hilde van der Heul, Pete Spencer, and several returning production team members.
In September 2021, it was announced that Gus Casely-Hayford and Natalie Haynes would present the revived series.
Series 21 featured two three-part episodes, each covering a new dig conducted in 2021. The first of these episodes, which premiered between 18 and 20 March 2022, covered the excavation of an Iron Age settlement on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. The second episode premiered between 8 and 10 April 2022 and featured the excavation of a Roman villa in the grounds of Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, discovered by metal detectorist and amateur archaeologist Keith Westcott in 2016.
Time Team returned to Broughton Castle to answer questions related to a mysterious stone sarcophagus. The first of this two-part episode premiered on 22 December 2022.
Further episodes were released in 2023 and 2024:
24 March 2023 – Halston Hall, Shropshire – three parts 1 April 2023 – Central Greece – two parts 10 June 2023 – Shipwreck off the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset – one part 30 June 2023 – Diss, Norfolk – three parts 5 April 2024 – Modbury, Devon – three parts
On 8 March 2024, the Time Team YouTube channel announced plans to dig Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, in June 2024. A 3 part feature-length documentary of the dig presented by Tony Robinson was released in 2025.
Music The series' original theme music was composed by Paul Greedus. The majority of the incidental tracks and main themes for the show, and for many of the specials ("Dinosaur Hunting in Montana", "D-Day", "The Big Dig", etc.) were composed by Steve Day.
Format