The celebrated British archaeology series returns to screens for its first new episodes in a decade in a new extended format – thanks to the support of fans worldwide.
Join Time Team for the excavation of two fascinating sites: an Iron Age settlement with underground tunnels in Cornwall, and a huge Roman villa on the estate of a Tudor castle in Oxfordshire.
“These are dark times; we can see what is happening but yet we seem to be unable to stop a lot of it… For me, what Time Team does, it’s not simply entertainment – in times where the truth is quite hard to find, the land tells us the truth.”
Kate Mosse (author of Labyrinth)
The programs will premiere for free worldwide on the Time Team Official YouTube channel in an extended three-part weekend extravaganza covering each dig: Cornwall – 18th/19th/20th March and Oxfordshire – 8th/9th/10th April.
Time Team is celebrating the release with additional previews, live aftershow events and complementary content for each dig, exclusively on Patreon, alongside other public watch-along activities, still to be announced.
Time Team’s return is thanks to the successful and ongoing support of thousands of fans in over 40 countries on the Patreon platform. Meanwhile, shows from the original run have been enjoying over 2 million views per month on the Time Team Classics YouTube channel.
Tim Taylor, Time Team’s creator and Series Producer, says: “This is the culmination of a long, challenging but thrilling journey for the team and our supporters worldwide. Much more than that, it’s proof that great things really can happen when people come together and unite with a shared goal. Our amazing supporters on Patreon can now officially say: ‘I made that happen!’ And there’s lots more to come from Time Team, with our fans by our side.”
The new episodes are presented by Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE and Natalie Haynes. Gus is an historian, curator, broadcaster and inaugural Director of V&A East, London. Natalie is a classicist, comedian, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s much-loved Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, and author of critically acclaimed books including Pandora’s Jar.
Gus and Natalie are joined by a host of original and regular team members including Professor Carenza Lewis, Dr Helen Geake, Dr John Gater, Professor Stewart Ainsworth, Naomi Sewpaul, Matt Williams, Professor Henry Chapman, Jimmy Adcock, Dani Wootton and Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, and newcomers Dr Derek Pitman and Lawrence Shaw.
“Leaving completely aside the fact that it was a fascinating television series that meant so much to people who liked it, as the experience of going on digs and working that intensely with people at the very top of their field. It was a privilege.”
Philippa Gregory (author of The White Queen and The Other Boleyn Girl)
Taylor continues: “I’m delighted with the new episodes – they really capture the spirit of the original shows and that thrill of discovery, while reflecting the advances in technology and approaches that have developed in the years since.”
Time Team’s return has enjoyed the backing of many fans, including bestselling authors Sir Michael Morpurgo, Bernard Cornwell, Philippa Gregory, Kate Mosse and Ken Follett.
Taylor says: “We have lots of exciting activities planned around the new episodes and hope you can join us for these events, so please watch this space for further announcements.”