Comic to front back-garden archaeology series

Hugh Dennis is to present a new More 4 show in which people hunt for archaeological treasures in their back gardens.

The broadcaster has commissioned four hour-long episodes of The Great British Dig: History in Your Back Garden, staring on February 17. 

It follows a pilot which aired in April last year, again hosted by the Mock The Week and Outnumbered star, which became the channel’s most successful one-off programme of 2020. 

The comedian is joined by an expert team of archaeologists as they visit Newcastle in search of a Roman fort, try to unearth the long-lost Lenton Priory in Nottingham, seek a Viking graveyard in North Yorkshire and hunt a secret army base in South Shields. 

Dennis said: ‘The Great British Dig is a fantastic format which combines finding out about the history of where you live and the surprising things that lie under your own back garden. It’s kind of a community archaeology project.’

The experts joining him  are Dr Chloe Duckworth, archaeological scientist and lecturer at Newcastle University, archaeologist Richard Taylor and field archaeologist Natasha Bilson.

Channel 4’s commissioning editor Tim Hancock said: ‘There’s something properly magical about finding important pieces of British history in your own back garden. I can’t wait for viewers to discover what Hugh and the team dug up."

And Steve Wynne, the chief executive of programme-makers Strawberry Blond TV, said: ‘The history we unearthed right under people's noses was truly incredible. Who knew you could have a Roman fort, a Viking burial ground or William the Conqueror's lost priory buried under the petunias?’

Published: 4 Feb 2021