Film crews visited Wessex Archaeology this week to record a special episode of Time Team. Jackie McKinley and Phil Harding, WA staff and long-standing members of the Time Team, were interviewed about their roles in the programme that has inspired budding archaeologists for twenty years. Phil, of course, is one of the original members of the Time Team crew and is instantly recognisable, while Jackie provides expert advice on human remains and has also directed some of the more recent programmes. Wessex Archaeology has itself played an important role in Time Team’s history over that period, supplying staff and technical support.

This special episode will take a retrospective look at the last two decades of the programme, the first of its kind. It will consider how it has changed over the years and why it has stayed so popular with over 2 million regular viewers.

Phil and Jackie suggested that while the basic format of Time Team episodes has remained the same, the producers and presenters have gained a better understanding of archaeology over the years, as well as how to work effectively with professional archaeologists. As a result Time Team has gained the trust of the archaeological world, which has certainly benefited from the publicity and awareness the programme has brought to the discipline.

This special episode will air sometime in the next few months.