Digging up Trouble

As regular readers of this blog will know, I love the archaeology programme 'Time Team'. I record old episodes and they are a staple ‘play in the background’ type of programme while I work on the Computer. Since I don’t kweep up very well with the news of the day I was unaware that it was rocked in February by a major row.

Mick Aston and Tony Robinson

Mick Aston, he of the multi-coloured jumpers, who has been in team since it started 19 series ago, has resigned in a row over the programme being dumbed down. The 65 year old professor of archaeology said he’d been left seething at alterations which resulted in “a lot less archaeological content and a lot more pratting about. 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.”

Mary-Ann Ochota

The archaeologists were told last year by producers that the Channel 4 show was seeking a female co-presenter who “does not have to be overly experienced or knowledgeable as we have plenty of expertise within the existing team”. So ex-model Mary-Ann Ochota, 30, (dubbed the show’s “totty”) was introduced as Tony Robin-son’s co-presenter. Now Cambridge-educated Mary-Ann has told her fans she will not be returning either. It sounds like the team is in a mess.

P.S. Dictionary definition of pratting' :
(verb) to behave stupidly, especially when you should be behaving in a responsible way; messing about; fumbling; mucking about; particularly used in the north of England in a derogatory way,

Dictionary definition of 'totty' :
(noun] a girl or woman, especially one regarded as sexually desirable.