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Philip Clarke, Time Team producer gives us an insight into his role putting together the Big Royal Dig and overseeing the shoot
1. A project of this size must have had many potential headaches. Were there many pitfalls that had to be overcome before going ahead?
Everything is a potential pitfall until you can be sure it isn't. The thing about a live programme is that everything has to come together and work at the same time; you can't fix it in the edit. It was probably the complexity of the negotiations (with the Royal Household as well as English Heritage and Historic Scotland and St Georges Windsor that defined this event for us – they were inevitably long and at times a bit tricky. Would we be allowed the trenches we wanted, could we put the loos where we wanted, would we get the security passes through in time and so on. And it was Edinburgh's busiest weekend of the year – the Tattoo, the TV Festival and the Festival; there were no hotel rooms!
2. How many people do you think the dig involved altogether? Would this have been one of the larger shoots you have overseen?
Yes probably the biggest although arguably the Big Roman Dig over the 9 days was as big. About 450 people I think.
3. The dig was very ambitious. Did any major concerns arise on location? For example, were there any moments during filming where you thought 'we've taken on too much'?
I suppose the huge additional factor for us this time was the More4 output. Running 6 hours live per day and then the C4 show in the evening was tricky, although in the end the relatively tiny More4 team were magnificent. But there were moments when the two production teams were clashing over who could have what cameras or locations – we might be needing to shoot an insert for the evening or rehearse a sequence and More 4 are actually on air! But no – I don't think we hit that rock bottom moment. The short Friday evening show was a great trial run as it was relatively undemanding and it got everything running.
4. Did you have a favourite moment from the dig?
What apart from going to the pub after we had finished the last show you mean?
The best moments for me are probably when something I've dreamt up – very possibly only a few hours previously – really works on air and delivers a good bit of television. It might be quite small – like giving Tony a bottle of champagne to tuck under his arm as if he has nicked it from the Queen's cellars, and being Tony, he pulls it off as a nice little understated gag. In content terms – the great graphic reveal of how Buckingham Palace would have looked if the 18th century garden were still there. Or using the golf buggies to move the show around. The big find at Windsor of the Round Table building. And the burnt building remains at Holyroodhouse. And the silly wobbly Victorian jelly at the end. And knowing we have a great team of presenters and experts who will make the best of everything.
Generally the satisfaction comes if you feel you've put together a reasonably smooth and flowing and informative programme out of all these disparate bits, and you've done it under that pressure – like still writing outlines at 2am and being on site at 8.30!
1. A project of this size must have had many potential headaches. Were there many pitfalls that had to be overcome before going ahead?
Everything is a potential pitfall until you can be sure it isn't. The thing about a live programme is that everything has to come together and work at the same time; you can't fix it in the edit. It was probably the complexity of the negotiations (with the Royal Household as well as English Heritage and Historic Scotland and St Georges Windsor that defined this event for us – they were inevitably long and at times a bit tricky. Would we be allowed the trenches we wanted, could we put the loos where we wanted, would we get the security passes through in time and so on. And it was Edinburgh's busiest weekend of the year – the Tattoo, the TV Festival and the Festival; there were no hotel rooms!
2. How many people do you think the dig involved altogether? Would this have been one of the larger shoots you have overseen?
Yes probably the biggest although arguably the Big Roman Dig over the 9 days was as big. About 450 people I think.
3. The dig was very ambitious. Did any major concerns arise on location? For example, were there any moments during filming where you thought 'we've taken on too much'?
I suppose the huge additional factor for us this time was the More4 output. Running 6 hours live per day and then the C4 show in the evening was tricky, although in the end the relatively tiny More4 team were magnificent. But there were moments when the two production teams were clashing over who could have what cameras or locations – we might be needing to shoot an insert for the evening or rehearse a sequence and More 4 are actually on air! But no – I don't think we hit that rock bottom moment. The short Friday evening show was a great trial run as it was relatively undemanding and it got everything running.
4. Did you have a favourite moment from the dig?
What apart from going to the pub after we had finished the last show you mean?
The best moments for me are probably when something I've dreamt up – very possibly only a few hours previously – really works on air and delivers a good bit of television. It might be quite small – like giving Tony a bottle of champagne to tuck under his arm as if he has nicked it from the Queen's cellars, and being Tony, he pulls it off as a nice little understated gag. In content terms – the great graphic reveal of how Buckingham Palace would have looked if the 18th century garden were still there. Or using the golf buggies to move the show around. The big find at Windsor of the Round Table building. And the burnt building remains at Holyroodhouse. And the silly wobbly Victorian jelly at the end. And knowing we have a great team of presenters and experts who will make the best of everything.
Generally the satisfaction comes if you feel you've put together a reasonably smooth and flowing and informative programme out of all these disparate bits, and you've done it under that pressure – like still writing outlines at 2am and being on site at 8.30!
