The Great British Dig: History in your Back Garden

Nominated for: Best Factual Entertainment Format 2021

Produced by: Strawberry Blond TV
For: More4
Distributed by: Hat Trick International

The alternative archaeology format that helps everyday people uncover the amazing history buried in the most ordinary of places. This format eschews stately homes and castles, instead recruiting heartland communities to hunt down amazing archaeology in the most ordinary of locations - their very own backyards.

In each episode, our host and their team of crack archaeologists head to a street, town, or village that’s lost touch with its own remarkable history. It’s a location where there once stood an important building, or a place that has earned a special place in our history books. They’ll recruit locals to help unearth artefacts and structures, by doing a series of exploratory digs across the back gardens of an entire street. They’ll delve into local legends and distant history to pinpoint the best site for each dig and convince homeowners to let them into their property to turn over their treasured turf. Over a week, the host, experts and amateurs alike will look to unearth actual ancient treasures and artefacts and bring real local history back into the hands and hearts of the community.