Latest news with #MackenzieCrook
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on metal detecting: hobbyists as well as experts can play a part in unearthing the past
The discovery of two swords at a dig in Gloucestershire has fuelled speculation that a Roman villa may once have stood there, at a period in the second or third century AD when Saxons were making inroads in the region. Experts think that the blades may even have been deliberately hidden – but not deep enough to conceal them from a novice metal detectorist, Glenn Manning. Next month, the public will get a chance to see the weapons when they go on display at the Corinium museum in Cirencester, to which they have been given. The items join a growing list of striking finds by hobbyists. These include a gold nugget found in the Shropshire Hills by Richard Brock, who located it with the help of an old machine that was 'only half working'. Another newcomer dug up a gold necklace bearing the initials of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, which is now in the British Museum. There are an estimated 20,000 metal detectorists in Britain, with at least two factors having contributed to the activity's increased popularity over the last decade. One was the pandemic and the nudge it gave to some people to find a new way to spend leisure time. The other was the Bafta-winning BBC television comedy Detectorists, which ran for three series starting in 2014 and returned for a Christmas special in 2022. Written by Mackenzie Crook, this was a story about the hidden depths of male friendship as well as the Essex farmland where they did their detecting. While archaeology had been on TV before, in programmes such as Time Team, metal detecting was an unexpected focus for a popular drama. There was probably also something in the zeitgeist, since mudlarking on the Thames saw a boom during the same period – going from the obscure pastime of aficionados to something much more mainstream. Like metal detectorists, whose focus on precious objects sometimes comes into sharp conflict with the scholarly priorities and painstaking processes of archaeologists, mudlarks (who sometimes use metal detectors along with other techniques) need authorisation to go on their scavenging hunts. From just 200 permits sought in 2018-19 from the Port of London authority, the total rose to 5,000 three years later. One result of this upsurge in interest is a new exhibition of 350 mudlarked objects. Secrets of the Thames includes medieval carvings and Victorian forgeries, and opened at the London Museum last week. Not all metal detecting is focused on the distant past. A 5,000-strong network of volunteers, the National Ring Recovery Service, helps living people find lost items. While this altruistic project is described by its founder, Morley Howard, as a 'fifth emergency service', the activities and motivations of metal detectorists who hunt for valuable artefacts remain controversial, and some believe that the legal framework is too lax. Archaeological sites have been damaged, and in 2019 two men were jailed for the illegal sale of coins and jewellery known as the Leominster hoard. But deeply regrettable though such losses are, they should not be allowed to overshadow the positive contributions of amateur detectorists, some of whom volunteer on digs led by experts – as Mr Manning did on the day he found the swords. This commitment to scouring the countryside for traces of ancient lives is a testament to an abiding curiosity about the past that is not limited to experts.
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Future of beloved BBC series with perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score explained
Toby Jones has delivered a bit of a blow to fans of his beloved BBC comedy series, Detectorists. The show, penned and fronted by Mackenzie Crook with Toby Jones starring as one of the 'detectorists', was first broadcast in 2014 and enjoyed three successful series. Centered around the fictional Essex setting of Danebury, it charted the adventures and comical endeavours of two mates, Andy and Lance, part of the local metal detecting club, as they sought out historical treasures beneath the earth. The pair swapped the drudgery of their day-to-day jobs for the thrill of unearthing ancient artefacts, immersing viewers in their whimsical world of hobbyist discovery. Gaining a substantial cult following, Detectorists won new fans all over again when it appeared on Netflix, despite this acclaim and sparkling 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for each of its series, there's no intention to unearth more episodes, reports Devon Live. In recent remarks to Deadline, Toby pondered the show's continuation, suggesting: "Once you've maybe found the Holy Grail there's very little place to go." Reflecting on the closure derived from the 2022 Christmas special finale, he added: "The idea of coming back after that would be very hard and also... it's very British and not very American – but there is a certain virtue to leaving people wanting more." These sentiments resonate with creator Mackenzie Crook's own stance from his 2024 interview with The Guardian, where he affirmed: "I won't be making any more Detectorists, but nobody should be sad. We made just the right amount." He then quipped: "Having said that, I know Toby is keen to do a live stadium tour.." Despite the clamour of devoted viewers, exemplified by one's review declaring the show "Brilliant, by every measure. TV gold." A viewer implored: "Wish there was a season 4 too! ! Awesome series!!" while another expressed admiration, saying: "A beautifully pleasant tv series......I loved it." Praise continued with one calling the series "outstanding," and an enthusiastic fan commenting: "I would give this 10 stars! ! The best TV show I have seen for sure. The script, the cast and the music. Everything. I absolutely love it! It gets more entertaining the more you watch it...I love every season. MacKenzie Crook can do wrong." Another devoted admirer shared: "This show is an absolute gem, I have watched all series 3 times and expect I will watch it again. It is perfectly cast, the humour is perfectly placed and the story is marvellous. Mackenzie Crook has hit a home run with this, the ending is brilliant but I would love if they do another series or even a special episode in the future."
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Treasure hunter finds huge silver coin hoard two months after being inspired by BBC comedy Detectorists to take up hobby
A treasure hunter who was inspired by BBC comedy Detectorists to take up the hobby found a £50,000 silver coin hoard just two months later. Steve Hickman, 59, bought a second hand metal detector from eBay after watching the hit TV show starring Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones. He secured a 'permission' to search farmland near his home in Buckinghamshire, even though he was told nothing of significance had been found there for over a century. On a wet day in February 2023 he got a strong signal on his device and dug down to unearth a pottery vessel filled with silver coins. In total, there were 1,064 coins spanning the reigns of Elizabeth I in the 1560s to Charles I in the 1640s. The latest coins had been minted a few months before the Battle of Aylesbury during the English Civil War in November 1642. The battle, at Holman's Bridge, saw the heavily outnumbered Parliamentarian forces defeat Prince Rupert's Royalists. The vessel may have been a wage pot to pay soldiers who fought in the battle, or the life savings of a wealthy individual who had planned to flee. Mr Hickman, a joiner from Princes Risborough, Bucks, carefully recovered them all and took them home to lay out on his dining room table before contacting the Finds Liaison Officer to report his historic find. He is now selling the hoard, which includes 409 Charles I silver shillings and rare Aberystwyth mint issues, at Essex Coin Auctions. He said he wanted to personally thank Mackenzie Crook, who created Detectorists, for helping him discover the pastime. The father-of-two said: 'It was complete beginner's luck and I had only been detecting for two and a half months. 'I must credit MacKenzie Crook as it was his series Detectorists that got me interested in the first place. 'Without it, I would not have started. 'It inspired me to go to my local detecting club and the people I met were just like the characters on the show, with the same banter. 'It was brilliant and I decided to buy a second-hand metal detector on eBay. 'I was searching the farm land and the landowner said his family had owned it since 1920 and nothing significant had ever been found! 'I suddenly got a really strong signal and dug down 9ins but there was nothing there, so I covered the hole up. 'I thought perhaps the para-cables were messing with the detector. 'But after 20 minutes I decided to have another try and dug the hole again, and at a foot down I saw silver and reached down to pick up a fistful of silver coins. 'One of them had Elizabeth I's face on it and I got more and more excited. 'It took 15 handfuls to fill the bag with coins which weighed 8kg. 'I took the coins home and laid them all out on my dining room table. 'For me, the monetary value is immaterial, as it is all about having that personal connection with the English Civil War. 'I crouched down at exactly the same spot as the person who buried that wage pot nearly 400 years ago.' Auctioneer Adam Staples said: 'This exciting Civil War hoard was uncovered near Aylesbury and consists of 1,064 silver coins hidden within a now broken pottery vessel. 'The earliest coins in the hoard date to the reign of Elizabeth I, and James I is represented by his English, Irish and Scottish issues. 'The latest coins were minted in the autumn of 1642, the beginning of the English Civil War and just prior to the Battle of Aylesbury, which took place a few miles away at Holman's Bridge. 'Amongst the coinage of Charles I are 409 silver shillings, including rare coins struck locally at Oxford, on which King Charles declared to uphold the Protestant Religion, the Laws of England, and the Liberty of Parliament. 'There are also very rare issues from the Aberystwyth mint. 'It is a wonderful discovery.' The sale takes place on June 12.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC commissions new Mackenzie Crook comedy Small Prophets (w/t)
The BBC has commissioned Small Prophets (w/t), a new comedy created, written and directed by BAFTA-winning Mackenzie Crook (Detectorists, Worzel Gummidge) and produced by BAFTA-winning Gill Isles (Car Share, Alma's Not Normal), from Treasure Trove Productions and Blue House Productions. The six-part series is a comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return. That is just the way it is, until one day dad Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi - magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future - in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, 'will I ever see Clea again?'. Michael gets help from young work mate Kacey (Lauren Patel), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed. Small Prophets (w/t) is filmed and set in and around Manchester. The series incorporates visually stunning animation elements throughout as we tell a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac. Mackenzie Crook said: 'Like all my best ideas, this one has been percolating for nearly a decade and is finally ready to see the light of day. It's wonderful to be working again with my friends Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson.' Gill Isles says: 'I'm absolute thrilled to be working with Mackenzie again on such a funny, beautiful and unique show.' Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, adds: 'BBC viewers are in for a treat with BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook's Small Prophets. This magical comedy series brims with wit and wonder - from Mackenzie himself and Sir Michael Palin to Sophie Willan, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel and Jon Pointing - and is backed by a top-tier creative team and stunning animation. It's British comedy at its finest.' Small Prophets (w/t) (6x30) is a Treasure Trove and Blue House production. It has been commissioned by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. The executive producers are Mackenzie Crook and Lisa Thomas for Treasure Trove Productions and Christine Gernon and Emma Strain for Blue House Productions. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Emma Lawson. Sphere Abacus is the International Distributor. Neil@
