There's more to this than just the TV programme. The accompanying book (which I haven't seen yet) promises more detailed info. The RHS are having a series of Open Days around the closing date of the series, offering free seed and information packs at various sites around the country. Local newspapers where peeps' allotments are featured haven't been slow to piggyback with their own local 'Grow your Own' campaigns.
I think that GYOV is the wide neck of a funnel that aims to catch the interest of a wide variety of people who haven't yet taken their first step into growing. That's a huge shift to take if you've never grown your own veg or been fortunate enough to be around veggie growing as a youngster. Any mass media encouragement is better than none IMO. By aligning other stepping stones - links to forums, via the RHS - the Beeb seem genuinely to be trying to attract completely new growers AND to help them take their first steps. And to show it's fun by using a fiesty and well thought of gardening celeb and presenting as entertainment :twisted: This may not be to everyone's taste - how could it be?
The Beeb will research response to the programme, both viewing figures and more qualitative response. And they do read these forums too. It'll be interesting to see how they judge the programme and associated campaign to have gone. If even a few people get growing, and encourage their friends and families to grow too, I'd consider the programme will have been of benefit.
I haven't seen the first episode yet :cry: but someone told me that the Jerusalem Artichoke feature was a short 'vox pop' from a real grower. I'm sitting here surrounded by seven bags of JA tubers requested by chums on other forums and wondering, if the prog was
so bad, why so many forum members are wanting suddenly to get their hands on some of my tubers? :roll:
... although I like shouting at the experts on TV too, I'm only human :oops:
oh, has anyone spotted there's be a new Pauline Pears book out shortly?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/185675278X/ref=ord_cart_shr/202-1970606-0279044?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE