New Ray Mears series!

[makermark]

yeah i remember when this first aired, was proper excited. shame we don't get shows like this anymore, all about the drama now innit? miss the good ol' days of actual bushcraft education on telly.

 

[Chris]

Sadly i think there has always been a lot of aardvark turds made for television. I chat with Dave Knowles occasionally (Jack Hargreaves producer) and, whilst those shows were gold, remember some of the other dross that was turned out? I love what I describe as "gentle" shows. Victorian Kitchen Garden, Tales from the Green Valley and the like. I think they are occasional in every era sadly.

There may be an element of the rose tinted spectacles in my view, I suppose. Though there has seemed to be a marked change in the type of media produced which aligns with TikTok attention spans and hours upon hours of ‘Reality’ TV. I find myself watching the BBC less and less, and watching long form YouTube videos more and more.

 

[Chris]

Smoking herbs will bring you to the attention of Constable Knapweed!

I was watching a video where a chap living in a woodland shack was drying his own tobacco the other day. For some reason I didn’t even consider that you could grow it in the UK without an expensive setup.

 

[William_Montgomery]

There may be an element of the rose tinted spectacles in my view, I suppose. Though there has seemed to be a marked change in the type of media produced which aligns with TikTok attention spans and hours upon hours of ‘Reality’ TV. I find myself watching the BBC less and less, and watching long form YouTube videos more and more.

It's interesting (though slightly depressing) to see how the entertainment industry has changed so dramatically in the last couple of decades. As you say, it all seems geared towards a short attention span and misses out on any long term impact. It feels like the equivalent of filling up on junk food.

Still, there does seem to be a demand for something more nourishing, so hopefully the pendulum will swing back again.

 

[Riven]

Stay Alive with Eddie McGee, now that was a good show. Nostalgia for me and it was aimed at children. It was in a time when kids did go off into the woods. Ah golden days.

 

[Foogs]

I've been having a yen for Ray's programming recently, but it seems to be frustratingly absent from any of the mainstream platforms.

I have found some alternatives here, hope they're ok and/or helpful:

Ray Mears Tv Shows Complete 1997 - 2007 : Ray Mears : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Ray Mears - (1997-2002) World of SurvivalRay Mears - (1998) Country TracksRay Mears - (1999-2002) Extreme SurvivalRay Mears - (2003) THe Real Heroes of...

archive.org

Ray Mears's Northern Wilderness

In a stunning celebration of one of earth's last great wildernesses, Ray Mears goes on an epic adventure into Canada's unforgiving yet inspiring landscape.

ihavenotv.com

 

[Falstaff]

I was watching a video where a chap living in a woodland shack was drying his own tobacco the other day. For some reason I didn’t even consider that you could grow it in the UK without an expensive setup.

And coffee apparently, there are now several commercial small scale UK coffee growers, in East Anglia and Wales plus others as I recall from R4 programme.

 

[British Red]

There may be an element of the rose tinted spectacles in my view, I suppose. Though there has seemed to be a marked change in the type of media produced which aligns with TikTok attention spans and hours upon hours of ‘Reality’ TV. I find myself watching the BBC less and less, and watching long form YouTube videos more and more.

We gave up our TV Licence a good few years ago, there are simply better things to watch & listen to. There is a huge world of choice, much available for free or a few pounds a month & stop when you want. If we think about the fantastic viewing of the modern era, be it GoT, Yellowstone, Ted Lasso etc. they are all made commercially.

 

[British Red]

And coffee apparently, there are now several commercial small scale UK coffee growers, in East Anglia and Wales plus others as I recall from R4 programme.

Have you heard of the place growing ginger, sichuan pepper & wasabi?