More 4 links up with the British Museum to learn more about our hidden history

3 November 2021

Channel 4 has commissioned a new series Great British History Hunters for More 4 from Tuesday’s Child following the real-life detectorists and the journey their fascinating finds make through the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme and Treasure processes.

Britain is a land of rich history hidden beneath our feet, where millions of artefacts are yet to be found that can reveal the secrets of our past. This series will tell warm characterful stories about ordinary people that are out-and-about all over the country making extraordinary discoveries every day. Whether metal detectorists, mudlarks or amateur archaeologists, they all have a passion for finding the missing pieces that help tell the story of our past.

It's every detectorist’s dream to one day find “treasure” that ends up on display in the British Museum or a museum local to where they live.  With unique access to the Museum’s dedicated team of archaeologists, curators, conservators, and scientists, the discoveries are filmed from soil to gallery, revealing more history from the objects at each stage. Since its inception in 1997, there’s been over 1.5m finds recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme – a project to record archaeological finds made by the public - and whilst some of these artefacts can reap financial rewards for the finders, more importantly they also help shed light on the history of our nation.

Against a backdrop of the Great British Countryside in all its glory - rolling fields, stunning coastlines, hillsides, vast mudflats, breathtaking archaeological excavations, and the London skyline at night - we’ll meet a colourful mix of finders, including an 11-year-old YouTuber finding Bronze Age gold, an Indiana Jones enthusiast, female detectorists giving the guys a run for their money, war vets, devoted dads and a host of other finders that illustrate the camaraderie and companionship that detecting can bring, and the important role they all play in the British Museum’s mission to involve people in archaeology and share an appreciation of our shared past.

Great British History Hunters (4 x 60) is commissioned for More 4 by Jo Street, Channel 4’s Head of Daytime & Features, and Deborah Dunnett, Commissioning Editor, Daytime & Features. The series is produced by Tuesday’s Child with series producer Paul Golding and executive producer Steph Harris.

Sarah Saunders, British Museum’s Head of Learning and National Partnerships, said: “The British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a unique partnership, that brings together archaeologists, museum professionals, landowners and finders, to better understand, appreciate and protect Britain’s rich past. With the support of DCMS, the British Museum (with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales), is proud of its role in delivering the PAS and administering the Treasure process, and reaching communities across England and Wales. We are delighted that this work will be highlighted by this new series which will showcase the hard work of the Scheme and exciting discoveries made every year by the British public.”

Steph Harris, Creative Director at Tuesday’s Child comments: “After 18 months of being rooted to our homes, a collective curiosity about our local areas has seen a huge rise in reported finds as more people have taken up detecting and mudlarking and we’ve been privileged to work with the team at the British Museum to be able to follow the process from the moment an item is unearthed to it ending up in a case in a museum.”

Great British History Hunters will air on More 4 next year.

ENDS

 

About the British Museum

Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world. From the outset it was a museum of the world, for the world, and this idea still lies at the heart of the Museum’s mission today. The collection tells the stories of cultures across the world, from the dawn of human history, over two million years ago, to the present. Objects range from the earliest tools made by humans and treasures from the ancient world to more recent acquisitions from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, as well as the national collections of prints and drawings, and coins and medals.

 

About Tuesday’s Child

Tuesday’s Child Television is a UK-based independent production company specialising in creating and producing entertainment, comedy and popular factual formats. It was launched in September 2012 by Karen Smith, with Creative Director, Steph Harris, joining shortly after.

Tuesday’s Child are the creators of LEGO Masters and produce it in the UK and US - the format has sold in 16 international territories to date with a 100% recommission record; The Hit List for BBC One (season 4 currently on air); Killer Camp for ITV2 and The CW (season 2 launches 10th Oct); Apocalypse Wow, ITV2, comedy panel gameshow Guessable? for Comedy Central (Series 3 in production); Extraordinary Escapes With Sandi Toksvig, Channel 4; the critically acclaimed documentary The Boy Who Can’t Stop Dancing (currently on All4) Ghost Bus Tours, ITV2; Head Hunters, BBC One; Channel 4-rig format, The Cannabis Café; Pitch Battle, BBC One; multiple seasons of the award winning You’re Back in the Room for ITV1 ( the format has also been produced in ten international territories) For What It’s Worth, for BBC One, Britain’s Biggest Superyachts: Chasing Perfection for BBC Two and RTS-nominated Superstar Dogs for Channel 4.