Bonekickers

Characters

• Dr Gillian Magwilde – the team's head archaeologist, played by Julie Graham.
• Vivienne "Viv" Davis – young and promising archaeologist, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
• Dr Ben Ergha – a young, established archaeologist, played by Adrian Lester.
• Professor Gregory "Dolly" Parton – the experienced and older male archaeologist, played by Hugh Bonneville. .
• Professor Daniel Mastiff – played by Michael Maloney.

Episodes

Doreen Mantle, Frances Tomelty

Reception

Ratings

According to unofficial figures, the first episode of the series was watched by 6.8 million viewers, achieving a 31% audience share. This fell to 5.2 million viewers with a 24.3% share in the second week, and 4.6 million with a 21% share in the third. And week four fell again to 4.2 million, a 20% share. Week five dropped to 3.8 million. The final episode saw a slight increase in viewers to 4.3 million.

First night reviews

The series debuted to broadly negative reviews. The Guardians Gareth McLean described the show as "mind-bogglingly dreadful", with "lame characters delivering abysmal lines", David Chater of The Times thought it "rubbish", and The Independents Thomas Sutcliffe found it laughable and full of absurdities, while also observing that "Professor Magwilde's approach to archaeology is unconventional. She likes to squat at the edge of the trench and mutter urgently, 'Come on! Give up your secrets!'" In BBC Two's Newsnight Review, the author Kate Mosse asserted it would be "great for teenagers", while the academic and critic Sarah Churchwell said the "execution [was] appalling" and that it was "beyond silly"; John Mullan likewise criticised the show's absurdities, saying that "Hokum has to have its own logic". The New Statesman described it as "dramatic goo". Some reviews were slightly more positive - Patricia Wynn Davies of The Telegraph wrote that while lacking in subtlety, the episode had an "action-packed conclusion", and Lucy Mangan in the Guardian criticised the episode as "arrant nonsense" and "a clattering bag of madness" and found its characters too "shouty", but praised Paul Rhys and overall concluded that the episode was "utterly bonkers but curiously satisfying" and that, as for the series, "keeping the faith for a few more weeks might well pay off".

Academic reception

In line with the broadly negative reviews, the reception amongst the academic community was mixed, with different complaints around technical accuracy.

Viewer complaints

A scene in the first episode which depicted a Muslim's beheading by an extremist Christian drew 100 complaints. The BBC expressed "regret" that some viewers had found the scene "inappropriate",but defended the decision to show it.

References

References

1. "University-based BBC1 drama Bonekickers to be aired tonight". University of Bath.
2. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/06_june/13/bonekickers_1.shtml History comes alive in Bonekickers – new "groundbreaking" drama for BBC One] {{Webarchive. link. (10 April 2021 , BBC press release, 13 June 2008)
3. [http://www.tvscoop.tv/2008/06/first_look_bone.html First Look: Bonekickers, the BBC's new 'Time Team meets Indiana Jones' drama series] {{Webarchive. link. (24 June 2008 , TV Scoop)
4. Warman, Matt. (July 2021). ["Bonekickers"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/08/nosplit/bvtvbonekickers08.xml}}{{dead link). [[The Daily Telegraph]].
5. (21 November 2008). "BBC1 drops Bonekickers". Broadcast.
6. (30 January 2024). "Television | Movies | Reviews | Recaps | What's On | www.whattowatch.com".
7. "BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information Week 32 Tuesday 5 August 2008".
8. Holmwood, Leigh. (9 July 2008). "TV ratings: 6.8m viewers dig Bonekickers on BBC1". The Guardian.
9. Davidson, Darren. (16 July 2008). "BBC One's Bonekickers sheds 1m viewers on second outing". Brand Republic.
10. Holmwood, Leigh. (23 July 2008). "TV ratings: Audiences plummet for BBC's Eastenders and Bonekickers". The Guardian.
11. Farey-Jones, Daniel. (13 August 2008). "C4's 'Secret Millionaire' hits ratings stride with 3.7m". Brand Republic.
12. McLean, Gareth. (2008-07-08). "Watch this". [[The Guardian]].
13. Chater, David. (2008-07-08). "Roman Mysteries – Bonekickers – Imagine: Anthony Minghella". [[The Times]].
14. Sutcliffe, Thomas. (2008-07-09). "Last Night's TV: Bonekickers, BBC1". [[The Independent]].
15. (2008-07-04). "Newsnight Review".
16. [http://www.newstatesman.com/television/2008/07/lab-rats-bbc2-university The Call of the Weird] {{Webarchive. link. (23 June 2021 , ''[[New Statesman]]'', 10 July 2008 - accessed 10 July 2008.)
17. Davies, Patricia Wynn. (July 2021). ["Tuesday's TV & radio choices"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/arts/2008/07/08/nosplit/bvtv08.xml}}{{dead link). [[The Daily Telegraph]].
18. Mangan, Lucy. (9 July 2008). "Last night's TV". The Guardian.
19. (April 2009). "BBC Trust:ESC APRIL BULLETIN Editorial Standards Findings: Appeals and other editorial issues to the Trust considered by the Editorial".