{{Infobox television | genre = [[Documentary]]<br> | starring = [[Tony Pollard (archaeologist)|Tony Pollard]] and [[Neil Oliver]] | country = United Kingdom | language = English | num_seasons = 2 | num_episodes = 12 }} '''''Two Men in a Trench''''' is a British comedic historical documentary television series, produced by the [[BBC]], that ran from 2002 to 2004.
== Overview == ''Two Men in a Trench'' follows archaeologists [[Tony Pollard (archaeologist)|Tony Pollard]] and [[Neil Oliver]] around the British Isles, where they visit ancient battlegrounds and use modern archaeological methods, bringing information about the battles and those who participated in them to their viewers. Pollard and Oliver take differing roles in their visits to each battleground, with Pollard taking a more hands on approach by visiting the sites and participating in more traditional archaeological methods, with excavation and hand-digging in the trenches among the most common.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Powell |first1=Eric A. |title=Buddy Pictures |journal=Archaeology |date=2003 |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=58 |jstor=41779118 |url=https://archive.archaeology.org/0301/reviews/trench.html }}</ref> Oliver takes his expertise to others, performing research and interviewing experts on the battles themselves, as well as narrating the movement of the armies and detailing the mindset of the commanders taking part.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Pinkowski |first1=Jennifer |title=Battlefield U.K. |journal=Archaeology |date=2004 |volume=57 |issue=4 |pages=60 |jstor=41780928 |url=https://archive.archaeology.org/0407/reviews/battlefield.html }}</ref> It isn't a particularly grim rendition of the past either; oftentimes the two will have a pleasant rapport at the end of the episodes, and continually have comedic aspects slotted in, in order to keep the general tone of the episodes light-hearted.<ref name=":0" />
== Series ==
=== Two Men in a Trench === ''Two Men in a Trench'' follows Pollard and Oliver across the British Isles, their research taking them to various battles across the United Kingdom. The battles of [[Battle of Flodden|Flodden]], [[Battle of Barnet|Barnet]] and [[Battle of Shrewsbury|Shrewsbury]], as well as the [[Siege of Newark]] and the Defence of [[Inchkeith]], are among the conflicts studied by the duo in their first series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/two-men-in-a-trench/episodes/|title=Two Men in a Trench - Episode Guide|date=November 2018|website=www.tv.com|access-date=2018-11-26}}</ref>
=== Two Men in a Trench II === The second series of ''Two Men in a Trench,'' stylized as ''Two Men in a Trench II,'' takes Pollard and Oliver to a new set of locations, their exploits taking them to the archaeological locations of the battles of [[Battle of Bannockburn|Bannockburn]], [[Battle of Edgehill|Edgehill]], [[Battle of Sedgemoor|Sedgemoor]], [[Battle of Killiecrankie|Killiecrankie]], an airfield used during the Battle of Britain, and the big guns near Dover.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Brundle|first=Anne|date=September 2003|title=Two Men in a Trench|journal=Scottish Archaeological Journal|volume= 25|issue=2|pages=196–197|jstor=27917521|doi=10.3366/saj.2003.25.2.196}}</ref>
== References == <!--- See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] on how to create references using<ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|id=0418439|title=Two Men in a Trench}}
[[Category:2002 British television series debuts]] [[Category:2004 British television series endings]] [[Category:2000s British documentary television series]] [[Category:Experimental archaeology]] [[Category:BBC television documentaries]] [[Category:Television series by Optomen]] [[Category:Television series by All3Media]] [[Category:English-language British television shows]]