Neil Oliver
Encyclopedia
Neil Oliver is a Scottish broadcaster and author. He grew up in Ayr
and Dumfries
before attending Glasgow University to study archaeology
. He is best known as a presenter of the documentary series Coast
.
's Two Men in a Trench, which featured Oliver and close friend, Tony Pollard
, visiting historic British battlefields and recreating the battle situation using state of the art archaeological techniques. In addition to the TV series, Oliver co-wrote the two accompanying books.
In 2005, he wrote a tie-in book for the Channel 4
documentary, Not Forgotten
which starred Ian Hislop
. Oliver then became the archaeological and social history expert on Coast
, then in the next series he replaced Nicholas Crane
as the show's main presenter and remained as such for the third and fourth series.
2006 saw Oliver appear in two more documentary series, Channel 4's The Face of Britain and BBC Two's Scotland's History: The Top Ten. As well as this, in August 2006 he appeared on the special "Big Royal Dig" edition of Channel 4's Time Team
, in which he presented a dig at Holyrood Palace
.
Oliver was a contributor to BBC One
's The One Show
in the summer of 2007. That year he also appeared as one of the presenters of BBC Two series The History Detectives.
Oliver's series A History of Scotland
began airing on 9 November 2008 on BBC One Scotland and was broadcast throughout the UK in 2009. The series also has links to radio, online and Open University
materials. Like Coast, the programme is a co-production of the BBC and Open University
.
On 23 March 2009, Neil Oliver presented a programme on Cleopatra on BBC One. In February 2011 he presented A History of Ancient Britain on BBC Two
. This was followed later in the year by A History of Celtic Britain. He also provided the voiceover for VisitScotland
's 2011 television advertisement.
with his wife Trudi and their three children.
In 2010 he assisted at the launch of the Ask Scotland
virtual reference by speaking out in support of the new Scottish library service.
He is a patron of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers.
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
and Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
before attending Glasgow University to study archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. He is best known as a presenter of the documentary series Coast
Coast (TV series)
Coast is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two television in 2005. A second series started on 26 October 2006, a third in early 2007 and a fourth in mid-2009...
.
Television career
Oliver's television debut came in 2002 with BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's Two Men in a Trench, which featured Oliver and close friend, Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard is an archaeologist specialising in the archaeology of conflict. He is Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at Glasgow University...
, visiting historic British battlefields and recreating the battle situation using state of the art archaeological techniques. In addition to the TV series, Oliver co-wrote the two accompanying books.
In 2005, he wrote a tie-in book for the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary, Not Forgotten
Not Forgotten (TV)
Not Forgotten is a British television documentary series made by Wall to Wall for Channel 4. The series examines the impact on British society of the First World War. It is written and presented by Ian Hislop...
which starred Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
. Oliver then became the archaeological and social history expert on Coast
Coast (TV series)
Coast is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two television in 2005. A second series started on 26 October 2006, a third in early 2007 and a fourth in mid-2009...
, then in the next series he replaced Nicholas Crane
Nicholas Crane
Nicholas Crane is an English geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster. Since 2004, he has written and presented four notable television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town....
as the show's main presenter and remained as such for the third and fourth series.
2006 saw Oliver appear in two more documentary series, Channel 4's The Face of Britain and BBC Two's Scotland's History: The Top Ten. As well as this, in August 2006 he appeared on the special "Big Royal Dig" edition of Channel 4's Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
, in which he presented a dig at Holyrood Palace
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
.
Oliver was a contributor to BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
in the summer of 2007. That year he also appeared as one of the presenters of BBC Two series The History Detectives.
Oliver's series A History of Scotland
A History of Scotland
Presented by Neil Oliver, A History of Scotland is a television series first broadcast in November 2008 on BBC One Scotland and later shown UK-wide on BBC Two during January 2009....
began airing on 9 November 2008 on BBC One Scotland and was broadcast throughout the UK in 2009. The series also has links to radio, online and Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
materials. Like Coast, the programme is a co-production of the BBC and Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
On 23 March 2009, Neil Oliver presented a programme on Cleopatra on BBC One. In February 2011 he presented A History of Ancient Britain on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. This was followed later in the year by A History of Celtic Britain. He also provided the voiceover for VisitScotland
VisitScotland
VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism agency. It is a public body, with offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, London as well as other parts of Scotland...
's 2011 television advertisement.
Personal life
He lives in StirlingStirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
with his wife Trudi and their three children.
In 2010 he assisted at the launch of the Ask Scotland
Ask Scotland
Ask Scotland is a Virtual reference service run by Scottish libraries which allows users to contact a librarian directly using one of several online methods of communication regarding a query...
virtual reference by speaking out in support of the new Scottish library service.
He is a patron of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers.
Publications
- A History of Ancient Britain (2011)
- A History of Scotland (2009)
- Amazing Tales for Making Men Out of Boys (2008)
- Coast from the Air (2007)
- Not Forgotten (2006)
- Castles and Forts (with Simon Adams and Tony Pollard) (2006)
- Two Men in a Trench II: Uncovering the Secrets of British Battlefields (with Tony Pollard) (2003)
- Two Men in a Trench: Battlefield Archaeology - The Key to Unlocking the Past (with Tony Pollard) (2002)
External links
- Official website
- "My schooldays" at Scotsman.comThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
- Bio at the Independent