Talk

I've gone off her since the Henry VIII series in which she was continually lurking behind curtains watching Henry VIII and his latest wife in bed. Though to be fair we should probably blame the production company, not her.

I love Lucy so I am biased! I guess it's good as an intro to history, especially for younger people.

I could have done with less dressing up and chewier history TBH. It's BBC4 Lucy, smart it up a bit!

I can't stand her - I find her so smug and obnoxious. I want to know about the history, not about you - stop simpering!

I'm just watching it now. I am fascinated by the Wars of the Roses so quite happy to listen to the same info over and over again!

Irene at "continually lurking behind curtains watching Henry VIII and his latest wife in bed."

Normally I love her but was a bit disappointed with it and, yy, fed up with the dressing up. Dd2 (9) enjoyed it though which is something.

I hate her. I really want to like her but I can't. I can't bear the simpering. But I don't think she's aimed at me, I think she's history for people who aren't really interested in history. Which is a good thing for education I 'spose. But not for me.

I love a bit of Beard though.

She's great as she has so much more access to many of the royal spaces than anyone else would have.

That she gets to dress up and enjoy herself is her perk, I would have thought.

Anyone who makes history, fun, alive and accessible is fine by me!

You have to remember that whilst we have heard it all before, there is always the next generation for whom it is all new! If we stop celebrating our own history, and all of its propaganda, what do we become?

It's just the repetition of the same old topics that tires me out - Six Wives of Henry VII you say? God, yes, it's been ages since any high profile telly historians did a series on them. I suspect the problem is with the people who commission the work and what they think will have best resale value abroad. And yes there is way too much dressing up now.

She seems to have the school 'mean girl' aura about her, by that I mean she comes across as judgemental and self-satisfied. She gives off Grayson Perry's fashion sense and Violet Elizabeth from the William stories' attitude. I think the TV producers like her because of that, not because she has any particular historical learning or insight to add. Popular culture is all we seem to get from our licence fee.

Exactly hartley! I couldn't put my finger on it but you have it. Not exactly a mean girl though, the sort of girl who would grass you up for smoking in the woods and snogging the kitchen boy.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like her. She seems to be everywhere recently & usually I give her programmes a go in the hope that the history will outweigh my irritation with her but I've not bothered with this latest series. She rarely says anything interesting enough to keep me watching. I much prefer terrible with names her with the super curly hair & nose ring or her with the super straight hair who looks like Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Alice something, maybe?!

I wasn't much in to history at school but I want to learn now. Give me something interesting with a decent presenter, please BBC!

I really enjoy the programs she does. I'm not in England so my school history didn't really cover English history. I know patches from reading but there's always something new to learn and her programs are an entertaining way to do it...

AGnu - Dan Jones. My God that man is gorgeous!! And he described Elizabeth Woodville as a Chav which made me laugh!!!

AGnu - you are thinking of Suzannah Lipscombe.

Oh we love Lucy Worsley! I don't care if the dressing up is OTT - who doesn't like a bit of dressing up? I like that she makes history accessible, although I agree that the Tudors are done to death. I hate them with a passion!

I do like Dan Jones' books, but I sometimes find his shows are really dumbed down, obviously aimed for the American market. His recent series about the secrets of castles was great about some of them, but crap about others. The one that stuck out for us was Stirling. He neglected to mention a lot of relevant facts and there was far too much twaddle about the mangonels (which are interesting, but they weren't even at Stirling at that point!) and not enough about everything else going on.

I used to work with Lucy and she's honestly lovely and v good fun. I like her programmes, though I would agree they're history light. I could do without the dressing up, personally, though she does it well to be fair to her I think

She did a great programme on Dorothy Hartley in 2012. Anything that gets history out there and engages the public is worth it.

Oh, yes, jrhartley

^ this, in spades...

I was trying not to be personal about her, thinking, maybe it's just me, but YES she is dumbing down history and doing it in a smug and childish fashion.

I cant watch her. It is SUCH a waste of my licence fee! [stamps foot and flounces, a la lovely Lucy)

She is so annoying. DH watches her series so I can't escape.

re 'getting history out there and engaging the public'

yes, I know what you mean.

my Dyslexic non reading for pleasure dd (9) has just 'discovered' the Horrible History books.

But, they are well written.