-
Both share a preoccupation with Englishness, with the flat natural landscapes of England, with eccentric little men with esoteric hobbies, and with the sense of a dark and hidden history buried just beneath our feet in either the land or in institutions like the Church.
-
It also feeds into @HowtheWoodMoves's argument in their book that Detectorists is a folk horror. Aside from the M. R. James vibes, there's also elements like Sheila's implied psychic abilities and the miraculous stuff in this year's Christmas special.
-
I'm thinking about this especially after watching A Warning to the Curious (1972) about an amateur archaeologist digging up one of the three crowns of the Anglican kings and suffering dire consequences. Digging up the history of England and suffering a curse is very Detectorists.