Countryfile
Encyclopedia
Countryfile is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
-style television programme produced by BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. It was the first region outside of London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio and television transmissions, the latter from the Sutton Coldfield television transmitter...
, first aired on 24th July 1988, which reports on rural and environmental issues within the United Kingdom. For its first 20 years it was fronted by broadcaster John Craven, until he stepped back from the role of main presenter in 2009, to be replaced by Julia Bradbury
Julia Bradbury
Julia Bradbury is an Irish-born British television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One programme Countryfile and other documentaries and consumer affairs programmes.-Early years:...
and Matt Baker. Craven continues to present a weekly investigative feature focusing on the farming and food industry. Jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
and Sports presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
Clare Balding
Clare Balding
Clare Balding is a BBC sports presenter, journalist and jockey.-Early life:In 1989 and 1990, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990....
replaced Julia Bradbury who left the show in July 2011 to give birth.
Overview
The issues which Countryfile addresses may include animal-culling, fox hunting, organic farming, EU agricultural policy, pollution, and open access land, and as such the nature of the programme is often political, sometimes airing debates between pressure groups.The programme's format is based to an extent on the input of viewers, and annual photography competitions based on the beauty of the British countryside are part of this. The winning images of the competition are featured in the annual Countryfile Calendar, the profits from which - £750,000 in 2009 - go to the annual BBC Children In Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
charity appeal.
Another feature is the Video Diary, which documents some aspects of agricultural or rural life in the countryside, filmed and produced by a member of the British public. Each week in the last ten minutes of the programme, there is a weather forecast for the next five days by called "weather for the week ahead" from the BBC Weather
BBC Weather
BBC Weather is the BBC's department in charge of preparing and broadcasting weather forecasts and is now part of BBC News. The broadcast meteorologists are employed by the Met Office...
Centre.
2007 saw the return of Countryfile: The Summer Diaries, which was previously presented by Chris Packham
Chris Packham
Christopher George "Chris" Packham is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author. He is the brother of fashion designer, Jenny Packham...
and Melissa Porter
Melissa Porter
Melissa Porter is an English television presenter, best known for her BBC programmes, To Buy or Not to Buy and Escape to the Country.-Early life:...
where the show looked at the towns and villages of Wensleydale
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and some resident's lives. The second series is presented by Matt Baker and Melissa Porter who discover some of the history and nature that the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
has to offer. Michael Caines
Michael Caines
Michael Andrew Caines, MBE is an English chef, born in Exeter, Devon.He is currently head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon, the Royal Clarence in Exeter, and developing the Abode hotels concept with Andrew Brownsword.-Biography:...
, a local chef, features, cooking dishes using local produce.
October 2007 saw the launch of BBC Countryfile magazine, a new spin-off magazine from BBC Magazines
BBC Magazines
BBC Magazines is the magazine publishing division of BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation.A list of the published magazines and the age groups they are targeted towards follows:-Adult:*BBC History*BBC Music...
. The monthly title is a glossy magazine covering aspects of country life. The magazine was formerly edited by Cavan Scott
Cavan Scott
Cavan Scott is a freelance author, journalist and editor best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who...
. The editor is now Fergus Collins.
On 27 July 2008, a special anniversary programme of Countryfile was broadcast, marking the 20th anniversary of the show. It revisited the highs and lows of the past twenty years, including BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
, foot and mouth
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
, Avian flu, Bluetongue
Bluetongue disease
Bluetongue disease or catarrhal fever is a non-contagious, non-zoonotic, insect-borne, viral disease of ruminants, mainly sheep and less frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries and antelope...
and the Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
to the UK.
In 2009, Countryfile moved from its 12pm slot on a Sunday afternoon to a 7pm slot on Sunday evenings, with additional presenters Julia Bradbury
Julia Bradbury
Julia Bradbury is an Irish-born British television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One programme Countryfile and other documentaries and consumer affairs programmes.-Early years:...
and Matt Baker and additional contributors Jules Hudson
Jules Hudson
Julian "Jules" Hudson is an English television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC Two series Escape to the Country. He also frequently presents sections of Countryfile.-Career:...
, Katie Knapman and James Wong
James Wong (ethnobotanist)
James Wong is an ethnobotanist, television presenter and garden designer in the United Kingdom, best known for presenting the television series Grow Your Own Drugs and reporting on Countryfile.-Early life:...
. Craven continues as a weekly contributor to the programme, presenting a rural news roundup and other items, while it continues to draw upon a pool of regular and occasional reporters.
The Sunday morning slot was taken over by a new outdoors activity show called Country Tracks, hosted by Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle is an English television presenter, adventurer and writer.-Early life:Fogle is the son of actress Julia Foster and broadcasting veterinary surgeon Bruce Fogle...
, Joe Crowley and Ellie Harrison
Ellie Harrison (journalist)
Ellie Harrison is a British ecologist, journalist and television presenter.Harrison grew up in rural Gloucestershire, "living off the land". At various times she worked in Zimbabwe, camped by and canoed on Lake Kariba and visited both Canada and Zimbabwe to observe wildlife before going to university...
, which mixes archive footage from Countryfile with newly-filmed sequences to create a different journey through the UK each week.
The show will move to High Definition television in late 2009. Also the team headed down to Adam's Farm for a Christmas meal.
The theme music for the programme is composed by David Lowe who also wrote the original theme in 1988.
Each episode brings in an average of 5.5 million viewers per episode, since it was moved to a prime-time (7 pm) slot.
Miriam O'Reilly case
In November 2010, the BBC faced an employment tribunalEmployment tribunal
Employment Tribunals are tribunal non-departmental public bodies in England and Wales and Scotland which have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, redundancy payments and employment...
following allegations of sexism and ageism brought against the corporation by ex-reporter, Miriam O'Reilly
Miriam O'Reilly
Miriam O'Reilly is a television presenter, best known as a former presenter on the BBC One rural affairs show Countryfile.-Early life and career:...
. O'Reilly sued the BBC due to the allegations following her dismissal from the programme in 2009, along with other female reporters, Michaela Strachan
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
, Juliet Morris
Juliet Morris
-Early life:Morris was educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School, an independent school for girls in Hampton in West London, where she recalled the difficulties of being left-handed. At the age of eleven, she moved to a convent when her family settled in Devon...
and Charlotte Smith. It followed the decision to move the programme to a prime-time slot with a refreshed presenting team. Former BBC One controller Jay Hunt told the tribunal the claims were "entirely and categorically untrue" as well as "profoundly distressing and utterly offensive," arguing that the only reason for O'Reilly's departure was because she was not recognisable to a peaktime audience.
On 11 January 2011, the employment tribunal found in favour of O'Reilly's claims on the grounds of ageism and victimisation, but not sexism. The BBC accepted the tribunal's findings after what O'Reilly described as "an incredibly stressful 14 months." The Daily Mail reported that O'Reilly will receive compensation of up to £250,000.
Main presenters (August 2011)
- Matt Baker
- Clare BaldingClare BaldingClare Balding is a BBC sports presenter, journalist and jockey.-Early life:In 1989 and 1990, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990....
Reporters and co-presenters
- John Craven
- Adam HensonAdam HensonAdam Henson is an English farmer and television presenter.Henson's grandfather Leslie, was a comedian and actor. His farmer father Joe Henson, presented a countryside TV programme with Angela Rippon and Phil Drabble; while his actor uncle Nicky Henson has appeared in films and TV programmes...
- Ellie HarrisonEllie Harrison (journalist)Ellie Harrison is a British ecologist, journalist and television presenter.Harrison grew up in rural Gloucestershire, "living off the land". At various times she worked in Zimbabwe, camped by and canoed on Lake Kariba and visited both Canada and Zimbabwe to observe wildlife before going to university...
- Jules HudsonJules HudsonJulian "Jules" Hudson is an English television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC Two series Escape to the Country. He also frequently presents sections of Countryfile.-Career:...
- Katie Knapman
- James WongJames Wong (ethnobotanist)James Wong is an ethnobotanist, television presenter and garden designer in the United Kingdom, best known for presenting the television series Grow Your Own Drugs and reporting on Countryfile.-Early life:...
- Helen SkeltonHelen SkeltonHelen Skelton is an English television presenter. She has worked on the BBC children's programme Blue Peter since 2008...
- Tom Heap
Former reporters
- Dan Cherrington
- Michael Collie
- Ben FogleBen FogleBen Fogle is an English television presenter, adventurer and writer.-Early life:Fogle is the son of actress Julia Foster and broadcasting veterinary surgeon Bruce Fogle...
- Juliet MorrisJuliet Morris-Early life:Morris was educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School, an independent school for girls in Hampton in West London, where she recalled the difficulties of being left-handed. At the age of eleven, she moved to a convent when her family settled in Devon...
- Miriam O'ReillyMiriam O'ReillyMiriam O'Reilly is a television presenter, best known as a former presenter on the BBC One rural affairs show Countryfile.-Early life and career:...
- Rupert Segar
- Charlotte Smith
- Michaela StrachanMichaela StrachanMichaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
- Kate HumbleKate HumbleKatherine 'Kate' Humble is an English television presenter, mainly for the BBC, specialising in wildlife and science programmes...
- Alun Beach