Escape to the Country
Encyclopedia
Escape to the Country is a daytime television programme aired on BBC Two
. It is currently presented by Jules Hudson
, Alistair Appleton, Nicki Chapman
, Denise Nurse
, Aled Jones
and Jonnie Irwin
. Previous presenters include Tim Vincent
, Catherine Gee
, Nick Page and Melissa Porter
. In 2010
. Repeat episodes are shown on Home.
computer in their own homes. The family must then choose two out of the four houses to go and view for themselves. In addition, there is also the option of choosing the presenter's 'mystery house'.
, while series 7 and 8 aired back-to-back in autumn 2008. Series 9 began on 23 February in a new slot of 15:45 on BBC Two
.
.
, Escape to the Country airs on the HOW TO Channel
, Sunday nights at 6:30pm and Seven Network
's free-to-air
digital channel 7Two
at 8.30pm Friday and Sunday nights. Seven is currently airing Series 7.
In Sweden
, Escape to the Country airs on TV8
, Monday to Thursday nights at 8:00pm (7:00pm local time).
In the Netherlands, Escape to the Country actually (i.e. since april 2011) airs on SBS6
on Saturday nights at 5.00 pm (6.00 pm local time). Additionally, most viewers in the Netherlands can watch the show on the BBC channels that are distributed by cable operators.
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...
. It is currently presented by 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:...
, Alistair Appleton, Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman is an English television presenter who also works in the British pop music industry. She was also a judge on the ITV reality shows Popstars, with Nigel Lythgoe and Paul Adam, and Pop Idol, along with Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Neil Fox...
, Denise Nurse
Denise Nurse
-Broadcasting career:Nurse originally worked as a solicitor for BSkyB before winning the Sky Talent competition set up by Dawn Airey. Out of thousands of Sky employees her peers voted her the best presenter. She has presented the weather since 2005 and also presents the weather on Five.She also...
, Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
and Jonnie Irwin
Jonnie Irwin
–Jonnie Irwin is a British television presenter.-Early career:Prior to working in television, Irwin worked for business transfer specialists Christie & Co becoming associate director within three years, before going on to work for .-Television career:In 2004, Irwin was selected along with...
. Previous presenters include Tim Vincent
Tim Vincent
Tim Vincent is a Welsh actor and television presenter who was a presenter on the popular children's programme Blue Peter between 1993 and 1997...
, Catherine Gee
Catherine Gee
Catherine Gee is a television presenter and property expert who took over as the host of the popular ITV daytime makeover show 60 Minute Makeover in 2011. Prior to this she was best known for presenting the BBC relocation programme, Escape to the Country and being the location presenter on the...
, Nick Page 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:...
. In 2010
General information
There are two versions of each episode produced. A shorter 45-minute version with only 3 houses shown and a longer 60-minute version. The short version usually airs on BBC Two weekday afternoons (in the 15:00, 15:45 or 17:15 slots) and the longer on BBC One weekdays at 10:00 or BBC Two evenings at 19:00. Escape to the Country is often credited as being the forerunner of other shows such as A Place in the SunA Place in the Sun (TV series)
A Place in the Sun is a British FreeForm/Channel 4 lifestyle programme about buying property abroad. It most often focuses on places in southern Europe, but in recent years has also featured a number of places in other areas of the world...
. Repeat episodes are shown on Home.
Series 1 to 5
Produced by Talkback Thames and shown to air from 2002, the basic premise of the show is that a person/family wishes to relocate from their current city home to a more peaceful and rural retreat. It is then the job of the show's presenter to find four houses for the family to view via laptopLaptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
computer in their own homes. The family must then choose two out of the four houses to go and view for themselves. In addition, there is also the option of choosing the presenter's 'mystery house'.
Series 6 to 9
The format of this popular daytime/early peaktime show changed in series 6 to accommodate viewer demand to see more houses and more local information. Contributors now view all four houses, of which the fourth is the mystery house. The mystery house usually has something unique about it that will either make the contributors fall in love with or hate it. Added to the show is a taster day in which the contributors sample local delights, gain historical knowledge and visit local attractions to get a feel for the area they are planning to move to. Series 6 aired in August 2007 on BBC OneBBC 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...
, while series 7 and 8 aired back-to-back in autumn 2008. Series 9 began on 23 February in a new slot of 15:45 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...
.
Series 10 to 12
The format was modified yet again. The number of houses the couples viewed were reduced to three, with the third house being the mystery house. Series 12 also finally saw new titles and credits produced for the 75 programme-run, broadcast from November 2011 on 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...
.
Transmissions
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 26 November 2007 | 21 December 2007 | 20 |
| 7 | 6 October 2008 | 31 October 2008 | 20 |
| 8 | 3 November 2008 | 28 November 2008 | 20 |
| 9 | 23 February 2009 | 16 June 2009 | 25 |
| Compilation | 6 April 2009 | 15 June 2009 | 15 |
International broadcasts
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Escape to the Country airs on the HOW TO Channel
HOW TO Channel
HOW TO Channel was an Australian cable and satellite television channel. It was carried on the Foxtel Digital, Optus TV featuring Foxtel Digital and Austar Digital platforms. It was owned by Premier Media Group, a 50/50 joint venture of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and News Corporation.The...
, Sunday nights at 6:30pm and Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
digital channel 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
at 8.30pm Friday and Sunday nights. Seven is currently airing Series 7.
In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Escape to the Country airs on TV8
TV8 (Sweden)
TV8 is a television channel owned by Modern Times Group broadcasting to Sweden. It focuses on news, current affairs, documentaries and drama. The channel was started by the private equity firm Ratos in 1997 and was sold to MTG in 1999....
, Monday to Thursday nights at 8:00pm (7:00pm local time).
In the Netherlands, Escape to the Country actually (i.e. since april 2011) airs on SBS6
SBS6
SBS 6 is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands owned by Sanoma and Talpa Holding . Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are NET 5 and Veronica.- History :SBS stands for Scandinavian Broadcasting System...
on Saturday nights at 5.00 pm (6.00 pm local time). Additionally, most viewers in the Netherlands can watch the show on the BBC channels that are distributed by cable operators.
External links
- Escape to the Country at UKTV
- Escape to the Country at Talkback Thames