It has conquered Sunday nights and now BBC1’s Countryfile will look to do the same on weekday TV after John Craven was confirmed as presenter of its new daily spin-off, Countryfile Diaries.
Craven will be joined by Countryfile regular Jules Hudson, Flog It!’s Paul Martin and Keeley Donovan, a weather presenter on BBC regional news show, Look North.
The rural affairs show, which once had a couple of million viewers in its traditional Sunday morning slot, has become a ratings sensation since it was moved to evenings and had its biggest-ever audience of 8.6 million last month.
The daily diary show will coincide with a Countryfile spring special on 15 May and will air on five consecutive weekdays.
Craven said: “The British countryside in spring – what better place to launch this new show.
“I’ve been with Countryfile for the best part of 30 years and for me this is a really exciting development, hosting a daily diary that brings viewers the best of our countryside at this magical time of year. We have a great team on board and we can’t wait to get started.”
Countryfile was moved to its new slot in 2009 and its ratings success elevated it to the top tier of programmes able to regularly command audiences of 8 million or more, including BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing and Call the Midwife, and ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.
Its switch also proved controversial after former presenter Miriam O’Reilly successfully took the BBC to an employment tribunal after she was dropped from the show ahead of its revamp.
The tribunal found that O’Reilly was dropped because of her age and victimised by management who blamed her for newspaper stories criticising the corporation for dropping middle-aged women presenters.
BBC1 already airs Countryfile seasonal specials which will now be followed by five 45-minute daytime episodes across the following weekdays.
Martin, who has a rural smallholding in Wiltshire which will feature on the show, said: “For me the farm bursts into life in the spring with optimism and energy, becoming a hive of activity after the long winter.
“It’s a time for new life, innovation and expectation for the growing season ahead. I can’t wait to be part of this unfolding story and to see the effects of this year’s extreme weather. I hope we can show the passion farmers have for this challenging yet incredible British industry.”
Countryfile’s executive editor, Bill Lyons, said: “Countryfile is Britain’s most popular weekly factual TV show and on air 52 weeks a year, so we constantly see the dramatic difference that the turn of the seasons makes to the landscape, wildlife and working lives of everyone in our countryside.
“We want to offer BBC daytime viewers a real chance to celebrate spring with us and the team of presenters we’ve got are the perfect people to do just that.”
The BBC said in October it has made Countryfile cover more “hard core” subjects following a report that criticised the corporation for being too “squeamish” about covering the realities of rural life.
An independent report had criticised the corporation for being too “simplistic” in its coverage of countryside issues.
