Out of Town, the hugely popular daytime TV series about the countryside hosted by the late Jack Hargreaves, is set to make a come back thanks to the power of the Internet.
The Country Channel, the Internet based TV station devoted to programmes about countryside-related matters, has secured the rights to develop ‘Out of Town II’, and starts filming the pilot series this month. The new series is being produced in collaboration with Paul Peacock, journalist, countryman and Jack Hargreaves fan. Paul has written a number of books on self-sufficiency, as well as Jack’s biography, “Jack Hargreaves – a Portraitâ€.
Out of Town II, will be available free-to-view over the Internet at www.countrychannel.tv (also on Sky 167), and has the blessing of Jack Hargreaves’ family. It will feature a range of insights into rural life, its traditions and the people who live there. The first programme to be filmed will feature renowned fly-fisherman, Charles Jardine using Jack’s famous original bamboo fishing rod from the 1950’s (an Ogden Smith Warrior fly rod) and comparing it with a modern day fishing rod. Other programmes will cover subjects such as cider making and ferreting.
Since its launch just over a year ago, Country Channel TV has seen huge growth in viewing figures and now has 31,000 regular viewers who spend an average of 65 minutes per visit watching the channel. Internet TV allows consumers to watch whenever they want, and to select exactly the type of programmes they would like to watch – many of them on country related subjects and issues that are not regularly featured on mainstream television.
Increasing concern about the loss of our countryside and what it represents has also stimulated the popularity of countryside television as Paul Aitken, CEO of the Country Channel comments:
“A recent poll of our viewers shows that countryside matters are increasingly important to people and our viewing figures show that consumers of all generations like the flexibility that Internet-based TV gives them. It’s a great honour for Country Channel TV to have secured the rights to produce Out of Town II – we feel that the programme is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago, and we plan to give our version the same sensitivity and love of the countryside as the original.â€
To view the Country Channel, please go to www.countrychannel.tv (enable pop ups in your browser).
