BBC confirms return of Autumnwatch after petition over axe reaches 160,000 signatures --[Reported by Umva mag]

The BBC has confirmed Autumnwatch is officially returning, after the seasonal programme was cancelled last year.

After a huge demand and fury over its axe, the beloved show is hitting our screens again for three specials with Chris Packham.

Autumnwatch will air on The One Show on Tuesday, 29, Wednesday 30, and a Halloween edition on Thursday 31 October 2024, live from Wytham Woods in Oxford.

Chris said: ‘Autumn is one of the most magical phases in our seasonal calendar.

‘It may feel like things are shutting down but far from it. It’s a time for nature to recycle and prepare.’

‘Those rich autumn colours are a sign of nature at its very best and I’m excited to be telling the stories of the season in one of my favourite woodlands in the UK.’

The specials will see Chris follow the badgers of Wytham Woods with live thermal cameras, investigation how their diets change at this time of year.

He’ll also explore the mental health benefits of being in an autumnal woodland, and meet with moth expert Liam Crowley to reveal the science of camouflage.

The final episode, falling on Halloween, will show Chris focusing on animals that have become synonymous with the season and written into our folklore, often demonised, from bats and owls to corvids and toads.

This comes after Autumnwatch’s cancellation after 17 years sparked fury, with the BBC saying at the time that more money would instead be invested into its sister programmes.

A statement from the broadcaster said: ‘These are challenging times financially and we need to make difficult decisions and focus our resources on content that has the highest impact.

‘Sadly, this means that Autumnwatch will not be continuing. Instead, we are investing more money into Springwatch and Winterwatch, as they are most popular with audiences.

‘We are incredibly proud of the Watches and would like to thank the presenters and production team who will continue on Springwatch when it returns in May for three weeks, and Winterwatch when it returns next year for one week, reduced from two weeks.’

A petition to save the show was later set up, and has reached 167,435 signatures.

Marion Veal, who started the petition, said: ‘Thousands of UK TV licence payers enjoy the “Watches”, Springwatch, Autumwatch and Winterwatch.

‘It’s what we pay our licence fee for. It is an example of what the BBC does best. 

‘In an age when the natural world faces its greatest threat, when British species are on the Red List and threatened with extinction, when we are recognising the value of the natural world for our mental health it is beyond belief to learn that Autumnwatch has been cancelled.’

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, the science teacher added: ‘When I started [the petition], I never thought we’d get there, I just wanted to give people a place to have a voice, and voice their opinion, because when Autumnwatch was cancelled, it was a shock to all of us that really love it.

‘We didn’t feel that anybody had asked – just a decision was made.’

She added: ‘It just felt as though the BBC, from my point of view, is trying to grab back a younger audience, that it feels has gone to Netflix and Prime.

‘Whereas the people that are actually paying the licence fee don’t seem to matter.’

‘It makes you think they don’t care,’ she continued, before admitting how ‘frustrated’ and ‘ignored’ she felt, saying: ‘We just don’t feel listened to.’

Springwatch first aired in 2005, with a then one-off special Autumnwatch following, before it became a full series in 2006. Winterwatch then began in 2012.

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