Channel 4 has given the greenlight to new 20-part daytime series Sarah Beeny’s New Country Lives from Outline Wales and Knockers Group, alongside a third season of its primetime show Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country.
Outline Wales has hired Wil Edwards from Boomerang to head up the office. Edwards was head of production at ITV Studios-owned Boomerang for over eight years and since his time there has worked on projects with a number of leading companies across the independent sector in South Wales.
Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country has been one of Channel 4’s best performing factual brands over its first two seasons, averaging just under 2m viewers in its 8pm slot and rating well above slot average for ABC1s and 16-34s.
Sarah Beeny’s New Country Lives follows couples and families as they follow in Sarah’s footsteps, moving to the country and starting new lives – whether that’s establishing a smallholding or artisan food business, renovating a rural property to open up a B&B or restaurant, or taking over a wedding venue – while at the same time negotiating country life and integration into the local community.
Recent polls show 50% of Brits want to quit the urban rat race and own a smallholding, while over half of all city-based 18 to 34-year-olds are keen to move to the countryside. With 57,000 people starting a new business in the last six months, 2022 could be the year more people than ever start over in the country.
Laura Mansfield, managing director, Outline Productions says: “We are so pleased that following the success of Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country over two seasons, Channel 4 has commissioned this accompanying daytime series as well as a season renewal. The original idea has really tapped into so many people’s desires to quit the urban rat race for a different life in the country, and we hope this new series will be an inspirational, as well as entertaining view on what the reality is really like!”
Kate Thomas says: ‘’Following on from the significant ratings success of the primetime show over two seasons, I am delighted to now be taking this brand into Channel 4’s daytime schedule, and I am confident that we will have another hit show on our hands.’’
Alongside the new series, Outline Wales and Knockers Group have been recommissioned for a third eight-part season and Christmas special of peak-time series Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country.
Both series have been commissioned for Channel 4 by Kate Thomas, commissioning editor, Daytime and Features. The executive producers for both series are Laura Mansfield and Helen Veale for Outline Wales and Sarah Beeny for Knockers Group, and the series editor is Jonney Steven.
Outline Productions’ recent series commissions include Rochelle Humes: Interior Designer in the Making (UKTV/W), Remarkable Places To Eat (BBC2), Andi Oliver: A Taste of Christmas (BBC2) Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country (Channel 4), Michel Roux Jr.’s Simple French Country Cooking (Food Network) and Sarah Beeny’s Renovate Don’t Relocate (HGTV).
Pippa Considine
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