After nearly 164,000 signatures, a petition to save Autumnwatch after the BBC declared it would axe the show was delivered to Broadcasting House, the BBC’s London offices.
Marion Veal, 61, of Bromley, launched the Change.org petition, which has 163,748 signatories as of this writing, in response to the broadcaster’s news that the programme would not air in 2023 and beyond.
The BBC Two nature documentary, hosted by Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan, follows the fate of British wildlife throughout the season.
Marion, an author, told the PA news agency she is meeting the broadcaster’s director-general, Tim Davie, to discuss Autumnwatch in May, and said ‘we want to know why it was cancelled’.
She added: ‘It is a family-friendly programme.
‘It educates people about the British wildlife at a time of year when a lot of people begin to suffer because it is becoming dark and gloomy.’
‘It gives us hope that there are things going on, it is very good for people’s mental health.
‘British wildlife is being so tragically depleted so a programme that encourages ordinary people to get out and look at things in their gardens is very important.’
She added the growth of the petition showed ‘the British public certainly care about wildlife and that we would like our voices to be heard’.
This is Marion’s first public demonstration against a problem, and she says nature means a “huge amount” to her.
She continued: ‘During lockdown it saved me. It was a lifesaver and it saved my mental health and it did the same for a lot of people.’
‘I have met a huge number of people through our love of wildlife.
‘I was particularly angry and started the petition because I felt like we weren’t getting a voice.’
Marion herself wrote a book about an injured fox which she began to care for during lockdown, saying: ‘My husband had recently died in November and then we locked down in March, and the fox appeared and I looked after it.
‘I treated it, and posted about it online and met people because of it, many of whom have signed the petition because of it.’
She previously told Metro.co.uk that she felt as though the BBC had been ‘ignoring’ fans, saying: ‘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’.
‘We just don’t feel listened to,’ Marion added.
The BBC said in a February statement that the programme would not air in 2023 or later because it wants to “focus” its resources on material with the “highest impact.”
It will instead increase funding for sibling projects Springwatch and Winterwatch.
According to the BBC’s most recent yearly plan, released in March, the company must find £400 million in annual savings by 2027/28.
‘These are challenging times financially, and we need to make difficult choices and concentrate our resources on programming that has the greatest effect,’ said the broadcaster previously.
‘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.’
The petition can be found at: https://www.change.org/p/save-autumnwatch
Autumnwatch is available on BBC iPlayer.