BBC cancels Autumnwatch after 17 years

Autumnwatch won't be returning, as the BBC has decided to invest more into the sister shows Springwatch and Winterwatch.

Presented by the team of Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Gillian Burke, the long-running nature show, which documented wonderful animal stories, first aired in 2006 as a one-off special before earning its own series.

The action followed the gradual changes across autumn, tracking plants and creatures in real-time.

However, in a new statement, the BBC confirmed that the days of Autumnwatch are sadly over.

"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," it read (via Metro).

"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."

Commenting on the show's cancellation, Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner noted how there's now a chance for the Beeb to "rebalance its wildlife programming".

"The BBC covers many rural issues well and produces lots of good countryside content, but there have been concerns about Autumnwatch's unrealistic and anthropomorphic approach for many years," he said.

"It won't be missed in the countryside."

Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch are all available to stream via BBC iPlayer.

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