Ray Mears reveals Britain's Wild Side

ITV 1

In a brand new series for ITV1 Ray Mears takes viewers on an incredible, eye-opening journey across Britain. 

Wild Britain With Ray Mears sees the wildlife expert uncover some of our finest habitats and rejoice in our fascinating wildlife, showing viewers how we can all find our own relationship with the wild, in places close to our homes.

The series is a co-production between ITV Studios and leading multi-channel broadcaster UKTV.  A 6x30 version will be shown first on ITV1 in autumn, to be followed in 2011 by extended 60 minute episodes with exclusive additional content to be broadcast on UKTV’s natural history channel Eden. 

Each episode of the series is themed around a different habitat: Deciduous Woodland, Heathland, Meadows and Farmland, Wetlands, Shingle Shore and Moorland. 

Immersing himself in nature, Ray reveals vital links between the plant, animal and insect worlds, as well as the role of man in the evolution of our ever changing landscape.  He looks at how the wild animals and plants of our countryside reflect five millennia of human history.

Ray’s passion and knowledge invite viewers to discover a hidden world which lies just beyond their doorstep as he explores each location and delves into the heart of each natural habitat.  

And, using his expert field craft and tracking skills, Ray seeks out the species which best define each location as the cameras capture incredible wildlife behaviour.

‘Ray Mears Field Guide to Britain’ will feature compelling content shot in high definition at beautiful locations around Britain.

The series was commissioned by Diana Howie, ITV Commissioning Editor, and Alison Sharman ITV Director of Factual and Daytime. 

Diana says: “Ray Mears is now established as an ITV face, and we are very excited about working with him on this new project.  Where Survival highlighted his extraordinary animal tracking skills, Wild Britain allows Ray to share his extensive knowledge and understanding of the varied flora, fauna and habitats that exist in Britain’s varied and often challenging landscapes.  We’re delighted that Ray is now part of the ITV talent pool and look forward to building on our slate of projects with him.”

The series was ordered for UKTV by Eden Channel Head Adrian Wills and Director of Lifestyle, Factual and Multiplatform, Jane Mote. 
Adrian Wills, Channel Head for Eden says:  "Ray Mears is one of those household names that Eden is really privileged to work with, having shown all of his previous series.  We're very pleased that we've managed to secure exclusive material with Ray to accompany our co-production with ITV.  His insights as applied in the UK combine proper fieldcraft with extra relevance for Eden viewers which make it bang on brand for the channel."

He continues, “Wild Britain will be a first for Eden, the series which is a co production with ITV will deliver us an hour version of classic Ray Mears. It will give Eden viewers a chance to witness additional and exclusive sequences from Ray, as he gives us his unique insight into the world of Britain’s most beautiful habitats and its wildlife.   Wild Britain came to us as a perfect fit for Eden. Ray makes fantastically engaging and entertaining television that totally connects with our viewers. This is a pure celebration of Britain’s habitats, their wildlife and their heritage. All delivered with Ray’s unbridled passion and flawless natural history photography. “