More 4 has commissioned a three part series in which actress Penelope Keith travels through some of Britain’s most spectacular landscapes, reflecting on its rural life through the stories and experiences of the communities she meets.
Entitled Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages, the show aims to discover whether Britain’s much-cherished villages are thriving or struggling to survive under the pressures of the 21st century.
Keith, who has lived in a rural village in Surrey for 36 years, has a keen sense of what makes villages special.
The broadcaster says the series will give viewers a chance to take stock of what rural communities mean to our nation at a time when social and economic pressures such as the rise in second homes and the loss of vital services threaten to erode this very British idyll.
Richard Farmbrough, Managing Director of programme producers Reef Television said: “We are delighted to be working with Penelope Keith on this new series for More 4.
“Hidden Villages will be a delightful combination of stunning landscape, compelling stories and charming personal anecdotes from one of Britain’s best loved actresses.”