THE BBC announced it has cancelled its seasonal Autumnwatch programme and will invest more money into its sister programmes.
The popular wildlife series followed changes in nature in autumn, tracking animals and plants in real time.
The camera teams, joined by regular presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, and Gillian Burke, film across the UK, recording animal behaviour and sharing wildlife stories.
The news follows Packham announcing that he’s taking a break after feeling a bit "burnt out".
The Watch programmes are broadcast live and rely on dozens of crew and hidden cameras operated remotely.
The series began in 2005, with the success of Springwatch prompting the BBC to commission a one-off special of Autumnwatch, which became a full series in 2006.
Winterwatch began in 2012.
The BBC has delivered more than £1 billion of savings in the five years to 2021/22.
It needs to save a further £285 million in response to the announcement in January 2022 that the licence fee will be frozen for the next two years.
A statement from the broadcaster said: “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. 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.”
