Chicken Soup For Your Eyes!

If your favourite season is Autumn...

If you suspect that Modern Life Is indeed Rubbish...

If you want your telly to give you a Big Hug...

If your dream is to get out of the city and live a slower, quieter life in the countryside, prepare yourself for a massive treat. Hugh is an affable and comforting companion as he settles into his rural idyll and it's always a pleasure to listen to him. Put on your cosiest telly-watching suit, get under a blanket, pour a fresh cup of tea from the pot, help yourself to another buttered crumpet and press 'Play All Episodes'.

My only (tiny) criticism about Escape To River Cottage is that, much like some modern-day, down-shifting, ringlet-headed version of Orson Welles, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall peaked too soon. While all the other River Cottage series are ALMOST as good as Escape, they never quite recapture the magic of this first outing. Escape is shot on film (the rest are on video - trust me, it makes all the difference!) so while the others are eminently enjoyable, they just don't have the same wistful, enchantingly timeless quality of the marvellous Escape To River Cottage.

Oh, and the bonus Yuletide Special episode is worth the entry fee alone.

I can think of no higher praise than to say if the singer Nick Drake were alive today, I'm sure he would love Escape To River Cottage!