More4 orders bumper 10-episode commission of Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids from Wise Owl Films

5 September 2024

More4 is heading to the Yorkshire Dales for a new ob-doc series from Leeds-based Wise Owl Films following ‘Yorkshire Shepherdess’ Amanda Owen and her family as they renovate a derelict farmhouse.

Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids charts the Owens’ journey to breathe life back into a derelict neighbouring property they bought to plan for the family’s future. The series sees Amanda, Clive and their nine children work with a team of local tradespeople to slowly bring their ambitious vision for the farmhouse - known locally as Anty John’s - to life, tackling the changing seasons and challenging elements along the way, as well as getting to grips with the nature of restoring a listed property in a remote location.

Cameras also follow Amanda as she digs deep into the farmhouse’s past and reveals the fascinating part its former owners played in local history.

Amanda Owen said: “It is fantastic More4 have given us the opportunity to showcase what we do best, working as a team and battling the elements whilst trying to reinstate the farm next door to its former glory. It is no exaggeration to say that filming outdoors on an exposed hill end in Swaledale was at times a huge challenge for the Wise Owl film crew, but their dedication and enthusiasm has never waned. This new project has been a huge undertaking for the whole family and one we are excited to be able to share with the viewers at home.”

Commissioning editor for Channel 4, Jayne Stanger, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Amanda back onto More4 and it’s an absolute joy to have been granted this incredible access to Amanda, Clive and their wonderful family as they embark on such a challenging renovation. I’ve no doubt our audience will enjoy sharing this fascinating journey with them as well as basking in the stunning Yorkshire scenery that has been so brilliantly captured by the talented team at Wise Owl.”

Mark Robinson, executive producer for Wise Owl Films, said: “Filmed over two years, this is the incredible past and present tale of a house with an important and fascinating history brought lovingly back to life by a family who are Yorkshire Dales through and through. We have been privileged to watch the rebirth of ‘Anty John’s’ tile by tile, stone by stone, across all four seasons in a beautiful but unforgiving location where that painstaking work has often been at the mercy of the elements.”

Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids is a 10x60’ commission for More4, airing as two 5x60’ series. It was commissioned by Jayne Stanger, commissioning editor, Lifestyle, and Jo Street, Channel 4’s Head of Lifestyle. The series is made by Leeds-based Wise Owl Films, the team behind More4’s Amanda Owen’s Farming Lives, and is series produced by James Knight with Mark Robinson as executive producer. Wise Owl Films is a non-scripted label of Lime Pictures, part of All3Media. Amanda Owen is represented by Jo Cantello at Wolfsong Media.

Cineflix Rights is the exclusive worldwide distribution partner for the series.