Kent: The Garden of England
Editors: Billy Rich, Ed Kinnear
Airing: Wednesdays from 11th September at 8pm on Channel 5
Narrated by Bill Nighy, Kent: Garden of England is a 5 x 60 min series that celebrates the beauty and charm of one of Britain’s oldest counties. From the iconic White Cliffs of Dover to the peaceful marshlands of the Thames Estuary, the show follows the daily lives of people who live, work, and play in this stunning region, showcasing the very best of what Kent has to offer.
Produced by BriteSpark East for Channel 5, the series dives into Kent’s rich history, exploring its castles, historic houses, and 350 miles of coastline. It also highlights local crafts, like the cricket bat makers of Ashford, stonemasons of Canterbury Cathedral, and hop growers brewing beer on their farms. Emerging cultural hotspots, including a re-energized Margate and a restaurant with produce from its own greenhouses, add a modern twist to this captivating journey.
Ed Kinnear edited episode 3 and Billy Rich edited episodes 2 and 5, they both shared thoughts on working on the series…
Ed; “Each episode documents multiple stories about the lives of the people of Kent, their pastimes and livelihoods, within the local historical and industrial context, and natural beauty of the county. The edit was finding a balance between all of these things and making it look both visually stunning and above all entertaining. This was challenging and took a lot of crafting, but was great fun and interesting, with plenty of amazing material to work with.
It was a pleasure to be involved with this series with a wonderful production team and I very much valued our collaboration and creative journey. Having visited Kent on occasion myself, but knowing little about the county, this was an informative experience for me and I hope viewers will enjoy this remarkable series in the same way.”
Billy; Working on “Kent: The Garden of England” was a very enjoyable experience. I moved to Whitstable in Kent from London only a few years ago, so it was great cutting stories of my fellow Kentonians living and working in a county I previously didn’t know much about.
Whitstable’s famous oyster industry was one of the stories I cut, so it was fascinating discovering all about that, as well as the famous hop harvest in September that makes the beer I enjoy consuming so much taste so delicious. That’s what I particularly like about working in factual television – I get an insight into all sorts of interesting and varied subjects.
