AGREED! Decisions are made on these grounds. A show has to be commercial and Americanised in order to survive.Our Zoo was neither so it was dropped.Only sensational sex and violence matters these days in the dissemination of "American" style shows in a global colonisation of all country's cultures.Its an insidious take over!

Oh, and nostalgia for a past aristocratic England as found in period drama like Downtown Abbey!That suits the American chocolate box view of historical England.
Our Zoo was too parochial for them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Our Zoo, hope the petition works.

I think the producers thought they had a nostalgic hit on their hands with another feel good drama like Call the Midwife. I thought this programme was very slow moving and a little too smug.

I do agree the lead character was smug as it developed and towards the end i lost all sympathy with his sense of entitlement....but many lead characters end up with those traits whilst still getting second series.

The ´Our Zoo´ series had everything I want from a drama. It was entertaining, I enjoyed the humour and its dramatic twists kept me hooked. I liked the cliffhanger of the bear escape.

I found the characters very relatable. George did get a bit hot headed and smug, wanting to fight the case himself but that showed his passion and drive. It made him more realistic, as he wasn´t perfect, and more interesting. In the end, however, George did calm down and return to his more likeable self.

I think the script was well written. I loved how the tension in court was lightened by baby Mojo the penguin demanding to be fed.

It would be brilliant to have more, to see the zoo open and how it fairs in the early years as well as through the war...

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...online-8267100

My library obtained it from a library in another county.

I agree with you about the portrayal of George, I found it refreshing that he was a flawed hero in the sense that he did lose his temper and alienate people at times, but the show never went down the obvious trashy routes of affairs etc.

I've just told my daughter that they intend to axe our zoo, she looked mortified. We watched it together every week when she got home from work.
We have both signed the petition and really hope the BBC listen.

How extremely disappointing but guess the hint was there when it wasn't shown on a Sunday evening. Why start something they have no intention of finishing and has any reason been given for this dreadful decision being made by the BBC?

It's not the first though is it. The Paradise and Crimson Field both cancelled mid storyline or set up to be a returning series. None of them mega hits but bringing in decent consolidated figures. Yet you have Atlantis and Musketeers returning with no better viewing figures. Notice what type of programmes get renewed!!

Atlantis and musketeers were recomissioned due to their high ratings in their first couple of episodes (over 9 million for marketeers and 7 million for atlantis. Their season 2 announcements came after only 3 episodes. Personally I think atlantis should have been canned as ratings dipped heavily later. Going by the current viewing figures of season 2 I think it's pretty much dead. Musketeers average for the series was about 6.5 million which was much higher than our zoo paradise or crimson field. As much as I'd like a 2nd series I just can't see it happening. The petition just doesn't have anywhere near enough names or media attention for the bbc to take notice.it may have about 2000 but in my opinion you would at least need 30k for the bbc to even acknowledge it. If the bbc won't bring back dr who confidential with a 60k petition a 2k petition has no chance

Is Atlantis a co-production? There seem to be quite a number of series now that are an unusual length for a BBC programme - usually around 45 minutes +/- a few minutes. Suggests they are planned with overseas sales in mind. Perhaps we should be worried about any good series that runs at 60 minutes!

With bbc America but bbc America is rumoured to be pulling out after season 2. Death in paradise and call the midwife are both 60 minutes and both have had season 4 and 5 commissioned. Line of duty has had seasons 3and 4 commissioned. The missing is getting a 2nd series. All are critically acclaimed good bbc shows and are 60 minute shows. Personally I think it's more down to viewing figures than anything else and how well it does in its timeslot.4.5 -5.5 total viewing figures (including iplayer) Wednesday night at 9pm with no real competition is poor. (Actually what was our zoos competition again? I forgot)

I wonder if they had somehow included the later period when various family members seemed to have worked in Australia and NZ then they might have got broadcasters in those countries to take it? Though perhaps though markets are not big enough.

It has just finished being shown on BBC First in Australia. I don't know how it did. I don't think they were aware of the connection out there.

TV needs more quirky and charming dramas for families. I know there is not much hope for ‘Our Zoo’ series 2 to be commissioned but it did inspire me not to give up. Starting at 9pm and mid-week ‘Our Zoo’ was in the wrong time slot.

June Williams (George Mottershead's youngest daughter) and her husband Fred who were keen to see the world, travelled to Australia in the early 50s when the zoo had become established and spent a couple of years backpacking and working their way round the country as well as New Zealand. They started in Tasmania and were based and worked in the beautiful Freycinet National Park. They spent a summer working on Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef at a small resort there. They travelled out as ten pound Poms. Muriel emigrated to New Zealand while June and Fred where still out there. Her mother Lizzie's brother had emigrated out to New Zealand but had sadly been killed during the war. He had regularly written to Muriel telling her how beautiful it was so she decided to go and see for herself. She met her husband shortly after arriving.

If you want to try and stop Our Zoo from being axed:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...online-8267100

Arguably they did though this year as Dr Who Extra.

It wasn’t easy after the Mottershead family had been granted permission from the Ministry of Health to open. They had a huge mortgage and a growing collection of animals to house and feed. Then the war started....


If you want to try and stop Our Zoo from being axed:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...online-8267100

Still gutted there will be no more 'Our Zoo'. I found it such an inspirational story, showing just what an ordinary family can achieve when there's the drive.

I really would have liked to have watched how they got Chester Zoo established during the 30s and 40s.

In June's book I read George and Lizzie for a period of time during the war only had June, the grandparents and a mahout Kay to help them as everyone else had left to do war work. Kay and the two elephants came from a travelling circus, which had had to close. I loved reading about how they were collected from the station and the relationship Kay had with the elephants.

Online petition to appeal for return of Our Zoo:

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...online-8267100

My family will miss Our Zoo too. I have signed the petition. Not many dramas on TV, that are suitable for family viewing now a days. Too many crime murder based dramas...

8.00pm on Sunday was the natural slot for the enjoyable, quirky drama.

I agree. It was great entertainment for the whole family, so why midweek at 9´pm?
This is a time better suited to dramas with more adult themes.

Petition link:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...online-8267100

Article in Warrington Guardian:
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/...ccess#comments

Still really sad there will be no more Our Zoo....

Here´s an article recently published regarding Our Zoo and the petition to try to bring it back with comments from the real June:

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/ne...tition-8292453

These are the most Recent Customer Reviews on Amazon of Our Zoo DVD...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...#REELUD9I6XNZN

Fantastic series! a real treasure from the BBC.
Love this series. Here's hoping for series 2!
Published 6 hours ago by Laura L. Driscoll
.
A delight from beginning to end and a great present for our grandchild who was unable to see it on television.
Published 6 hours ago by Teresa Maggs

fantastic
Published 9 hours ago by jackie blower

Five Stars
Great series highly recommended
Published 1 day ago by Hunter2

His idea to bring a little joy into ordinary people's lives against...
A story based on truth about how one man struggled to get on with his life following his experiences in the trenches of WW1.

Lots of people, both adults and children, loved it...so why axe it?

How can BBC axe 'Our Zoo'? Sign this petition for second series please!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/b...ies-of-our-zoo

Exactly.

Who in the beeb decided to schedule this in the 9pm timeslot?. This was a FAMILY drama, and using the serious 9pm after the watershed slot was moronic. And in reply to the obvious "it could be recorded" many wouldn't have bothered as the pre series ads for it were pretty feeble so many families wouldn't have known about it.

Our Zoo was ideal for either the CTM slot after it ended, or as a pre xmas "warmer" on Saturday or Sunday which needs a family drama.

I honestly think this simply wasn't liked in the beeb, and the scheduling reflected that

2316 signatures collected need more before 1pm on Dec 17 so #OurZooSeries2 petition can be sent to BBC:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/b...ampaign=button