I'm a fan of Autumnwatch. A great big sniveling fan who thinks the show can do no wrong. For me, that's an amazing thing to say about any programme starring Bill Oddie... but I've said it and I'm sticking by it. Every single time we have a Springwatch or an Autumnwatch, I feel that it is a time to get excited about things. It's not just the start of a new programme, but the marking of the most exciting times of the year. Spring is when everything explodes into life and Autumn is the time when nature has one last extravagant fanfare before the big sleep.

Of course, to catch all of this so we don't miss a thing, we have the infectious fun (and irritation) of Oddie to wax lyrical about the comings and goings of Britain's birds, as well as a more gentle excitement in the form of Kate Humble and Simon King, there to go pie-eyed at the treasures of British wildlife... so what sets this show apart from other wildlife programmes?

If you tune into a BBC wildlife show, chances are you'll be whisked off to some remote part of the world to hear the breathy tones of someone getting all giddy about the sighting of a pride of lions or some rare and exotic birds. Now, the ...watch shows are different because they manage to peek at the very animals and life that surround us. Instead of going far afield to catch stuff you'd never be able to see (which is not a bad thing for the record), the team watch foxes, finches and beavers. Yes. You heard right.

Yesterday, I witnessed some charming... and stunning footage of a fox and a red squirrel. Both resplendent in their red coats, the squirrel danced around eating and generally looking cute (note, this is the only time I will ever use the word 'cute' and mean it) with ol' foxy prowling nearby after a small Tufty shaped meal. Now, I feared for the squirrel but it proved to be unfounded as, squirrels seem to be quite cocky. Before making a hasty retreat up a tree, the squirrel danced and taunted before darting toward the fox, knowing he was quick enough to get away. He essentially batted it on the nose before legging it. The poor fox was flummoxed and it was a real TV moment to treasure.

The beavers that I mentioned have been shipped in from Finland and they were only caught very briefly on a live camera (building a lodge no less) and I'm almost certain that they are set to be the stars of this years Autumnwatch (very much like the badgers were last year). It's hard enough avoiding human comparison to animals, but when you see a family of beavers stood up in a lake having a wash and scratching their bellies... well... it sets off the Johnny Morris in you.

In summary, it's obvious that this show could be viewed as twee, but that's wide of the mark. In Britain, we have some of the most incredible animals and this show is here to prove it. Of course, there are moments which border on saccharine, but really, the main premise is to focus on the drama. Animals are brutal and beautiful. They fight to keep territory and show off to attract the ladies... and it's nothing like Street Wars. If you can't be bothered getting cold and going outside, then at least watch this... it's like having your own portal into the countryside... and if you didn't know, the countryside is an amazing place to be.