BBC in major scheduling chaos on Sunday as England Euros final wipes out fan-favourite shows
VIEWERS of long-running BBC shows will face some disruption amid coverage for the final of a highly-anticipated sports final.
The UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament began on June 14 and will conclude on July 14.
England triumphed over the likes of Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the knockout stage to reach the final of the prestigious competition.
Gareth Southgate‘s side will line up on Sunday to face the Spanish national team.
However, as the Beeb will be showing coverage of the nail-biting match, there are also some changes to their Sunday evening programming schedule.
One example is Countryfile, the long-running environmental news programme.
Typically, episodes air weekly on Sunday evenings for BBC One.
The show launched in 1988, with longest serving presenter John Craven joining just one year later.
Originally, Countryfile was named “Country File”, was 30 minutes in length and aired on Sunday mornings.
In April 2009, the programme moved to its current early Sunday evening slot.
However, on the Euros final day, Countryfile will reach viewers’ screens at the earlier time of 5.40pm.
Coverage for the football match will begin at 7pm and last until 10.30pm.
Alongside John Craven, other longstanding Countryfile hosts include Matt Baker, Adam Henson and Helen Skelton.
Meanwhile, repeat episodes of Antiques Roadshow have also been airing on Sunday evenings.
Having begun in 1979, the long-running antiques programme has reached its 46th series – with the most recent new edition airing on June 2.
Fans of the Fiona Bruce-led show will be disappointed, as it will be off screens entirely on Sunday, July 14.
Antiques Roadshow presenters through the years
Antiques Roadshow launched all the way back in 1979 and has become a staple BBC programme. Here is a look at those who have hosted the show over the years.
- Bruce Parker (1979): Journalist and presenter Bruce Parker was the original host of Antiques Roadshow when the programme debuted.
- Angela Rippon (1979): Broadcaster and former newsreader Angela Rippon briefly took up the hosting reins in 1979.
- Arthur Negus (1979-1983): The first long-term presenter, the television personality and antiques expert had a four-year stint with the show. He died in 1985, two years after leaving Antiques Roadshow.
- Hugh Scully (1981-2000): Hugh, a journalist, radio and television presenter, is the longest-serving presenter of Antiques Roadshow. He died in 2015, at the age of 72.
- Michael Aspel (2000-2008): Retired presenter and newsreader Michael Aspel hosted Antiques Roadshow for eight years. He is also known for his work on shows including This Is Your Life and Crackerjack.
- Fiona Bruce (2008 – present): The current host, journalist, newsreader and presenter Fiona joined the BBC show in 2008. She remains the ongoing presenter to this day.
It is not the first time that popular programmes have been shaken up by UEFA Euro coverage.
This week’s EastEnders episodes have also been affected, with episodes either on BBC Two (July 8) or no episode at all (July 9).
On July 11, EastEnders will be back on the flagship channel, BBC One.
Viewers will be able to enjoy double episodes at 8.15pm and 8.45pm, respectively.