Fancy escaping to the country? A major new TV series wants to hear from people in and around Edinburgh

If you are one of them, then TV company Five Mile Films want to hear from you. The production house are looking for people of all ages - families, couples and singletons – from in and around the Capital who would like to be part of a brand-new documentary series to be screened on a major TV channel later this year.

Producers want to hear from people craving the opportunity to live a simpler life. The series, which has the working title 'The Simple Life' will find those lucky enough to be chosen saying goodbye to their smartphones, Zoom calls and social media as they go off to experience the ‘good life’ fantasy while mulling over what modern life has actually given us.

Casting producer Kathryn Burke says, "We are looking for people of all ages to take time out from their normal life and step into a different way of living."We are looking for around 30 people comprising a mix of the households that might make up a street or cul de sac; young families, single people, older couples, a cross section of society really. They will make up a community that we will then send to live in the confines of a farm, somewhere in rural Britain."

Those taking part won't live together but will be housed in their own accommodation, although the lives of all will centre around the farm.

"It's an old fashioned 'The Good Life' kind of idea, they'll be growing their own vegetables and crops, looking after and rearing animals. So their day to day life will focus on working the farm," explains Burke.

She adds, "There will be a real focus on community; the idea has come about as a result of the last year, in which a lot of people have re-evaluated what they want in life. Many have found themselves stripping back their choices to discover if modern life is all it is cracked up to be."

The filming will take place over a number of months with all filming done "in a Covid-safe fashion in line with all Covid protocols that are in place at the time."

If you are interested in taking part, email your details to [email protected]​​, including a few lines on why taking part in the documentary appeals to you.

"We will be making sure people are not out of pocket by taking part," adds Burke, "There​ is a team casting the documentary and the first stage will be to tell people who are interested a little more about it. To start​,​ we will chat to them on the phone and then, later, ask for videos​.

"It's open to everybody.​ We are looking for interesting, engaging people who are up for an adventure, open-minded, chatty and talkative. What we are not looking for are huge, big characters, ​as the​ one thing I would emphasis is that ​'The Simple Life' ​is not a reality TV programme but a documentary series​.​"

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