Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

Ben, who lives in Northern England, joins his friend Dave on a narrowboat cruising the regional waterways. As they travel the canals, he realises they provide him with a deep daily sense of solace and a renewed purpose in life.

The piece is a short programme produced in Cheshire, United Kingdom. It is classified as an episode, and its format follows the conventions of a typical broadcast segment rather than a full‑length series. The story follows Ben, who remains based in the north of England. He decides to accompany his friend Dave aboard a narrowboat, setting off on the region’s inland waterways. Their journey together forms the core of the episode’s narrative. While travelling on the narrowboat, Ben comes to recognise the canals as a source of calm. The quiet rhythm of the water and the gentle pace of life on the boat give him a feeling of solace that he had not experienced before. This newfound tranquillity leads Ben to feel a revived sense of purpose. The simple act of navigating the canals, alongside Dave, appears to re‑orient his outlook and provides him with a clearer direction moving forward.