CHANNEL 4 SCRAP PLANS FOR KIDS IN THE WILD SERIES

Channel 4 have axed one of their biggest commissions of the year, before the show had even started filming.

The reality series, produced by Love Productions, would have transported a group of diverse 9-11 year old school children to the countryside for an "old-fashioned summer".

The aim of the programme was to explore the children’s "mental and physical reactions to life in the wild, as well as their social structures and interactions, as they learn how to cook and eat in a camp and sleep in shared bunks with children they know not."

Channel 4 have now confirmed that the show will not go ahead. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "We have decided during pre-production that we will not be continuing with this project and are focusing on other projects with Love Productions."

Speaking earlier this year about the format's commission, Channel 4's Madonna Benjamin said: "Kids in the Wild celebrates childhood by giving children the opportunity to experience a summer of fun, adventure and new discoveries...

She continued: "It examines how this generation has been deprived of so much freedom and an opportunity for social cohesion that it missed. We hope audiences get a privileged glimpse of just how adaptable and imaginative our children can be."