It’s a tad sheepish down on the farm

LOVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE (BBC2)

▼ Dating can be tough, especially when you’re married to the land, work all hours and your social scene is the village pub.

These days, rural romantics have limited options – online dating, Tinder, or a reality TV show.

In Love in the Countryside, farmer’s daughter Sara Cox goes back to her roots to help match up urbanites longing for a change of scene with eight countryside singletons from across the UK.

It’s as cringeworthy as you might expect.

The trailer offered amusing scenes of timid townies fleeing frisky Friesians and committing the ultimate farming faux-pas of leaving the field gate open.

But the first episode was fairly tame as we were introduced to the lovelorn hopefuls, including 32-year-old sheep farmer Christine from Dumfries and 25-year-old dishy dairy farmer Ed from Lancashire.

They set up an online profile and received love letters in return. Ed is shocked to receive two whole boxes: “I’m surprised people my age even know how to post a letter! Where do you even buy stamps?” Millennials, eh?

Cue some speed-dating scenes where our farmers fly through their potential partners to decide who to invite for a second date.

Even the Essex girl who refers to cows as “moo-eys” makes it through.

Maybe things will hot up next week but so far, Love in the Countryside is less love at first sight, more slow-burning romance.

▼ BRITAIN’S BEST HOME COOK (BBC1)

Mary Berry and Claudia Winkleman – a match made in reality TV heaven. They’re on the hunt for the nation’s best home cook. It’s all good fun, but sadly it doesn’t hold a golden ciabatta to the original GBBO.