Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South | Preview (Channel 5)

Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South is a series celebrating the breathtaking natural beauty and rich historical heritage of the Isle of Wight, by following the lives of residents whose families have lived there for generations.

The series is an upbeat, escapist celebration of life on this magical island – a visual feast taking in the jaw-dropping beauty of this unique location. As we delve into our characters’ lives and their personal and family histories, we’ll get to understand the heritage of the island and what makes it unlike anywhere else in the world.

Filmed across the summer, the series explores how the locals cope with the challenges of a busy tourist season. In Bembridge, fishmongers Mike and Emma Curtis, together with daughters Izzy and Jess, are preparing for a busy summer of customer orders.

Mike and Izzy take out the family boat to fish for mackerel near St Helen’s Fort. Under specific instructions from Mum to bring back fifty mackerel, Mike knows where to find the fish but it’s Izzy who reels in most of the catch. In Sandown, Christine Jackson is rallying her army of volunteers to help clean up the promenade for the forthcoming Regatta.

A lifelong local, Christine keeps Sandown spick and span through community initiatives including litter picking and maintaining the flower beds. To raise money for fresh flowers, she decides to set up a stall at Regatta selling handmade goods. In East Cowes, twins Philip and Nigel Brown look after the gardens at Osborne House – the royal residence built for Queen Victoria.

Like their father before them, the Browns are passionate about the horticultural heritage of the palace. But the summer heatwave has taken its toll and, with a hosepipe ban, the boys are forced to take desperate measures. Dan Subhani and his wife Tracey run the airport in Sandown.

Together with 91-year-old volunteer Henry, they attend to hundreds of planes that land across the summer. The airport also hosts large summer events during the tourist season which presents further challenges for Dan when a woman falls ill from sunstroke and an unwanted reveller appears on the runway.

Also, local detectorist Justin Cavnor discovers a rare Roman coin from the time of Constantine the Great and holiday-homers, the Edwards family, explore Whitecliff Bay.

Begins this March on Channel 5.