# Farmer Wants a Wife

Farmer Wants a Wife is a reality television series developed by Fremantle Media. The basic structure of the programme is that a number of farmers are presented with women from the city, from whom they choose one to be their spouse. The first edition premièred in the United Kingdom on ITV in 2001. However, the original format of the programme is likely to date back to the TV programme Bauer sucht Bäuerin, which was broadcast in 1983 on SF DRS in Switzerland.
Some versions have also occasionally included gay or women farmers who were seeking husbands.

## History

After its UK debut in 2001, the show had more than 10 localised versions around the world, with mixed ratings reports. It was the No. 1 television show for stations that aired it in Belgium and Norway, and was the highest rated (up to 60%) entertainment show in the Netherlands.
Premiered in spring 2008, the U.S. version of Farmer Wants a Wife consists of 8 episodes, during which 10 women are trying to be chosen by just one bachelor farmer. In this the U.S. version differed from the other international versions and it was more fictionalised. This version got cancelled by The CW after one season.
In September 2009, Farmer Wants a Wife returned to British television for a series on Channel 5, presented by singer and television personality Louise Redknapp.

## Transmissions

| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
| 1 | 8 November 2001 | 20 December 2001 | 7 |
| 2 | 16 September 2009 | 21 October 2009 | 6 |

## International versions

| Country | Name | Channel | Host | Premiere | Website |
| Australia | The Farmer Wants a Wife | Nine Network Seven Network | Natalie Gruzlewski Sam McClymont Sam Armytage | 24 October 2007 | Link |
| Austria | Bauer sucht Frau | ATV | Katrin Lampe Arabella Kiesbauer | 2005 | Link Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine |
| Belgium ( Flanders) | Boer zoekt Vrouw | VTM | Dina Tersago | March 2004 | Link |
| Belgium ( Wallonia) | L'amour est dans le pré | RTL-TVI | Sandrine Dans | 2008 | Link |
| Bulgaria | Фермер търси жена Fermer tyrsi jena | Nova Television | Aleks Surchajieva (2011) Didi Todorova (2015) | 2011 | |
| Canada | L'amour est dans le pré | V/Noovo | Marie-Ève Janvier Katherine Levac Marie-Soleil Dion | 29 January 2011 | Link |
| Canada | Farming for Love | CTV | Sabrina Jalees | 28 May 2023 | |
| Croatia | Ljubav je na selu | RTL | Lorena Nosić (2009–2010) Marijana Batinić (2012–2020) Anita Martinović (2021–present) | 4 September 2008 | Link |
| Czech Republic | Farmář hledá ženu | TV Prima | Laďka Něrgešová | 14 July 2010 | Link Archived 20 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine |
| Czech Republic | Farmář hledá ženu | TV Prima | Laďka Něrgešová | 3 April 2022 | |
| Czech Republic | Farmář hledá ženu | TV Barrandov | Alice Bendová | 3 March 2017 | Link |
| Denmark | Bonde søger brud | Kanal 4 | Anne-Dorte | 2006–2008 | |
| Denmark | Landmand søger kærlighed | TV 2 | Lene Beier | 2013 | |
| Estonia | Maamees otsib naist | Kanal 2 | Krista Lensin | May 2007 | Link |
| Finland | Maajussille morsian | MTV3 | Miia Nuutila Mia Halonen Vappu Pimiä | 26 March 2006 | Link |
| France | L'amour est dans le pré | M6 | Véronique Mounier Alessandra Sublet Karine Le Marchand | 8 September 2005 | Link Archived 29 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine |
| Germany | Bauer sucht Frau | RTL | Inka Bause | 2 October 2005 | Link |
| Germany | Land und Liebe | NDR Fernsehen | Yared Dibaba | 2005 | Link Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine |
| Greece | Αγρότης μόνος ψάχνει Agrótis mónos psáchnei | Alpha TV | Sissy Christidou | 1 July 2009 | Link |
| Hungary | Házasodna a gazda | RTL | Ildikó Kovalcsik "Lilu" (2012) Anikó Nádai (2019–) | 29 June 2012 | Link |
| Ireland | Love in the Country | RTÉ2 | Anna Geary | 6 November 2023 | |
| Italy | Il contadino cerca moglie | Fox Life, TV8, Sky Uno (2015–2018) Nove (2021–) | Simona Ventura Ilenia Lazzarin Diletta Leotta Gabriele Corsi | 2015 | |
| Latvia | Saimnieks meklē sievu | TV3 | Baiba Sipeniece | 2009 | Link |
| Lithuania | Ūkininkas ieško žmonos | TV3 | Nijolė Pareigytė | 26 April 2011 | Link |
| Netherlands | Boer zoekt Vrouw | NPO 1 | Yvon Jaspers | 21 November 2004 | Link |
| Norway | Jakten på kjærligheten | TV2 | Marthe Sveberg | 24 August 2004 | Link |
| Poland | Rolnik szuka żony | TVP1 | Marta Manowska | 21 May 2014 | Link |
| Portugal | Quem quer namorar com o agricultor? | SIC | Andreia Rodrigues | 10 March 2019 | |
| Romania | Fermier. Caut nevastă | Prima TV | Luana Ibacka | 12 March 2009 | |
| Serbia | Domaćine, oženi se | Prva | Tijana Čurović | 15 October 2010 | |
| Slovenia | Ljubezen na seniku | TV3 | Saša Lendero | Spring 2011 | |
| Slovenia | Ljubezen na deželi | Planet TV | Saša Lendero | Autumn 2013 | |
| Slovenia | Ljubezen po domače | POP TV | Tanja Postružnik | Autumn 2016 | Link |
| Slovakia | Farmár hľadá ženu | TV JOJ | Aneta Parišková | 2010 | Link |
| South Africa | Boer soek 'n Vrou | MNet | Minki van der Westhuizen, Elma Postma | 30 September 2008 | Link |
| Spain | Granjero busca esposa | Cuatro | Luján Argüelles (2009–2011) Carlos Lozano (2016–2018) | 12 January 2009 | Link Archived 11 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine |
| Sweden | Bonde söker fru | TV4 | Linda Lindorff | 2006 | Link Archived 3 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine |
| Switzerland | Bauer, ledig, sucht... | 3+ | Marco Fritsche | 2008 | Link |
| Ukraine | Фермер шукає дружину Fermer shukaye druzhynu | STB | Irina Borisyuk | 30 September 2011 | Link Archived 12 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine |
| United States | Farmer Wants a Wife | The CW | Matt Neustadt | 30 April 2008 | Link |
| United States | Farmer Wants a Wife | Fox | Jennifer Nettles | 8 March 2023 | |