The BBC’s decision to axe BBC2's Winterwatch as part of its cost-cutting drive has been branded a “terrible” decision by disappointed fans - and they’re not wrong.Those who have enjoyed the programme over the past 14 years claim the move is disastrous because the show is vital for helping people to understand and appreciate the importance of nature as we continue to navigate the climate crisis.And now they plan to launch a bid to save it - which won’t work because they tried it before with Autumnwatch, when 156,000 signed a petition. You’d be hard pushed to find a show which is a better example of public service broadcasting - other channels simply wouldn’t make the Watches, which bring viewers news about the British wildlife during the different seasons.‌But its downfall is that it isn’t cheap to make. At a time when the BBC is feeling the pinch from falling licence fee revenue, expensive Winterwash is prime for the cull, because it needs a huge outside broadcast team to produce it. And so, sadly, it has followed in the footsteps of Autumwatch, axed in 2023 after a 17-year run.It’s particularly sad because Winterwatch comes at a time of year when we all desperately need a bit of cosy telly to help us get through the cold, dark months.Presenter Michaela Strachan had already predicted this was coming, it seems. When I spoke to her ahead of Springwatch in May, she admitted that there was a feeling that change was coming. “I treat every Watch now as, you know, the possible last one, because who knows with television?” she said. “That's the way I treat life, you know, make the most of it while it's there because everything changes.”“Oh, for heavens sake,” show fan Marian Pierce raged. “There's enough rubbish on TV and the few decent things we all love to watch are taken off!? Unbelievable.”‌Angela Johnson made the point that, for some, the shows are the only way they can enjoy the great outdoors. “I can't get out into nature at all through disability, and look forward to the Watches so much.”And while the major cost-cutting strategy is partly because many people have stopped paying their licence fee, the irony is that this could make more follow suit.“ What is the BBC up to?” Lesley Ram moaned. “Don’t they want me to pay my licence fee? I don't do podcasts.” And Anna Carpendale also felt cheated. “They axed Autumnwatch with the promise that we'd keep Springwatch and Winterwatch,” she pointed out.Many are planning on complaining. Jan Shelvey declared: “I will email the BBC, are they mad, our wildlife needs all the publicity it can get, then more people will care about it."‌The demise of Winterwatch - already slashed down to just a week back in 2023 - means the “Watches” no longer exist as a collective, because only Springwatch remains.It will henceforth be replaced by a significantly cheaper visualised podcast called Naturewatch. In a desperate bid to spin this into good news, one BBC spokesperson said: "The Watches is a much-loved BBC brand and our newest addition to the family is Naturewatch – a new video podcast for BBC2, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. This will allow us to deliver greater value to audiences by connecting them to British wildlife, all year round.”But admitting it all comes down to cold, hard cash they also sighed: “In light of our funding challenges, we are having to make difficult choices and, as such, Winterwatch will unfortunately not continue. We are incredibly proud of Winterwatch and would like to thank the presenters and production team who will continue on Springwatch when it returns next May for three weeks.”‌The show will be missed by many not least because, as presenter Chris Packham has pointed out, it has the ability to to “bring solace” through “the power, the therapy, the existence of the natural world”.Surely there are more suitable programmes to axe than this gem? For me, as long as Mrs Brown’s Boys remains on BBC1, there’s always a better choice to be made.