BBC Radio 4 - The Archers - Ambridge locations A guide to some of the key locations in Ambridge. Share this page Contemporary drama in a rural setting BBC Radio 4 The Archers' flood storyline is the best thing to happen to Ambridge in ages - Telegraph The Archers' flood storyline is the best thing to happen to Ambridge in ages Naysayers be (dammed?). A tense week of flooding is the story Archers listeners have been waiting for Calm before the storm: Ruth and David Archer's farm Brookfield is caught up in Ambridge's floods Photo: BBC Follow The River Am, for months ominously foreshadowed as "rising", made its presence felt in Monday night's episode of The Archers by flooding the village of Ambridge. Families have been separated, livestock is threatened, karaoke night at The Bull was ruined. For some listeners, exercised in part by rain sound effects that were "too loud" , the whole affair has been as trying as for the programme's characters and they have made their complaints felt. Post by BBC The Archers . This is nothing new. Every hot storyline, at some point, is considered a step too far for a certain group.

Complaining about unwanted developments in The Archers is hardwired into every listener. It is almost as great a joy as actually listening to it. The goings-on in Ambridge have attracted ire since it started in 1950, but by getting het up about the floods, listeners are missing the point that this week's episodes have been particularly terrific. The Ambridge flood is the best storyline that The Archers has had in ages, and builds on a tighter, more character-driven way of writing that has really showed itself in recent months. Related Articles The Archers: realism rules in Ambridge 19 Nov 2014 One complaint, that the flood had come "out of nowhere", is hard to argue. As the 2007 Worcester floods and last year's terrible flooding showed, weather doesn't give much warning, and the decision to spend five episodes following various residents through the events of a single night has been excellent. The BBC's online efforts to follow the story have been inspired.

Tweets from characters, a "live" blog , interviews with the farmers whose real-life struggles inspired the storyline, and some impressive use of its own weather service have given this storyline an impact that far outlasts each 13-minute episode. Post by BBC The Archers . By showing Ambridge isolated and up against it, the scriptwriters have revealed a real vulnerability in characters who can otherwise appear hewn from iron. Village lynchpin Lynda Snell's devastation over her missing beloved rescue dog Scruff, and the worry felt by the seemingly bomb-proof village elder Bert Fry for his wife Freda, stuck on the other side of the village, was genuinely touching. Editor Sean O'Connor , who replaced long-serving Vanessa Whitburn in 2013, has been criticised for pulling in too much "sensationalism" from his previous jobs at EastEnders and Coronation Street (not that this has put off listeners: The Archers has more than ever before). "I think that the two occasions of sexual intercourse in the last 12 months have been balanced by a knitting story, a flower and produce show and kitchens," he told the 2014 Cheltenham Literature Festival.

So we've had a rampant bull, marital infidelity, and Matt disappearance. Now a flood. It is Archenders #thearchers — Andrew Langstone (@2ndcitysuit) March 3, 2015 Hot topics have weaved through Ambridge for years: I started listening during Brian Aldridge's affair with Siobhan in 2004 (mercifully too late for Sid Perks's infamous and adulterous shower scene with The Bull's landlady Jolene. For many listeners, those wounds will never heal.) And years before that there was the scandal of Jennifer Archer bearing an illegitimate child, Adam, who would grow to flourish in scandal of his own, with an extra-marital affair with a strawberry picker behind the back of his cheery civil partner, Ian. Arguably the real scandals are not the events that rock the boat, but rather the ones that go against a character's own persona. When actor Kim Durham left The Archers in 2014, his character Matt Crawford – who with Lilian Bellamy made up Ambridge's most delightfully hell-raising couple – was punished with the most unlikely means of departure.

He stripped Lilian of all her goods and fled to Costa Rica. As a tribute to Matt, a Costa Rican pineapple. And #thearchers production team know where they can stick it. pic.twitter.com/E4zGhqxjih — John Porter (@Pieandapint) January 25, 2015 Same too with the recasting of Tom Archer and his cousin Pip, whose new voices have yet to settle with listeners. Previous recastings such as Tony Archer, Clarrie Grundy or Emerald O'Hanrahan's terrific takeover from the now-Oscar nominee Felicity Jones as Emma Grundy, made the roles continue seamlessly. "New Tom", as he is still called after three months, on the other hand has been criticised for sounding too close to odious estate manager Charlie Thomas. When Tom talks about pasture he sounds even more like Charlie. Actor change was ridiculous. Why? Why treat other actor so badly? #thearchers — Elizabeth Bangs (@ElizabethBangs) January 28, 2015 Bloody hell, Charlie/Tom/Harrison I really can't distinguish.

This is seriously spoiling things for me @BBCTheArchers #TheArchers BBC Radio 4 - River Am - from which Ambridge gets its name - The Archers - Ambridge locations River Am - from which Ambridge gets its name The River Am runs through the picturesque Am Vale to Borchester.

This gallery is from Contemporary drama in a rural setting BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 Listeners complain about bizarre coverage of floods in The Archers | Daily Mail Online BBC faces deluge of complaints from listeners over bizarre internet coverage of fictional flood disaster in the Archers Listeners complain over BBC's online coverage of floods in The Archers BBC website showed fake weather forecasts for fictional Midlands village Fans said online maps and graphics of floods 'insulted their intelligence' Others said they know show is fantasy and do not want 'this nonsense' Floods in Ambridge village echoed those on the Somerset Levels last year Farmers fought to protect their land as authorities reacted slowly to danger The Archers celebrates first 'gay wedding' in Ambridge | Daily Mail Online The Archers celebrates first 'gay wedding' in Ambridge Last updated at 11:19 04 December 2006 Archers characters Adam and Ian will finally tie the knot in Ambridge's first ever gay wedding. The civil partnership in the Radio 4 serial sees the fruition of the soap world's longest-running gay romance. Adam Macy (Andrew Wincott) and Ian Craig (Stephen Kennedy) first kissed in April 2004 in a polytunnel.

Two and a half years later the farmer and chef are in the much more romantic setting of Lower Loxley, where their ceremony takes place. Ian has already faced the painful ordeal of "coming out" to his father and brothers. Adam also has a potential family crisis to face on his big day with his stepfather Brian Aldridge threatening not to attend. Listeners to The Archers will discover whether Brian turns up for Ambridge's wedding of the year in the December 14 episode. They also learn that Adam and Ian are not the only couple concerned with wedding bells. The Archers: Academics to delve into BBC Radio 4 soap's secrets at university conference | The Independent News The Archers: Academics to delve into BBC Radio 4 soap's secrets at university conference 'The Archers in fact and fiction: Academic analyses of life in rural Borsetshire' will be held in London next year Friday 16 October 2015 14:41 BST Click to follow The Independent Culture The Archers is more than simply 'an everyday story of country folk' for the organisers of the seminar BBC What does the River Am flood tell us about the hydrology of Borsetshire?

Academia will embrace The Archers at a university conference devoted to unlocking the deeper truths within the rural soap. The long-running Radio 4 drama is more than simply “an everyday story of country folk” for the Ambridge-obsessed organisers of “The Archers in fact and fiction: Academic analyses of life in rural Borsetshire”, a conference held at the University of Liverpool’s London campus next year. More than 20 submissions have already been accepted for the seminar which promises to take “an academic perspective on life in Ambridge and Borsetshire, with papers from across disciplines.” Read more David Blunkett bemoans disappearing characters on The Archers Topics up for discussion include “a sociological analysis of class dynamics in rural Britain through the lives of Archers’ characters”, the drama’s representation of “elderly care provision in the rural setting” and “rural and village economics, from the village store to agribusiness.” Particular attention will be given to the great Am Vale flood last Spring, an event which prompted listener complaints when the BBC chose to accompany it with fake flood alerts, weather warnings, police appeals and breaking news of emergency rescues on its website.

The conference will debate the “hydrology of the Am valley following the recent flooding events” amid concerns that a repeat of the “weatherbomb” could wreak further damage on village life. Cara Courage, a PhD student at the University of Brighton, Centre for Research and Development, said the conference was inspired by social media discussions. “We discovered a huge fan base of academics commenting on the omnibus episodes on Twitter. We began chatting about topics for an academic paper on The Archers could and it grew from there. The response has been overwhelming.” The conference will take 'an academic perspective on life in Ambridge and Borsetshire' Geographical questions will be resolved. “There have been lots of rows over the correct map of Ambridge and Borsetshire since the programme began,” said Ms Courage, a lifelong listener, who grew up on a Somerset farm.

“One paper has been submitted from cartographer, who suggests it would have been topographically impossible for Borsetshire to have flooded.” The conference will also debate the “statistical probability of no Ambridge residents listening to Radio 4 at 2:00pm or 7:00pm” and discuss The Archers’ representation of “working class” farm workers and immigration, following the seasonal influx of foreign workers to the countryside. Dr Peter Matthews, lecturer in Sociology & Criminology at the University of Stirling, said the Archers was a useful prism to debate issues of rural social policy. “We see the impact of huge agribusiness coming in and the village pub going out of business, these are huge rural issues,” he said. “The protests over the Route B bypass (cutting Brookfield in half) squared with our own research into middle-class activism.” Dr Matthews praised The Archers’ realistic portrayal of poverty. “In Coronation Street when characters fall on hard times they still have enough money to buy a round in the Rovers Return. “But Ed and Emma Grundy couldn’t pay for the basic things. The reality of poverty in the UK is mothers going hungry to feed their children.

The writers do their research.” The BBC has assisted the appeal for academic papers. But what would The Archers themselves make of all the fuss? Dr Matthews said: “Lynda Snell would think it’s the greatest ever thing to happen to her, she would be over the moon that Ambridge is getting the attention. The Grundys would roll their eyes and wonder what was happening.” Participants at the seminar have been assured that the debate will be silenced and the radio switched as soon as the Barwick Green theme announces the latest episode. More about: Gillian Reynolds on The Archers affair - Telegraph TV and Radio Gillian Reynolds on The Archers affair Gillian Reynolds reviews the week in radio, including The Archers, which saw the affair between Lilian and Paul come to a head, and Evan Davis’s The Bottom Line on Radio 4.

Country strife: Matt (Kim Durham) and Lilian (Sunny Ormonde) in R4’s ‘The Archers’ 7:00AM BST 12 Jun 2013 The River Am is rising to record levels this week as the tears of Lilian Archer Nicholson Bellamy flow into it for ghastly Paul, her secret lover, half brother of her paramour, the even ghastlier Matt. Even for The Archers (Radio 4, Sunday to Friday), it was all so sudden. There was Lilian last Monday, waiting for Paul in their covert Felpersham love nest, phoning crossly to ask why he hadn’t turned up. On Thursday, out of the blue but in the local hostelry (The Bull, of course, do keep up), she found out. Paul was found dead in a Cardiff hotel room. On Monday. Her tears flowed, as the song says, like wine or, in Lilian’s usual style, gin and tonic. She explained the tears to mine hostess at The Bull, Jolene. As Jolene cohabits with Lilian’s cousin Kenton, this may not have been wise.

But as Matt, unknown to Lilian, knew all about the romance (indeed, had hired a thug to scare Paul off and is even now wondering if it was the scaring-off wot dun it), it can only be a matter of time before Lilian is forced to ’fess up. More record rises in the River Am are forecast. Ditto gin consumption. Especially in my kitchen. Meanwhile, there’s nothing like watching lots of rubbish television to make a person appreciate radio. I can’t usually abide Evan Davis ’s The Bottom Line (Radio 4, Saturdays) but, after all those bewildering CSI and NCIS TV shows full of murder and paranoia, Evan is a beacon of sound sense. Last Saturday his panel considered recruitment, the week before it was apps, who invents them, how to make them pay. Two shows and I’m a convert. Pathetic? Not at all. These are the bits of the real world that swim outside the news and it’s useful (even cheering) to know about them. It could be why television’s great documentary makers – Denys Blakeway, Rex Bloomstein, Dennis Marks – are coming to radio where ideas, connections, explanations are still welcome.

Not every listener will like everything, possibly not even The Archers, but Radio 4 has compass points to steer by, even when they land us on the rocks. Book of the Week, for example, the regular Monday to Friday slot for non-fiction, this week has An Englishman Aboard by Charles Timoney, read by Mark Heap. Timoney is married to a Frenchwoman, lives in France, built himself a rowing boat and decided to use it to trace the whole course of the River Seine. The Seine is very big, we learn, twice the length of the Severn or Thames. It can also be a couple of hundred metres wide. It starts in a field in Burgundy, flows through Paris, ends up at Le Havre. It proves impossible to row it end to end. So he goes to brocantes, eats sausages, meets chums, drinks beer. Lacking the charm of the fictional Mr Pooter or the magic of such observers of nature as Roger Deakin, this journey is one I find I need no longer follow.

Related Articles The Archers : definition of The Archers and synonyms of The Archers (English) The Archers podcast The Archers is a long-running British radio soap opera broadcast on the BBC 's main spoken-word channel , Radio 4 . It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting". [3] With over 16,700 episodes, it is both the world's longest running radio soap and, since the cancellation of the American soap opera Guiding Light in September 2009, the world's longest running soap opera in any format. [4] The Archers is the most listened to Radio 4 non-news programme, [5] with over five million listeners, [6] and it holds the BBC Radio programme record for the number of times listened to over the Internet, with over one million listeners. [7] BBC Radio 4 Extra has also broadcast, in 2011, two series (26 episodes each) of a twice-weekly spin-off show Ambridge Extra . These were advertised as a trial, and it is not currently known if more will be made.

[8] Contents 17 External links Outline The Archers is set in the fictional village of Ambridge in the fictional county of Borsetshire , in the English Midlands . Borsetshire is situated between the (in reality contiguous) counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire , south of Birmingham in the West Midlands , although it has been occasionally misinterpreted as Dorsetshire in South West England . Various villages claim to be the inspiration for Ambridge: Ambridge's public house , The Bull, is modelled on The Old Bull in Inkberrow , [9] whereas Hanbury 's St Mary the Virgin is often used as a stand-in for Ambridge's parish church , St Stephen's. [10] [11] Other fictional villages include Penny Hassett, Loxley Barrett, Darrington, Hollerton, Edgeley, Waterley Cross and Lakey Green. The county town of Borsetshire is Borchester , and the nearest big city is the cathedral city of Felpersham . Felpersham also has a university.

Anywhere further from Ambridge may be referred to humorously with comments such as 'that's on the other side of Felpersham!', but characters do occasionally venture further: several attended the Countryside Alliance march in London, [12] there have been references to the gay scene in Manchester's Canal Street , and a number of scenes have taken place abroad or in other places around the country, with some characters resident overseas in South Africa and Hungary, and other characters have visited Norfolk . Birmingham is a favourite destination for shopping. Since Easter Sunday 1998 there have been six episodes a week from Sunday to Friday, at around 19:02 (preceded by a news bulletin). All except the Friday evening episode are repeated the following day at 14:02, and all of the week's episodes are re-run as a Sunday morning omnibus at 10:00. Characters Main article: List of characters in The Archers Many of the storylines concern the title family, the middle-class Archers , who own and manage Brookfield Farm.

The farm has been passed down the generations from the original owner Dan (now deceased) to his son Phil (until his death on 13 February 2010 the oldest surviving cast member), and is now co-owned by three of Phil's four children: David (who manages it with his wife Ruth), Elizabeth and Kenton. the prosperous Aldridges , portrayed as money-driven practitioners of agribusiness . Brian, the head of the family, is a serial adulterer, the rich and elderly Woolleys , with Jack now badly affected by Alzheimer's disease , [13] the Grundys , formerly struggling tenant farmers who were brought to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s as comic characters, but are now seen as doggedly battling adversity, the urban, nouveau riche "incomers": pretentious and domineering, Lynda Snell is the butt of many jokes, although her sheer energy makes her a stalwart of village life.

She is partnered by the long-suffering Robert, the perpetually struggling Carters , the newly-remarried milkman and casual farm labourer Mike Tucker , his kind-hearted and stunningly attractive much younger wife Vicky who divides opinion like a knife, his on-site son, Roy, daughter-in-law Hayley and two granddaughters, and his daughter Brenda, an Archer-in-waiting as Tom's intended, village squires , the upper class Pargetters , owners of Lower Loxley Hall in Ambridge's outskirts. Nigel, the deceased former head of the family, was keen on environmentalism but was sometimes seen as goodlooking but dim. Many plots involve the teen and twenties offspring of these families, so new nuclear families come into existence over time. Other distant relatives also reappear. Some characters are well known but never heard on air. Over the years, some silent characters become real, or vice-versa (for example, Mrs Antrobus, "the Dog Woman"). The village Main sites in the village are: Arkwright Hall is a large Victorian mansion with a 17th Century atmosphere. The building served as a community centre for many years, containing a soundproofed room and field studies centre.

Later it fell into disrepair, but was renovated when Jack Woolley leased the mansion to Landmark Trust ; Architect Lewis led the restoration of the building to its Victorian splendour. Bridge Farm is a 168-acre (68 ha) farm previously on Berrow Estate, but now owned by Pat and Tony Archer. The farm became a wholly organic dairy in 1984, in a storyline inspired by a scriptwriter's visit to Brynllys farm in Ceredigion , the home of Rachel's Organic . [14] In 2003, Tom Archer began producing his own brand of sausage out of Bridge Farm. Brookfield Farm is a 469-acre (190 ha) farm that was run by Dan Archer, and then by his son Phil Archer for many years. After Phil's retirement in 2001, David Archer took over the farm, and began focusing production on his livestock . High-quality beef is now sold at the farm gate and elsewhere. Grange Farm was a working farm run by the Grundys until their eviction in 2000.

The farmhouse, along with 50 acres (20 ha) of land, was sold to Oliver Sterling, who then began "hobby farming". Grey Gables, once a country club, is now a luxurious hotel in Ambridge, run by Caroline Sterling, née Bone. The hotel boasts a pool, spa, health club, and golf course. Ian Craig serves as the executive chef in the hotel's upscale restaurant. Home Farm is a 1,585-acre (641 ha) farm, by far the largest in Ambridge. In recent years, Home Farm became partners with Brookfield in producing high-quality lamb and expanded into soft fruit and deer farming. Lower Loxley Hall is a 300-year-old building located just outside Ambridge. It serves primarily as a conference centre, but also features other attractions which bring in many hundreds of tourists a year. As well as an art gallery, falconry courses and a café, Lower Loxley also boasts a garden and a museum. St. Stephen's Church, established in 1281, dates back to Saxon times. The church has undergone many changes over the years, including a number of different vicars.

Its eight bells are rung by a group led by Neil Carter. The Bull, the village's only pub following the closure of *The Cat and Fiddle* which was later converted into apartments, is perhaps the most recognisable structure in Ambridge. It now opens at 10 A. M. and boasts a coffee cart and two computers. Having leapt into the 21st Century, The "Bull Upstairs" has become a hotspot for many Ambridge locals. Ambridge still has a village shop and post office, originally thanks to Jack Woolley's philanthropy . The business is now a community shop managed by Susan and run by a team of volunteers. Willow Farm is the spacious residence of the Tucker family. After Betty's death in 2005 the house was split into two to accommodate their son Roy. Its farmland is also home to Neil Carter's pigs. Topicality Unlike some soap operas, episodes of The Archers portray events taking place on the date of broadcast, allowing many topical subjects to be included. Real-life events which can be readily predicted in advance are often written into the script, such as the annual Oxford Farming Conference [15] and the FIFA World Cup .

[16] On some occasions, scenes recorded at these events are planned and edited into episodes shortly before transmission. More challengingly for the production team, some significant but unforeseen events require scenes to be rewritten and rerecorded at short notice, such as the death of Princess Margaret (particularly poignant because she had appeared as herself on the programme), [17] [18] the World Trade Center attacks , [19] and the 2005 London bombings . [20] The events and implications of the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis required many "topical inserts" [21] [22] [23] [24] and the rewriting of several storylines. [25] In Jan 2012, the residents of Ambridge voted to vaccinate the local population of badgers to prevent potential spread of Bovine Tuberculosis , rather than instigating a cull. The plotline came within weeks of the Government confirming an unpopular badger cull trial in England in autumn 2012.

[26] Actors Unlike television soaps, The Archers actors are not held on retainers, and work on the series for, at most, a few days a month. Most of the cast do acting work on other projects and can disappear for a period if they are working on long-term commitments such as films or television series. For example, Tamsin Greig , who plays Debbie Aldridge, has appeared on television comedy shows such as Green Wing , Love Soup and Black Books . As a result, Debbie manages a farm in Hungary in which her family has an interest while Greig is filming these shows, and then returns to Ambridge when Greig's commitments allow. Because of this, and by the nature of the storylines focusing on particular groups of characters, in any week the series comprises between 20 and 30 speaking characters out of a regular cast of about 60. Greig's situation was similar to that of Felicity Jones who played Emma Carter in the series; Jones, after a period studying at Wadham College, Oxford has moved into large TV parts, such as a starring role in Northanger Abbey . Emma Carter is now played by Emerald O'Hanrahan.

Some of the actors, when not playing their characters, earn their money through different jobs altogether: Charlotte Connor, when not playing Susan Carter (credited as Charlotte Martin), works full-time as a senior research psychologist at the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation; her office is a short walk from BBC Birmingham and thus is able to fit it around recordings. [27] Other examples include Felicity Finch (Ruth Archer), who also works as a BBC journalist; having travelled on a number of occasions to Afghanistan, and Ian Pepperell (Roy Tucker), who managers a pub in the New Forest . [28] History Starting on Whit Monday , 29 May 1950, and continuing with five episodes through that week, [29] a pilot series created by Godfrey Baseley was broadcast to the English Midlands in the Regional Home Service, as 'a farming Dick Barton '. Recordings were sent to London, and after some discussion the BBC decided to commission the series for a longer national run. In the five pilot episodes the Archers owned Wimberton Farm, rather than Brookfield.

Since 1 January 1951, five 15-minute episodes (since 1998, six 12½-minute episodes) have been transmitted each week, at first on the BBC Light Programme [1] and subsequently on the BBC Home Service (now Radio 4 ). The original scriptwriters were Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason , who were also working on the series Dick Barton whose popularity partly inspired The Archers and whose slot in the schedules it eventually took. Originally produced with collaborative input from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food|Ministry of Agriculture , The Archers was conceived as a means of disseminating information to farmers and smallholders to help increase productivity in the post- World War II years of rationing and food shortages. [1] It was originally formulated around the lives of three farmers; Dan Archer , farming efficiently with little cash, Walter Gabriel , farming inefficiently with little cash, and George Fairbrother, a wealthy business man farming at a loss for tax purposes (which one could do in those days). [30] The programme was hugely successful; at the height of its popularity it was estimated that 60% of adult Britons were regular listeners[ citation needed ].

The programme's educational remit and the involvement of the MoA ended in the 1970s, but it still contains many storylines and discussions about farming, and has a separate 'agricultural story editor', Graham Harvey. [31] Tony Shryane MBE was the programme's producer from 1 January 1951 to 19 January 1979. Vanessa Whitburn has been the programme's editor since 1992. Whitburn is on long service leave from March to July 2012, during which time John Yorke is acting editor. [32] Since 2007, The Archers has been available as a podcast . [33] As of 5 June 2011 (2011 -06-05) [update] , the omnibus podcast on iTunes in the United Kingdom was at 37 while the daily podcast was at 89. Death of Grace Archer One of the most controversial Archers episodes was broadcast on 22 September 1955, the evening of the launch of the UK's first commercial television station, ITV .

Phil and Grace Archer had been married just a few months earlier, and their blossoming relationship was the talk of the nation. However, searching for a story which would demonstrate some real tragedy among the increasingly unconvincing episode cliff-hangers, Godfrey Baseley had decided that Grace would have to die. It was explained to the cast as an "exercise in topicality. " The scripts for the week of 19 September 1955 were both written, recorded, and broadcast on each day. On Thursday evening of that week, listeners heard Grace trying to rescue her horse, Midnight, from a fire at Brookfield stables, and the crash as a beam fell on her. [34] Whether the timing of the episode was a deliberate attempt to overshadow the opening night of the BBC's first commercial rival has been debated ever since. It was certainly planned some months in advance, but it may well be that the actual date of the death was changed during the scriptwriting stage to coincide with the start of ITV. [35] Deliberate or not, the episode attracted widespread media attention, being reported by newspapers around the world.

This controversy has been parodied twice: in The Bowmans , an episode of the television comedy programme Hancock, and in the play and film The Killing of Sister George . On the 50th anniversary of ITV's launch, Ysanne Churchman , who played Grace, sent a congratulatory card to ITV, signed "Grace Archer". In 1996, William Smethurst recounted a conversation with Baseley in which he reveals his real motivation for killing off Grace Archer: Churchman was encouraging the other actors to join a trade union . [36] Longevity The actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer continuously from the first trial series in 1950 until his death on 29 October 2009. His last recording for an Archers episode was recorded just two days before his death and was broadcast on 22 November. [37] He holds the title of longest-serving actor in a single soap opera in the Guinness Book of Records . [37] As a script writer, he also wrote around 1,200 complete episodes, credited as "Bruno Milna", culminating in the 10,000th episode.

June Spencer has played Peggy Archer/Woolley from the pilot episode onwards, [38] though not for all of the period since. According to Who's Who in The Archers 2008, [39] episode 15,360 was to be broadcast on 1 January 2008. [40] Episode 15,000 was broadcast on 7 November 2006. [41] Sixtieth anniversary The Archers reached its 60th anniversary on 1 January 2011 and to mark this achievement, a special half hour episode was broadcast on Sunday 2 January on BBC Radio 4 from 7pm. The episode had been advertised as containing events that would 'shake Ambridge to the core'. [42] This phrase even gave rise to the initialism #SATTC trending on the website Twitter during that weekend as listeners speculated about what might happen, and then reported their views as the story unfolded. The main events in the episode were Helen Archer giving birth to her son Henry and Nigel Pargetter falling to his death from the roof of Lower Loxley Hall.

Elizabeth is now struggling with the death of her husband and the family are milling around not sure what to do for the best. The writing out of the character of Nigel caused much controversy among Archers' listeners, [43] [44] with a large number of complaints variously expressing dismay at the death of a popular character, concerns over the manner of the dismissal of the actor, belief that the promise to 'shake Ambridge to the core' had been over-hyped, criticism of the credibility of the script and acting for the anniversary episode, and a perceived unwillingness of the editorial team to engage with these listener complaints. Themes This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . It may contain original research . Tagged since June 2009. A recurring theme has been the resentment of the working-class Grundy family towards the middle-class Archers. Labour politician Neil Kinnock in the 1980s jokingly called for The Archers to be retitled "The Grundys and their Oppressors".

[45] The series, however, now deals with a wide range of contemporary issues including illicit affairs , drug abuse , rape , and civil partnerships , inviting criticism from conservative commentators such as Peter Hitchens [46] that the series has become a vehicle for liberal and left-wing values and agendas, with characters behaving out of character to achieve those goals. However, one of the show's charms is to make much out of everyday, small concerns, such as the possible closure of the village shop, the loss and rediscovery of a pair of spectacles, [47] competitive marmalade -making, or nonsense such as a ' spile troshing ' competition, [48] rather than the large-scale and improbable events that form the plots of many soap operas. However, there are some dramatic storylines, such as the rape of Kathy Perks. [49] Sometimes mocked as a comfortable middle-class series with stereotypical comic yokels, the programme has nonetheless tackled many serious social issues. There have been, for instance: rural drug addiction ; inter-racial relationships; direct action against genetically modified crops and badger culling; family break-ups; and civil partnerships.

According to some of the actors, and confirmed in the writings of Godfrey Baseley, in its early days the show was used as a conduit for announcements from the Ministry of Agriculture , one actor reading an announcement almost verbatim to another. More recently the show has reacted within a day to agricultural emergencies such as outbreaks of foot and mouth disease , which affect farmers nationwide when livestock movements are restricted. Cameo appearances Many famous people have made cameo appearances on the programme: Princess Margaret and the Duke of Westminster appeared in 1984 in connection with a fashion show to commemorate the centenary of the NSPCC . [17] Dame Judi Dench made an appearance as the (hitherto usually silent) Pru Forrest in 1989 for the 10,000th episode. Terry Wogan was featured and Esther Rantzen was responsible for the sound effects . [34] Radio presenter John Peel appeared as himself in 1991. [50] Others who have made appearances include Britt Ekland , Humphrey Lyttelton (1956), Anneka Rice , Dame Edna Everage and Antony Gormley (2009).

Theme tune The theme tune of The Archers' is called " Barwick Green " and is a maypole dance from the suite My Native Heath, written in 1924 by the Yorkshire composer Arthur Wood . An alternative arrangement, played by The Yetties , is used to introduce the Sunday omnibus . In 1992, having used the same recording for many years, the theme was re-recorded in stereo .

The original orchestral arrangement was used, but the slightly different mixing and more leisurely tempo led many listeners to consider the new version inferior.[ citation needed ] Robert Robinson once compared the tune to "the genteel abandon of a lifelong teetotaller who has suddenly taken to drink".[ citation needed ] On April Fool's Day 2004 both The Independent and The Today Programme claimed that BBC executives had commissioned composer Brian Eno to record an electronic version of "Barwick Green" as a replacement for the current theme, [63] [64] while the (Scottish) comedian Billy Connolly included in his act the joke that the theme was so typically English that it should be the national anthem [65] English doctors are taught that the tempo of the tune is the rate at which to apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). An alternative tune is " Nellie the Elephant ", which has the same tempo. [66] [67] Serious occasions In the past, a cliffhanger involving a death of a major character or disaster was marked by the traditional closing theme being replaced by the final dramatic section of Barwick Green involving trombones, cymbals and the closing bars of the signature tune.

However, this tradition has been dropped in recent years, notably after the death of Nigel Pargetter when the normal closing music was played despite the gravity of the incident, and after the death of John Archer when no music was played at all. Fan clubs Two organisations dedicated to the programme were established in the 1990s. Archers Addicts is the official body, run by members of the cast. The club has five thousand members [68] and an online shop where Archers memorabilia is sold under licence. It also provides a message board where fans of the show can give their views on the programme. Archers Anarchists was formed some time later, objecting to the "castist" assumptions propagated by the BBC, and claiming that the characters are real. Overseas parallels In 1994, the BBC World Service in Afghanistan began broadcasting Naway Kor, Naway Jwand ("New Home, New Life"), an everyday story of country folk incorporating pieces of useful information.

Although the useful information was more likely to concern unexploded land mines and opium addiction than the latest modern farming techniques, the inspiration and model of Naway Kor, Naway Jwand was The Archers, and the initial workshopping with Afghan writers included an Archers scriptwriter. [69] A 1997 study found that listeners to the soap opera were significantly less likely to be injured by a mine than non-listeners. [70] In Rwanda , the BBC World Service's Rwanda-Rundi service has been broadcasting the Archers-inspired soap opera Urunana ("Hand in Hand") since 1999. [71] [72] The Archers was also the model for the Russian radio soap opera Dom 7, Podyezd 4 ("House 7, Entrance 4"), [73] on which the former UK Prime Minister , Tony Blair , once made a cameo appearance. [74] The Japanese national radio and TV network, NHK, offers a "morning drama" (asadora) that runs for 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday on television. This slot was established on radio in the early postwar era and moved to television in 1961.

Each series lasts six months, i. e. approximately 150 episodes. All centre on a heroine, usually a young girl facing challenges (usually in Japanese traditional social ways) to realize her dream. Programmes have often been used as vehicles for discussion of matters of social concern, such as the foster-child system, and to celebrate the locales around Japan where the series are set. Spoof The comedian Tony Hancock parodied the show in a spoof called The Bowmans. [75] Books and audiobooks Reference works The most recent Archers reference books are Who's Who in The Archers by Keri Davies , senior producer and scriptwriter. This has been published by BBC Books since 2003 and is updated annually for the Christmas gift-giving season .

[76] Forever Ambridge — 25 Years of The Archers (1975) by Norman Painting ASIN B0012UT8XM The Archers Archives (2010) by Simon Frith & Chris Arnot ISBN 978-1-84990-013-3 Borsetshire Life (2011) The county magazine ISBN 7811902685144 see borsetshire-life Novelisations Ambridge Summer by Keith Miles (1975) ISBN 0-85523-065-7 The Archers: To The Victor The Spoils (1988) ISBN 0-563-20599-7 The Archers: Return to Ambridge (1988) ISBN 0-563-20606-3 The Archers: Borchester Echoes (1988) ISBN 0-563-20607-1 The Archers: Omnibus Edition (1988) ISBN 0-563-36001-1 The Ambridge Chronicles by

 Joanna Toye The Archers 1951-1967: Family Ties (1998) ISBN 0-563-38397-6 The Archers 1968-1986: Looking For Love (1999) ISBN 0-563-55125-9 The Archers 1987-2000: Back to the Land (2000) ISBN 0-563-53701-9 The Archers 1951-1967: Family Ties (1998, audiobook, narrated by Miriam Margolyes ) ISBN 0-563-55714-1 The Archers 1968-1986: Looking For Love (1999, audiobook, narrated by Stella Gonet ) ISBN 0-563-55813-X The Archers 1987-2000: Back to the Land (2000, audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Cole ) ISBN 0-563-

55818-0 In 1975, Tandem published a prequel novel about Ambridge in the early 1900s Spring at Brookfield by Brian Hayles (1975) ISBN 426165209 Published audio episodes Vintage Archers: Volume 1 (1988) ISBN 0-563-22586-6 Vintage Archers: Volume 2 (1988) ISBN 0-563-22704-4 Vintage Archers: Volume 3 (1998) ISBN 0-563-55740-0 (contains several "lost episodes" which have been digitally restored) The Archers: The Wedding Jack and Peggy tie the knot Vintage Archers: Volumes 1-3 (2001) ISBN 0-563-38281-3 Ambridge Affairs Ambridge Affairs: Love Triangles (2007) ISBN 1-4056-7733-3 Ambridge Affairs: Heartache at Home Farm (2007) ISBN 1-4056

-8785-1 Maps In addition to books and audiobooks, purported maps of Ambridge and Borsetshire have been published.

[77] [78] Documentaries An episode of Arena , broadcast on BBC Four on 1 January 2007, focused on The Archers. It was narrated by Stephen Fry and included interviews with current actors and scriptwriters. [79] See also h2g2 - 'The Archers' - The Radio 'Soap' - Edited Entry 6 Conversations On BBC Radio 4, 92-95 FM and 198 LW, after the seven o'clock news for almost 15 minutes there is 'an everyday tale of country folk'. The show is then repeated the following day at 2pm, every day except Saturday and on Sundays there's an omnibus edition of the weeks' shows. The Archers has been broadcast since 1951 and is the longest running radio 'soap opera' in the world. There is only one actor still in the show who was in the first episode - Norman Painting, who plays Phil Archer. The original concept of the programme was to inform the UK's farming community of best practice and new developments, a function that is often apparent in present story lines.

The show is set in the fictional village of Ambridge, in the fictional county of Borchester. Plot lines follow a variety of subjects and tackle a number of modern issues: divorce, adultery, bigotry, drinking tea , countryside and farming issues. The Archers Theme Tune Dum-di-dum-di-dum-di-dum-dum-di-dum-di-dum-dum There are a number of different style recordings of this tune, called Barwick Green 1 , which are played to enhance the relevant plot of the particular show. Only once in the last few years was it deemed inappropriate to play the theme tune. This was on the occasion of the tragic death of John Archer. People and places The Bull The village pub would be the best place to start as it is now the only drinking hole in the Archers, since The Cat and Fiddle 2 closed down. Sid Perks will usually be on hand as the publican to serve you a pint of 'Shires' beer, as will Jolene Rogers, line-dancing and country-and-western singer and recent addition to the staff.

She was the reason for Sid's break up from his wife - Kathy Perks who is mother of toddler Jamie, ex-part-time teacher and now working at Lower Loxley. Fallon - Jolene's teenage daughter - also lives above the pub and is often heard playing in her band with Edward Grundy. Nightingale Farm If you turn up at the farm, Marjorie Antrobus will willingly invite you in for a cup of tea, just watch out for her dogs. This dear old lady has often rented her spare room but has presently converted it into a flat where Roy Tucker and Hayley Jordan live. They got married and live with Phoebe Aldridge. Phoebe is the daughter of Roy by Kate Aldridge. Kate left Phoebe behind for a year when she went travelling in Africa. Home Farm Home of the Archer's big, bad Brian Aldridge, land baron, and Jennifer Aldridge (née Archer), long-suffering, dizzy mother of Debbie Gerrard (who's the farm manager and has recently moved in with an older man, college lecturer Simon Gerrard, much to Brian's annoyance).

The Aldridges' eldest daughter, Kate, has recently returned from Africa to have a baby with her South African boyfriend. Alice, the youngest daughter, is only in her early teens and isn't part of many plot lines. Ambridge Hall Grand house occupied by the Snells: Robert, computer-boffin type and long-suffering husband of Lynda, the village busybody who puts on the Christmas panto. Brookfield Farm Home of Phil and Jill Archer, parents of Shula, David and Kenton Archer - who lives abroad - and Elizabeth Pargetter. The time has come for Phil to stand down and let David take over the running of the farm. This has caused lots of friction as Elizabeth believes she should have a share of this early inheritance. Brookfield Cottage Home of David and Ruth Archer and their offspring Pip and Josh, both toddlers. The cottage is handily situated at the end of the lane from the farm and is relatively small in comparison. Ruth had a major storyline last year fighting against breast cancer . Dower House Home of Caroline Pemberton, wealthy widow who rents out a room to her godson, William Grundy.

She has only had one happy romance - which ended in marriage for a few months before her husband's death - and many bad ones. Keepers Cottage The Grundys recently moved into this small cottage. This move followed a bad spell in a council flat in urban Borchester which in turn followed on from their eviction from their farm by the company that Brian Aldridge works for as an agent. This was the cause of old Joe going a bit mad, driving his daughter-in-law Clarrie to her wits end and also giving her son Edward a chance to be a delinquent and throw parties for his school friends. Husband Eddie is one of the most colourful characters in Ambridge. He is often found propping up the bar at the Bull and developing plans to make money through various schemes. Eldest son William moved into his Godmother's (Caroline Pemberton) house so he could keep his job as assisant gamekeeper to Greg Turner. Grey Gables Luxury country club, hotel and conference centre, owned by Jack Woolley, a Brummie done good who married one of the original Archers - Peggy, mother of Jennifer and Tony. Jack also owns the village shop and the local paper, the Borchester Echo.

The Hotel is managed by Caroline Pemberton with assistance from Roy Tucker (who has recently been promoted from waiter to trainee assistant manager) and Lynda Snell on the reception desk. Lower Loxley Stately Home and conference centre run by Nigel and Elizabeth Pargetter who recently became parents to twins. Julia Pargetter, Nigel's mother, will often be found lording it over the village or spending money like water. Bridge Farm A good example of a mixed organic farm and dairy, the farm being run by Tony Archer and the dairy by Pat. They are parents of Helen, the stroppy overeducated, opinionated, manageress of the organic shop recently set up by Pat and Tony in Borchester, and Thomas (he'd prefer if you called him Tom), who has recently been taught a lesson about two-timing his girlfriend Kirsty, also famous for trashing Brians' GM crops. Mention should also be made of John Archer, who died in a tragic tractor accident on Tommys' birthday. Willow Farm Not much of a farm, really. Only a little bit of land comes with it. Home of Betty and Mike Tucker. Betty works part-time in the village shop while Mike is the village milkman.

They have two kids, Roy and Brenda (who is currently working for Radio Borchester). Honeysuckle Cottage Home for the village Doctor, Tim Hathaway, and his wife Siobhan. Siobhan recently miscarried and is throwing herself into a career, resulting in her travelling away from home a lot. Meanwhile Tim has been getting a bit fond of the vicar, Janet Fisher. Grange Farm A rundown dairy farm, recently vacated by the Grundys and renovated by Oliver Stiling. Oliver is moving into the area and has already become joint master of the local hunt. He also appears to be wooing the eligible Caroline. The Vet Alistair Lloyd is the village vet and cricket team captain. His wife, Shula Hebden Lloyd, is the widowed mother of Daniel, son of Mark Hebden (who died before he discovered his wife was pregnant). The Vicarage Ambridge shares its vicar with a number of parishes and Janet Fisher is likely to be seen rushing between services. As a woman vicar she has had some trouble being accepted by a few of the old stalwarts of the village. Non-Speaking Characters Titkum: An old retainer at Lower Loxley.

He does the work in the grounds of the house. Higgs: Driver for the Wooleys. He undertakes occasional other duties. Freda Fry: Wife to Bert. She is often mentioned by Bert, but never heard. Recently Deceased Characters Mark Hebden: Solictor and husband of Shula. He died in a car crash. John Archer: Eldest son of Pat and Tony. He was engaged to Hayley and was becoming a succesful organic pig farmer. He died under an overturned classic Ferguson tractor. Guy Pemberton: Old, nice bloke who died a few months after marrying Caroline. He owned the Estate. Other Sources of Info Information can be found on the Official BBC Archers web site , and a site set up by the fans - Archers Addicts . Also worth mentioning is the Lynda Snell Society and the Archers Anarchists . 1 Barwick Green was composed by Arthur Wood from the suite 'My Native Heath'. 2 The Cat and Fiddle was a rival to The Bull and noteworthy for introducing a gay couple who ran the pub in the series.

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Question: In The Archers, which river flows through Ambridge?
Answer: Am