The Archers

British radio soap opera (since 1951)

This article is about the radio series. For other uses, see The Archers (disambiguation).

Radio show

The Archers

Genre| Radio drama
Running time| 12 minutes
Country of origin| United Kingdom
Home station| BBC Home Service (1950)
BBC Light Programme (1951–1967)
BBC Radio 4 (1967–present)
Created by| Godfrey Baseley
Produced by| Julie Beckett (2017–present)
Edited by| Jeremy Howe (2018–present)[1]
Recording studio| BBC Birmingham
Original release| 1 January 1951 (1951-01-01) –
present
No. of episodes| 20,502 as of 15 Jan 2025[2]
Audio format| Stereophonic sound
Opening theme| "Barwick Green"
Website| Official website

The Archers is a British radio soap opera currently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural setting".[3][4] Having aired over 20,000 episodes,[5] it is the world's longest-running present-day drama by number of episodes.[6][7]

The first of five pilot episodes was aired on Whit Monday, 29 May 1950, on the BBC Midlands Home Service, and the first episode broadcast nationally went out on New Year's Day 1951. A significant show in British popular culture, and with over five million listeners, it is Radio 4's most listened-to non-news programme,[8][9][10] and with over one million listeners via the internet, the programme holds the record for BBC Radio online listening figures.[11] In February 2019, a panel of 46 broadcasting industry experts, of which 42 had a professional connection to the BBC, listed The Archers as the second-greatest radio programme of all time.[12] Partly established with the aim towards educating farmers following World War II, The Archers soon became a popular source of entertainment for the population at large, attracting nine million listeners by 1953.

## Setting

[edit]

The Archers is set in the fictional village of Ambridge in the fictional county of Borsetshire, in England. Borsetshire is situated between what are, in reality, the contiguous counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, south of Birmingham in The Midlands of England. Ambridge is possibly based on the village of Cutnall Green,[13] though various other villages claim to be the inspiration for Ambridge; The Bull, Ambridge's pub, is modelled on The Old Bull in Inkberrow,[14] whereas Hanbury's St Mary the Virgin is often used as a stand-in for Ambridge's parish church, St Stephen's.[15][16]

Other fictional villages include Penny Hassett, Loxley Barrett,[17] 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,[18] there have been references to the gay scene in Manchester's Canal Street. There have been scenes set in other places in the United Kingdom and abroad, with some characters residing overseas such as in South Africa and Hungary.

## Characters

[edit]

Main article: List of The Archers characters

* The Archers' family farm, Brookfield, combines arable, dairy, beef, and sheep. It is a typical example of mixed farming which has been passed down the generations from Dan, the original farmer, to his son Phil and is now co-owned by Phil and Jill's four children: David, who manages it with his wife Ruth; Shula Hebden-Lloyd, owner of the riding stables, was married to Alistair, a vet; her twin Kenton, runs the village's only pub with his wife Jolene; and the widowed Elizabeth Pargeter. Jill lives in Brookfield with her son David, his wife Ruth and their children Pip, Josh and Ben, and Pip's daughter, Rosie.
* The Aldridges at Home Farm. Brian, who is portrayed as a money-driven agribusinessman and his late wife Jennifer. They have five children: the two Jennifer brought into their marriage: Adam, a farmer married to chef Ian Craig and Debbie, a farmer based in Hungary; two born into the marriage, Kate with a family abandoned in South Africa, and Alice divorced from farrier Chris Carter; and university student Ruairi, Brian's son by one of his affairs. The family also includes Kate's daughter Phoebe and Jennifer's sister Lilian.
* The Bridge Farm Archers, Tony and Pat, practise organic farming. Their operations include a farm shop, a farm café, a vegetable box scheme and a dairy. The whole family is involved, Tony and Pat and their children Helen and Tom. They also have five grandchildren: Johnny, the son of their deceased son John; Helen's sons, Henry and Jack, and Tom's twin girls Nova and Seren.
* The Pargetters, a landed gentry family who have to make their stately home, Lower Loxley Hall, pay the bills as a public attraction. The family includes Nigel Pargetter's widow, Elizabeth née Archer, and her twin children, a son, Freddie and a daughter, Lily.
* The Grundys, formerly struggling tenant farmers were brought to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Initially seen as comic characters, they are now seen as doggedly battling adversity. The family includes Eddie, his wife Clarrie, and their sons Will and Edward.
* The Carters, Neil and Susan. Their son, Chris, was married to Alice Aldridge; their daughter, Emma, has successively married brothers Will and Edward Grundy.
* The Snells; Lynda, married to the long-suffering Robert, is the butt of many jokes, but also an absolute stalwart of village life.

## Ambridge

[edit]

See also: List of fictional settlements

Ambridge still has a village shop and post office, originally thanks to the philanthropy of Jack Woolley (d. 2014). The business subsequently became a community shop managed by Susan and run by a team of volunteers. The Bull, the village's only pub, is perhaps the most recognisable structure in Ambridge while St. Stephen's Church, established in 1281, dates back to Norman times. The church has undergone many changes over the years, including a number of different vicars. The eight bells are rung by a group led by Neil Carter.

* Bridge Farm is a 168-acre (68 ha) farm previously on Berrow Estate, but now owned by Pat and Tony Archer. The farm became wholly dedicated to organic farming in 1984, in a storyline inspired by a scriptwriter's visit to Brynllys farm in Ceredigion, the home of Rachel's Organic.[19] In 2003, Tom Archer began producing his Bridge Farm pork sausages. In early 2013, the family decided to sell their dairy herd and buy organic milk instead and the following year, Tony Archer bought a small Aberdeen Angus herd.
* Brookfield Farm is a 469-acre (190 ha) mixed farm which was managed, and subsequently purchased, by Dan Archer and then by his son Phil. After Phil's retirement in 2001, his son David Archer took over.
* 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.
* Home Farm is a 1,922-acre (778 ha) farm, by far the largest in Ambridge, owned by the Aldridge family. In recent years, Home Farm expanded into soft fruit and deer farming.
* Willow Farm was owned by the Tucker family. Following Betty's death in 2005, the house was divided to accommodate Roy and his family. The farmland is home to Neil Carter's pigs.
* Arkwright Hall is a large Victorian mansion with a 17th-century atmosphere.[20] 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 the Landmark Trust; architect Lewis Carmichael led the restoration of the building to its Victorian splendour.
* Grey Gables,  once a country club, is now a luxurious hotel. The late Caroline Sterling bought it with her husband Oliver. The hotel boasts a pool, spa, health club and a golf course. The hotel was sold in 2022 and is closed while undergoing extensive refurbishment.
* Lower Loxley Hall is a large 300-year-old country house located just outside Ambridge. It serves primarily as a conference centre.

## Topicality

[edit]

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 are often written into the script, such as the annual Oxford Farming Conference[21] and the FIFA World Cup.[22] 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),[23][24] the World Trade Center attacks,[25] and the 7 July 2005 London bombings.[26] The events and implications of the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis required many "topical inserts"[27][28][29][30] and the rewriting of several storylines.[31]

In January 2012, Oliver Sterling, owner of Grange Farm, together with his tenant, Ed Grundy, elected to vaccinate the badgers on their farm in an attempt to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis. The plotline came within weeks of the government confirming a badger cull trial.[32]

It was announced on 29 March 2020 that the programme would include reference to the COVID-19 pandemic from 4 May onwards.[33]

The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 was discussed by Lynda Snell and Lilian Bellamy as the first section of the episode broadcast on Sunday 11 September.[34]

## Actors

[edit]

The Archers actors are not held on retainers and usually work on episodes for a few days a month. By the nature of the storylines concentrating on particular groups of characters, in any one week out of a cast of about 60, the episodes include approximately 20–30 speaking-characters. Most of the cast do acting work on other projects and can disappear for long periods if they are working on commitments such as films or television series. Tamsin Greig plays Debbie Aldridge and has appeared on many television series such as Green Wing, Love Soup, Black Books and Episodes, so Debbie manages a farm in Hungary and her visits to Ambridge are infrequent. Felicity Jones played Emma Carter from the age of 15 but after a period of studying at Wadham College, Oxford, she gave up the role to move into television and cinema.[35]

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 she is able to fit her work around recordings.[36] Graham Blockey, who played Robert Snell before his death in 2022, worked until 2017 as a full-time general practitioner in Surrey, commuting to and from BBC Birmingham at weekends and on his days off.[37] He kept his role secret from his patients, for fear of losing their respect, until his retirement from medicine in March 2017.[38] 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), before his death at the age of 53 on 22 December 2023, managed a pub in the New Forest.[39][40]

## History

[edit]

A five-episode pilot series started on Whit Monday, 29 May 1950, and continued throughout that week.[41] It was created by Godfrey Baseley and was broadcast to the English Midlands in the Regional Home Service, as 'a farming Dick Barton'. Recordings were sent to London, and the BBC decided to commission the series for a longer national run. In the five pilots the Archers owned Wimberton Farm, rather than Brookfield. Baseley subsequently edited The Archers for 22 years.

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[42] and subsequently on the BBC Home Service (and Radio 4 from 1 October 1967).[43] Early afternoon repeats of the previous evening's episode began on 14 December 1964. The original scriptwriters were Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason, who were also working on the nightly thriller series about the special agent Dick Barton. The popularity of his adventures partly inspired The Archers, which eventually took over Barton's evening slot. At first, however, the national launch placed the serial at the "terrible"[44] time of 11.45 am, but it moved to Dick Barton's former slot of 6.45 pm from 2 April 1951. An omnibus edition of the week's episodes began on 5 January 1952.

Originally produced with collaborative input from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, The Archers was conceived as a means of disseminating information to farmers and smallholders to help increase productivity in the Postwar era of rationing and food shortages.[42]

The Archers originally centred on the lives of three farmers; Dan Archer, farming efficiently with little cash, Walter Gabriel, farming inefficiently with little cash, and George Fairbrother, a wealthy businessman farming at a loss for tax purposes (which one could do in those days).[45] The programme was hugely successful, winning the National Radio Awards' 'Most entertaining programme of the Year' award jointly with Take It from Here in 1954, and winning the award outright in 1955, in which year the audience was reported to have peaked at 20 million.[46]

In the late 1950s, despite the growth of television and radio's consequent decline, the programme was still claiming 11 million listeners and was also being transmitted in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.[47] By the mid-1970s, however, the audience for the two daily broadcasts and the weekend omnibus combined was less than three million[48] and in 1976 the BBC Radio Four Review Board twice considered whether or not to axe the programme.[49] The serial's woes at this time were seen to mirror the poor standing of radio drama in general, described as "a failure to fully shake off the conventions of non-realism which had prevailed in the 1940s and 1950s."[50]

Programme chief Jock Gallagher, responsible for The Archers, described these as the serial's "dog days".[51] Sweeping editorial reforms followed, included the introduction of women writers (there had been none before 1975), two of whom, Helen Leadbeater and Margaret Phelan, were credited with giving the programme a new definitive style of writing and content, although some listeners complained about their radical feminism.[52]

In 1980 Julie Burchill commented that the women of Ambridge were no longer stuck with "the gallons of greengage jam old-guard male scriptwriters kept them occupied with for over twenty years"; but were 'into post-natal depression and alcoholism on the way to self-discovery'.[53] By the mid-1980s the Radio Four Review Board noted that scripts, directing and acting was "very good" and sometimes "better than ever".[54] In August 1985 The Listener said that the programme's revival was "sustained by some of the best acting, direction and writing on radio."[46]

Tony Shryane MBE was the programme's producer from 1 January 1951 to 19 January 1979. Vanessa Whitburn was the programme's editor from 1992 till 2013. Whitburn took service leave from March to July 2012, and John Yorke, a former executive producer of EastEnders, came in as acting editor.[55] Yorke's arrival prompted charges that the programme was importing the values of EastEnders to Borsetshire, with fans and commentators complaining that characters were behaving unrealistically simply to generate conflict.[56] This was denied by Yorke, who wrote that he agreed to take over "on one condition – that it stayed exactly as it was and that I didn't have to change anything."[57]

Whitburn was succeeded as editor by Sean O'Connor in September 2013.[58] In September 2016, Huw Kennair-Jones took over as editor though O'Connor continued to oversee the Helen and Rob storyline until its conclusion.[59] Kennair-Jones announced in October 2017 that he was to leave the BBC to work as commissioning editor for ITV.[60] The short tenure of two successive Archers editors led to concerns of a trend of radio drama editing being seen as "training ground" for higher-paid positions in TV.[61] Alison Hindell, the BBC's head of Audio Drama until October 2018, took over as acting editor before[62] and after[63] Kennair-Jones's time in charge. She effectively swapped roles with Jeremy Howe when she succeeded him as the BBC's commissioning editor for drama and fiction[63] and he started as editor of the Archers in late August 2018.[1][64]

Since 2007, The Archers has been available as a podcast.[65]

Since Easter Sunday 1998, there have been six episodes a week, from Sunday to Friday, broadcast at around 19:03 following the news summary. Episodes are repeated the following day at 14:02 except the Friday evening episode that repeats on Saturday at 14:45, (from 6th April 2024). The six episodes are re-run unabridged in the Sunday morning omnibus at 10:00. On Remembrance Sunday, the omnibus edition begins at the earlier time of 09:15.[66] In March 2024, the BBC announced scheduling changes that will see the Sunday omnibus begin one hour later, at 11.00. [67]

### Death of Grace Archer

[edit]

One of the most controversial Archers episodes was broadcast on 22 September 1955, coinciding with the launch of the UK's first commercial television station. 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 real tragedy among increasingly unconvincing episode cliff-hangers, Godfrey Baseley decided that Grace would have to die. The scripts for the week commencing 19 September 1955 were written, recorded, and broadcast on each day, with an "exercise in topicality" given as the explanation to the cast. On Thursday, listeners heard the sound effects of Grace trying to rescue Midnight, her horse, from a fire in the stable at Brookfield and the crash of a falling timber beam.[68]

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 launch of Associated-Rediffusion.[69] Deliberate or not, the episode attracted widespread media attention, 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 The Killing of Sister George and its 1968 film adaptation. On the 50th anniversary of ITV's launch, Ysanne Churchman, who played Grace, sent them a congratulatory card 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 had been encouraging the other actors to join a trade union.[70]

### Longevity

[edit]

The actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer continuously from the first trial series in 1950 until his death on 29 October 2009. His last Archers performance was recorded just two days before his death, and was broadcast on 22 November.[71] He is cited in Guinness World Records as the longest-serving actor in a single soap opera.[71] Under the pseudonym "Bruno Milna", Painting also wrote around 1,200 complete episodes, which culminated in the 10,000th episode.

June Spencer, who celebrated her 100th birthday in 2019, played Peggy Archer (later Woolley) in the pilot episode and continued in the role until 2022.[72][73]

### Sixtieth anniversary

[edit]

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".[74] 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. This unlikely event provoked interest in the frequency and causes of death in the series. In fact, although the incidence of accidental death and suicide is seven times the national average, the overall mortality rate in Ambridge is almost exactly what would be expected.[75]

The demise of Nigel caused controversy among some listeners,[76][77] with a 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 (for example, the duration of his plummeting cry caused calculation of the building's height at considerably more than had been imagined); also a perceived unwillingness of the editorial team to engage with these listener complaints.[citation needed]

### COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]

Topical subjects have been added to the script, but this was not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Actors were initially recorded in their homes and included references to the pandemic from some of the characters sharing their private thoughts with the listener.[33][78] From 4 May 2020 to 14 August 2021, the broadcast was reduced to four episodes (Monday – Thursday). Sunday episodes resumed on 15 August 2021.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, weekly programming reduced to four episodes, omitting episodes on Sunday and Friday. The Sunday omnibus was correspondingly reduced in length. After continuing with pre-recorded episodes and repeating some classic episodes, new episodes started that had been recorded remotely, to a mixed reception.[79] On 15 August 2021, the Sunday evening episode resumed regular broadcast, as did the Friday evening episode on 3 June 2022.

## Broadcasting in other countries

[edit]

The Archers has been broadcast in countries outside the UK, in particular in New Zealand from inception until September 1982, when Radio New Zealand decided not to continue purchasing episodes. Arrangements were made for a special episode without the usual closing cliffhanger.[80]

## Themes

[edit]

The programme has tackled many serious, contemporary social issues: rural drug addiction; rape, including rape in marriage; inter-racial relationships; direct action against genetically modified crops and badger culling; family break-ups; and civil partnerships, and a family being threatened by a gang of farm thieves. There has been criticism from conservative commentators, such as Peter Hitchens in 1999[81] 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,[82] competitive marmalade-making, or nonsense such as a 'spile troshing' competition,[83] rather than the large-scale and improbable events that form the plots of many soap operas.[84][85] Godfrey Baseley was quoted in The Independent as objecting to the homosexuality in the programme, saying "It is disgusting ... It is distasteful because being gay is such a minority interest. Country folk don't do that kind of thing. They have sex the proper way."[86]

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 educational announcements from the Ministry of Agriculture, one actor reading an announcement almost verbatim to another. Direct involvement of the government ended in 1972.[87] 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

[edit]

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.[23]
* 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.[68]
* Radio presenter John Peel appeared as himself in 1991.[88]
* Gardener Alan Titchmarsh judged Ambridge's entries in the National Gardens Scheme open gardens competition in May 2003.[89]
* Radio presenter Chris Moyles appeared in June 2004 as a random customer—and suspected National Pub of the Year judge—in The Bull.[90][91]
* Comedian Griff Rhys Jones appeared as himself in July 2004, when he was drafted into Lynda Snell's campaign to restore the Cat and Fiddle pub.[92]
* Zandra Rhodes played herself in an episode in September 2006 in connection with a charity fashion show.[93][94]
* Robert Winston appeared as a fertility specialist consulted by Hayley and Roy Tucker in January[95] and February 2007.[96]
* Mike Gatting appeared in September 2007 at the centre of a misunderstanding between Sid and Jolene Perks during the npower Village Cup final at Lord's Cricket Ground.[97][98]
* Crime novelist Colin Dexter made a cameo appearance in 2010.[99]
* Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) appeared on 16 February 2011 in connection with the National Osteoporosis Society's 25th anniversary as well as the show's 60th anniversary.
* In 2011, a recording of the show Gardeners' Question Time was followed by a special recording session in which Archers characters, notably Brian Aldridge, took part asking questions of the regular panellists while sitting with the audience.
* Bradley Wiggins appeared in an April 2014 episode, presenting prizes at the Ambridge Sport Relief Rough and Tumble event Challenge.
* Kirstie Allsopp appeared in July 2014 to open the village fete.
* In August 2014, the Pet Shop Boys were last-minute headliners at the music festival Loxfest.
* Anneka Rice has appeared twice in Ambridge; in March 1993 and in March 2016.
* In September 2016, in an hour-long episode concluding a highly publicised storyline in which Helen Titchener had stabbed her abusive husband Rob, some notable names guest starred as jury members, including Dame Eileen Atkins, Catherine Tate and Nigel Havers.[100]
* In August 2021, Jackie Weaver, a council officer in the news, appeared as herself, judging a scarecrow competition in the village, and warning off some protestors.
* In August 2022, Toyah Willcox appeared as herself in two episodes, enjoying Bridge Farm cheese at Cotstravaganza festival[101] and buying a piece of Will Grundy's pottery at the Ambridge village fete.[102]
* In May 2023, Rylan Clark appeared as himself, to judge the village's Eurovision Variety Show.[103]
* Others who have made appearances include Britt Ekland, Humphrey Lyttelton (1956), Angela Rippon (1980), Dame Edna Everage and Antony Gormley (2009).

## Theme tune

[edit]

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. The Sunday omnibus broadcast of The Archers starts with a more rustic, accordion-arranged rendition by The Yetties.[104][105] The theme for BBC Radio 4 Extra's The Archers spinoff, Ambridge Extra, is a version arranged by Bellowhead.[106]

A library music recording of Barwick Green was used for the pilot and during the early years of the national version, because a bid by Godfrey Baseley to have a special theme composed had been turned down on the grounds of cost, put at £250–£300.[107] However, once the serial had become undeniably established, a new recording of Barwick Green was authorised and performed by the BBC Midland Light Orchestra on 24 March 1954.[108] This mono recording was also accompanied by four movements entitled "A Village Suite", composed by Kenneth Pakeman to complement Barwick Green. Excerpts from these movements were then used for a time as bridging music between scenes. The 1954 recordings were never made available to the public and their use was restricted even inside the BBC, partly because of an agreement with the Musicians' Union.

In 1992, the theme was re-recorded in stereo, retaining the previous arrangements. The venue was Symphony Hall, Birmingham, the conductor Ron Goodwin, producer David Welsby and the sound mixer Norman McLeod. The slightly different sound mixing and more leisurely tempo reportedly led some listeners to consider the new version inferior, specifically that it lacked "brio", although the BBC publicised the fact that the orchestra contained some of the musicians who had played in the previous recording, including Harold Rich (piano) and Norman Parker (percussion). [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,[109][110] while comedian Billy Connolly included in his act the joke that the theme was so typically British that it should be the national anthem of the United Kingdom.[111]

In 2009, comedian Rainer Hersch conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of the theme, live from the Royal Festival Hall to a listening BBC Radio 3 audience in an attempt to confuse them. He then went on to show how similar it is to "Montagues and Capulets" – "Dance of the Knights" – from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev, claiming that this was a result of Russian spies going through the BBC's rubbish bins looking for the scripts.[112]

### Serious events

[edit]

At times, a cliffhanger involving the death of a major character or a 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 – known as the "doom music" to some fan groups.[113] This tradition has been dropped more recently, with events such as the death of Nigel Pargetter being followed by the normal closing music despite the gravity of the incident. This has irritated some followers, who consider the jollity of the normal segment inappropriate in such circumstances.[114]

A brief extract from The Dream of Gerontius was played following the death of Phil Archer. When John Archer died no music was played.[citation needed]

There was a nod to The Archers in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London on 27 July 2012, where the theme tune was played at the beginning of a segment celebrating British culture: the sound of a radio could be heard being tuned in as Barwick Green was played.[115]

## Casting

[edit]

### Current cast

[edit]

Actor  | Character  | Years active

|
|

Patricia Greene | Jill Archer | 1957–present
Carole Boyd | Fiona Watson  | 1967–1969
Lynda Snell | 1986–present
Brian Hewlett  | Neil Carter | 1973–present
Patricia Gallimore  | Pat Archer | 1974–2019, 2021–present[116]
Charles Collingwood | Brian Aldridge | 1975–present
Trevor Harrison | Eddie Grundy | 1979–present
Heather Bell  | Clarrie Grundy | 1979–1985, 2013–present[116]
Tim Bentinck | David Archer | 1982–present
Charlotte Martin  | Susan Carter | 1982–present
Alison Dowling  | Elizabeth Pargetter | 1984–present
Felicity Finch | Ruth Archer | 1987–present
Philip Molloy  | Will Grundy | 1988–1990, 1992–present[116]
Susie Riddell  | Kate Aldridge | 1990–1994
Tracy Horrobin | 2011–2013, 2017–present[116]
Souad Faress | Usha Franks | 1994–2018, 2021–present[116]
Buffy Davis  | Jolene Archer | 1996–present
Michael Lumsden  | Alistair Lloyd | 1998–present
Annabelle Dowler | Kirsty Miller | 1999–present
Louiza Patikas | Helen Archer | 2000–present
Richard Attlee  | Kenton Archer | 2000–present
Barry Farrimond  | Ed Grundy | 2000–present
Joanna Van Kampen  | Fallon Rogers | 2000–present
Michael Cochrane | Oliver Sterling | 2000–present
Sunny Ormonde  | Lilian Bellamy | 2001–present
Ryan Kelly | Jazzer McCreary | 2001–present
Hollie Chapman | Alice Carter | 2001–present
Andrew Wincott  | Adam Macy | 2003–present
John Telfer  | Rev Alan Franks | 2003–present
Stephen Kennedy | Ian Craig | 2003–present
John Rowe | Prof Jim Lloyd | 2007–present
Helen Longworth | Hannah Riley | 2008–2009, 2018–2020, 2022–present[116]
Emerald O'Hanrahan | Emma Grundy | 2010–present
James Cartwright  | Harrison Burns | 2014–present
Daisy Badger  | Pip Archer | 2014–present
Angus Imrie | Josh Archer | 2014–present
David Troughton | Tony Archer | 2014–present
Simon Williams | Justin Elliott | 2014–present
William Troughton | Tom Archer | 2014–present
Perdita Avery  | Kate Madikane | 2014–present
Nick Barber  | Rex Fairbrother | 2015–present [117]
Lucy Fleming | Miranda Elliott | 2016, 2017, 2024–present
Toby Laurence  | Freddie Pargetter | 2016–present
Katie Redford | Lily Pargetter | 2017–present
Wilf Scolding | Christopher Carter | 2017–present
Mali Harries | Natasha Archer | 2018–present
Ben Norris | Ben Archer | 2018–present
Arthur Hughes | Ruairi Donovan | 2018–present
Paul Copley | Leonard Berry | 2019, 2021–present[116]
Molly Pipe  | Mia Grundy | 2019, 2021–present[116]
Paul Venables | Jakob Hakansson | 2019–present
Tony Turner  | Vince Casey | 2019–present
Jackie Lye  | Joy Horville | 2019–present
Clare Perkins | Denise Metcalf | 2021–present
Lucy Speed | Stella Pryor | 2021–present
Madeleine Leslay  | Chelsea Horrobin | 2021–present
Angus Stobie  | George Grundy | 2022–present
Taylor Uttley  | Brad Horrobin | 2022–present
Martin Barrass | Mick Fadmoor | 2022–present
Joshua Riley  | Paul Mack | 2022–present
Bonnie Baddoo  | Lottie Summers | 2022–present
Blayke Darby  | Henry Archer | 2023–present
Yasmin Wilde  | Azra Malik | 2023–present
Michael Bertenshaw  | Robert Snell | 2024–present[118]
Priyasasha Kumari  | Zainab Malik | 2024–present
Krish Bassi  | Khalil Malik | 2024–present

### Former cast

[edit]

Actor  | Character  | Years active

|
|

Rosalind Adams  | Clarrie Grundy | 1988–2012
Eric Allan | Bert Fry | 1997–2020
Joan Anstey  | Dorothy Sinclair  | 1961–1965
Andonis James Anthony  | Russ Jones  | 2018–2022
Gareth Armstrong | Mike Tucker | 1973
Harry Booker  | 1974–1983
Sean Myerson  | 1996–2000
Bob Arnold | Tom Forrest  | 1951–1997
Pal Aron | Iftikar Shah  | 2012–2013
Scott Arthur  | Rhys Williams  | 2011–2013
Jack Ashton | Harry Chilcott  | 2023–2024
Adam Astill | Miles Titchener  | 2023
Rachel Atkins  | Vicky Tucker  | 2009–2015
Yves Aubert  | Jean-Paul Aubert  | 1988–1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000–2002
John Baddeley  | Colin Drury  | 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973–1977
Noreen Baddiley  | Mary Thomas  | 1953–1956, 1958, 1960–1963, 1965, 1967
Ronald Baddiley | George Lawson-Hope  | 1951–1956
Harvey Grenville  | 1961–1966
Annette Badland | Hazel Woolley  | 2014, 2015, 2021–2022
Heather Barrett  | Dorothy Adamson  | 1975–1988
Sam Barriscale  | John Archer  | 1987–1998
Godfrey Baseley | Brigadier Winstanley  | 1967–1971
Patricia Bendall  | Dawn Kingsley  | 1961–1966
Judy Bennett | Shula Hebden Lloyd | 1971–2022, 2023–2024
Ballard Berkeley | Colonel Frederick Danby  | 1980–1987
Gwen Berryman | Doris Archer  | 1951–1980
Rhys Bevan  | Toby Fairbrother  | 2015–2023
Sudha Bhuchar | Usha Gupta | 1991–1993
Peter Biddle  | Peter Stevens  | 1968–1972
Graham Blockey  | Robert Snell | 1986–2022
John Bott  | Paddy Redmond  | 1965–1967
John Tregorran  | 1981–1984
Leslie Bowmar  | George Fairbrother  | 1951–1958
Margot Boyd | Marjorie Antrobus  | 1984–2004
Kellie Bright | Kate Madikane | 1995–2002, 2005–2007, 2009–2012
Eleanor Bron | Carol Tregorran | 2014–2018
Ian Brooker  | Wayne Foley  | 1999–2004, 2011, 2012
Nigel Caliburn  | Nigel Pargetter  | 1987–1988
Heather Canning | Anne Grenville  | 1961–1965
Valerie Woolley  | 1972–1973
Nigel Carrington  | Nigel Pargetter  | 1988–1989
Richard Carrington  | Richard Adamson  | 1973–1988
Nigel Carrivick  | David Archer  | 1980–1981
Jasper Carrott | Sykesy  | 2023
Anne Chatterley  | Sally Stobeman  | 1961–1962, 1965–1967
Cian Cheesbrough  | Josh Archer | 2010–2013
Scott Cherry  | Martin Lambert  | 1984–1985
Ysanne Churchman | Grace Archer | 1952–1955
Mary Pound  | 1971–1983
Dan Ciotkowski  | Jamie Perks  | 2010–2014
Lorraine Coady  | Hayley Tucker  | 2006–2016
Michael Collins  | Mike Daly  | 1954–1955
Ken Pound  | 1971–1973
Alaric Cotter  | Simon Parker  | 1976–1978
Sara Coward | Caroline Sterling | 1979–2016
Jan Cox  | Hazel Woolley  | 1983–1985
Pamela Craig  | Betty Tucker  | 1974–2004
Monte Crick  | Dan Archer  | 1960–1969
Anne Cullen  | Carol Tregorran  | 1954–1984
Jennifer Daley  | Amy Franks  | 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022
Mary Dalley  | Pru Forrest  | 1956–1979, 1982
Carol Lynn Davies  | Jennifer Archer | 1962–1963
Joy Davies  | Helen Fairbrother  | 1952–1959, 1974
Lucy Davis | Hayley Tucker  | 1995–2004
Richard Derrington  | Mark Hebden  | 1980–1994
Alan Devereux  | Sid Perks | 1963–2009
John Dexter | Geoff Bryden  | 1955–1956
Hugh Dickson  | Guy Pemberton  | 1993–1996
Tommy Duggan  | Fred Barratt  | 1960–1970
Leslie Dunn  | Paul Johnson  | 1954–1977
Kim Durham  | Matt Crawford  | 1997–2014, 2017
Ryan Early  | Lee Bryce  | 2018–2023, 2025
Michael Fenton Stevens  | Paul Morgan  | 2010, 2012–2013
Marc Finn  | Greg Turner  | 1998–2004
Jack Firth  | Freddie Pargetter  | 2010–2014
Denis Folwell  | Jack Archer  | 1950–1971
John Franklyn-Robbins | Bill Slater  | 1951
Dick Raymond  | 1951
Mike Daly  | 1952
Rebecca Fuller  | Beth Casey  | 2021–2022
William Gaminara | Richard Locke  | 1992–1998, 2015–2016
Philip Garston-Jones  | Jack Woolley  | 1962–1979
Tom Gibbons  | Johnny Phillips  | 2014–2021
Joyce Gibbs  | Christine Johnson | 1963–1967
Heather Pritchard  | 1999–2003, 2007–2008, 2010, 2013
Chris Gittins | Walter Gabriel  | 1953–1988
Jon Glover | Martyn Gibson  | 2009–2014, 2018–2024
Frances Graham  | Helen Archer | 1987–1989, 1992
Tom Graham  | Tom Archer | 1997–2014
James Grant  | Andrew Sinclair  | 1963–1967, 1973–1975
Garard Green  | Ken Pound  | 1973–1977
Tamsin Greig | Debbie Aldridge | 1991–2004, 2007–2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023
Monica Grey  | Grace Fairbrother | 1951–1952
Dan Hagley  | Darrell Makepeace  | 2012–2013
Stephen Hancock | Laurence Lovell  | 1996–2000
Peter Harlowe  | Roger Travers-Macy  | 1991–1992, 1994
Mollie Harris | Martha Woodford  | 1970–1995
Edgar Harrison  | Dan Archer  | 1969–1982
George Hart  | Jethro Larkin  | 1967–1987
Julia Hills | Annabelle Scrivener  | 2007–2014, 2018
Andy Hockley | Philip Moss  | 2017–2021
Jack Holloway  | Tony Stobeman  | 1957, 1962, 1965
Ralph Bellamy  | 1964–1977, 1979
Freda Hooper  | Jennifer Archer | 1959
Courtney Hope  | Mrs Turvey  | 1954–1958, 1960–1974
Will Howard  | Dan Hebden Lloyd  | 2013–2016, 2018, 2022
Kay Hudson  | Mabel Larkin  | 1957–1973
Roger Hume  | John Tregorran  | 1979–1981
Bert Fry  | 1988–1996
Jasmine Hyde | Leonie Snell  | 2009, 2011–2015, 2017, 2020
Ronny Jhutti | Adil Shah  | 2022–2024
Ann Johnson  | Valerie Trentham  | 1952–1953, 1955–1956, 1964
Alex Jones  | Clive Horrobin  | 1991, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2024
Basil Jones  | John Tregorran  | 1953–1965, 1976–1977
Carolyn Jones | Ursula Titchener  | 2014–2017
Felicity Jones | Emma Grundy | 2000–2009
Haydn Jones  | Joe Grundy | 1977–1984
Edward Kelsey | Joe Grundy | 1985–2019
Bryan Kendrick  | Nigel Burton  | 1961–1966, 1968
Ann Kindred  | Sally Johnson  | 1954
Sheila Trevelyan  | 1958
Will Kings  | Ben White  | 1953–1955
Graeme Kirk  | Kenton Archer  | 1988–1993, 1997–1998
Simon Lack  | John Tregorran  | 1975–1976
Margaret Lane  | Lilian Archer | 1959
Rosemary Leach | Ellen Rogers  | 1994, 1996, 1998
Jenny Lee  | Valerie Woolley  | 1966–1968
Caroline Lennon | Siobhan Donovan  | 1999–2003, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2020
Moir Leslie  | Sophie Barlowe  | 1985–1987
Janet Fisher  | 1996–2003
Geoffrey Lewis  | David Cavendish  | 1955–1956
Geoff Bryden  | 1958, 1961–1965
Stanley Cooper  | 1972–1973
Robert Lister  | Lewis Carmichael  | 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010–2013
Harry Littlewood | Ronnie Beddoes  | 1966–1970
Crawford Logan | Matthew Thorogood  | 1986–1990
Connie M'Gadzah  | Lucas Madikane  | 2001, 2002, 2017
Rina Mahoney  | Jess Myers  | 2013–2016, 2023
Valborg Maitland  | Jennifer Archer | 1960–1962
Pamela Mant  | Christine Archer | 1950–1953
Julia Mark  | Nora McAuley  | 1966–1977
Elizabeth Marlowe  | Lilian Bellamy  | 1961–1977, 1979–1982, 1989–1991
Nan Marriott-Watson | Doris Archer  | 1950
Jeremy Mason  | Roger Travers-Macy  | 1965–1972
Jamila Massey | Satya Khanna  | 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003–2005, 2008
Mogali Masuku  | Noluthando Madikane  | 2017–2018, 2023
Fiona Mathieson  | Clarrie Grundy | 1985–1987
Robert Mawdesley | Walter Gabriel  | 1950–1953
Jack May | Nelson Gabriel  | 1956, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970–1972, 1975, 1977, 1979–1997
Roger May  | James Bellamy  | 2009, 2011–2014, 2017
Neil McCaul  | Matthew Thorogood  | 1986
Michael McClain  | Hugo Barnaby  | 1968–1971, 1974
Betty McDowall | Laura Archer  | 1978–1985
Duncan McIntyre  | Angus McLaren  | 1964–1965, 1969–1971, 1973
Malcolm McKee  | Graham Ryder  | 1997–1998, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2023
Tim Meats  | Robin Stokes  | 1991–1995
Frank Middlemass | Dan Archer  | 1982–1986
Isobel Middleton  | Anna Tregorran  | 2016, 2018, 2023
Terry Molloy | Mike Tucker | 1974–2015, 2021–2022
Helen Monks | Pip Archer | 2005–2014
Philip Morant  | John Tregorran  | 1965–1975
Lucy Morris  | Phoebe Aldridge | 2010–2022
Hayward Morse | Lester Nicholson  | 1968–1970
Ted Moult | Bill Insley  | 1983–1986
Celia Nelson  | Sharon Phillips  | 1989–1994, 1997–1998, 2011–2012, 2014
Hilary Newcombe  | Polly Perks  | 1964–1981
Hedli Niklaus  | Eva Coverdale  | 1978–1981
Kathy Perks | 1984–2015, 2022
Harry Oakes  | Dan Archer  | 1950–1960
Jonathan Owen  | Terry Barford  | 1980–1984, 1989
Philip Owen  | Tony Archer  | 1963–1967
Norman Painting | Phil Archer | 1950–2009
Judy Parfitt | Janet Tregorran  | 1962–1963
Leslie Parker  | Clive Lawson-Hope  | 1952–1954
Bill Payne  | Ned Larkin  | 1956–1968
Ian Pepperell  | Roy Tucker  | 1995–2023
Arnold Peters | Len Thomas  | 1953–1958, 1960–1967
David Latimer  | 1968–1973
Jack Woolley  | 1980–2011
Anne-Marie Piazza  | Annette Turner  | 2009–2010
Gareth Pierce | Gavin Moss  | 2019–2021, 2024
Angela Piper | Jennifer Aldridge | 1963–2022
Sion Probert  | Wayne Tucson  | 2009–2010
Arnold Ridley | Doughy Hood  | 1956–1958, 1961–1970, 1973
Graham Rigby  | Zebedee Tring  | 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966–1974
Bert Gibbs  | 1975–1977
Graham Roberts | George Barford  | 1973–2004
Eddie Robinson  | Simon Cooper  | 1951–1956
Thelma Rogers  | Elsie Catcher  | 1953
Peggy Archer | 1953–1962
Anneika Rose | Anisha Jayakoday  | 2016–2018
Alan Rothwell | Jimmy Grange  | 1957–1960, 1963
Will Sanderson-Thwaite  | Christopher Carter  | 2004–2014
Lesley Saweard | Christine Barford | 1953–1962, 1968–2019
Felix Scott | Charlie Thomas  | 2014–2016
Graham Seed | Nigel Pargetter | 1983–1986, 1992–2011
Pauline Seville  | Mrs Perkins  | 1951–1959, 1963, 1965–1990
Michael Shaw  | Charles Grenville  | 1959–1964
Michael Shelford  | Harry Mason  | 2010–2012
Norman Shelley | Colonel Frederick Danby  | 1976–1980
Amy Shindler | Brenda Tucker | 1999–2015, 2024
Eri Shuka  | Elona Makepeace  | 2011–2013
Alison Skilbeck  | Polly Perks  | 1981–1982
Colin Skipp | Tony Archer | 1967–2013
Ania Sowinski  | Lexi Viktorova  | 2017–2019
June Spencer | Peggy Woolley | 1950–1953, 1962–2022
Rita Flynn  | 1951–1953, 1956–1958, 1961–1962
Leon Tanner  | Jim Coverdale  | 1979–1981, 1997
Gerald Turner  | Gregory Salt  | 1964–1972
David Vann  | Dave Barry  | 1982–1990
Anne Louise Wakefield  | Jackie Woodstock  | 1980–1983
Timothy Watson | Rob Titchener  | 2013–2017, 2023
Tracy Jane White  | Lucy Perks  | 1982–1992
Peter Wilde  | Reggie Trentham  | 1952–1957
Charles Williams  | Haydn Evans  | 1972–1979
Esma Wilson  | Joan Burton  | 1962–1966, 1968
Gwenda Wilson  | Laura Archer  | 1962–1977
Mary Wimbush | Jane Maxwell  | 1951
Lady Isabel Lander  | 1969–1970
Julia Pargetter  | 1992–2005
Peter Wingfield | Simon Pemberton  | 1995–1997
George Woolley  | Joby Woodford  | 1969–1978
Becky Wright  | Nic Grundy  | 2007–2018
Nicola Wright  | Rosemary Tarrant  | 1986, 1989–1990, 2001

## Ambridge Extra

[edit]

BBC Radio 4 Extra ran an occasional short supplement, Ambridge Extra, between 2011 and 2013, featuring characters away from the Ambridge environs. Series 1 and 2 had 26 episodes and series 3, 4 and 5 had 20. The reason offered for non-renewal was limited resources.[119]

## Fan clubs

[edit]

Two organisations dedicated to the programme were established in the 1990s. Archers Addicts was the official body, run by members of the cast. The club had five thousand members[120] and an online shop where Archers memorabilia was sold under licence. It closed as a club on 31 December 2013 but still has a Facebook page and Twitter feed. Archers Anarchists was formed sometime later,[when?] objecting to the "castist" assumptions propagated by the BBC, and claiming that the characters are real.

The usenet newsgroup uk.media.radio.archers[121] (referred to as UMRA by its users, who call themselves umrats) has been running since 1995. Its users include experts on subjects covered by the programme, such as the many aspects of farming, the running of small businesses, bell ringing; lengthy discussions ensue – as well as light-hearted matters, and plot speculation. Various gatherings occur where umrats come together. The first was a series of about ten annual barbecues.[122] The first was attended by Carole Boyd (Lynda Snell). They have included participants from Europe and the Americas. It has nicknames for many of the main Archers characters,[123] such as S'aint for Shula. (There are nicknames for most of the regular characters.) Due perhaps to it being initially more accessible in academia, the discussions can be quite detailed, though UMRA considers itself to be a friendly and welcoming group, where in particular flamewars and the like are not welcome. Despite the general decline of usenet[124] with the advent of trendier media such as Facebook and Twitter, UMRA remains a very active newsgroup compared to many. Its one-time T-shirts[125] and mugs bore the legend (in yellow on "Barwick Green", of course) "An everyday story of internet folk."[126]

The Academic Archers, founded in 2016, is a community of fans who share an academic approach to the programme. It organises an annual conference at which papers are presented which draw on academic expertise along with enjoyment. Papers from these have been published as The Archers in Fact and Fiction: Academic Analyses of Life in Rural Borsetshire (2016, Peter Lang:ISBN 9781787071193), Custard, Culverts and Cake (2017, Emerald: ISBN 9781787432864 and Gender, Sex and Gossip: Women in The Archers (2019, Emerald: ISBN 9781787699489 ) The group aims to be "curious, generous and joyful".[127][128][129]

There are four weekly fan podcasts about The Archers: All About The Archers,[130] DumTeeDum, The Cider Shed and Ambridge on the Couch.[131][132][133]

## Parallels

[edit]

In 1994, the BBC World Service began broadcasting in Afghanistan 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.[134] A 1997 study found that listeners to the soap opera were significantly less likely to be injured by a mine than non-listeners.[135]

In Rwanda, the BBC World Service's Rwanda-Rundi service has been broadcasting the Archers-inspired soap opera Urunana ("Hand in Hand") since 1999.[136][137]

The Archers was the model for the Russian radio soap opera Dom 7, Podyezd 4 ("House 7, Entrance 4"),[138] on which the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, once made a cameo appearance.[139]

## Parodies

[edit]

Tony Hancock starred in the Galton and Simpson spoof "The Bowmans" in an episode of BBC Television's Hancock's Half Hour.[140]

Ned Sherrin produced a short 1973 film called The Cobblers of Umbridge. The cast included Joan Sims, Lance Percival, Roy Kinnear, Derek Griffiths and John Fortune.[141]

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme has parodied The Archers with its recurring "The Archers Accidentally" sketches;[142] the sketches claim to portray The Archers the way it sounds to people who only listen to the show inadvertently.

The radio series of Dead Ringers has frequently parodied characters from The Archers, including a special edition.

The subtitle was parodied by Bill Tidy in his long-running cartoon of The Cloggies, "an Everyday Saga in the Life of Clog Dancing Folk", which ran in the satirical magazine Private Eye, and later in The Listener.

## Books and audiobooks

[edit]

### Reference works

[edit]

* Forever Ambridge — 25 Years of The Archers (1975) by Norman Painting ASIN B0012UT8XM
* The Archers: The First Thirty Years compiled by William Smethurst (1980). ISBN 0-413-47830-0
* The Archers: The Official Companion by William Smethurst (1985). ISBN 0-297-78715-2
* The Book of The Archers (1994) by Patricia Greene, Charles Collingwood and Hedli Niklaus ISBN 0-7181-3849-X
* Jennifer Aldridge's Archers Cookbook by Angela Piper (1994). ISBN 0-7153-0141-1
* The Archers: The True Story (1996) by William Smethurst ISBN 1-85833-620-1
* The Archers: The Official Inside Story by Vanessa Whitburn (1996). ISBN 1-85227-660-6
* The Archers' Pantry: Jennifer Aldridge by Angela Piper (1997). ISBN 0-091-85407-5
* The Archers Anarchists' A-Z: An Unofficial and Utterly Outrageous Guide by Ian Sanderson (1998). ISBN 0-7522-2442-5
* The Archers Annual 2000 by Kate Willmott and Hedli Niklaus ISBN 0-563-38415-8
* The Archers Annual 2001 by Kate Willmott and Hedli Niklaus ISBN 0-563-53716-7
* The Archers Encyclopaedia (2001) by Joanna Toye and Adrian Flynn ISBN 0-563-53718-3, published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of The Archers
* Who's Who in The Archers 2008 by Keri Davies. ISBN 1-84607-326-X
* Who's Who in The Archers 2011 by Graham Harvey. ISBN 978-1-849-90015-7
* Jennifer Aldridge's Archers Cookbook by Angela Piper (2009). ISBN 0-7153-3338-0
* The Archers Miscellany (2010) by Joanna Toye. ISBN 978-1-84607-754-8
* The Road to Ambridge (2010) by June Spencer. ISBN 978-1-907532-25-2
* The Archers Archives (2010) by Simon Frith & Chris Arnot. ISBN 978-1-84990-013-3
* Borsetshire Life (2011). The county magazine. ISBN 978-1-902685-14-4 see borsetshire-life
* The Ambridge Chronicles by Joanna Toye and Karen Farrington (2013) ISBN 978-1-84990-577-0
* For the Love of The Archers: An Unofficial Companion by Beth Miller (2015) ISBN 978-1-84953-773-5

### Novelisations

[edit]

* The Archers of Ambridge by Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason (1954)
* The Archers Intervene by Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason (1956)
* Ambridge Summer by Keith Miles (1975). ISBN 0-85523-065-7
* The Archers by Jock Gallagher
* Doris Archer's Diary (1971). ISBN 0-563-12118-1
* 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
* Tom Forrest's Country Calendar (1978) compiled by Charles Lefeaux ISBN 0-563-1741-10
* Ambridge: An English Village Through The Ages by William Smethurst (1981). ISBN 0-413-50170-1
* Dan Archer: The Ambridge Years by William Smethurst and Anthony Parkin (1984). ISBN 0-7181-2437-5
* Shula's Story by Joanna Toye (1995). ISBN 0-563-38703-3
* Lynda Snell's Heritage of Ambridge by Carole Boyd (1997). ISBN 185227-658-4
* 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 978-0-426-16520-0
* Jennifer's Diary by Joanna Toye (2003). ISBN 0-563-48767-4
* The Archers: Ambridge At War by Catherine Miller (2020). ISBN 978-1-4711-9548-8

### Published audio episodes

[edit]

* Vintage Archers
* 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

[edit]

In addition to books and audiobooks, purported maps of Ambridge and Borsetshire have been published.[143][144]

## Documentaries

[edit]

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.[145]

## See also

[edit]

* List of longest-serving soap opera actors
* List of radio soaps

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Jeremy Howe's first day as the new editor of The Archers". BBC. 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
2. ^ "June Spencer bids farewell to Ambridge". BBC.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
3. ^ Adrian, Jack (9 October 2003). "Tony Shryane Obituary". The Independent on Sunday. London. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
4. ^ "History of the BBC". BBC. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
5. ^ "About The Archers". BBC. 31 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
6. ^ "60 things you never knew you wanted to know about The Archers". The Independent. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
7. ^ Midgley, Neil (27 December 2010). "Archers 'no longer educates farmers'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
8. ^ "The Archers clocks up 55 years". BBC Press Office. 30 December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
9. ^ Midgley, Neil (5 August 2010). "The Archers hold record ratings". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
10. ^ "The Ultimate Reference Guide to British Popular Culture". Oxford Royale. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
11. ^ Martin, Nicole (20 August 2007). "The Archers online dwarfs Chris Moyles". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
12. ^ "Desert Island Discs 'greatest radio show of all time'". BBC News. 12 February 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
13. ^ Wynne-Jones, Jonathan; Howie, Michael (17 April 2011). "Have they found the real Ambridge?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
14. ^ Compare Ambridge's The Bull Archived 28 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine with Inkberrow's The Old Bull Archived 12 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
15. ^ "Transcript: Any Questions? 22 September 2006". BBC Radio 4. 22 September 2006. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
16. ^ Compare Ambridge's St Stephen's Archived 13 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine with Hanbury's St Mary the Virgin Archived 9 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
17. ^ Loxley Barrett Primary School Archived 27 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine; goodschoolsguide.co.uk
18. ^ "22 September 2002". The Archers. BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
19. ^ "The Soil Association". The Times. London. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
20. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – the Archers, Ambridge locations – Arkwright Hall – large Victorian house with a 17th century core".
21. ^ "Oxford Farming Conference". BBC Radio 4. 3 January 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
22. ^ "27 June 2006". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
23. ^ a b "Princess Margaret Remembered". BBC Radio 4. 10 February 2002. Archived from the original on 30 June 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
24. ^ "10 February 2002". The Archers. BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
25. ^ "12 September 2001". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
26. ^ "11 July 2005". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
27. ^ "22 February 2001". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
28. ^ "23 February 2001". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
29. ^ "27 February 2001". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
30. ^ "1 March 2001". The Archers. BBC Radio 4.
31. ^ "Drama in a Crisis". BBC Radio 4. 2 March 2001. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
32. ^ "The Archers 2012-01-25". BBC Radio 4. 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
33. ^ a b "Changes to The Archers during Coronavirus pandemic". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 29 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
34. ^ "The Archers marks the death of the Queen". BBC News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
35. ^ "The hottest star in Hollywood – who owes it all to Ambridge". Independent.co.uk. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
36. ^ David Brindle "Young people log on for shared headspace" Archived 12 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 9 February 2011
37. ^ Hunt, Terry (2 December 2022). "Graham Blockey obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
38. ^ Matthew Weaver "GP reveals his 30-year secret life as Archers character Robert Snell" Archived 12 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 31 March 2017
39. ^ Chris Arnot, "The Archers at 60" Archived 12 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 6 October 2010.
40. ^ Media, P. A. (23 December 2023). "The Archers actor Ian Pepperell dies aged 53". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
41. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". The Archers. BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
42. ^ a b Donovan, Paul (1991), The Radio Companion. London: Grafton; p. 8.
43. ^ "BBC Radio 4 FM – 1 October 1967 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
44. ^ Smethurst, William (1996), The Archers: The True Story. London: Michael O'Mara Books; p.24. ISBN 1-85479-689-5
45. ^ Norman Painting, Forever Ambridge (1975)
46. ^ a b The Listener, 29 August 1985.
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## Further reading

[edit]

* Sanderson, Ian (1998) The Archers Anarchists' A – Z. London: Boxtree ISBN 0-7522-2442-5 (the author founded the Archers Anarchists in 1995)
* Higgins, Charlotte. "'A peculiarly English epic': the weird genius of The Archers". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2020. A reflection on the forthcoming 70th anniversary

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