It was created to educate farmers about productivity in post-war Britain, and is as popular now as it was seven decades ago – The Archers, celebrates 75 years, and is going on tour
Deadly infernos, hostage dramas, modern slavery and a plethora of affairs are among the compelling storylines that make The Archers a ratings topper 75 years after its nationwide launch. Tagged as “an every day story of country folk”, it was created as “a farming Dick Barton” – on the advice of a Lincolnshire farmer. He suggested the post-war writers aim for the same gripping pace and tight scripts of the hugely successful Dick Barton Special Agent, which raked in ratings for the BBC.
The result is that, after more than 28,000 episodes, The Archers is still pulling in 5 million listeners a week for Radio 4 and remains the station’s most listened to non-news show. Editor Jeremy Howe says of the world’s longest running radio drama: “Being one of life’s optimists, I think a 75th birthday is a time to be looking forward, to consider what The Archers will be like in 75 years time. Octogenarian Rosie Archer will doubtless be baking a lemon drizzle cake in the solar powered Brookfield [farm] Aga.”
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Salesman-turned BBC producer Godfrey Baseley created The Archers after being tasked with educating farmers about modern agricultural techniques. Described as a ‘serial play of country life’ at its launch by the Radio Times, the first of five pilot episodes was aired on 29 May 1950, on the BBC Midlands Home Service – with the first broadcast being aired nationally on New Year’s Day 1951.
Set in the fictional location of Ambridge in Borsetshire and centred on a farming family called the Archers, it immediately won viewers’ hearts. And it became an important platform to showcase serious issues, ranging from foot and mouth disease to coercive control, peppered with plenty of drama and stories of salacious affairs to spice up village life.
Ryan Kelly, 49, who is blind after being born without eyes, has played Ambridge bad boy Jack ‘Jazzer’ McCreary since 2000. He says of The Archers: “It’s easy to fit it in. You can listen while doing the washing up. I started listening to The Archers when I was 11. I still pinch myself to be playing Jazzer. He came in roaring. He stole cars, he took drugs, he ended up in hospital in the first six months, nearly dead. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride at the beginning and now he’s calmed down.”
Twelve minute episodes of The Archers run six nights a week, from Sunday to Friday, with a 75 minute omnibus on a Sunday. Actress Annabelle Dowler, 52, who’s played kind-hearted Kirsty Miller since 2001, says: “It’s 12 minutes of sacred escapism.
“Of course, everybody knows the theme tune, even if they don’t listen. The way The Archers is listened to has changed over the years. In the 1950s and 60s you’d have families listening around the table. But now it’s much more of a sort of individual personal listening experience.”
And Kirsty has seen plenty of drama. Annabelle says: “Kirsty came in as this eco warrior, but it wasn’t until Tom Archer left her wailing at the altar that we saw her inner strength. It took me a while to get to like Kirsty, if I’m honest. I’ve grown with her over the years and experienced the tragedy she’s gone through and the emotional trauma she’s had. Now it’s like being very fond of an old friend. She’s going to be having a baby at 45. That’s exciting.”
Actress Susie Riddell played a very young Kate Aldridge from 1989-1994, before re-joining the cast in 2011 to play Tracy Horrobin. Susie, 50, says: “There’s an immediacy to The Archers which makes it irresistible. It’s concurrent to our lives, it’s happening alongside us. I love Tracy’s tenacity, her life force and her energy.”
Famous faces have also played cameos in The Archers. Dame Judi Dench played Pru Forrest in the 10,000th episode in May 1989 and Queen Camilla appeared in 2011. And there was Elvis, Madonna and Marilyn – although they were peacocks, living at The Bull, the village pub!
Storylines down the years have ranged from topical, to tragic. In 1955, listeners were gripped by the death of Grace Archer. Farmer Phil Archer had only been married to her for a few months when she was trapped in a blazing barn, trying to save a panicking horse.
Then, the 2016 Rob and Helen Titchener storyline exposed coercive control. It won critical acclaim, as Rob systematically isolated Helen from friends and family, dictating what she wore, controlling their finances and eventually raping her – leaving her pregnant. She finally cracked and stabbed her abusive husband – who survived. But she was found not guilty of attempted murder and lesser charges – sparking widespread national debate and even prompting MPs and peers to discuss the cultural impact of the story.
Then, in 2020-2021, it transpired that builder Philip Moss was keeping three young, vulnerable British men – Blake, Jordan and Kenzie – who had been homeless, as modern slaves. And philanderers, like Brian Aldridge, whose affair with Siobhan Donovan resulted in a love child, have kept up the intrigue. Susie says: “I think The Archers is very clever. It tackles huge issues like modern slavery and young alcoholism [portrayed by Kate Archer], while also having storylines like pigs escaping from the farm.
“Because the listeners are creating the images themselves, it is seared into your imagination in a way that that television and film isn’t. It’s a bit like overhearing something you shouldn’t have heard.” Annabelle adds: “People have their own ideas about what we all look like. I’ve had people say, ‘Oh gosh, I thought you’d have really bright red hair’. Everyone has their own idea. So when people meet us, it’s not just a double take. It’s a quadruple take.”
To mark its 75th birthday, a brand new live theatre show – The Archers: Live at 75 – is starting next month. It combines specially written live episodes, behind-the-scenes stories, archive material, audience Q and As and a fascinating look at how the programme’s distinctive sound effects are created in real time.
Joining the tour are eight of Ambridge’s most beloved voices, performing in two rotating casts of four. They include Timothy Bentinck (David Archer), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter), Ben Norris (Ben Archer) Annabelle, Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge), Ryan, Susie, and Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy). Ryan says: “There’s a pub quiz too, so everyone will feel as if they’re down The Bull.”
Meanwhile, Susie and Anabelle feel confident that The Archers will still be here to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Susie says: “Like real life, it keeps going. There’s always something new to explore.” Annabelle adds: “There’s going to be deaths, there’s going to be births, there’s going to be marriages, there’s going to be more affairs. I can’t see any reason why it would stop.”
Jeremy Howe recalls the words of veteran character, Peggy Woolley (formerly Archer) – played by June Spencer, who died in 2024, aged 105, and played her for over 70 years, before retiring in 2022. He says: “In 2019 she [Peggy] went with her grandson to the top of Lakey Hill – the Mount Olympus of Ambridge – and surveyed the scene. She had first set foot in Ambridge during the Second World War. ‘It’s is exactly the same as it ever was, but completely changed,’ she whispered.”
* For tickets to The Archers: Live at 75, see www.fane.co.uk/the-archers
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