 | |
| 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 |
| No. of episodes | 20,440 as of 4 Nov 2024 [2] |
| Audio format | Stereophonic sound |
| Opening theme | Barwick Green |
| Website | Archers homepage |
| Podcast | [1] |
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]
Five pilot episodes were aired in 1950, and the first episode was broadcast nationally 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "June Spencer bids farewell to Ambridge". bbc.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "History of the BBC". BBC. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ "About The Archers". BBC. 31 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The Archers clocks up 55 years". BBC Press Office. 30 December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.