The Archers

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

The Archers
GenreRadio drama
Running time12 minutes
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Home stationBBC Home Service (1950)
BBC Light Programme (1951–1967)
BBC Radio 4 (1967–present)
Created byGodfrey Baseley
Produced byJulie Beckett (2017–present)
Edited byJeremy Howe (2018–present)[1]
Recording studioBBC Birmingham
Original release1 January 1951
No. of episodes20,459 as of 26 Nov 2024[2]
Audio formatStereophonic sound
Opening themeBarwick Green
WebsiteArchers 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]

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.

  1. ^ "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.