“The Archers”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Five pilot episodes were aired in 1950 and the first episode was broadcast nationally on 1 January 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,^[7]^[8]^[9] With over one million listeners via the internet, the programme holds the record for BBC Radio online listening figures.^[10] 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.^[11]

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.

Synopsis

Other fictional villages include Penny Hassett, Loxley Barrett,^[16] 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,^[17] there have been references to the gay scene in Manchester's Canal Street. There have been scenes set in other places in Great Britain and abroad, with some characters residing overseas such as in South Africa and Hungary.

Since Easter Sunday 1998, there have been six episodes a week, from Sunday to Friday, broadcast at around 19:03 following the news summary. All except the Friday evening episode are repeated the following day at 14:02. 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. This information is available in the press and on the BBC's website.^[18]

Characters

Ambridge

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^[20] and the FIFA World Cup.^[21] 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),^[22]^[23] the World Trade Center attacks,^[24] and the 7 July 2005 London bombings.^[25] The events and implications of the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis required many "topical inserts"^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29] and the rewriting of several storylines.^[30]

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.^[31]

Actors

Unlike television soaps, The Archers actors are not held on retainers and work on the series usually 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{{ndash}}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.^[32]

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.^[33] Meanwhile, Graham Blockey, who plays Robert Snell, worked till recently as a full-time general practitioner in Surrey, commuting to and from BBC Birmingham at weekends and on his days off. He kept his role secret from his patients, for fear of losing their respect, until his retirement from medicine in March 2017.^[34] 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 manages a pub in the New Forest.^[35]

History

A five-episodes pilot series started on Whit Monday, 29 May 1950, and continued throughout that week.^[36] 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^[37] and subsequently on the BBC Home Service (now Radio 4). 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'^[38] time of 11.45am, but it moved to Dick Barton's former slot of 6.45pm from Monday, 2 April 1951. An omnibus edition of the week's episodes began on Saturday, 5 January 1952. Originally produced with collaborative input from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 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.^[37] 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 businessman farming at a loss for tax purposes (which one could do in those days).^[39] 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.^[40]

At the late 1950s, despite the growth of television and radio's consequent decline, the programme was still claiming eleven million listeners and was also being transmitted in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.^[41] By the mid-'70s, however, the audience for the two daily broadcasts and the weekend omnibus combined was less than 3 million^[42] and in 1976 the BBC Radio Four Review Board twice considered whether or not the programme should be axed.^[43] 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."^[44] Programme chief Jock Gallagher, responsible for The Archers, described these as the serial's "dog days".^[45] 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.^[46] 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'.^[47] By the mid-'80s the Radio Four Review Board noted that scripts, directing and acting was "very good" and sometimes "better than ever".^[48] In August 1985 The Listener said that the programme's revival was "sustained by some of the best acting, direction and writing on radio."^[40]

Vanessa Whitburn was succeeded as editor by Sean O'Connor in September 2013.^[52] In September 2016, Huw Kennair-Jones took over as editor though O'Connor continued to oversee the Helen and Rob storyline until its conclusion.^[53]. Kennair-Jones announced in October 2017 that he was to leave the BBC to work as commissioning editor for ITV.^[54]. The short presence of two successive Archers editors in the job led to concerns that there might be a trend of radio drama editing being seen as “training ground” for higher-paid positions in TV.^[55] Alison Hindell, the BBC’s head of Audio Drama until October 2018, took over as acting editor before^[56] and after^[57] Kennair-Jones’s time in charge. She effectively swapped with Jeremy Howe when she succeeded him as the BBC’s commissioning editor for drama and fiction^[57] and he started as editor of the Archers in late August 2018.^[58]^[1]

Death of Grace Archer

One of the most controversial Archers episodes was broadcast on 22 September 1955, which coincided 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 some real tragedy among the increasingly unconvincing episode cliff-hangers, Godfrey Baseley had 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.^[60]

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.^[61] 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 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 was encouraging the other actors to join a trade union.^[62]

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 Archers performance was recorded just two days before his death, and was broadcast on 22 November.^[63] He is cited in Guinness World Records as the longest-serving actor in a single soap opera.^[63] Under the pseudonym "Bruno Milna", Painting also wrote around 1,200 complete episodes, which culminated in the 10,000th episode.

June Spencer has played Peggy Archer/Woolley from the pilot episode onwards,^[64] though not for all of the period since. According to Who's Who in The Archers 2008,^[65] episode 15,360 was to be broadcast on 1 January 2008.^[66] Episode 15,000 was broadcast on 7 November 2006.^[67]

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".^[68] 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.^[69]

The writing out of the character of Nigel caused much controversy among listeners,^[70]^[71] 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

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^[72] 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,^[73] competitive marmalade-making, or nonsense such as a 'spile troshing' competition,^[74] rather than the large-scale and improbable events that form the plots of many soap operas.^[75]^[76]

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.^[77] 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

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. The Sunday omnibus broadcast of The Archers starts with a more rustic, accordion-arranged rendition by The Yetties.^[91]^[92] The theme for BBC Radio 4 Extra's The Archers spinoff, Ambridge Extra, is a version arranged by Bellowhead.^[93]

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.^[94] 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.^[95] 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 in 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|date=February 2008}}

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.^[99]

Serious events

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^[100]. However, this tradition has been dropped more recently, such as the death of Nigel Pargetter when the normal closing music was played despite the gravity of the incident - to the irritation of some followers, who consider the jollity of the normal segment inappropriate in such circumstances^[101].

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

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.^[102]

Casting

Ambridge Extra

Fan clubs

Two organisations dedicated to the programme were established in the 1990s. [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Archers-Addicts/43671191219 Archers Addicts] was the official body, run by members of the cast. The club had five thousand members^[104] 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 some time later, objecting to the "castist" assumptions propagated by the BBC, and claiming that the characters are real.

The usenet newsgroup uk.media.radio.archers^[105] (referred to as UMRA by its users, who call themselves umrats) has been running since 1995. Its users include experts on many subjects covered by the programme, such as campanology, many aspects of farming, the running of small businesses, etcetera, and lengthy discussions ensue - as well as light-hearted matters, and plot speculation. Various gatherings occur where umrats come together: the first were a series of about ten annual barbecues^[106] in Reading [the first of which was attended by Carole Boyd (Lynda Snell)], but subsequently at various points around the world. The 'group has at times included participants from various parts of Europe and north and south America. It has nicknames for many of the main Archers characters, such as S'aint for Shula, and Hellen (it also has nicknames for most of its own regular participants)^[107]. Due perhaps to usenet being initially more accessible in academia, the 'group has quite a high academic content, and discussions can thus 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^[108] 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^[109] and mugs bore the legend (in yellow on "Barwick Green", of course) "An everyday story of internet folk."^[110]

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.^[111] A 1997 study found that listeners to the soap opera were significantly less likely to be injured by a mine than non-listeners.^[112]

In Rwanda, the BBC World Service's Rwanda-Rundi service has been broadcasting the Archers-inspired soap opera Urunana ("Hand in Hand") since 1999.^[113]^[114]

The Japanese 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.

Parodies

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme has parodied The Archers with its recurring "The Archers Accidentally" sketches;^[119] 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

Reference works

Novelisations

Published audio episodes

Maps

In addition to books and audiobooks, purported maps of Ambridge and Borsetshire have been published.^[120]^[121]

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.^[122]

See also

References

1. ^¹{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/entries/553a51d0-ff7f-4c7a-9fac-0bf00204c238| title= Jeremy Howe's first day as the new editor of The Archers | accessdate = 9 September 2018 | publisher= BBC| date= 23 August 2018 }}
2. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/the-archers/about | title= About The Archers | accessdate=6 January 2008 | date=31 December 2010| publisher= BBC }}
3. ^{{cite news | first = Jack | last = Adrian | title = Tony Shryane Obituary ||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-shryane-37242.html| newspaper = The Independent on Sunday | date = 9 October 2003 | accessdate = 10 July 2018 | location = London }}
4. ^{{cite news|title=History of the BBC|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0168wd7|agency=BBC|date=24 March 2018}}
5. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/60-things-you-never-knew-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-archers-2173365.html|title=60 things you never knew you wanted to know about The Archers|date=1 January 2011|website=The Independent|accessdate=9 January 2019}}
6. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8226200/Archers-no-longer-educates-farmers.html|title=Archers 'no longer educates farmers'|first=Neil|last=Midgley|date=27 December 2010|publisher=|accessdate=9 January 2019|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}
7. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/12_december/30/archers.shtml | title= The Archers clocks up 55 years | accessdate=6 January 2008| date=30 December 2005| publisher= BBC Press Office }}
8. ^{{cite news | first=Neil | last=Midgley | title= The Archers hold record ratings | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7926999/The-Archers-scores-record-ratings-of-over-5m-listeners.html | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 August 2010| location=London}}
9. ^{{cite news|title=The Ultimate Reference Guide to British Popular Culture|url=https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/the-ultimate-reference-guide-to-british-popular-culture.html|agency=Oxford Royale|date=23 November 2016}}
10. ^{{cite news | first = Nicole | last=Martin | title = The Archers online dwarfs Chris Moyles | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/17/nradio217.xml | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph| date = 20 August 2007| accessdate =6 January 2007 | location=London}}
11. ^{{cite web | title= Desert Island Discs 'greatest radio show of all time'|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47204636| author=|date= 12 February 2019| website= BBC News Online | accessdate= 1 March 2019 }}
12. ^{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8455995/Have-they-found-the-real-Ambridge.html |title=Have they found the real Ambridge? |last1=Wynne-Jones |first1=Jonathan |last2=Howie |first2=Michael |date=17 April 2011 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Newspapers |access-date=26 February 2018 |quote=}}
13. ^Compare Ambridge's The Bull {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628165347/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/gallery/gallery_60s_timeline.shtml?select=05 |date=28 June 2008 }} with Inkberrow's The Old Bull.
14. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/anyquestions_transcripts_20060922.shtml | title= Transcript: Any Questions? 22 September 2006 | accessdate=6 January 2008| date=22 September 2006 | publisher= BBC Radio 4 }}
15. ^Compare Ambridge's St Stephen's with Hanbury's St Mary the Virgin.
16. ^Loxley Barrett Primary School; goodschoolsguide.co.uk
17. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2002-09-22}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20020922&day=0 }}
18. ^{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr |title=BBC Radio 4 - The Archers |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=1 January 1970 |accessdate=12 September 2016}}
19. ^{{cite news | title=The Soil Association | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6847838.ece | work=The Times | location=London | date=25 September 2009| accessdate=22 May 2010}}
20. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/oxford_conference.shtml | title= Oxford Farming Conference | accessdate= 17 February 2008 | publisher= BBC Radio 4 | date= 3 January 2008 | deadurl= yes | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080628092518/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/oxford_conference.shtml | archivedate= 28 June 2008 | df= }}
21. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2006-06-27}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20060625&day=2 }}
22. ^¹{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/princess_margaret.shtml | title= Princess Margaret Remembered | accessdate=17 February 2008| date=10 February 2002 | publisher= BBC Radio 4}}
23. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2002-02-10}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20020210&day=0 }}
24. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2001-09-12}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20010909&day=3 }}
25. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2005-07-11}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20050710&day=1 }}
26. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2001-02-22}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20010218&day=4 }}
27. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2001-02-23}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20010218&day=5 }}
28. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2001-02-27}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20010225&day=2 }}
29. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2001-03-01}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20010225&day=4 }}
30. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/drama_in_a_crisis.shtml | title= Drama in a Crisis | accessdate=17 February 2008| publisher=BBC Radio 4| date=2 March 2001}}
31. ^{{cite web | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01b1g9d/The_Archers_25_01_2012/ | title= The Archers 2012-01-25 | accessdate=2 February 2012| publisher=BBC Radio 4 | date=25 January 2012 }}
32. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-hottest-star-in-hollywood-ndash-who-owes-it-all-to-ambridge-2199000.html|title=The hottest star in Hollywood – who owes it all to Ambridge|publisher=|accessdate=10 July 2018|date=31 January 2011}}
33. ^David Brindle [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/feb/09/young-people-mental-health-problems-log-on?INTCMP=SRCH "Young people log on for shared headspace"], The Guardian, 9 February 2011
34. ^Matthew Weaver [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/31/surrey-gp-reveals-archers-character-robert-snell-graham-blockey "GP reveals his 30-year secret life as Archers character Robert Snell"], The Guardian, 31 March 2017
35. ^Chris Arnot, [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/oct/06/60-years-archers-10-things-new "The Archers at 60"], The Guardian, 6 October 2010.
36. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/info/ | title= Information and FAQs | work = The Archers| accessdate=10 February 2008| publisher= BBC Radio 4}}
37. ^¹²Donovan, Paul (1991), The Radio Companion. London: Grafton; p. 8.
38. ^Smethurst, William (1996), The Archers: The True Story. London: Michael O'Mara Books; p.24. {{ISBN|1-85479-689-5}}
39. ^Norman Painting, Forever Ambridge (1975)
40. ^¹The Listener, 29 August 1985.
41. ^Smethurst, William (1996), The Archers: The True Story. London: Michael O'Mara Books; pp. 75-76. {{ISBN|1-85479-689-5}}
42. ^Smethurst (1996) The Archers, p. 144.
43. ^Hendy, David (2007), Life On Air, A history of Radio Four Oxford University Press, p. 205. {{ISBN|978-0-19-924881-0}}
44. ^Hendy, David (2007) Life On Air, p. 204.
45. ^Hendy (2007), p. 204.
46. ^Glenys Roberts, The Evening Standard, London; 17 March 1983.
47. ^Hendy (2007), p, 207.
48. ^Hendy (2007), p. 208.
49. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/2012/02/acting_archers_editor.html|title=BBC - The Archers Blog: Acting Archers editor|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
50. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/ourcomments/view/335079|title=EastEnders formula is failing in Ambridge|author=Simon Edge|work=Express.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
51. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/2012/06/is_the_archers_going_to_get_da.html|title=BBC - The Archers Blog: Is The Archers going to get 'darker and bigger? No.|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
52. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/10593342.O_Connor_takes_Archers__top_job/|title=O'Connor takes Archers' top job|author=Press Association 2014|work=The Argus|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
53. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5vFGJHJDWPdPSY77RrmtyQD/meet-the-archers-new-editor-huw-kennair-jones| title= Meet The Archers' new editor, Huw Kennair-Jones | accessdate = 18 September 2016 | publisher= BBC}}
54. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/entries/cab07c63-5403-42be-b16c-9c74875ee062| title= Huw Kennair-Jones steps down as editor of The Archers | accessdate = 9 September 2018 | publisher= BBC| date= 4 October 2017 }}
55. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/11/archers-will-trouble-editors-keep-poached-tv-star-says/|title= Archers will be in trouble if editors keep being poached by TV, star says |date=11 October 2017|accessdate=9 September 2018|publisher=The Telegraph|newspaper= The Telegraph |last1= Furness |first1= Hannah }}
56. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/sep/13/the-archers-helen-titchner-huw-kennair-jones-bbc-radio-4|title= The Archers: former Sky executive takes over show as Helen Titchener plot ends |date=13 September 2016|accessdate=9 September 2018|publisher=The Guardian|newspaper= The Guardian |last1= Jackson |first1= Jasper }}
57. ^¹{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/hindell-succeed-howe-r4-commissioning-editor-drama-and-fiction-814556|title= Hindell becomes Radio 4 commissioning editor for Drama and Fiction |date=19 June 2018|accessdate=9 September 2018|publisher=The Bookseller}}
58. ^{{cite press release | date = 7 February 2018 | title = Jeremy Howe announced as new editor of The Archers |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/jeremy-howe-archers | publisher = BBC | access-date= 25 February 2018}}
59. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr/episodes/downloads |title= Podcasts |work = The Archers | accessdate=10 February 2008| publisher=BBC Radio 4}}
60. ^¹{{cite episode|title= {{date|1989-05-26}}|number= 10,000|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= }}
61. ^{{cite book | last = Smethurst |title = The Archers| year = 1996 |publisher= |location= | isbn = | page = 63 |chapter = Dead Girls Tell No Tales |quote = Even this presupposes that the BBC realized the impact that the 'death' would have — and all the evidence is that the BBC was totally taken by surprise.}}
62. ^{{cite book |author=Smethurst |title = The Archers |year = 1996 |publisher = |location = |isbn =|page = 64 |chapter = Dead Girls Tell No Tales |quote='She was trying to get the actors to join a trade union,' he told the author of this book, in 1995, 'so I killed her off. Very few of the original actors were professionals. I'd taken them on because they were countrymen with natural country voices. But she was stirring them up and trying to get them to join the actors' union, and saying we should only employ union actors, which would have been fatal.'}}
63. ^¹{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8331558.stm|title=Voice of Phil Archer dies aged 85|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
64. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radio4/junespencer.shtml |title=Biographies: June Spencer OBE, The Archers |accessdate=1 September 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106073640/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radio4/junespencer.shtml |archivedate=6 January 2009 }}
65. ^{{cite book | last = Davies | first = Keri | title = Who's Who in The Archers, 2008 | publisher = BBC Books | year = 2007 | location = Reading | page = 4 | isbn = 978-1-84607-326-7}}
66. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2008-01-01}}|number= 15,360|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20071230&day=2 }}
67. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2006-11-07}}|number= 15,000|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20061105&day=2 }}
68. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/05_may/27/sopps.shtml |title=BBC Statement of Programme Policy for 2010/2011|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
69. ^{{cite journal |doi=10.1136/bmj.d7518 |pmid=22174323 |laysummary=https://www.bmj.com/press-releases/2011/12/15/series-unfortunate-events-morbidity-and-mortality-borsetshire-village |laysource=BMJ |laydate=15 December 2011 |title=A series of unfortunate events? Morbidity and mortality in a Borsetshire village |journal=BMJ |volume=343 |pages=d7518 |year=2011 |last1=Stepney |first1=R. }}
70. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/2011/01/nigel_pargetter_-_share_your_m.html | title=Nigel Pargetter - share your memories|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
71. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/2011/01/the_archers_editor_on_the_60th.html | title=The Archers editor on the 60th anniversary|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
72. ^Peter Hitchens (2000), The Abolition of Britain, pp. 262–64, Quartet (revised edition).
73. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2005-06-07}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20050605&day=2 }}
74. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2000-08-11}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url=}}
75. ^{{cite news|last=Mahoney|first=Elisabeth|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/apr/16/radio.tvandradioarts|title=Radio review: The Archers|work=The Guardian|date=16 April 2008|accessdate=16 April 2008 |location=London}}
76. ^{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9445689/Archers-loses-400000-listeners-amid-controversy-over-sexed-up-storylines.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Archers loses 400,000 listeners amid controversy over sexed-up storylines |date=2 August 2012}}
77. ^{{cite journal|title=Salute to The Archers|journal=Agriculture: The Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture|volume=79|year=1972|page=43}}
78. ^{{cite news | title = Peel's life away from music | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3956119.stm | publisher=BBC News|date =26 October 2004|accessdate =5 January 2008}}
79. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2003-05-26}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20030525&day=1 }}
80. ^{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/moyles_visit.shtml |title= Chris Moyles braves The Bull |accessdate= 5 January 2008 |date= 10 June 2004 |publisher= BBC Radio 4 |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20060314092916/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/backstage/moyles_visit.shtml |archivedate= 14 March 2006 |df= }}
81. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2004-06-14}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20040613&day=1 }}
82. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2004-07-14}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20040711&day=3 }}
83. ^{{cite web |url= http://www.thearchers.co.uk/archers/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=119&ItemID=2442&tabIndex=0 |title= Introducing Ms Zandra Rhodes |accessdate= 5 January 2008 |date= 11 September 2006 |publisher= Archers Addicts |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071203075126/http://www.thearchers.co.uk/archers/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=119&ItemID=2442&tabIndex=0 |archivedate= 3 December 2007 |df= }}
84. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2006-09-22}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20060917&day=5 }}
85. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2007-01-02}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20061231&day=2 }}
86. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2007-02-07}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20070204&day=3 }}
87. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/09_september/07/archers.shtml |title= From The Ashes to The Archers |accessdate=5 January 2008|date=7 September 2007|publisher= BBC Press Office }}
88. ^{{cite episode|title= {{date|2007-09-09}}|series= The Archers |network= BBC Radio 4 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/archive_synopsis.shtml?week=20070909&day=0 }}
89. ^Andrew French, "Morse author meets the Archers", Oxford Mail, 30 July 2010.
90. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37319113 |title=The Archers: Famous names on jury for Helen Titchener's trial - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= 9 September 2016|accessdate=12 September 2016|newspaper=BBC News }}
91. ^{{cite book|last=The Yetties|title=Upmarket|year=1997|id=Decca SKL 5282|nopp=true|page=Track 1}}
92. ^{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/60-things-you-never-knew-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-archers-2173365.html|title=60 things you never knew you wanted to know about The Archers|last=Gonsalves|first=Rebecca|date=1 January 2011|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Print Limited|accessdate=1 July 2011}}
93. ^{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/apr/05/tv-theme-tunes|title=TV theme tunes: don't mess with the best|last=Heritage|first=Stuart|date=5 April 2011|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|accessdate=28 June 2011}}
94. ^Smethurst, William (1996), The Archers: The True Story. London: Michael O'Mara Books; p.20. {{ISBN|1-85479-689-5}}
95. ^BBC Gramophone Library
96. ^{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tumti-tumti-tumti-tum-kerrang-ambridge-in-uproar-over-enos-newwave-theme-tune-568412.html |title= Tum-ti tum-ti tum-ti tum... kerrang. Ambridge in uproar over Eno's 'new-wave' theme tune |accessdate=17 February 2008 |date=1 April 2004 | publisher=The Independent| location=London | first=David | last=Lister}}
97. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/arts/archers_20040401.shtml | title= New Archers Theme Tune |accessdate=17 February 2008| date=1 April 2004 | publisher=BBC Radio 4}}
98. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9nnnM-__JQ|title=Billy Connelly : National Anthem|first=|last=Max Kellar|date=1 March 2008|publisher=|accessdate=10 July 2018|via=YouTube}}
99. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCVPgrQTHO0|title=Funny! 'The Archers' and 'Dance of the Knights'|work=YouTube|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
100. ^See 'doom music' in 'Archers phrases'[https://ambridgereporter.org.uk/nicknames.html]
101. ^Seek 'doom music' in this:
102. ^{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/28/olympic-games-opening-ceremony-british | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Marina | last=Hyde | title=Olympic Games opening ceremony: irreverent and idiosyncratic | date=28 July 2012}}
103. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/posts/Ambridge-Extra-on-Radio-4-Extra|title=BBC - Blogs - The Archers - Ambridge Extra on Radio 4 Extra|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 December 2014|date=30 January 2014}}
104. ^Clive Aslet, et al "Why we love The Archers", Country Life, 7 May 2010.
105. ^uk.media.radio.archers on Google Groups[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/uk.media.radio.archers]
106. ^UMRA 2000 barbecue
107. ^UMRA nicknames and related matters[https://ambridgereporter.org.uk/nicknames.html]
108. ^discussion on the decline of usenetUsenet#Decline
109. ^UMRA T-shirt, 2002
110. ^UMRA logo
111. ^{{cite news | authorlink = Emma Brockes | first = Emma | last= Brockes | title = A long way from Ambridge | url = https://www.theguardian.com/waronterror/story/0,1361,579231,00.html | work =The Guardian | date =23 October 2001 |accessdate =16 February 2008| location=London}}
112. ^Neil Andersson, Charles Whitaker, Aparna Swaminathan. Afghanistan: The 1997 National Mine Awareness Evaluation, CIET international 1998. "Executive summary". Accessed 17 November 2006.
113. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.developments.org.uk/articles/health-soap-opera/ | title= Country life | accessdate= 16 February 2008 | first= Josephine Irene | last= Uwamariya | author2= Kalisa Narcisse | work= Developments | publisher= Department for International Development | deadurl= yes | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080113182253/http://www.developments.org.uk/articles/health-soap-opera/ | archivedate= 13 January 2008 | df= }}
114. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.comminit.com/en/node/118365 | title= Urunana Radio Soap — Rwanda | accessdate= 16 February 2008 | date= 14 August 2003 | publisher= The Communication Initiative Network | deadurl= yes | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110119174446/http://comminit.com/en/node/118365 | archivedate= 19 January 2011 | df= }}
115. ^{{cite web |url= http://www.tve.org/sisters/Domsyem.html |title= Dom Syem, Podjezd Chetirie |accessdate= 5 January 2008 |first= Joan |last= Connolly |date= 22 October 2005 |publisher= Television Trust for the Environment |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071022202735/http://www.tve.org/sisters/Domsyem.html |archivedate= 22 October 2007 |df= }}
116. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/News/97015/ | title= Broadcast: Tune in to the power of the viewing public |accessdate=5 January 2008| first= Jemimah |last=Bailey |date=17 October 1997 | publisher= Brand Republic }}
117. ^[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_X6Y4q3vwQ "The Bowmans"], Hancock's Half Hour
118. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069893/|title=The Cobblers of Umbridge (TV Movie 1973)|date=28 December 1973|work=IMDb|accessdate=28 December 2014}}
119. ^{{cite web | url=https://archive.is/20140530205122/http://www.bbc-now.co.uk/programmes/p01pgzx0 | title=BBC Radio 4 - John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, Series 1, Episode …| date=30 May 2014}}
120. ^{{cite book | last = Humphreys | first = John | title = Archers Addicts Official Map of Ambridge | date = 23 September 1994 | publisher = Old House Books | isbn = 978-1-873590-08-9 }}
121. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/wallpaper/ | title= Wallpaper |work =The Archers | accessdate=6 January 2008| publisher=BBC Radio 4}}
122. ^{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/archers.shtml | title= Arena: The Archers | accessdate= 5 January 2006 | first= Emily | last= Kennedy | year= 2006 | publisher= BBC Four | deadurl= yes | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070117231218/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/archers.shtml | archivedate= 17 January 2007 | df= }}