The Archers

‘Intriguing, comforting and endearingly familiar’ Katie Fforde ‘The BBC’s most downloaded radio show’ The Guardian ‘Incredible legacy’ ?The BBC ‘Longest running drama in the world’ The i News 'Wonderfully nostalgic and comforting' Culture Fly It's 1941 and the war rumbles on. Nowhere is immune to the effects of war, not even Ambridge. But in England's favourite village, something else is occupying the residents... When a prominent villager dies, the main beneficiary's name is a mystery, and no one knows who is set to inherit the estate, cottage and all. The name is hidden within a locked box and the villagers much uncover the password to find out the name of the beneficiary. So when five people are each sent a packet of seeds, the mystery deepens – could the seeds be part of a clue? And can they all work together to unlock the mystery and to discover who is set to inherit? This is the perfect read for all Archers fans.

For 11 years William Smethurst was first writer, then editor of The Archers, the longest-running radio serial in the world. He reveals the behind-the-scenes dramas that listeners never heard, and the truth behind many rumours and legends.

It’s been sixty years since the familiar dum-di-dum-di-dum-di-dum of ‘Barwick Green’ first brought The Archers to our airwaves, and in that time millions of listeners have followed the lives of folk in Ambridge. This new compendium brings together facts and trivia about characters, controversies and country customs in one handy volume.

Fandom Culture and The Archers looks beyond the popular success of the Archers to explore how the program, and the themes it discusses, are used in teaching, learning, research and professional settings, and how the Academic Archers fandom helps shape these real life impacts.

The bestselling guide to all things Ambridge is back Bringing together a wealth of fascinating facts, amusing insights and expert trivia about characters, controversies and country customs – now fully revised and updated to include recent developments – this unofficial companion is the perfect gift for avid addicts and keen newcomers alike.

The Archers Archives celebrates 60 years of the nation's favourite radio drama - looking back at the most dramatic events to happen over 16,000 episodes, complete with cast and crew interviews. Relive the defining moments in Archers history, from the devastating 1955 stables fire and the 1957 Tom Forrest manslaughter charge to the shocking imprisonment of Susan Carter in the early 1990s, the revelation of Brian Aldridge's affair with Siobhan Hathaway, and the Grundys' eviction from Grange Farm and exile to Meadow Rise. Script-writer Simon Frith and journalist Chris Arnot take you inside the creative life of the show, sharing how the series' storylines are planned and produced, and how the historical and cultural background of each period is interwoven into the everyday lives of the residents of Ambridge. Complete with original photos, some never-before-seen, The Archers Archives is an indispensable addition to every Archers fan's collection.

The first official trivia collection from Britain's best-loved radio drama. Have you ever wondered about the attractions at Ambridge fetes? Puzzled over who the winners were at the Flower and Produce Show? Been curious about details of past Bonfire Nights, or even menus at The Bull? Discover the whos, whats, wheres and whys of the show's past 60 years in The Archers Miscellany. Discover which resident has the most names and meet the animals of Ambridge; learn the order of illumination for the Christmas lights switch-on; ponder Great Ambridge Mysteries and remember Ambridge Wanderers football team fixtures from the glory days of the 1970s. Containing information gathered from the vast BBC Birmingham Archers archives and beautifully illustrated throughout, The Archers Miscellany is the ultimate trivia book for all things Ambridge.