The Archers is blasted for ‘trying to woo trendy young listeners’ by fans of the Radio 4 flagship drama who say they are ‘thoroughly sick’ of storylines about teenagers and children
- Listeners complained about poor storylines and focus on young characters
- Some said long-running series was simply trying to develop younger audience
- Others said storylines on young characters were more enjoyable and dramatic
- Editor Jeremy Howe said the drama is ‘not really driven by issues’ but on the basis of ‘is this a good story?’
Radio 4’s flagship drama The Archers has come under fire from listeners who have accused it of being obsessed with younger people and fear it is becoming like a TV soap.
One listener described recent episodes as ‘drivel’ saying it was an attempt to ‘woo a new generation of trendy young Archers listeners’. They warned ‘long-standing’ fans like them would ‘slowly switch off’.
Another said they were ‘thoroughly sick’ of storylines about teenagers and children, while one called on bosses to ‘retain its USP of a gentler life’.
The criticism, which was aired on Radio 4’s audience response show Feedback, comes after The Archers has recently aired a storyline about a teenage character who decided to have an abortion.
Character Chelsea Horrobin became pregnant at 17 after a one-night stand with Ben Archer. She goes on to have the pregnancy terminated.
Radio 4’s Feedback programme said some listeners had compared aspects of the abortion storyline to EastEnders or Love Island, including the way it was revealed who the father was.
Rasdio 4’s flagship drama The Archers has come under fire from listeners who have accused it of being obsessed with younger people and fear it is becoming like a TV soap.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall listens as editor Jeremy Howe makes a speech during a celebration of ‘The Archers’ 70th anniversary at Clarence House during a celebration of ‘The Archers’ 70th anniversary at Clarence House on December 7, 2021 in London
It reported that a number of listeners felt there was now a ‘disproportionate’ focus on ‘teen stories’ and the programme was trying to ‘shoe-horn’ a younger audience in.
All of the BBC’s radio stations have been on a drive to draw in younger listeners. But it has not always proved popular with its older heartland audiences.
One listener told the Radio 4 show: ‘I’ve been listening to The Archers nigh on 50 years. But recent episodes sound like they’ve been written by fifth formers… as part of their English GCSE project, an exam they’re obviously doomed to fail.
‘One gets the distinct impression that whoever writes this drivel is desperately trying to woo a new generation of trendy young Archers listeners. I fear they won’t. Instead, long standing fans like me will slowly switch off.’
Another said: ‘I can’t be the only listener to The Archers that is thoroughly sick of having storylines around children and teens.
‘If I wanted storylines about a bunch of bickering idiots I would watch Hollyoaks or some other dismal programme.’
One added: ‘I listen to the Archers for pure escapism into a way of life that is totally out of my experience. I learn a lot about issues facing farmers from storylines like rewilding and the current story about the quality of soil.
‘I know that grittier things do happen in rural areas, but for the gritty storylines there are soaps on TV. Please let the Archers retain its USP of a gentler life.’
But another listener said they found the programme more enjoyable when the storylines focused on the ‘younger and more dramatic characters’. She added that the ‘fete, marrow, horsey, guess the weight of the pumpkin stuff ruins my time out, it’s boring’.
Charles Collingwood (L) and Patricia Gallimore (R) as Brian and Pat Archer, pictured in 2010
Another fan said the portrayal of of issues like slavery, alcoholism and abortion had ‘all been handled with sensitivity’. One said it was ‘brave’ and ‘realistic’ of the scriptwriters to pursue the recent storyline of someone opting to have an abortion.
Jeremy Howe, editor of The Archers, told Feedback the drama was ‘not really driven by issues’ but on the basis of ‘is this a good story?’.
He added: ‘I think it’s important that we do play things out in real time, that you don’t condense storytelling. I think the Archers is sort of slow radio and I think that’s part of its appeal.’
He said the story was not ‘sensationalist’ but was ‘very dramatic’.
In recent years other storylines have seen Philip Moss, a ‘wildlife-conscious builder’ revealed to be a modern slavery gangmaster. Other plots have seen younger character Alice Carter battling alcoholism and getting divorced.
Source: Read Full Article
