Ambridge Socialist
6th September
We ask: why hasn’t Moss been arrested?
Many months after Philip Moss and his useless but malevolent son ‘Gav’ caused an explosion at Grey Gables seriously injuring several people, he remains a free man. In fact so free that he is carrying on his modern slavery activity with building work elsewhere in Borsetshire.
Does not Sergeant Burns, the Sherlock Holmes of Ambridge, occasionally ponder what is going on here? Apparently not.
Meanwhile Tracey Horrabin has served papers starting legal action against Moss. Not to put too finer a point on it, where has she got the funding to do this, given that lawyers charge £300 an hour for just thinking about doing something. Is Oliver underwriting the action perhaps?
Is Alice’s drinking a reflection of a wider issue?
Emma has confronted Alice about her drinking after Ed told her that in his view she was drunk in the Home Farm office. Chris who was present was not pleased. The Ambridge Socialist Editorial Board has set to wondering if the story line really points to someone rather better known in national life who is sometimes alleged to be over fond of drink…
The new BBC Director General Tim Davie on the Archers (from 2011)
Unless you have kept well clear of the media this week, you will have seen or heard that we have been marking the 60th anniversary of the world’s longest running continuous drama. The Archers has been a central part of listener’s lives since 1951 and, if nothing else, the past few days have proved that it is precious and in rude health.
As you may be aware, debate is raging, particularly over the instantly infamous death of Nigel Pargetter in the special double-episode that ran on Jan 2nd. Even before his extended scream as he fell from the roof of Lower Loxley Hall, the messageboards and Twitter were buzzing. The reaction has spanned many emotions: listeners are angry, supportive, underwhelmed, overwhelmed, shocked, sad and enthralled. Above all, what is clear is that they care, deeply, about what happens in Ambridge.
I understand that some listeners think the special episode received too much attention, but we do need to be able to showcase and highlight the wonders of radio drama. The Archers is quite different to other dramas and I agree that we should let audiences quietly find the plot (too much ‘sell’ can be counter-productive), but this was a special occasion and we view it as a very rare set of circumstances. We should resist the sense that there is a growing need to sensationalise to build impact.
Also, those that do not believe that recent revelations were big enough to have “shaken Ambridge to the core” (the words of the Archers’ editor, Vanessa Whitburn) should listen for a year or two to see just how big these events are: not in comparison with TV spectaculars but for the residents of Ambridge (and the loyal listeners).
Meanwhile, if you have not heard the programme or want to read the comments from listeners, here are some links for you to explore. Now is a good time to immerse yourself.
Tim Davie is Director of Audio & Music at the BBC
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