ARCHERS CAST AND CREW URGE BBC TO KEEP DRAMA IN BIRMINGHAM

More than 100 current and former cast and crew members of The Archers have urged the BBC to keep recording the radio drama in Birmingham. Their letter to BBC director general Matt Brittin follows the broadcaster’s decision to shelve plans for a dedicated studio at its new Tea Factory headquarters in Digbeth. Signatories include Dame Judi Dench, Felicity Jones and Kellie Bright, alongside representatives of Equity and the Writers’ Guild. They said a move away from the Midlands would have a “tangible impact” on the programme. The BBC said it was exploring alternatives as part of wider cost-saving measures.

The BBC has recorded The Archers in Birmingham since the programme began, and it marked its 75th anniversary earlier this year. The drama takes place in Ambridge, a fictional West Midlands village. The letter said separating cast and production teams could affect how they make the programme. It compared a move with Coronation Street leaving the north-west or EastEnders leaving the south-east. “A flagship show deserves flagship facilities, from which both the BBC and the city of Birmingham would benefit for decades,” the signatories wrote.

Brittin said the BBC needed to make savings but remained committed to The Archers. He said studio space elsewhere in the country could accommodate the programme, while the BBC would also consider options in the West Midlands. “We’re going to explore how we can best house The Archers where they need to be,” he said. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker called for the drama to remain in Birmingham, describing it as part of the region’s broadcasting heritage.