Taking Aim at The Archers
My usual Sunday morning listening was interrupted today because BBC Radio changed its schedule to accommodate the Remembrance Sunday ceremonies.
So, instead of my normal news magazine programme, I was treated (if that's the word), to The Archers. This is a venerable radio soap that goes back to the days when Harry Truman was still in the White House. It's set in a the fictional village of Ambridge, and like most soaps it relies on its cast of characters and storylines to keep listeners tuning in.
I hadn't heard it for years, and I don't think I'll be beating a path to its door again. Even the most trivial event seems to be worked up into a major panic. the big story today was that someone broke a teapot, resulting in much overeacting and even more overacting.
An insurance company here used to promote itself by promising: "We won't make a drama out of a crisis." But in The Archers, you can be sure that they'll take every opportunity to make a crisis out of a drama.
So, instead of my normal news magazine programme, I was treated (if that's the word), to The Archers. This is a venerable radio soap that goes back to the days when Harry Truman was still in the White House. It's set in a the fictional village of Ambridge, and like most soaps it relies on its cast of characters and storylines to keep listeners tuning in.
I hadn't heard it for years, and I don't think I'll be beating a path to its door again. Even the most trivial event seems to be worked up into a major panic. the big story today was that someone broke a teapot, resulting in much overeacting and even more overacting.
An insurance company here used to promote itself by promising: "We won't make a drama out of a crisis." But in The Archers, you can be sure that they'll take every opportunity to make a crisis out of a drama.