Archives for April 2011

The recording of the Easter Sunday 'Ambridge' edition of Gardeners' Question Time took place in March in a village hall in Worcestershire.

The audience at Cutnell Green knew that two programmes would be recorded. The first was a standard version, which went out a couple of weeks ago. But imagine their surprise when the questioners were called forward for the second programme - and the first name called was 'Brian Aldridge'.

Here's a photo gallery of this rather surreal event.

Keri Davies is an Archers (and Ambridge Extra) scriptwriter and web producer.

• Picture shows one of the seats reserved for the questioners
• View the photo gallery of the recording
• GQT panelist Matthew Wilson gives a horticultural tour of Ambridge in The Telegraph
• Listen to the Ambridge programme (while available)
• Gardeners' Question Time programme website

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In The Archers, Caroline Sterling gets plenty of sympathy from listeners while Kenton Archer gets some stick for attempting to control Jolene. And how dare Jill Archer interfere in Kenton's romance! She's been firmly advised to "Poke your beak OUT!"

In Ambridge Extra, listeners are still coming to grips with the new format, and many are disappointed in Alice Carter... is she turning out to be just like daddy?

Here's my pick of listener discussions between 11th and 13th April on the message board, Twitter and Facebook.

Poor Caroline. Having an "unspeakable princess" (Elizabeth Archer) as well as a "grasping leech" (Roy Tucker) to contend with and no support from her "patronising" husband, listeners have come out in sympathy. But perhaps she went too far in taking her frustrations out on Lynda Snell...

Ooh you git, Roy. You've upset Caroline! #neverlikedhimanyway #thearchers (@potterwigham on Twitter)

Oliver was almost patronising in his "now, now, calm down dear" Michael Winner response (The devil wears Burberry)

If I were Caroline I'd be spitting tacks, insist that Roy works out his notice and have nothing to do with the grasping leech ever again. (NewEssexWoman)

From this evening's coffee scene Caz is clearly a termagant and I hope Lynda can find another job too, leaving the miserable rude woman to get her own bloody coffee. No excuse for that nasty display imo. (old cath)

I feel there's more behind Lynda's motive for bringing in the coffee and just hovering around possibly hoping to hear some juicy gossip! (HappyLammy)

How about the objectionable way in which Lynda sniffed at her? Is it ok for an employee to sniff in such a manner at her employer...? (Chris Ghoti)

That must have been Lynda's longest sniff ever #thearchers (@garnet25 on Twitter)

Lynda, next time she asks you for a cup of tea... spit in it! Ungrateful wretch that she is! (Crystal kitten)

Have your say on the Oliver's not very loyal is he? thread on the message board

"Kenton or cigarettes, Jolene?" Are Kenton's attempts to persuade Jolene to give up smoking a step too far? Most listeners think so...

The cheeky bugger! He'll be controlling her diet and choosing her clothes next! (kitty buttoon)

Typical! Kenton hasn't even moved in with Jolene yet and already he's trying to change her. *puffs furiously* #thearchers (@nessthehat on Twitter)

Read more on the thread: Surely if Jolene has been faggin it for forty years.

When it comes to Jill's views on Kenton's romance, listeners think she should mind her own business

Jill - For once! Poke your beak OUT! (ANDROMEDAKRAKEN)

Sounds fabby. Nothing I like better than not liking Jill. Well apart from Ruth, natch. Can't wait to hear it (Fi of little faith)

Tell Jill what you think on the MYOB, Jill thread.

In other discussions, did Ed and Emma Grundy "stick a pin in Heat magazine" to come up with little Keira Grundy's name? And after Jill's discussion with Lynda about plans for the Gardeners' Question Time visit, some felt that Jill "should be ashamed" of herself whereas one listener thought:

I really like that sort of scene, where people are not actually mean to Lynda... but they manage to make it quite clear to her that, for some people, the entire universe does NOT revolve around The Amazing Lynda Snell. I think Jill accomplished that beautifully! (charmingAnnielynn)

Most of the Ambridge Extra discussion on the message board has focused on how the show fits with The Archers - some listeners are treating the two as "parallel universes"...

I am totally HATING what is going on with Alice and Chris and there isn't an inkling of that in Ambridge Heavy. I can't pretend I've not heard it and quite honestly it has ruined my enjoyment of the most realistic young couple in Ambridge (Dusty Substances)

Sorry everyone but I really like Ambridge Extra and I *bloody love* the Bellowhead version of the theme tune #thearchers (@jennyshaw on Twitter)

I like Ambridge Extra: it is good fun. We should have more fun with our soaps! (@RobertGrimwood on Twitter)

Join the Ambridge Extra discussion on the message board

Tayler Cresswell is host of The Archers message board.

• Join the conversation on the message board
• Or chat about #thearchers or #AmbridgeExtra on Twitter or Facebook

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With his recent thoughts on work experience, Daniel seems to be interested in following in the footsteps of his dead father Mark Hebden.

We've written a brief life story of Shula's first husband: lawyer and cricketer Mark Hebden.

Keri Davies is an Archers (and Ambridge Extra) scriptwriter and web producer.

• Picture shows Richard Derrington (Mark Hebden)
• Read Mark Hebden's life story
• Read other selected Archers storylines - searchable by character

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In three minutes, Harriet plays eight familar characters (including a brief appearance from the usually silent Sabrina Thwaite) - and a celebrity listener.

It's a remarkable piece of work, but we can assure our current cast that there are no plans to replace them with impressionists - no matter how talented!

Keri Davies is an Archers (and Ambridge Extra) scriptwriter and web producer.

• Illustration supplied by Harriet Carmichael
• Listen to the mini-episode
• Read about the Duchess of Cornwall's visit to The Archers studios

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It's now almost nine weeks since we sat down with all but a blank sheet of paper and began planning the first series of Ambridge Extra. The opening episode has now been broadcast, another seven have been recorded, a further eight have been written and we've just finished storylining the final ten, including the season finale. It's certainly been a busy couple of months.

When we set out, one of the first things we decided was that we wanted the new show to feel like a treat. It should be a little extra gift to our regular Archers listeners, crafted with affection and giving them a new perspective on life in Ambridge. At the same time it also needed to be an entertaining and accessible introduction for those who had never listened to The Archers before.

An even more difficult balance to strike was that although Ambridge Extra needed to be different, it also had to retain enough DNA from the original show to still be recognizably Ambridge. With only two episodes a week, the show would cover ground faster and concentrate on fewer stories and characters. In addition, we've embellished this with sharper editing and more muscular sound effects.

However, one of the essential elements of The Archers is the sense that we are eavesdropping, so any notions of musical interludes, flashbacks or voiceovers were quickly dispensed with.

We also knew that although Ambridge Extra would actually travel further afield it must stay rooted in the countryside. So although much of this series takes place in Borchester, Southampton and even Las Vegas, its heart is still very much amongst the Hassett Hills and the fields of Borsetshire.

A finite series

The other definitive feature of Ambridge Extra is that it's a series with a finite length. This has allowed us to create a 'story of the season' that we'll follow from beginning to end. Choosing what this story should be, however, depended on the main show. We knew that we could only manage one plot that dovetailed tightly with current stories in The Archers and for this we'd already chosen Jamie. The story of the season needed to involve characters that we weren't seeing much of. Chris, Alice and her final few months as an undergraduate seemed like perfect candidates.

Among this we would then sprinkle shorter, lighter storylines that would carry the humour and charm so essential to Ambridge.

That's not to say that we'll return to these characters in the second series. Writing for The Archers is like climbing aboard a train that never stops. Writing Ambridge Extra has been more like running alongside trying to keep up! Controlling the continuity between the two programmes, while making them work as stand-alone stories, has been one of the biggest challenges.

So while you're starting to listen to the first series of Ambridge Extra, we're already thinking ahead to the second - and this will largely depend on where the train has taken us by the autumn.

But where would you like to go next time?

Tim speaks to Ben Motley about the programme:

Tim Stimpson is an Archers and Ambridge Extra scriptwriter

• Picture shows Tim Stimpson
• Hear Tim's fellow writer Keri Davies talking about Ambridge Extra on the Today programme
• Full details of Ambridge Extra

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