Try here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr

Up to you of course but I wouldn't do that. Part of the fun of the Archers is that it is a gloriously real and pretty-near real-time depiction of the rural village.

Taking your time to get to know the characters is really rewarding; you will have several moments when you twig "Ah *that's* who she is!" Or "Oh, they're cousins then!" etc etc.
This is exactly what would happen if you moved into a village and gradually got to know everyone, and all the connections.

Also I hate the idea of character profiles, which I assume are up on the Archers official website. Being a radio soap, I have a definite idea of how the characters look, eg Harrison is a gorgeous hunk, Ruth looks like a pinch-faced mouse with frizzy black hair, Brian looks like Michael Aspel etc

I imagine Ruth as a hefty brunette with shortish, wavy hair, Helen is skinny and pinch-faced with fairish mousy hair, (something like the Jennifer Saunders character in Girls on Top ),and Lilian is tall, dark and thin with dark circles under her eyes and red lipstick. Even though I now know the actor playing Lilian is short, plump and fair I still see her my way.

In the telegraph today, some journalist was talking about the Archers and she called Ruth Helens Mum. Obviously is not a listener .

I'd forgotten about that and it is a very good point.


After I looked at some of the characters on the Radio 4 site and was devastated to see Roy wasn't nearly the hunk the show had lead us to believe and that Adam and Ian particularly were completely wrong I was told on here never to look them up as it will ruin it for you Too late So @Arthur heed the advice given on here and let your imagination fill in the blanks

Ed is a hunky man with dark hair in my mind, so it was a shock to see the actor who plays him Kenton looks nothing like I imagine him. In fact none of the actors look like the characters! I agree, if you haven't yet looked at the photos DON'T DO IT!!!

How differently we all see them. My Lilian is slim, blonde and glam, well-groomed with expensive hair. Somewhere between Helen Mirren and Camilla Parker-Bowles, with just a touch of Jilly Cooper.

Great folks!
I really fancied Real Tom when I was younger - he had a beautiful accent, a mix of posh with more rural Borsetshire 'R's. Exactly what you'd expect from a well-to-do Archer who's been mixing with Grundys in YFC! I also have an image of him as slender and wholesome - lad nextdoor type.

I did see Mary Whimbush, who played Julia Pargetter, on TV once. She looked older than I thought even with the gravelly voice!

I totally agree with you and others who say to avoid looking for pictures of the characters. It only leads to dissappointment . As has long been said of radio "It has better pictures" The images in your head are by far the ones I would stick with.

I was going to say that a family tree might enhance your listening. I thought it might be helpful to know who was related to who and to know which generation each person belonged to. But having read what you have said above I am quite engaged by the idea of likening it to having moved to a place and taking time to get to know the characters. It is indeed how it would be in real life.

Personally "I grew up in Ambridge" so I have always know for example that JIll is related to Peggy by marriage (their husbands were brothers; sons of Dan and Doris) and that Christine is thier sister in law. Yet I do recall the people I have introduced to the Archers were for ever asking who was who and how they related. That and questions about back stories. However not knowing this didn't seem to put them off long term. So perhaps the build up your knowledge approach is the best.

Oh, how I miss Julia! She was a fantastic character, especially when she was drinking. I miss Nigel too, of course.

The actor who played Nigel was in Crossroads for a while. He played a character called Charlie Mycroft.

That's right And back in the day another character in Crossroads (sorry so long ago I've forgotten the character's name) was played by the actor who played Roger Travers-Macey, Jennifer's former husband and father of Debbie. [I was about to say and father of Adam but remembered in time that Adam is the illegitimate son of Jennifer and Greg Salt.]

Others have given you places to look or not look depending what you want to do, but if you have any queries you are welcome to ask us. We're a friendly bunch and happily help newbies.

The actor who plays Elizabeth (Alison Dowling) was in Crossroads for a while too, and the chap who plays Eddie I think. I seem to remember they all played very similar characters in it to their Archers roles, so I don't know what was going on back then.

Seriously guys............. I need your input.

Susan annoys me but there is someone else whose face I'd never tire of slapping and to be worse than Susan is going something.

Shula (and the blessed Dan) imho is the most dislikeable (is that a word?) character in The Archers.

I cannot stand Shula and want Alistair to have an affair with someone/anyone.

Am I alone in detesting the character?

Oooooooooh Dan this/Dan that/ Dan's effin' wonderful girlfriend/ Shula's effin' lamb and her effin' voice drive me bonkers.

No, you're not alone. She's Peggy Junior in so many ways, with the added ghastliness of the sainted Dan. Sadly it's shaping up to be Shula who has the affair because of Alistair's 'neglect' of her, although if he's got any sense he's got another, nice, family in Borchester or Penny Hassett. Then there'll be hypocrisy to add to her judgemental charms.

LOL. I can't disagree with you. Shula tends to wash over me to be honest, but she is a sanctimonious so and so. She wasn't always like that though. She used to be fun.

Susan is very annoying but that is what the character is for. Every village has a busy body and social climbers feature in many communities too, so it would be weird if Ambridge didn't have one. Also she is a very handy plot device. If it wasn't for her gossip many story lines would grind to a halt.

So glad its not just me.

In all honesty she hasn't always been this bad. Way back in the day, she was even done for drink driving.

Now she is Little Miss Perfect.
Who can ever forget the Saint Shula and the Dreadful Darryl? (Wonder what happened to him. )
The worst thing about her now just has to be fixation with Dan the Man (who used to be called Daniel.) It is nauseating and even worse than Linda's fantasies..........which are amusing. The Blessed Shula is devoid of any humour and she annoys me.

Give me Susan over Shula any day.

I have been wondering about this as a while back he was never free and she was getting a bit miffed with him however it looked more like she was about to embark on something when she kept inviting Richard Locke her former fling to dinner. It would be just her annoying luck that she gets to have an affair again and gets away with it again

I don't think she would dare have another. Although they have brought Richard Locke back so mybe they plan to fan the flames of that passion again. However it was a circumstantial affair I don't think they really fancied each other, they were just caught up in intense events that drew them together IMO

She used to be my favourite character. I used to aspire to be like Shula and Caroline (now there's one who looks nothing like she is supposed to!)

No, you're not alone. I find Shula loathsome. She's so sanctimonious, but lied to the police when Evil Rob assaulted a hunt saboteur and seems to have completely forgotten that she was shagging Dr Locke when he was Usha's boyfriend. She's an out and out hypocrite.

I have a suspicion that the newly returned Dr Locke may be heading for a dalliance with Elizabeth, which may well put the Blessed Shula's nose right out of joint.

I find Susan's snobbery quite entertaining. Remember how chuffed she was when he got a job as a feed salesman and wore a suit instead of smelly overalls? Anyone would have thought he'd landed a top job in a merchant bank.

I also love the way she irks Jennifer, by regarding her as a close relation since Chris married Alice. Two of the biggest snobs in the village, but in completely different ways.

I think the doc will get involved with Lizzie too, and that Shula will find it hard to deal with at first. I reckon she'll soon see sense though.

I started listening to The Archers 'full time' in 2007/2008, so I still class myself as a newcomer. I rarely listen to it 'live', instead I prefer to listen to the podcast on my phone before I go to sleep each night. It's much easier to focus on when it's dark and I find it relaxes me before I drift off to sleep.

Of course the last few months have sometimes set me more on edge and I'm really dismayed at the turn the Helen/Rob storyline has taken because it's bound to mean the whole thing will be dragged out for months to come. I'm 34, so I'm not a 'fuddy duddy' type listener that the media tries to imply all anti Rob/Helen fans are.

I do like to see the actors but that doesn't always mean that I picture the characters in the same way. I have no idea why, but I've always pictured Helen as having long blonde hair. Seeing recent photos of the actress with her brunette hair hasn't changed my mental image!

I often visit Archers message boards so I regularly read the views of listeners who've been tuning in since the very early days. Some of their views confuse me a little. They have a LOT of venom for Shula -- or Saint Shugs as they commonly refer to her as -- and I can see more evidence of it above! The only time I didn't like her was when she took issue with Alan marrying Usha, but as she's now seen sense I don't have any issues with her.

I don't like Susan. I know we're probably meant to see her as annoying but lovable, she just pees me off. Always has. She's snobby, pushy, nosy, talks too much and is opinionated. In real life surely most people would just shun her or talk to her with one word replies. I don't even laugh at her when she's being stupid or setting herself up for a fall. Neil is a saint.