Radio: Audiences GapFill

Perhaps the most quintessential convention of soap operas is their use of  naturalisticcircularmultistrandedbasic narratives in which multiple storylines play out simultaneously over a period of time. The Archers is no exception to this rule featuring many traditional story lines of the soap opera revolving around  marriagereligionmotor sportsthe Apocalypse, friendships and working relationships as well as some of the genre’s ordinary internal settings: cafes, houses and  pubschurcheshaunted housesindustrial factories. Despite its similarity to television shows such as Coronation Street and EastEnders, The Archers is considered to be a  surrealhigh-qualityfantasticaldifferent soap opera with the intelligence and restraint to appeal (mostly) to an educated  working-classmiddle-classleft-wingconservative audience. Like all soap operas, however, The Archers has endured because of its capacity to flesh out its characters over a long period of time. For example, some of the characters in The Archers have been listened to almost every single day for decades making them some of the most intricately developed characters in all of fiction. This is a huge reason why audiences find them so easy to identify with. The show has particularly maintained a huge  femalenationalistchildren'smale audience over the years by incorporating themes such as pregnancy and maternity into the various narratives. The Archers has been particularly praised for its representation of  doctorsheroinesteachersmatriarchs that have hugely resonated with the target audience. The writers of the show have not hesitated to explore darker issues such as domestic abuse, rape and rural drug addiction. These kinds of storyline are typical within the genre of soap operas because they are easily relatable for large audiences and can be overdramatised for the sake of entertainment. Certain audiences have  praisedignoredcriticisedboycotted this more recent trend, claiming that these plot lines have taken The Archers into the territory of  crime dramamelodramalegal dramasurrealism. However, the show is gaining new audiences every year and many more audiences have praised the show’s capacity to shed light on issues such as domestic abuse.