The Archers

BBC Radio 4
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Drama
  • Updated twice weekly

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

  1. 23 hr ago

    06/09/2026

    It’s the Flower and Produce show, and Clarrie and Usha are discussing the new category ‘fruit and veg tableau’. Usha made a scene from the film 'Conclave' using radishes for clergymen, while Clarrie worries about Keira, who was up baking until after midnight. What if the judges don’t like her apple and cider cake? Lily arrives to say the judging is about to start, so the refreshment table may become busy. Harrison comes over for a cuppa when Usha congratulates him and Lily, who start to panic before Usha mentions the cricket match. David is nervous over his and Martyn Gibson’s judging choices. Martyn thinks they’ve made a pair of excellent judges, but not everyone can be winner. Keira comes to Clarrie asking if she’s seen Khalil or Henry around. David asks if Keira’s had a look at the rosettes. Clarrie says they should go look together but Keira says she only entered for fun. Martyn decides to say a few final words at the presentation, and Keira made the favourite cake. Leonard and Tony are at their repair stall when Robert brings Ambridge Hall’s broken toaster. They promise to have it fixed in a jiffy. When Robert returns, Leonard confesses they haven’t fixed it yet, but a gentleman called Dom offered to have a look. Robert recognises Dom from ‘The Repair Shop’ on TV. Leonard confesses he doesn’t know who Dom is, before Tony arrives, recognising Dom immediately. They thank Dom for all his help and Dom promises to help fix John’s old tractor for Tony.

  2. 2 days ago

    04/09/2026

    A slightly awkward Harrison and Lily have arrived too early for nets practice in Felpersham, but they decide to small talk in the café. Lily eventually addresses the elephant in the room – Tango Night. They agree they both enjoyed themselves but it’s not a good idea to continue. Lily sees Fallon all the time, besides Lily’s promised herself no messy relationships for her own self esteem. Although Harrison reassures her that he and Fallon are truly over and he’s moved out, he doesn’t want to rush into a relationship either. So they’ll leave it there. Lily decides to join Paul at the cinema. She’ll see Harrison around. At Meadow Farm, George wants Esme to hear him out. He wasn’t trying to rip her off. He panicked as he knew he and Amber would need the extra money ahead of her maternity leave. Esme angrily asks him not to spin the truth. Esme is working another job to pay for George’s sick pay, and Eddie’s cover, can George not grasp how wrong all this is? He disagrees – financially he’s barely keeping his head above water. Esme won’t sack him, but with some conditions. George will receive no further sick pay, and when he returns it will be basic milking hours, he’ll start from the bottom. The farm isn’t doing well and George should be grateful she’s supporting him. George responds that he doesn’t need her charity, and she can stick her job. He’ll take the permanent car sales job and won’t come to a job which feels like a favour.

  3. 3 days ago

    03/09/2026

    Alan apologies to Henry and says he’s been under pressure. Pat admits there has been a distance between her and Alan, and Alan is sorry that he’s not made an effort to reconcile things. Later, as Natasha shares how well Seren and Nova have settled into school, Pat says that she’s worried about Alan. Overwhelmed with late pregnancy symptoms, Amber meets Esme in the Tea Room. Esme mentions that she needs a copy of George’s sick note, but Amber’s obvious discomfort around the subject arouses Esme’s suspicions. At Bill’s car showroom, George tells Anne Marie how grateful he is to have been offered a permanent job with them. Over a hot drink, she senses that his heart is in farming despite the better pay and benefits they could offer. She asks him how he’d feel about losing his farming dream if he were to get stuck in car sales. To George’s horror, Esme enters the showroom and angrily reads him the riot act. She feels betrayed by him working there without her knowledge. Later, George works out it was Poppy who let slip his secret to Esme, and tells Amber that Esme feels cheated out of the sick pay she’s been giving him. He will need to take the car job. But Amber is determined - he’d be miserable if he was out of farming for long and he shouldn’t be tied long term to her parents. He needs to go and convince Esme not to give up on him. Surely with a baby on the way, she’ll give him another chance?

  4. 4 days ago

    02/09/2026

    Natasha’s new skincare product samples have arrived from a small batch organic white label company. The next steps are to tweak the formulas to perfection and add their own ingredients to create Bridge Farm Botanicals. At the horsebox salon, Chelsea shares Natasha’s enthusiasm for the project and offers to stock a haircare range in the salon. Lilian calls in and shares that Justin is feeling his age. A plan is hatched – Natasha will demo her range to Lilian at The Dower House and Lilian will be ‘called away’. Although suspicious, the plan works and Justin agrees to sample the products. After a face mask, serum and moisturiser, he looks radiant. He sees the business sense in targeting older people with a more disposable income who are losing their confidence in their appearance. He asks Natasha to send a business plan – he’s a potential investor! Jolene calls in on Fallon at The Cruck Barn. She understands why Fallon doesn’t want to move out of Woodbine, but she has another idea, and with Fallon’s blessing it could be a solution. Jolene goes with her proposal to Harrison. They’ve always got on well, so why doesn’t he move in with her and Kenton at the pub? He’d have complete freedom and it would surely make life easier for them? Seeing the sense in this, Harrison packs his essentials. He and Fallon recognise that the past weeks have not been easy, but once upon a time it had been great. Acknowledging what they’d had, they hug before he leaves for The Bull.

  5. 5 days ago

    01/09/2026

    Visiting the vicarage, Pat reiterates Henry and Khalil’s apology to Alan and recommends a glazier, but says she’s mainly come to say how upset Henry is. Defensively, Alan retorts that he shouted at them because the lads didn’t use their brains. Also he’s run off his feet, without this trouble on top. He reminds Pat of the time Henry vandalised the church door, and suggests Pat has never forgiven him about Rob’s baptism. As Chelsea cuts Justin’s hair dramatically short to his instruction, he says he’s not worried about a complete restyle, and can grow it back if he doesn’t like it. He’s delighted with the result and wonders aloud about a return to the brown colour of his youth. Chelsea steers him away from this, complimenting his grey hair. Justin then focuses on his skin worries – can she recommend someone who can treat his aging skin? Her friend Keisha does treatments such at fillers but Chelsea suggests starting with skin care products. Justin feels great, and once over her shock, Lilian says she likes his hair. When Justin shares his worries about his face collapsing at an alarming rate, Lilian at first gently teases him, but seeing his despair says she understands – she’s been trying to reverse the signs of aging since her 30s. She thinks it’s exhausting, expensive and not such a worry for men as women. Justin feels the reality of aging has just hit him – he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life tweaking his appearance, nor does he want to feel the way he does now.

  6. 6 days ago

    31/08/2026

    Fallon admits to Jolene that she slept better at The Bull last night than she has for ages. House sharing with Harrison since the split has been ok, but now it’s making her sad. She doesn’t want to stay married, but it’s difficult to transition to being mates. Jolene questions what would happen if Fallon wanted to date, but Fallon says it’s far too early for that. Jolene asks Fallon to consider moving in with her and Kenton, but Fallon says no. She’s put so much work into creating her home, and she’d feel vulnerable if she ran away to The Bull. On the last day of holidays before they start their final school year, Khalil and Henry play cricket by the river. They discuss what they’ll do after GCSEs. Henry wishes he could miss college and start at Bridge Farm. Khalil would like to work outside eventually, and will probably also go to college. Alan is at home leaving a message for Carol on the phone when his window is smashed by a cricket ball. He’s furious and not calmed by Khalil and Henry’s apologies. In their defence, they didn’t realise Henry could hit the ball that far. They offer to pay but Alan’s also angry about the inconvenience of a broken window. They have no idea of the pressure he’s under and tell them to get lost. Back at Bridge Farm, Pat is angered to hear of Alan’s response to what was clearly an accident and an apology. To her it sounds like Alan was completely out of order.

  7. 30 Aug

    30/08/2026

    Justin is horrified to hear that a highly unflattering photo of him has appeared on the village website. Khalil has caught him walking Ruby off lead in his distinctive purple velour tracksuit and has posted it. Justin angrily demands that Khalil removes it. Although Khalil is disappointed that people are commenting negatively on Justin’s appearance, his intention was to educate about dog walking rules, and name and shame those who break them. He argues that Justin was trespassing on Grange Farm land, and had a dog off lead close to livestock. Also, people are upset about Monty and want to express how they feel. Justin calls his solicitor, threatening legal action against Khalil if he doesn’t remove the photo. But Lilian twigs the truth – Justin is upset about the comments describing him as a hunched old man. Justin admits it’s made him see himself in a different light – he’s looked in the mirror and he’s old! Harrison’s police force friend, Leon, arrives from Yorkshire, and Fallon says she’ll work in her room out of the way. Over some beers, Leon gets the truth out of Harrison about Lily. Leon’s surprised and he’s not sure that getting off with a much younger woman, who lives in the same village, when you’re still house-sharing with your ex, is a great idea. Harrison and Leon are enjoying cocktails and burritos when Fallon comes down with her overnight bag. The situation is weird for her and although Harrison protests, she’s going to stay the night at The Bull.

  8. 28 Aug

    28/08/2026

    Amber and George are tucking into a chippy dinner as Amber states they’re celebrating George’s first week at Gordons. George managed to make a sale, Amber argues she would count the sale to Martyn Gibson bringing him up to two sales. George questions why he’s so determined to work in farming when there are easier careers. Horrified Amber says farming is part of George and she doesn’t want him to lose that. George insists it was just a thought and that Bartleby would haunt him if really gave it up. Khalil spooks Keira by following her as she walks Holly. Khalil says she’s trespassing and shouldn’t be walking Holly there; Keira corrects him that this land is Oliver’s and she has permission. Khalil says he’s trying to protect the sheep at Grange Farm. Keira asks if he wants to talk about the attack. She points out the signs warning dog walkers and says it’s not Khalil’s job to protect the sheep. They spot someone walking their dog where they shouldn’t be and realise it’s Justin. Khalil takes a picture and posts it online to publicly shame Justin. Robert and Lynda are now doubting their do-nothing response to their horrible guest’s online comments. Robert finds an old tennis ball with a date written on it. Lynda realises it is the first ball she ever threw Monty but presumed the ball was destroyed. Lynda’s phone rings and it’s Harrison saying they’ve found a nice home for Monty, much to the bittersweet relief of the Snells.

See All (217)

Hosts & Guests

About

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    The Archers

More From BBC