The Archers… Can I just start listening? And other recommendations!

[GardenGaff]

Is it like a tv soap where you just start watching and after a few weeks you’re into it? Or do I need to go back to a certain point?

I’ve done true crime podcasts to death (pardon the pun) and looking to find some new things and different genres to listen to.

I’ve also seen Cabin Pressure recommended on here a lot but can only find 3 episodes on BBC Sounds. If anyone knows where I can find all the episodes for that I’d appreciate the heads up.

Thank you!

Once or twice a year DP and I happen to be in the car when the Archers omnibus is on, and by the end of it feel fully up to date and have opinions about what’s happening as well. So I’d say it’s fairly easy to pick up as long as you’re happy to be a bit baffled for a while.

I have been listening to The Archers for the last 45 years. I still don’t know what’s going on or who anyone is.

Cabin Pressure is brilliant but I think the only place you can get them now is to buy them.

I only started the Archers last November. For the most part I’ve gone along with the storylines and picked things up for myself. Occasionally I’ll look things up as I get confused about who’s related to whom or if they refer to a particularly juicy/important event in history. I also follow The Cider Shed podcast which is hilarious and very irreverent.

I love The Archers. I've been an avid listener for about 12 years. Just dive in - you'll soon pick it up. I do occasionally have to stop and try and remember exactly how some of the (mainly older) people are related to each other, but you can still enjoy it without this knowledge.

Just to add... if you really want to know the background to characters, there are loads of cheap books you can buy that will help!
Someone lent me 'for the love of The Archers' which I skimmed through in an hour or so which gave me some background to key characters from before I started to listen

I started listening last month and I had no idea who anyone really was in the grand scheme of things but I'm soon learning.
I think you can just pick it up.

You can pick it up. There are podcasts related which will show that even longtime listeners get things wrong at times. And as it’s been going 75 years you could never “catch up”. In fact the old episodes are a real reflection of how radio acting has changed.

There can't be that many listeners who have been listening since it first started (though my late mum was one of them until she died) so most of us will have picked it up midway at some point.

I grew up with it so have some awareness of some of the backstories, but I've dipped in and out of it over the years with long gaps where I haven't listened at all. It's always easy to get back into, I find. And there is always Google if you need to get a better understanding of a character's history!