Judi Dench backs bid to keep The Archers recorded in Birmingham

The cast and crew of The Archers, including former guest star Judi Dench, have written to BBC Director‑General Matt Brittin urging him to keep the programme’s recording in Birmingham.

This week it emerged that the BBC plans to cease recording the long‑running rural soap in Birmingham for the first time in its 75‑year history, after abandoning proposals for a dedicated radio drama studio.

Staff were told last week that, as part of the corporation’s £500 million cost‑cutting programme, the BBC has scrapped plans to build a custom studio at the Tea Factory in Digbeth, its new Birmingham headquarters.

While production teams will still relocate to the Tea Factory, the broadcaster is seeking an existing venue to host the show. The West Midlands remains under consideration, but there is no guarantee The Archers will stay in the region.

A letter addressed to Matt Brittin, signed by over 100 current and former cast members, states: “The Archers leaving the Midlands would be like Coronation Street departing the north‑west or EastEnders moving out of the south‑east. The programme is rooted in the place and belongs there.”

It continues: “Removing the recording from the Midlands and separating the production team from the cast would noticeably affect the show’s quality and pose an existential threat to its future.”

The letter, also endorsed by former editors, writers, sound technicians, advisers and the unions Equity and WGGB, underscores the show’s history and its setting in the fictional village of Ambridge in the West Midlands.

It adds: “A flagship programme deserves first‑rate facilities, which would benefit both the BBC and Birmingham for decades to come.”

It concludes: “We stand in solidarity with our colleagues and the region, and commit to protecting this beloved series for future listeners and artists.”

Dench appeared as Pru Forrest in a cameo for the 10,000th episode of The Archers in May 1989, sharing a scene with guest star Terry Wogan, who played himself.

In an internal email last week, a BBC executive said: “After careful review, and as part of the corporation’s broader cost‑reduction initiative, we have decided not to proceed with a new radio‑drama studio for The Archers at the Tea Factory in Digbeth.”

“Accordingly, we are exploring existing studio options that could host the programme, including possibilities in the West Midlands and elsewhere in the UK.”

“No final decision has been made; our priority is to identify the most cost‑effective solution that preserves The Archers’ high production standards while delivering substantial savings.”

“The Archers remains a crown jewel of the BBC. Having aired for an unmatched 75 years, its ties to the West Midlands endure, and it continues to be a vital component of our future.”

A BBC spokesperson commented: “We acknowledge and value The Archers’ longstanding relationship with the West Midlands, which remains important to the programme’s future. The production team will stay in its current base at the Mailbox and, as planned, move to the Tea Factory in Digbeth in early 2028.”

“Nevertheless, after due consideration as part of our wider cost‑saving drive, we will not construct a new recording studio for The Archers at the Tea Factory. We are evaluating the BBC’s existing studio facilities across the UK, as well as external options in the West Midlands, to secure a more economical solution that will generate significant savings while upholding the programme’s production standards.”

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