The Archers trial: Essential listening or a step too far?
Domestic abuse storyline keeps many listeners 'riveted', but others long for the Ambridge of old
WARNING: This story contains spoilers
Millions of listeners tuned into the BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers last night to hear the gripping conclusion to the fictional trial of Helen Titchener for the attempted murder of her abusive husband Rob – but has the show lost its way?
Following a week of Archers episodes focusing on the trial, the special hour-long instalment concluded the high-profile domestic abuse plot and delivered a verdict on the incident in which Helen was accused of stabbing Rob. It featured a star cast of jurors, including Nigel Havers, Dame Eileen Atkins and Catherine Tate, who considered Helen's fate at Borchester Crown Court.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After a period of nerve-wracking deliberations, in which Havers's character seemed determined to find Helen guilty, Dame Eileen's character managed to convince enough fellow jury members that there was reasonable doubt. The majority verdict was not guilty of both counts of attempted murder and wounding with intent.
"The nation breathed a collective sigh of relief after the fate of Helen Titchener was finally revealed," says Siobhan Fenton in The Independent. She says the drama has become "essential listening" after keeping audiences hooked for weeks with its tense domestic abuse plotline.
The outcome also prompted thousands of responses on social media, causing the show to trend on Twitter for hours after the episode aired. Members of the public, celebrities and even some politicians tweeted their comments.
Like many listeners, Allison Pearson in the Daily Telegraph, says that she was left shaken by the story. We had "knots in our guts, tears in our eyes, dread in our hearts, gin in our trembling hands".
But this new kind of Archers – "EastEnders with hay bales and marital rape" – is not to everyone's taste, notes Pearson. It has "alternately riveted and angered listeners", many of whom preferred it when Ambridge was rocked by scandals about undermarked marrows at the village fete.
Thousands have switched off since the abuse plotline began, adds Pearson, even if "few could resist the gravitational pull" of this episode.
I fear "it's curtains" for The Archers as we know it if it keeps trying to chase ratings like this, says Kate Chisholm in The Spectator. The domestic-abuse storyline was gripping to begin with, she says, but in reality "abuse is too raw, too monotonously awful, too dull" for the writers, who "turned the storyline into cheap melodrama".
In fact the whole soap has been "well and truly done over, and every halfway believable character cast off, every spot of light relief subsumed into the desperate desire to crank up the ratings", says Chisholm.
We know Ambridge is a soap whose happenings are "mere whispers in the mind", argues the commentator. She adds: "Just make it true to life."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A history of student protest at Columbia University
The Explainer Anti-Israel demonstrations at NYC's Ivy League university echo protests against Vietnam War and South African apartheid
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Trump is ruled in contempt'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Hainault sword attack: police hunt for motive
Speed Read Mental health is key line of inquiry, as detectives prepare to interview suspect
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Silversea cruise review: a Central and North American adventure
The Week Recommends An incredible journey featuring cultural exploration, cooking classes, comfort and more
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published
-
Tulum: a Mexican beach town of 'two halves'
The Week Recommends With the 'pueblo' and 'Zona Hotelera', Tulum is home to great hotels, restaurants and beach clubs
By William Leigh Published
-
La Zebra review: beach chic, perfect tacos and secret cenotes
The Week Recommends Enjoy a stylish stay in Mexico at this family-friendly beach hotel and restaurant
By William Leigh Published