The sweet sound of dialogue returns to ‘dreary’ Ambridge

‘Our aim is to get back to The Archers as it was before the pandemic, but it will be step by gradual step’

THE period of “dreary” Archers monologues is over, as the cast return to BBC studios to record in person.

Voice actors have been working from home during lockdown, forcing the show’s writers to trim down the dialogue and instead present the inner thoughts of residents of Ambridge.

However, the change of pace did not go down well with many fans of the Radio 4 series, as listeners complained of “dreary” pondering as storylines were relayed through soliloquies.

Mohit Bakaya, the Radio 4 controller, this week apologised to devotees of the drama for its limited programming.

But now the Archers, Aldridges, and others will start striking up conversation instead of ruminating in isolation as cast members return to the studio.

Stars will face temperature checks on arrival and sit in socially distanced zones around their microphones, with scenes limited to three actors at a time.

BBC bosses believe the series will see an increase in dialogue in September despite the restrictions, as writers can work with more characters.

Jeremy Howe, The Archers’ editor, said “the show had to go on” but “we had to reinvent it” to keep the cast safe. He added: “We know how important The Archers is to our listeners, and just as many people have enjoyed hearing characters’ inner thoughts we [also] know others have longed for the programme they know and love.

“Our aim is to get back to The Archers as it was before the pandemic, but it will be step by gradual step.”

Television soap operas, meanwhile, have also been forced to adapt.

Real-life partners were drafted in to Eastenders to allow “moments of intimacy to be cheated”, a BBC producer revealed at the Edinburgh TV Festival, with Perspex screens between actors and basic CGI used to enable the BBC One soap to return on Sept 7.

Jon Sen, the Eastenders executive producer, said: “We hit on the idea of supporting artists from the same household to reflect the world outside ... or a husband and wife who would be walking down Bridge Street and of course they can get closer together than two metres or they can be kissing. It really adds to the sense of life and, you know, we’ve actually also used real-life partners as well.”