"Grace Archer Grace Archer (née Fairbrother) (April 2, 1930 – September 22, 1955) is a fictional character from the BBC's long-running radio soap, ""The Archers"". She was one of the original characters and was played by Monica Gray and then Ysanne Churchman. The episode depicting her death was broadcast by the BBC on the evening of the launch of ITV, so as to distract from it. Grace is the daughter of a wealthy English family. She falls in love with Phil Archer (Norman Painting), the son of a farmer, and they are married in April 1955. A few months later,"
"Ysanne Churchman Ysanne Churchman (born 14 May 1925) worked as an actress and narrator on British radio, TV and film for over 50 years (1938–1993). She gained attention as Grace Archer in the long-running BBC radio drama series ""The Archers"", when Grace died after a fire on the night when ITV launched in 1955. Ysanne Churchman was born on 14 May 1925 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, to Andrew Churchman and Gladys Dale, well-known stage and radio performers in London. In 1938, Churchman appeared on both BBC Radio ""Children's Hour"" and in a BBC TV play ""Gallows Glorious"". She trained as"
"of the early episodes, working on the neighbouring Fairbrother estate, into a father and grandfather, replacing Dan Archer as the patriarch of Brookfield Farm and a senior figure in the series. Perhaps his most famous moment occurred on 22 September 1955, when his wife, Grace Archer (née Fairbrother), was killed while trying to rescue a horse, Midnight, from a burning barn – the episode being transmitted on first day of ITV broadcasts. The character survived Painting by four months, dying peacefully in March 2010. He was appointed OBE in 1976, for services to broadcasting. He published two books on the"
"broadcasting in United Kingdom, aired a melodramatic episode of their popular radio soap opera ""The Archers"" on the BBC Home Service in which core character Grace Archer was fatally injured in a fire. This was seen as a desperate, and rather underhand, ploy to lure as much of the potential audience as possible from tuning in to the new station's opening night of broadcast entertainment. Britain's first female newsreader Barbara Mandell appeared during the first full day of transmissions on 23 September 1955. The London weekend contractor ATV launched two days later. This strategy was intended to allay fears that"
"a dancer at Cone-Ripman College. After learning repertory and theatre, she specialised in radio and voice work for film and television. She played Grace in the long-running radio series ""The Archers"" when Grace suffered grievous injuries in a fire on the night of the ITV launch in 1955; the character died in the following day's episode. She strongly suspected the producer was glad to be rid of her at the time as she had discovered that some of her cast members in this regional, Birmingham, production, were not being paid Equity minimum rates and raised the matter. She went on"
"Archer was born on 23 April 1928, the second of three children of Dan and Doris Archer (the oldest being Jack and the youngest being Christine Barford). He attended the Farm Institute to train, but he disappointed Dan by returning to work for local squire George Fairbrother. During this time he met and married the squire's daughter Grace. She died from injuries sustained in a fire in an episode broadcast on 22 September 1955. Two years later, he met Jill Patterson, to whom he was married for over 50 years. Phil and Jill had four children - the twins, Shula"
"Archers"" from May 1980 until 2011. Jack Woolley was not the first role he had performed in ""The Archers"", but was by far the most extended of his three roles in the soap opera; he had first joined the cast in 1953, the year he became a Midlands member of the BBC repertory company. The role, as farmhand Len Thomas lasted for 13 years, and the actor was soon cast again, as the Reverend David Latimer in 1968; the character died in 1973. Peters lived in the village of Wollaston, Northamptonshire. He died in Northamptonshire, 11 May 2013, after suffering"
"the character's name included ""Bill Barton"" and ""Rex Drake"". However, the production team finally settled on the more dynamic Dick Barton. After the series had been on the air for some time, the BBC (conscious that the biggest audience for the programme was schoolboys) wrote a strict code of what Dick and his chums could and couldn't do, one clause famously stating ""Sex plays no part in his adventures."" In 1951 ""The Archers"" was first broadcast at 11.45 am on the Light Programme. BBC management, led by drama head Val Gielgud, had never felt comfortable with the sensationalism of ""Dick"
"opening night of the BBC's first commercial rival has been debated ever since. It was certainly planned some months in advance, but it may well be that the actual date of the death was changed during the scriptwriting stage to coincide with the launch of Associated-Rediffusion. Deliberate or not, the episode attracted widespread media attention, being reported by newspapers around the world. This controversy has been parodied twice: in ""The Bowmans"", an episode of the television comedy programme ""Hancock"", and in the play ""The Killing of Sister George"" and its 1968 film adaptation. On the 50th anniversary of ITV's launch,"
"television as Archie Bunker's neighbor Irene Lorenzo on ""All in the Family"" and as landlady Edna Babish on ""Laverne and Shirley"". Her career also faced turmoil as a result of her marriage to Parks, and the two spent much of the 1950s doing theatre and musical variety shows. Together they had two sons, actor Andrew Parks and composer Garrett Parks. Larry Parks was also godfather to actor Jeff Bridges. Parks died of a heart attack at the age of 60. Larry Parks Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and movie actor."
"took over as acting editor before and after Kennair-Jones’s time in charge. She effectively swapped with Jeremy Howe when she succeeded him as the BBC’s commissioning editor for drama and fiction and he started as editor of the Archers in late August 2018. Since 2007, ""The Archers"" has been available as a podcast. One of the most controversial ""Archers"" episodes was broadcast on 22 September 1955, which coincided with the launch of the UK's first commercial television station. Phil and Grace Archer had been married just a few months earlier, and their blossoming relationship was the talk of the nation."
"""Sunday Mercury"" called Grace's death ""One of the most controversial events in Ambridge history."" Nick Collins, writing for ""The Daily Telegraph"", named Grace's death as one of ""The Archers<nowiki>'</nowiki>"" most shocking storylines In 2011, listeners voted Grace's death as their fifth most potent ""Archers"" memory in a poll conducted on the BBC's ""Archers"" website. The storyline received 9.7% of the vote. The scene is mentioned in the British comedy The Good Life series 3 episode 1. Grace Archer Grace Archer (née Fairbrother) (April 2, 1930 – September 22, 1955) is a fictional character from the BBC's long-running radio soap, ""The"
"April 1984. He never got the chance to do so. Jack Howarth died in Llandudno General Hospital, in Wales from Kidney Failure and Pneumonia on the evening of 31 March 1984, aged 88, with his wife and son John at his bedside. He was cremated six days later at Colwyn Bay. His death meant that Bill Roache, who played Albert Tatlock's nephew-in-law, Ken Barlow, was the show's only remaining original character, although Brian Mosley (Alf Roberts) and Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop), who joined the show within a few months of its launch, were both still in it at this stage."
"have two sons: They live in North London. His sister Anna Bentinck is an actress. Specific references: General references: <br> Timothy Bentinck Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland, Count Bentinck MBE (born 1 June 1953 in Tasmania, Australia), commonly known as Tim Bentinck, is an English actor and writer, most widely known for his long-running role as David Archer in the BBC Radio 4 series, ""The Archers"". The son of the non-conformist intellectual Henry Bentinck he was born on a sheep station in Tasmania, but moved to Berkhamsted in the UK when aged two. He attended a"
"first network program was ""Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse."" The series aired until 1934. On October 6, 1906 Archer married Elizabeth Snyder (1884-1961), daughter of Rev. Henry S. Snyder, pastor of the Gilbertville Congregational Church. The Archers were the parents of the prominent Reformed theologian and author Gleason Archer Jr. and two other children, Allan F. Archer and Marian G. Archer. Archer's wife, Elizabeth Archer died in 1961, and he married Pauline (Polly) Clark in 1963. Archer was a descendant of John Archer who came to America from England prior to 1775 and fought for the American cause"
"Godfrey Baseley Cyril Godfrey Baseley (2 October 1904 – 2 February 1997), credited as Godfrey Basely, was a BBC radio executive famous for being the creator of the soap opera, ""The Archers"". Cyril Godfrey Baseley was born at Alvechurch near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, England. He was educated at Bootham School, York. Before creating ""The Archers"", he had previous experience in refashioning radio programmes about farming, mainly for the Midland region. Inspiration came from another radio programme at the time: ""Dick Barton - Special Agent"" he decided to create a farming show with a narrative. The idea came from a suggestion"
"the line."" Nelson Gabriel Nelson Gabriel is a fictional character from the British BBC Radio 4 soap opera ""The Archers"". He was portrayed by Jack May. May was approached by producer Tony Shryane to join ""The Archers"" as Nelson in 1952. May remained with the show until January 1997, when he was forced to leave due to his declining health. He died later that year. The son of Walter Gabriel (Chris Gittins), the village carrier and self-appointed ""character"", Nelson was for many years the most disreputable character in the village. He was charged with the Borchester mail-van robbery in 1967,"
"from Alzheimer's disease for some years, a condition of which he was diagnosed shortly after his ""Archers""' character. He was the cousin of Gyles Brandreth. He was married to Beryl Peters, whom he met when they appeared in a production of ""Cinderella"" and had a daughter Caroline, who was a teacher of ballet and drama. Arnold Peters (actor) Peter Reginald Gadd (3 June 1925 – 11 May 2013), known professionally as Arnold Peters, was an English actor, who played Jack Woolley in ""The Archers"" radio soap opera for 31 years. Born in Hendon, Middlesex, but brought up in Northamptonshire, he"
"Timothy Bentinck Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland, Count Bentinck MBE (born 1 June 1953 in Tasmania, Australia), commonly known as Tim Bentinck, is an English actor and writer, most widely known for his long-running role as David Archer in the BBC Radio 4 series, ""The Archers"". The son of the non-conformist intellectual Henry Bentinck he was born on a sheep station in Tasmania, but moved to Berkhamsted in the UK when aged two. He attended a local prep school, Harrow School, and the University of East Anglia, where he spent most of his time at its"
"Nelson Gabriel Nelson Gabriel is a fictional character from the British BBC Radio 4 soap opera ""The Archers"". He was portrayed by Jack May. May was approached by producer Tony Shryane to join ""The Archers"" as Nelson in 1952. May remained with the show until January 1997, when he was forced to leave due to his declining health. He died later that year. The son of Walter Gabriel (Chris Gittins), the village carrier and self-appointed ""character"", Nelson was for many years the most disreputable character in the village. He was charged with the Borchester mail-van robbery in 1967, but was"
"was broadcast across the UK on the BBC Home Service on 1 January 1951. In the late 1960s Baseley took a part in ""The Archers"" playing the part of Brigadier Winstanley, although billed in the Radio Times under a pseudonym. Baseley was replaced as script editor for ""The Archers"" in 1972. His successor, Malcolm Lynch, had previously worked as a script writer for the television drama series, ""Coronation Street"". Baseley was not uncritical of some of his successors. Godfrey Baseley died at Bromsgrove on 2 February 1997, aged 92 Godfrey Baseley Cyril Godfrey Baseley (2 October 1904 – 2 February"
"as having the stature of a heavyweight boxer and 6 ft 2in tall, he suffered a massive heart attack and died before paramedics arrived. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium where a memorial plaque was erected in the West Courtyard at the end of the columbarium. Val Parnell Valentine Charles Parnell (14 February 1892 – 22 September 1972) was a British television managing director and presenter, actor and theatrical impresario. A former staple of stage production, his career in television started with the launch of the ITV network in 1955. Parnell was born in London, the son of Fred"
"spare time she trained to be a barrister and, after obtaining first-class exam results, was called to the bar in 1924. The day before World War II broke out Sissmore, still MI5's only female officer, married Wing Commander John Oliver ""Joe"" Archer, CBE, who became the liaison officer between MI5 and the Royal Air Force. Jane Archer died in Dorset in September 1982. John Oliver Archer (22 September 1887 – 15 September 1968) was born in Walton-on-the-Naze. In 1916 he married Esther Chilton and they had two children born in 1917 and 1922. Esther died in 1930. Their son, John"
"His ashes were scattered at Painting's Plantation in Leamington Spa, with a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in May 2010. He left his recordings, scripts, books, papers and letters to Birmingham University Special Collections. Norman Painting Norman George Painting (23 April 1924 – 29 October 2009) was an English actor, broadcaster and writer. He played Phil Archer in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera ""The Archers"" from the pilot episodes aired on the BBC Midlands Home Service in summer 1950, after the series went national on the Light Programme on 1 January 1951, until his death in 2009, when he"
"moved to Kirk Street, Chester Green, attending St Paul’s Junior School and the Parkfields Cedars Grammar School. After working as a ward orderly at the Derbyshire Children's Hospital and in the sheet metal factory of Hawk Industries, she went to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London in 1951. She has had a lengthy career in radio and film. She is best known for portraying matriarch Jill Archer in the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers since 1957, joining as Jill Patterson. She has also appeared in ""Casualty"" and ""Doctors"" both in 2000. Greene married English actor"
"a fire breaks out at the stables while the residents of the village are at a dinner in the church hall. Grace runs into the burning stables to try to save her friend's horse and, as she searches, a burning beam falls down onto her, leaving her trapped. Phil and the others at the party learn that Grace is trapped in the shed and they pull her from the wreckage. She is rushed to hospital, but is pronounced dead on arrival. An audience of 20 million tuned into ""The Archers"" to hear Grace's death in 1955. A writer for the"
"Shoot a Crooked Arrow ""Shoot a Crooked Arrow"" is the 35th episode of the ""Batman"" television series. It was the series' second season opener on ABC, originally airing September 7, 1966 (with a repeat taking place on May 31, 1967), as well as the first to air first-run on ABC since the release of the 1966 Batman motion picture, and guest starred Art Carney as The Archer. In Batman's first episode of the second season, The Archer, a villain modeled after Robin Hood, escapes from Police Headquarters in a moving van from the Trojan Hearse Company, driven by Maid Marilyn."
"when the show began airing nationally on 1 January 1951. During his time with ""The Archers"", Painting wrote a best-selling book entitled ""Forever Ambridge"" and wrote over a thousand scripts for the show between 1966 and 1982. Painting was later inducted into the Guinness World Records for being the longest-serving actor, without a break, in a single soap opera. In later years, Painting's appearances on the show became limited due to his ill health. On 29 October 2009, two days after he had gone to the recording studio, Painting died. BBC Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer, said ""Norman Painting was"
"a fire, and it was seen as a ploy to keep loyal viewers and listeners away from the new station. The first full day of transmissions was 23 September 1955 when Britain's first female newsreader Barbara Mandell appeared. The London weekend contractor ATV launched two days later. The other franchises launched within a year of the London launch, and other contracts were awarded by the ITA between 1956 and 1961. All the franchises launched by September 1962: ITV was admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union through the Independent Television Companies' Association Ltd (ITCA) together with the"
"water. Angus Imrie Angus William Jake Imrie (born 2 August 1994) is a British actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the character Josh Archer, in BBC Radio 4's long-running drama serial ""The Archers"". In 2014, he won the casting agency Spotlight's ""Most Promising Actor Award"" at The Sunday Times ""National Student Drama Festival"". The son of the actors Celia Imrie and Benjamin Whitrow, he made his screen debut in the BBC film drama ""Station Jim"", at the age of five. Imrie was born on the Isle of Wight in 1994, and is the son of actress Celia Imrie"
"often reveals ""I have a cunning plan"", ""Only Fools and Horses"" (created by John Sullivan) where Del Boy often yells ""you plonker!"" to his brother Rodney, ""Absolutely Fabulous"" (created by and starring Jennifer Saunders), ""Father Ted"" (by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan) which follows the misadventures of three Irish Roman Catholic priests (including simple minded Father Dougal McGuire and foul-mouthed alcoholic Father Jack) and their housekeeper Mrs Doyle, and ""The Royle Family"" (created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash) featuring misanthropic Jim Royle and his mocking, ""my arse!"". Launched in 1955, ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the"
"and later with Lord Hill (played by Ron Cook) when he was Director General. Hugh Greene Sir Hugh Carleton Greene (15 November 1910 – 19 February 1987) was a British journalist and television executive. He was Director-General of the BBC from 1960 to 1969, and is generally credited with modernising an organisation that had fallen behind in the wake of the launch of ITV in 1955. He was the brother of Graham Greene, the English novelist. Greene was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, one of the four sons and two daughters of Charles Henry Greene, Headmaster of Berkhamsted School. His brothers"
"Saturday 24 September 1955, after jointly presenting the network's opening night on Thursday 22 September. The name ATV was first seen in London on Saturday 8 October 1955. The company won two contracts, the weekend contract for London and the Monday–Friday contract for the Midlands. The latter service opened on 17 February 1956, with ABC providing the weekend programmes. The company ran into financial difficulty due to the staggering losses of the first two years of ITV and start-up costs. The London weekday contractor Associated-Rediffusion shouldered some of ATV's losses and further funding was achieved by selling shares to the"