Page "The Archers" Paragraph 43

A recurring theme has been the resentment of the working-class Grundy family towards the middle-class Archers.

Labour politician Neil Kinnock in the 1980s jokingly called for The Archers to be retitled " The Grundys and their Oppressors ".

The series, however, now deals with a wide range of contemporary issues including illicit affairs, drug abuse, rape, and civil partnerships, inviting criticism from conservative commentators such as Peter Hitchens that the series has become a vehicle for liberal and left-wing values and agendas, with characters behaving out of character to achieve those goals.

However, one of the show's charms is to make much out of everyday, small concerns, such as the possible closure of the village shop, the loss and rediscovery of a pair of spectacles, competitive marmalade-making, or nonsense such as a ' spile troshing ' competition, rather than the large-scale and improbable events that form the plots of many soap operas.

However, there are some dramatic storylines, such as the rape of Kathy Perks, and, more recently, a storyline involving David Archer's family being threatened by a gang of farm thieves.