When the script hits the fan:: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away)

Sarah Kate Merry

doi:10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003

When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away)

Sarah Kate Merry

Research Centre in Postdigital Cultures

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

According to the BBC Archers website, “Listeners to The Archers are loyal fans but take no prisoners” (BBC, 2016). But are fans of The Archers always loyal listeners? This paper presents stories of Archers fans who stopped listening, for various lengths of time, but still considered themselves to be fans of the show.
“I listen so that you don’t have to”; “Well, I won’t be listening for a while – again!”; “I have only listened once since they murdered Nigel”. These comments come from one online Archers fan community, and are not uncommon among those who continue to have an interest in Ambridge, despite choosing not to listen regularly.

The assumption regarding members of serialised media fandoms is that they watch or listen to all of the episodes. This paper will consider the phenomenon of nonconsuming fans of The Archers: people who do not actively listen, but who read synopses of episodes, keep up to date with storylines, and participate in fan communities.

BBC. (2016). Five Things the New Editor of The Archers Needs to Know. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2XJYhZlXZrV6vjrt6MxjBQb/five-things-the-new-editor-of-the-archers-needs-to-know

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Fandom Culture and The Archers
Subtitle of host publication	An Everyday Story of Academic Folk
Editors	Cara Courage, Nicola Headlam
Place of Publication	Bingley
Publisher	Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
Chapter	2
Pages	33-46
Number of pages	14
Volume	1
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9781802629675
ISBN (Print)	9781802629705
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003
Publication status	Published - 18 May 2022

Publication series

Name	Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk

Keywords

radio
drama
fandom
fan community

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003

Cite this

Merry, S. K. (2022). When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away). In C. Courage, & N. Headlam (Eds.), Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk (1 ed., Vol. 1, pp. 33-46). (Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk). Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003

When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away). / Merry, Sarah Kate.
Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk. ed. / Cara Courage; Nicola Headlam. Vol. 1 1. ed. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., 2022. p. 33-46 (Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Merry, SK 2022, When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away). in C Courage & N Headlam (eds), Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk. 1 edn, vol. 1, Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., Bingley, pp. 33-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003

Merry SK. When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away). In Courage C, Headlam N, editors, Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk. 1 ed. Vol. 1. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. 2022. p. 33-46. (Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk). doi: 10.1108/978-1-80262-967-520221003

Merry, Sarah Kate. / When the script hits the fan: Why Archers fans stop listening (and why they can't completely keep away). Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk. editor / Cara Courage ; Nicola Headlam. Vol. 1 1. ed. Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., 2022. pp. 33-46 (Fandom Culture and The Archers: An Everyday Story of Academic Folk).

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