Editing The Archers (section)

===COVID-19 pandemic===
Topical subjects have been added to the script, but this was not possible during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]]. Actors were initially recorded in their homes and included references to the pandemic from some of the characters sharing their private thoughts with the listener.<ref name="BBC-29mar20"/><ref name="turner">{{cite news |last1=Turner |first1=Camilla |title=The Archers becomes latest victim of coronavirus as Coronation Street and Emmerdale to stop filming |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/22/archers-becomes-latest-victim-coronavirus-coronation-street/ |access-date=28 March 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=22 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323163234/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/22/archers-becomes-latest-victim-coronavirus-coronation-street/ |url-status=live}}</ref> From 4 May 2020 to 14 August 2021, the broadcast was reduced to four episodes (Monday – Thursday). Sunday episodes resumed on 15 August 2021.

Due to the [[COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic restrictions]], weekly programming reduced to four episodes, omitting episodes on Sunday and Friday. The Sunday omnibus was correspondingly reduced in length. After continuing with pre-recorded episodes and repeating some classic episodes, new episodes started that had been recorded remotely, to a mixed reception.<ref name="Guardian-Lockdown_Archers_review2020">{{cite web |last1=Sawyer |first1=Miranda |author-link=Miranda Sawyer |title=The week in radio and podcasts: The Archers – Ambridge in lockdown shock |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/30/week-radio-podcasts-the-archers-lockdown-episodes-home-recording |website=The Guardian |date=30 May 2020 |access-date=9 July 2020 |archive-date=8 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708132950/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/30/week-radio-podcasts-the-archers-lockdown-episodes-home-recording |url-status=live}}</ref> On 15 August 2021, the Sunday evening episode resumed regular broadcast, as did the Friday evening episode on 3 June 2022.