Judi Dench joins Archers cast appeal to keep recording in Birmingham

Dame Judi Dench has joined more than 100 current and former cast and crew members of The Archers in urging the BBC to keep recording the Radio 4 drama in Birmingham. Their letter to director general Matt Brittin follows the BBC’s decision to abandon a planned studio at its new Digbeth headquarters, leaving the programme’s future recording location undecided.

The signatories include actors, writers, editors, sound effects workers and programme advisers, alongside the unions Equity and the Writers’ Guild. Felicity Jones and Kellie Bright are among those who signed, BBC News reported. They argue that moving recording away from the Midlands and separating the cast from the production team could damage the programme’s quality and threaten its future.

Why the Archers cast wants recording to stay in the Midlands

The appeal adds to objections raised after the BBC cancelled the dedicated recording studio planned for its Tea Factory headquarters in Digbeth. The earlier decision prompted cast concerns about the scrapped Birmingham studio. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has also called for the programme to remain in Birmingham, describing it as part of the region’s broadcasting heritage. Equity general secretary Paul Fleming said cast members were angry at the proposals.

Which recording studios the BBC is considering

The BBC says dropping the new studio is part of a wider drive to reduce costs. It is assessing existing facilities across the UK and external studio options in the West Midlands, seeking a cheaper arrangement that maintains production standards. Brittin said earlier this week that the corporation remained committed to The Archers. No final recording facility has been chosen, according to The Guardian’s account of an email to BBC staff.

The BBC has said the production team will remain at its current Mailbox base before moving to the Tea Factory in early 2028. That planned move concerns the staff’s workplace; the separate question of where the cast will record remains open as the BBC examines studio options.