Judi Dench joins the cast of The Archers to continue the show in Birmingham

The actor, who starred in the 1989 Radio 4 drama, signed a letter urging the BBC not to move the studio. The cast and crew of The Archers, including guest star Judi Dench, have written to the director-general of the BBC urging him to keep the Radio 4 drama recording in Birmingham. It was revealed this week that the company planned to record the rural series in the city for the first time in its 75-year history

The cast and crew of The Archers, including guest star Judi Dench, have written to the director-general of the BBC urging him to keep the Radio 4 drama recording in Birmingham.

It emerged this week that the company was to stop filming the country-in-the-town series for the first time in the show's 75-year history, after it scrapped plans for a studio radio show.

Staff were told last week that the BBC had scrapped plans to build a bespoke studio at the Tea Factory in Digbeth, the company's new Birmingham headquarters, as part of its £500m cost-cutting programme.

Production staff will still move to the tea factory, but the broadcaster is looking for an existing studio in which to record the show. The West Midlands is included in the search, but there is no guarantee that The Archers will be registered in the region.

A letter to BBC director-general Matt Brittain, signed by more than 100 current and former actors, said: “The Archers leaving the Midlands is akin to Corrie leaving the North West or East Enders in the South East. This place is born from the fabric of that place and it deserves to stay at home.

He added: "Removing the filming of The Archers from the Midlands and separating the production team from the cast will have a significant impact on the quality of the show and is a threat to its future."

The letter, signed by current and former editors, screenwriters, sound and effects engineers, program consultants and trade unions Equity and WGGB, highlights the history and legacy of the show, which is set in the fictional village of Umbridge in the West Midlands.

The letter said: "The flagship show is a worthy flagship facility that both the BBC and the city of Birmingham will enjoy for decades to come."

It concludes: "[We] stand in solidarity with our colleagues and the region and safeguard this popular program for future generations of listeners and artists."

Dench played the character Prue Forrest in a cameo for the 10,000th episode of Archers in May 1989 and met guest star Terry Wogan, who played herself.

In an email to staff last week, a BBC executive said: "After careful consideration and as part of the BBC's wider drive to cut costs, it has been decided... not to build a new radio show studio for Archers at the Tea Factory in Digbeth.

As a result, options are being explored to identify suitable studio facilities where The Archers will be recorded. This currently includes exploring potential opportunities in the West Midlands as well as other parts of the UK.

To be clear, no decision has been made yet. The priority is to find the most cost-effective solution that maintains the high production standards of The Archers in addition to significant savings.

The Archers is the jewel in the BBC's crown. "It's been an unparalleled 75 years - as connected to the East Midlands it remains a vital part of our future."

A BBC spokesperson said: "We recognize and value The Archers' long-standing relationship with the West Midlands, which remains an important part of the programme's future, and The Archers production team will remain in their current home at The Postbox, with a planned move to The Tea Factory in Digbeth in early 2028.

However, after careful consideration, as part of the BBC's wider drive to cut costs, we are no longer building a new recording studio for The Archers in the Tea Factory. "We are currently evaluating the BBC's existing studio facilities across the UK as well as other overseas studio options in the West Midlands to find a more cost-effective solution, which also lowers Archer's production standards."