The Archers listening figures. Partly established with the aim towards educating farmers following World War II, "The Archers" soon became a popular source of entertainment for the population at large, attracting nine million listeners by 1953. "The Archers" is set in the fictional village of Ambridge in the fictional county of Borsetshire, in England. Borsetshire is situated between, in reality, the contiguous counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, south of Birmingham in The Midlands. Possibly based on the village of Cutnall Green, various other villages claim to be the inspiration for Ambridge; "The Bull", Ambridge's pub, is modelled on The Old Bull in
The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book) information about the soap opera phenomenon" and wrote a syndicated column on the genre. He was also a regular contributor to "The Washington Post Book World" and had published film and television articles in "The New Republic", "USA Today", the "Chicago Tribune", the "San Francisco Chronicle", the "New York Daily News" and other publications. Schemering is also the author of "" (1986). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book) The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is a 1985 reference book by Christopher Schemering which assembles comprehensive information about all daytime and prime time soap operas broadcast up to the date of publication. It