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
Soap opera and many shows were set in fictional, medium-sized Midwestern towns. Exterior shots were slowly incorporated into the series "The Edge of Night" and "Dark Shadows". Unlike many earlier serials that were set in fictional towns, "The Best of Everything" and "Ryan's Hope" were set in a real-world location, New York City. The first exotic location shoot was made by "All My Children", to St. Croix in 1978. Many other soap operas planned lavish storylines after the success of the "All My Children" shoot. Soap operas "Another World" and "Guiding Light" both went to St. Croix in 1980, the former show