Phil Archer when the show began airing nationally on 1 January 1951. During his time with "The Archers", Painting wrote a best-selling book entitled "Forever Ambridge" and wrote over a thousand scripts for the show between 1966 and 1982. Painting was later inducted into the Guinness World Records for being the longest-serving actor, without a break, in a single soap opera. In later years, Painting's appearances on the show became limited due to his ill health. On 29 October 2009, two days after he had gone to the recording studio, Painting died. BBC Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer, said "Norman Painting was
In the Red (radio series) Radio 4, 1998), and "In the End" (BBC Radio 4, 1999), were all six-parts each and followed the same format, with the two lead characters investigating a series of murders often linked to British politics and media. There was also a three-part television series based on the original novel (BBC Two, 1998), adapted by Malcolm Bradbury, featuring Warren Clarke as Cragge and Alun Armstrong as Jefferson. Following the conclusion of the final series, the characters of Charles Prentis, played by Stephen Fry, and Martin McCabe, played by John Bird, who appeared in "In the Red" (BBC Radio 4, 1995), "In