The Archers trial. Unlike television soaps, "The Archers" actors are not held on retainers and work on the series usually for a few days a month. By the nature of the storylines concentrating on particular groups of characters, in any one week out of a cast of about 60, the episodes include approximately 2030 speaking-characters. Most of the cast do acting work on other projects and can disappear for long periods if they are working on commitments such as films or television series. Tamsin Greig plays Debbie Aldridge and has appeared on many television series such as "Green Wing", "Love Soup", "Black
In the Red (radio series) the Chair" (BBC Radio 4, 1998), and "In the End" (BBC Radio 4, 1999), as well as the TV production of In the Red (BBC Two, 1998), were featured in their own spin-off series "Absolute Power" (BBC Radio 4, 2000-2006/BBC Two, 2003-2005), which was also created and written by Tavener. In the Red is a seven-part BBC Radio 4 black comedy-crime drama series adapted by Mark Tavener and Peter Baynham from Tavener's novel of the same name (Hutchinson, 1989), and produced by Paul Schlesinger. The story features BBC Reporter George Cragge, played by Michael Williams, and Police Superintendent Frank Jefferson,