BBC asks Archers listeners to vote on future of Down’s Syndrome baby
The Archers is a long running soap opera running on Radio 4. Set in the fictional village of Ambridge in the Midlands, many of the characters and storyline plots revolve around the Archers who own and manage Brookfield Farm. Billed as ‘contemporary drama in a rural setting’, fans of the programme have branded the BBC as “tasteless” for asking the public to vote on whether two characters in the soap (Mike and Vicky Turner) – who have discovered that their unborn baby has Down’s Syndrome – should do next. Whilst the Archers aim to cover topical issues in real time, the BBC has subsequently removed the poll and apologised for the offence it caused. As you may know I have a long standing commitment to a farm based independent college supporting people with learning difficulties and I have to come off the fence and say that I personally found this poll reprehensible. There are real challenges facing people in rural areas with disabilities which make their lives harder than their urban counterpart – this would be a much more positive story line if any Archers script writers are listeningArchers is a long