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LevelSeries
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)MS200/11
Title'The Archers'
Extent77 boxes, 2 outsize boxes
Date1950-2009
DescriptionThis section comprises material retained by Norman Painting relating to his acting and writing career with the radio series 'The Archers'. There is a series of scripts including four of the five pilot episodes broadcast in the Midlands in 1950, and the first five scripts of the serial as broadcast nationally from 1 January 1951. Many of the subsequent scripts were those written by NP as 'Bruno Milna'. A number of these and of those written by others in which NP appeared as his character 'Philip Archer' bear amendments and other markings made by NP.
Other papers relate to publicity and there are files of general correspondence and fan mail as well as press cuttings and photographs.

Also included are a few items relating to other BBC work which had largely been filed together with 'The Archers' papers and scripts.
ArrangementThese files are largely those composed by Norman Painting and the contents often contain a variety of different items. The sub-series in 'The Archers' section, therefore, are not exclusive of material of a similar nature which is now classified in a different sub-series: the original title and the main contents of the file has been the guide as to which sub-series a particular file has been allotted.
Access StatusOpen
Administrative HistoryIn his book 'Forever Ambridge: thirty years of The Archers', Norman Painting gives an explanation for his pen-name 'Bruno Milna': it had been 'concocted' and registered with the Writers' Guild some years previously to NP's starting to write scripts for 'The Archers' in 1966. [Enquiry to the Writers' Guild in 2012 indicated that it now has no record of the registration of this name.]
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