In 1951 Dan Archer, with his wife Doris, looked over the farm and their grown up children, Jack, Philip and Christine with hope for the future. The farm would be the least of his worries over the years as he watched his children make their way in the world. Phil, finally married Grace, daughter of the local landowner, George Fairbrother - but the marriage was destined to end in tragedy Christine had no trouble attracting men, but finding the right one was another matter. And when she finally married would she ever be able to have the child she so desperately wanted? Jack, married to Londoner Peggy, had two daughters, Jennifer and Lillan, and a son, Tony. But Jack's chosen career of running The Bull would prove a disaster for a man with a weakness for drink. And young Jennifer's pregnancy by a father she refused to name would shock the whole family. "The Archers: Family Ties" introduces us to the events which started the longest running soap opera in the world and created a national institution.