The f***ing Ambridge f***ing Christmas f***ing pantomime....

[retiredgoth2]

...every year the same.

Someone unwilling gets roped in, someone starstruck for the lead gets to play a sheep or similar.

...there are arguments about who is the head of the horse or the jacksy of the cow.

...and Linda Snell gets hugely overwrought about it all.

I believe it is supposed to be an endearing and amusing annual staple.

However I for one am neither endeared nor amused....

...it is lazy scriptwriting, it is boring, it is f*ing irritating beyond words.

...and whilst one of the things I like about The Archers (and indeed the Home Service as a whole) is the sense of tradition and continuity, please can we have something else. Anything else. Please.

...and if a non-speaking, peripheral character gets the lead role, is anyone at all surprised when she pisses off to France skiing instead?

Only Linda, it would seem....

[Katisha]

Oh no she's not!

[AlistairSim]

Oh yes she is!

[TsarChasm]

And quelle surprise it all comes together (with a few endearing hiccups) on the night and everyone gathers for mulled wine and congratulates/forgives Linda who laps it all up vowing it'll be the last one.

[hollyivypoppy34]

agree its just oh so tedious EVERY YEAR - I'd almost rather have a ruth storyline, or a peggy storyline..oh hold on we've got one of those

[NorthernLurkerwithastarontop]

I can't understand how they all have time to be in it - what with nurturing torrid relationships, having life threatening accidents/illnesses and keeping the agriculutural economy up to scratch......

[Lilymaid]

And we now have the resurrection of the Shula story line. Aargh!

[NorthernLurkerwithastarontop]

what St Shula dealing with that evil Alistair and his gambling habit? Oh spare us - quite pleased I don't have time to listen!

[Lilymaid]

Two part Shula drama - I - Alistair and the strange Ryan (?) from Gamblers Anonymous; 2 - Shula's "special relationship" with Alan. I hope she is drowned in the font at St Stephens.

[NorthernLurkerwithastarontop]

What - Shula and Alan??? Is there no man belonging to Usha she can leave alone?

[GrimmaTheNome]

The wonderful think about The Archers is that it makes you realise your own friends and family are relatively normal and not that irritating.

[NorthernLurkerwithastarontop]

Oh yes absolutely - imagine having to live with Elizabeth!

[geordieminx]

NorthernLurker I am I always had you down as a radio 1 girl

[NorthernLurkerwithastarontop]

...

[unavailable]

OOhh, was glad to see this thread. The pantomime storyline bores me to tears. They really need to bin it next year.

Does anyone have an idea of where the Ryan/ Alistair line is going?

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Posted on the other thread, I think Ryan is sizing up A & S's house with a view to burgling it.

[unavailable]

Ha! Thats what I thought too, Five

[scampadoodle]

Why does no one ever say to Linda, "no, I can't be in the panto. I'm too busy"?

I thought Shula's conversation with Mabel about whether it was suitable for Usha to take part in church life was a bit She's not very ecumenical, is she??!