They're not plucky Tuckers, they're turkey pluckers' sons - Archers festive chat

[PseudoBadger]

:)

Happy New Year to everyone, I love having the chance to witter about the Archers .

Thanks Zero. I think it will be Brenda coming back - all upset about Tom and Kirsty

Red You're obviously an afternooner

Trust me, it wasn't that exciting.

LM I'm certain sure I remember some not unreservedly posive exchanges between George and Peter - about a zillion zillion years ago.

But it's entirely possible that they only happened in my head.

I dimly remember Terry Barford spending some time in Ambridge, but not Peter. I started listening in about 1981, I think, and iirc George and Christine were already married then, so maybe Peter uttered in the late 70s?

Yes, what on earth has happened to Brenda? She'd have come home from London in RL, why haven't we heard how much Bethany has changed? I really don't like the way the script writers/accountants are limiting the range of characters.

Happy New Year to all Archers fans & thanks to Pseudo.

I agree, Eastpoint (see posts passim). There are now far too many characters and the focus on a small group of them for a few weeks means inevitably that it can be months, even years, before we hear from somebody who used to be an important character, e.g. Roy, Hayley, Brenda, Jolene, Alice, Christopher, Debbie, Ian, Vicky, even Tony and Pat!

This is one of the things that has annoyed me a lot about the Darrell story. Darrell is a blow in, in Archers terms. He and Elona had hardly been in the village five minutes before he suddenly became the lynchpin of lots of stories. Why? They already had a large cast and could quite easily have used existing people for every single story involving Darrell. They could have done the storyline about Matt trying to evict the old people without bothering to feature the chippy much, and putting more of a spotlight on Matt and Lilian.

They could have taken the Ed and Emma story to its logical conclusion instead of bottling out and having them move in with Susan and Neil and carry on as a (fairly) happy little family. Ed's My Little Dairy business should have folded a long time ago given the current economic climate and they could then have had him going into a long decline, living rough and possibly involving getting involved in some sort of racket and having problems with drink and/or drugs (as he did before when things went wrong for him).

Mike and Pat have a history of depression, so they could have had either of them becoming ill after the stresses of their various recent problems (dairy folding and Bethany's birth for Mike, E. coli for Pat).

Instead of which they decided to put all of this on a new character we've scarcely got to know and therefore don't care about all that much and who happens to have one of the most irritating voices on the radio. Humph.

Anyway, Happy New Year to one and all! I am hoping that Helen for one is in for a wretched 2014, but I don't trust the SWs not to bottle out (again) and make her and Rob into an ecstatically happy family with a new baby born as the Christmas/New Year story for 2014/5. Sigh.

Oh LondonMother the thought that Rob & Helen might become a couple is just too awful. I don't want to have to deal with the angst of Helen v Jess v abusive Rob indefinitely. Moping Helen is bad enough, but I can deal with it, passion under the hedgerows is even worse.

But Pat and Tony's reaction if H and R become an official 'item' would be wonderful to hear HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Archers fans!!

Rob would be the absolute anti-christ for Pat and Tony. We'd have to endure listening to the Cheesey One moaning "... but he makes me happeeeee ..." for months, while getting thinner and thinner, and denying the slow development of the emotional abuse. And then, of course, the discovery that he's been feeding Jess's corpse to the Sausage Baron's pigs, in bite-size pieces.

Oh, I think Helen and Rob could make for good storylines into the future - Rob mistrusted at first by most, then slime into acceptance and then of course he'll revert to type as an abusive git.

I'm 53 and we tended to have R4 on a lot at teatime in our house - mother would quite often say, 'I don't know why we have this on, people arguing all the time and complicating their lives' (her euphemism for affairs) ... so, t'was ever thus.

But LM Ed jnr. and Emm have FAMILY in Ambridge who care for them and wouldn't see them on the streets it would be unrealistic (more unrealistic than most of the plots!) to have had them chucked out.

Yes, you can't imagine Ed and Emma's parents allowing them to be homeless with the kids - esp as Eddie and Neil are the ones who've really come through for Darrell. However annoying Darrell is, Eddie's basic decency and empathy (in contrast to Shula's well-meaning do-goodery) has been pleasing.

Also Darrell is obviously the type of person who can't cope without support . When he was with his family he was being shouldered by Elona who had had enough of it I suppose.

Really confused - pretty sure I have caught up now but didn't hear an unexpected visitor - when did it happen?

Also I know I am going against the grain but I really want things to work out with Helen and Rob (but suspect predictions of an EA storyline are correct) . They are both so self centred that they could be a good match. To be fair I never liked Jess - too perky for me.

No, there were only the totally predictable meetings (Darrell/Rosa and Helen/Rob).

I think Helen and Rob may 'work out' in terms of a long-term relationship - but not a smooth one.

To be fair I never liked Jess - too perky for me.
An overly-cheerful mask, I think. Short-lived delusional 'new start'.

I can see where you're coming from Redcliff but IMO when they were going at it "hammer and tongs" it was and still is lust with HellRob; when it wears off they won't have much left for a fulfilling relationship. (especially as the SWs have made him out to be a shxx and she's not a lot better).

Agree Errol Jess came over as a fake (of course it may have been bad acting)

Of course - a mask makes sense. I guess they are at a lusty stage and there might be little to it once that is over and given that Helen is still living at her parents she might press to move in and play happy families . Can't see Rob putting up with Henry's ways for long even if he can put up with Helen's .

Jeck appears - he must be for the chop! Happy New Year Archers

Yes, I think Jack is not long for this world.

That was rather beautiful...

The last we'll see of him?

Just what I was thinking MissFenella

Delurking for the first time. Have listened to TA since early 90s when I was on maternity leave!

Oh blast - lost track of the time and missed it, how did that happen?

That was sad - even though it was expected.

Helen and Rob on the other hand !

That was definitely Jeck's last non-appearance. Very sweet.
As for Rob and the Cheese Straw - bleurgh, do they want to get caught at it? Does anyone else see the Rainbow Necklace of Damocles hanging over Hellin's guilty head?