Robbieeeee! It's meee, it's Jessieeee! I've come home. I'm so cold! Let me in-a-your window. The Archers pay homage to Wuthering Heights?

[PseudoBadger]

A new thread in time for the film this morning.

I couldn't remember so looked this up - Jack was the elder Archer brother.

That being so - and it's an uncomfortable leap for my mind - I wonder if Mr O'Connor was at pains to ensure nothing in his contract stipulated that TA had to mean Archers at Brookfield.

We've all seen the focus shift very clearly to Bridge Farm this year - a brand new actor presaging a busy s/l, one heir seen off, Helens story intensified, and Rich Johnny introduced as "the future". Ten minutes ago I didn't believe David and Ruth would move away; now I'm wondering just how ambitious the new Editor is. Imagine re-making an entire programme. Imagine selling Brookfield to the highest bidder and calling Bridge Farm "The Archers"....

Or - Is Ambridge The Archers. Is it The Archers wherever they are? We have South African Archers and Hungarian Archers and (possibly but not probably) Canadian Archers. Why shouldn't we have Northumbrian Archers?

Tying myself in knots .... But it would be entirely in keeping with the new stated aims to go back to Jack's family tree (Jenny, Lillian, Tony) and get shot of the rest.

DadDad, you can rejoice in the fact that mind games are foreign to you because you're not a controlling arsehole like Rob.

IMO the Archers have to be part of Ambridge, and although we regularly get told about what the offshoots elsewhere are doing - and very occasionally hear their voices - they're never involved unless they impinge on one of the central characters, are they? It would only be feasible to have Northumbrian Archers if there were a bit of a mass migration of Archers. "The Archers of Prudhoe" doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?

Just wondering - did Simon Williams play Justin when he turned up previously? His voice is quite distinctive and, whilst I recognised it last night, I didn't on his previous outing. I seem to remember thinking that he sounded quite young.

Perhaps O'C is calculating that the younger audience he desires couldn't care less about Brookfield. He might be right but he's assuming that TA attracts people to R4 in its own right.

It doesn't. It has been on in the background of our lives for decades and becoming a TA fan is to do with whether or not you become a R4 listener by choice when you grow up and have a place (or car) of your own.

DD very occasionally takes a car to uni. A couple of years ago it would come back tuned to Radio 1 or Capital. I noticed that last time it was tuned to R4 - she's now 22 - but R4 has been 'on' in our house all her life.

Mr O'C should not alienate the core listeners who are bringing on the next generation.

Thanks, Icimoi. I'll come back to you if I ever need a character reference, although "not a controlling arsehole like Rob off The Archers according to some random person on Mumsnet" is probably not going to be that impressive on my CV.

I'm quite certain he didn't, Icimoi, because I don't remember recognising the voice. However, I've been wrong on a similar point before!

That's an excellent point, unitarian. I have failed dismally in bringing on the next generation as both my children appear to have no time for TA at all. I blame Mr Mimsy undermining all my good work. However, there is still time. They are only in their early 20s.

I agree about Justin Elliott. This time, I could immediately picture Simon Williams when he spoke, and I too feel that I have a memory of someone younger-sounding from the last appearance earlier this year. Googling this hasn't been fruitful for me.

Mimsy I spotted you on one of the higher ed threads this week so I suspect at least one of your DCs is engaged in the same type of course as my DD. She podcasts A Life Scientific and other such programmes so I know she will become a hard core R4 listener even though she retreats upstairs when TA is on when she's here.
Maybe if I stress that Pip is silent she'll relent. She loathes Pip.

Little puggle was enjoying the theme tune at lunchtime yesterday when DH had the radio on instead of bloody Quest during the day and also

Any clues, unitarian? No problem if you'd rather not say (or PM)! In my case: daughter, Classics, studying in London. Son: History, Oxford. Both submtiting dissertations at Easter and doing finals next summer. I'm trying to think beyond all that to the graduation ceremonies.

My daughter loves Cabin Pressure and some other R4 comedies. My son will listen to them if they're on but does not seek them out, as far as I know. Sigh. However, he may have a secret R4 habit.

Hello, I hope you don't mind if I join you all. I have been lurking for a while, but feel the need to post. A bit of background on me: I have been listening all my life, was actually named after a character and I am so obsessed that when DS2 was born at 7.15pm, on being told the time I thought "oh no, I've missed The Archers!" (Of course I listened on catch up later).

Anyway... I was talking about Helen and Rob to my mum (in her 70s) and I was shocked she hadn't twigged it was an abuse story. She had realised Rob was nasty though. Is my mum very naive? Do you think the storyline is so subtle that there are others who hadn't realised what is going on?

I got the wrong end of the stick then, Mimsy, sorry. DD is doing medicine in London. The graduation ceremony for the BSc was last week and then head down again for two more years.

I blame Pip for making her anti-TA. Her bedroom is above the kitchen and she claims Pip's carping voice was the one which penetrated the floorboards.
She does credit R4 for her A in General Studies having refused to attend any lessons.

Hi Quill. It's difficult to say re your mum. I like to think if I had been listening to TA in isolation, i.e. without access to boards like this one, I would have noticed recurrent themes with Rob and Helen, and the fact that she is being increasingly isolated. I would hope that what Jess said to Helen would have underlined it. However, I wouldn't like to guarantee it and I wouldn't condemn your mum as naïve on the strength of it!

I think the comments under articles like this one www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thearchers/posts/Rob-Helen-and-Jess-the-actors-thoughts
and the question in Guardian Notes and Queries www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/15/the-archers-helen-rob
suggest that a lot of listeners see Rob for what he really is.

That said, MN has educated me a lot over recent years on the nature of emotional abuse, and the Archers storyline has helped me to see what it might look like in practice.

May I suggest

Oh no, I've missed The Archers!

as an early candidate for next thread title.

Quill, I'd say that regular exposure to this thread over the last year has immensely sharpened my listening and interpretation (and I've been listening for ever.) In addition I think more general MN immersion tends to make one consciously aware of themes that might otherwise simply be floating in the background.

Blimmin' 'eck! Everything I wanted to say - said better.

I don't think this is a spoiler as it's what the announcer said after last night's episode, but look away if you don't want to risk it.

He said something about Ian wanting to go away for a holiday. I do hope that means he's going to break Purdah, though I wouldn't bet on it. But are we going to have Adam saying he can't possibly go away due to the contract business, and Ian going off on his own leaving the field free for Charlie?

And I wish we could hear more of Ian talking to Helen and trying to get some sense into him. Both he and Adam clearly see Knob for what he is, why the silence?

Helen IS happier though, more than ever before. She feels loved, has a nice home, someone to make decisions.
How does Pat or anyone else tell her that something's wrong?

Sorry to barge in with a question but what on earth is a shot girl?!

i assumed it was a girl that brought you shots - like tequila. I thought it was lairy and was it Oliver who just would not shut up about it

When Adam & Ian came round for dinner back in the spring (when Rob ditched Helen's menu and went out to buy steaks instead) A & I were disturbed enough by what they saw & heard that they resolved to keep an eye on her.
They haven't been near her, other than for Ian to apologise for punching Rob during the cycle race. Adam met her for the first time since then last night.

After extensive research I can only conclude,math at either:

1. Lower Loxleywas breaking the smoking ban -surely not,
2. they had an outdoor enclosure/terrace from the library or set up as a library
3. Lower Loxley Library is actually a specialist "Cigar Shop" probably with a very thorough filtration system.

stillearnin I hoped it wasn'tthat and wassomething to do with the hunt. So ugh!