Sack the Sock - put a sock in it or pull your socks up - frankly we're a bit sick of it. The Archers is shit, discuss it here.

[PseudoBadger]

I have it on good authority that this is the thread that people enjoy more than the programme it's about

Is Jill moving in with Shula? Or does S just think that's the plan?

And I liked Teena "or maybe someone said it after"

Yes, Jill decided to take up Shula's offer when she realised she didn't want to leave Ambridge.

I've just realised that I typed "cordite" instead of " credit"! Although given the money is quite possibly not going to appear perhaps the credit card bill is indeed a bomb waiting to go off!

I wonder if Shula has yet realised she'll have to take on the bees?

With a child in nursery, why on earth has Helen got do much on at home that she can't spare a couple of hours a week on the shop? After all, she managed a lot more than that previously. I know the reality is that she feels she's got to be a good little hausfrau, but I wish someone would at least query it with her.

Still, good on her for insisting on checking things out in the shop and doing it properly. Maybe next time Knob tries to stop her from going on the basis that Tina is perfectly capable and can be left to run the shop on her own, Helen will be able to,point out that the evidence demonstrates that to be incorrect. Mind you, Knob would obviously love a wholesale cock-up at Ambridge Organica which totally destroys Helen's faith in her own ability to run it.

Just wondering if we really needed to hear Tina. The Sock hasn't really got the hang of silent characters has he? In the past there was a whole cast of people who never spoke, but who were painted on such great detail they formed as much a part of the cast as the actors - I'm thinking of Jean-Paul, Mrs P, Mrs Pugsley and Titcombe - they even got married - even Mr Pullen. They were legendarily and intentionally silent, but as clear and distinct to listeners as all the speaking characters. I'm sure others can remind me of other excellent non-speakers. Now we have regular characters falling silent - Matt, Ian, Frilly (well Lily at any rate), Kathy (no great loss) and random bit parts being given a voice.

Tilly Button. Fantastic silent character.

ici bees and horses don't mix ime

Agree Lillian.

Reactions to people as the conversation is retold by the main character are often better than hearing the people. but I guess helen has no one to go and complain about teeenar to so we get a bit of colour and her opinion

aha, so Pc Plot dies saving jill or shula from being trampled in a stampede of horses being chased by a swarm of bees

i'm rather liking the idea of killing off plot. would be the most interesting thing he's done

Exactly my thoughts. She's been told not to discuss things with Tom after all.

I got the feeling tonight that Tina might have somehow been related to Aunty Cardboard or Ikea Knightly (as mark kermode calls her )
Please can Ian be released from his soundproof cell along with Matt. And Frilly just for the name too

Just remembered another fabulous silent character - Nelson Gabriel's barman Shane.

Just for the record TriBeCa, The Archers has always been dramatic, but not melodramatic. The Sock has been entrusted with something very precious and no one on here wants to see him chip away everything that is good so it is only fit for the dustbin (or R4 Xtra!)

And where the hell is Jazzer?!

And the beauty of the archers is that it has always avoided the melodrama and crassness of the tv soaps!!

I fear some archers fans are a bit melodramatic in their summation of its recent direction
It needed a good shake,it was too comfy.i think nigel falling off roof was a good shuve in right direction
I enjoy listening/reading the debacle about its recent plots

I feel like The Archers is now like an old friend who I love but have grown apart from.

For me, the gratuitous loss of Nigel, a much loved character, with heaps of life left in him, was where the rot started with TA, and I am a long term listener, it was just too contrived and convenient, esp as Shula is widowed, and then Greg, George, Jeck, Paul etc were other more plausible deaths....Nigel was a bedrock character. It is dramatic and for years has confronted and dealt with a myriad of issues without constant melodrama and soapy storylines.

Ps to dairyfamerswife and other farming contributors earlier, I salute you and Thankyou for your knowledgable inputs which I really found useful...I feel slightly more convinced about mechanised procedures with respect to welfare. There is nothing however that would convince me about the industrial Berrow Farm type operations

"With a child in nursery, why on earth has Helen got do much on at home that she can't spare a couple of hours a week on the shop? "

She has Rob's dinner to plan :-)

Oh and surely there's cheese-making.

I would like to hear a bit from Clarrie and Susan coping without Pat in the dairy and gossiping on what's going to happen at Bridge Farm.

And ops
Yes, where is Jazzer, much loved too.
Probably still sleeping off Hogmany in one of NewToms disused pig arcs...

I thought the nigel plot was a good tyrning point.archers was comfy,chintzy sofa. It was crushingly dull all him,elizabeth and cathedral school. His unexpected demise allowed other plots,other twists,eg elizabeth affair

I think long term drama does need to reinvent or give itself a shake.in way russell davies did with dr who.he turned its staid predictability right around

Re silent characters: I'm sure I can recall Jean Pierre speaking during some kitchen crisis though I may be muddling him in my brain with Raymond Blanc! I also think I remember Mrs P speaking decades ago, but Pru Forrest was silent (apart from a grunt).

But why keep Tina silent when she can make occasional appearances, each time maybe played by a different proper actress? Sure her accent will roam a bit but it's excellent luvvie networking.

There still are some of the silent characters inhabiting the place - Nathan Booth and Freda both inaudibly starring of late. We haven't 'heard' from Sabrina for a while (fond memories of that panto where she got to miaow. Freda will probably break silence with some loudly broken dishes and clattering pans if Kenton's plans come to her notice).

When this epi started, I initially thought that it was going to be in the form of Helen talking to Tina on the phone - could have worked fine hearing just Helen's side, though perhaps we needed to hear properly just how inadequate Tina seems to be at managing the shop, to contrast with the fact that Helen actually is perfectly competent however Rob may undermine her.

I agree about Nigel. He was a unique character in both personality and upbringing/class!! The character had so much left to give. I'd have preferred Dave to fall off.

No not Dave because widowed Ruth would be a nightmare. A female character leaving a dad as a single parent could have been killed off.

I'm sure they could have come up with something better than the worlds longest scream (is lower loxley a skyscraper?)