As another voice actor does a bunk in the night, is he watching them all with the eyeeeeeee .... of the TIGER? Bring back Matt unadulterated to The Archers NOW.

[PseudoBadger]

This is too much for me now. I need to meditate.

I'd actually forgotten what Ian sounded like...thought he was Scottish

sadistic precision - I like that turn of phrase, it's Rob to a T.

I absolutely agree songbird , it's preposterous that Rob thinks that being Helen's fiance gives him the right to have a say in the business of the shop. The boundaries may be blurred due to it being a family business and Tony's accident requiring "all hands on deck" but Rob was meddling before Otto trampled Tony and Tony is on the mend so they are out of emergency mode. If Helen was working in someone else's shop or business he wouldn't be able to step in and do her job for her; the family shop should be no different. It's totally unrealistic that Pat and/or Tom have not questioned his involvement, in the same way that Tom put him swiftly right over the potatoes.

I do hope that he is so caught up in his controlling/DNA test avoidance schemes that he's slacking off at the MegaDairy and Charlie fires him...perhaps that will be a trigger for him trying to blackmail Charlie with his knowledge of the Adam kiss? Though that only works if Charlie is in the closet, I imagine he'd be delighted if Adam and Ian were to split up.

Of course choccypig The actor could be ill, anyone heard?

I felt Ian was deliberately not passing comment about the shop because she would have gone into defensive mode. He got Helen to talk about it and perhaps realise for herself how lame it sounded. Ian understands Helen very well.

Just as importantly, she has disobeyed Rob by talking about the shop with someone else.

Anyone live near Chipping Norton?

Your opportunity to tell SOC what you think, face to face

chiplitfest.com/events/afternoon-tea-with-the-archers

Yes enoch and if Hellin "looses" or indelibly stains her mauve flannelette dress before the Valentine's Dance she's heading for independence .

I thought Ian did say something like but its your shop?

Remember though Tom took all kinds of advice from Rob about ready meals. Wtf does he know about that?? Think he is one of those convincing i know best kinda ppl.

I think R will find out H has been speaking to Ian and deliberately stick the knife in to cause trouble so that Ian will be annoyed she didn't tell him. A will be annoyed she told R and that is her 2 friends down in one go. So I expect the trigger to be pulled sooner rather than later on that one.

H is annoyingly stupid sometimes though.

So can I assume BOW that David will still be in TA in April?

Tea with TA does look fun - but I'm fairly certain I'll be busy that weekend. Otherwise ...

Oh, I'm sure he will Zero

I won't be going either but really would like someone to go and report back to us.

Just googled where Chipping Norton is, I definitely think one of us should go!! Got rather excited as realised it was in the next but one county, but could not nip there and back in a day

My scenario for Valentine's night is something like: Helen insists on going in an 'unsuitable' (ie totally appropriate) dress so Rob is seething; he 'accidentally' lets slip about the snog to Ian, but it turns out that Adam had mentioned it (underplayed as just under the mistletoe silliness) and that turns into a damp squid. Then when Rob is absolutely raging inside Jess and RobChild turn up as it's their anniversary. As a subplot, someone with large ears and a long tongue will overhear about the snog and Charlie will be liberated from the closet, track back gossip to Rob and fire him a few weeks hence.

I've only lurked so far but been listening my whole life. Just sent the link to DH to see if he's free to look after the D.C. while I explore Chipping Norton! Very excited. I was 6 last time I met David!

Fabulous Pauline - We'll have to make you a MNArchersListeners badge.

And as you're an old friend of David's you'll be able to speak freely.

pauline

Looks like a grand night out, would be better if members of ARSE could be there too, to give the sock a run for his money.
An interesting point to consider: a TA addict friend and myself have just had an hour and a bit's heated(in a good way) conversation about all the goings on in TA. Looked at the Gruniad article, talked about plot inconsistencies, character replacements, etc, all the conversations there have been on here etc...her question to me was: do you think we could have had such a long, elaborate conversation if TA had remained the same, or is the 'sexing up' (c.fTony Blair) of TA actually a tribute to the sock's skill? He has raised TA profile profile in all the newspapers etc, created story lines which make us want to discuss them..... So in effect, job done well......

It certainly looks like a fun fete Pauline and Bore. I've not heard of it before

Oh I will! Bit worried though, I thought he was utterly gorgeous then. I fear I may tarnish a beautiful memory.

Ps to exemplify the point we could askdad^3 to do an analysis of thread throughput since the sock took over....

There's been loads to talk about in the archers over the years but I only discovered these threads last year!!

I find the archers makes me tense now when it used to be a comfort blanket and that is what I hate about the new regime. Too much drama

From the bbc news article

iRadio 4 boss Gwyneth Williams recently denied the show had become too sensational, telling Radio 4: "If you look back, there have always been extraordinary things going on in The Archers - kidnaps, arsons, all kinds of things."

Yes gwyneth - but not all at the same time!!!!!

Unfortunately, I think an analysis to show any impact of SOC on these threads is problematic. These threads only really took off in 2014 as they came to enough people's notice, and by then SOC was already in place. I suppose you could argue that the lack of active threads in the years before that indicates that SOC has had an impact, but it would be hard to prove cause-and-effect.

I think that the problem now is that it's more obvious that there are planned-ahead plots intertwining - before it seemed on the whole rather more like the natural way things happen (with exceptions like the massive signposting of Nigel's doom, for which we've still not forgiven SOCs predecessor). It's a bit like Dr Who, where there are things going on throughout a series nowadays which come together in the season finale. But (one assumes!) there is no finale to TA, so the question is whether the braiding of strands is clever enough to continue to maintain interest beyond whatever major fallout(s) happen in February.

Is what I'm trying to say is that it's now too contrived?

Excellent Pauline! Lucky you (I've always rather fancied Tim Bentinck). Looking forward to your report!

I'm one who is quite enjoying many of the plotlines (as long as they aren't allowed to just fizzle out) but am outraged by the appalling lack of skill by many of the new actors and incandescent at the loss of Matt.

Sorry to barge in but in case it hasn't already been mentioned they are having an item about controversial storylines on PM programme

Oooh! TA is going to be discussed on 'PM' this evening - 'is the Archers still an everday story of countryfolk?'

Agree errol. They are writing to too short a timescale

Ian did remind her that it's her shop, mink, but I think he was also careful not to be telling her how she should act. She's had someone controlling her for too long now. She weighs every action according to whether Rob will approve so if she's ever going to come out of this whole then she needs to rediscover her own free will. God knows she used to have that in spades!

I'd prefer that outcome than the other possible one where he breaks her by violence, or the other where Jess and the baby are involved in the ending of the relationship. I want her to assert herself and become a free woman of her own volition. I want him to be the broken one.

I know they're not real people but this story has been handled so well that we can be forgiven for talking as though it's a real situation.