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.

enoch I think that Hellin is sooo desperate for a 'proper' relationship that she's ignoring any negativity where knob is concerned; her last ones have been unsuccessful and it seems to me she MUST make this one THE one. It's a sad fear of failure that's driving her.

I 'm not sure what would need to happen to give her the security she is seeking. She's a well written character but the mystery is why she's so insecure,it's not like she's an orphan or anything.

I'm struggling to really recall Helens character before John's death, a life changing event which shook her to the core, I think that event brought on anorexia and associated eating disorders?? Or was that before??
She's had two major deaths in her life with John and Greg and pulled through with much love and support from P and T and Tom. Then came the quest and determination to have Henry, supported massively by Ian.

You're right ppeat. She is driven by fear of failure of another relationship but cracks are beginning to appear in this one.
I think I prefer a slower disintegration but it looks like the story is coming to a dramatic climax after all.

Her insecurity is a mystery, isn't it? Pat & Tone have their faults but there's nothing in her upbringing that it could be hung on. She seems to have a knack for picking unsuitable men almost as an act of defiance.

A headstrong person being defiantly submissive?
I hope they write in a psychiatrist for her and we get to hear some of the consultation!

Oh, Brian is so - hilarious!

Am wondering now if Matt has really gone.

They are hardly going to tell us he'll be back if we are supposed to believe he has left Lil for everandever. Hmmm...

1. I wish I'd had a wet fish to hand when that Guardian woman was wittering on in her patronising way about how we're all overreacting (about 5 minutes before the end of PM if anyone's interested).

1. We need more Brian! Especially now it looks as if we'll never hear Matt again.

1. I can't recall hearing anything much of Helen before John died except briefly when she was a child. Can anyone else confirm?

I know Helen wasn't a bridesmaid for Shula, because she was too much of a tom boy.

The Guardian woman - has no idea. A plane crash was stupid enough in Emerdale, at least Corrie had a bus crash (back in the day). I was half expecting her to suggest someone got abducted by Aliens.

Brian was good.

Of course at some point Phoebe is going to bring up what has really happened with Kate.

Helen's got a lot on her hands. What the hell is that?

She makes cheese. Henry's at nursery while she makes it.
She hoovers, irons & cooks like the rest of us do.

So joe will seek out David

'Yes, yes I remember that milkman, a funny fellow, he looked a lot like that Justin elliott'

Could Matt be coming back? It did sound very much like he had left, on the blog. We aren't heading for another recast, are we? Perhaps the actor, whose name escapes me, wanted to go, rather than being pushed?

BOOP points for Jennydarling and Brine tonight. Brine clearly knows Kate well, like father like daughter, perhaps. And Jenny is on the ball with Phoebe. Liked her heart to heart with Kate, even if Kate was selective with the truth.

Where's Debbie now she's been sacked?

I think BOOPS all round again for tonight - that's two in a row. Sock pulls his socks up! Re Helen, her anorexia came on after Greg's suicide if recall correctly. His death was a massive shock and on top of John's death before that. It was also the time Pat and Tony started pussyfooting around her - since her recovery from anorexia Pat has always been slightly in fear of tipping her over the edge again. Of course what she doesn't realise now is that it looks as if Helen has reverted to her old ways anyway. Good to see a few allies gathering around her again though, despite Knob's best efforts, with Tom back on the scene and Ian finding his voice again. I'm also thinking that once Tony comes home (Ambridge fairy dust!) and Pat tells him about Jess's baby he might also be able to talk some sense into her. Looking forward to a showdown with Pat and Tom against Knob over what's happening at the shop.

I'm catching up on Monday's episode. What is all that nonsense from Helen about having to get Pat or Tom to look in on her own shop?

Phaedra I think that is because they go to Borchester regularly to make deliveries to the shop, so thats easier and more natural than her just popping in, after all she is supposed to have hired Tina as a manager.
Admittedly given the hints, Tina should probably be on a warning, and Rob told bluntly to butt out, but...
Maybe Tina actually wants to take over the lease? And thats the kind of put up it was from Rob.

But Rob apparently told Tina not to do what Helen said, so she couldn't fairly be disciplined for that. Maybe she sounded sulky because she's unhappy about being in a failing business and caught between bosses giving contradictory orders?

So presumably Pat and Tom will report back to Helen. I do hope there's a crisis when she asks why he overrode her, points out that the sales results show who was right, and also realises that his excuses for not taking a DNA test just don't wash. It would also be good if she finally asked why the divorce is taking so long.

They should have had Nancy Banks-Smith on PM last night rather than that other woman. But then she's saying the same as we are. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/27/radio-review-a-month-in-ambridge-the-archers-on-ecstasy

And even Tony Hall is wading in :o

Excellent column! (Thanks Odd)

We haven't had Village of the Damned in a thread title before have we?

Writing about The Archers is an interesting, if challenging, exercise when nothing happens at all (sometimes all you hear is the sound of grass growing and the Grundy boys beating each other up again in the background), but it is just impossible when everything happens at once and nothing makes any sense. It feels as though Ambridge has taken ecstasy, mistaking it for aspirin.
Brilliant, NBS!

Yes Hellin's visit to a shrink would be a good episode wouldn't it enoch?

Agree about last night episode BOOP point esp. for the conversations between JD and Brine and JD and Kate the flake.!!

I wondered if "Helen's got a lot on her plate" was also a knowing SW comment about her eating disorder comming back...

I'm extremely surprised that JD takes what Kate says at face value and didn't for a moment suspect Kate of having done something to earn the disapproval of Lucas and his parents. Didn't JD already know all about Kate's previous affair?

Helen's got less 'on her plate' than just about everyone in the village barring Peggy and Carol.

But, yes, it could be a jokey comment by the SWs.

But Rob is so wonderful and only has her best interests at heart, everything he does is for her and he is sutch a good father to Henry. What is wrong with all of you. Hmm?

Wry faced emoticon.

If anyone from Tony Hall's family is loitering (or posting) here, could you please suggest he asks Gwyneth and SOC some searching questions regarding the whereabouts of the following:
Alan
Amy
Ben
Caroline
Cathy
Chris
Christine
Debbie
Freddy
James
Jamie
Leonie
Lily
Lewis
Maurice
Mike
Mungo
Oliver
Robert
Usha
Various Horrobins
Vicky?

Thanks.

Not forgetting Nic, Jake, Mia, Poppy ...