Aldridges Assemble! Await the return of the prodigal daughter to Ambridge with the rest of The Archers audience

[PseudoBadger]

I can't resist alliteration

nigelslaterfan you do know that the actress who plays Ruth is actually from the northeast, don't you? That's her real accent - ramped up a bit.

Mark my words this geese story is going to blow up at xmas with bad tidings for the Grundys.

I've looked up some birthdays. Adam recently turned 48, Debbie is 45.

There's no full bio for Rex yet.

I hate that they show the actors' photos next to the character names! Fine to be able to look up info on the actors, including pictures but can't we keep fact and fiction separate? Gah!

Ramped up a lot! When she presents programmes on Radio 4 she has a perfectly pleasant voice and accent. Why she couldn't speak like that when she's in Ambridge is beyond me.

Jennifer's brood:

Adam - his father was an Irish farmhand Paddy Redmond. P and J had a very short fling, he vamoosed. Huge scandal in late 60s that The Archers had an unmarried mother storyline!

Debbie - child of Roger Travers-Macy, Jennifer's first husband, who adopted Adam. They got divorced in the end.

Kate and Alice - children of Brian, Jennifer's second husband. Astonishingly not divorced in spite of Brian's numerous affairs.

Ruairi - child of Brian and his mistress Siobhan, who died.

Rex - for some reason I've concluded that he looks like that pleasant youngish doctor who presents on Trust Me, I'm A Doctor and various other health-related BBC documentaries. Can't for the life of me remember his name. He has an identical twin, also a doctor, and they presented something together a couple of years ago.

Surely Tobes could have done his degree, got a job in the city, been there a year and realised it wasn't for him?

Of course he's probably looking at the geese as an interim activity on the path to finding himself and a bit of an easy option. Could wander off at any moment.

Yes, I don't think we're looking at a proper career in the city. Probably failed his probation judging by the way he's behaving now.

I like Ruth's accent. It's nicer than the bland mid-southern or 'borsetshire' norm. (Though I did like previous Clarrie, she sounded like the cadburys caramel bunny except when she was cross)

Maybe tobes will run away to South America with pip. I think we could live with that. Rex will stay in ambridge and become a solid farming type, with David as his role model.

I'm quite enjoying it at the moment. I think Ruth's dilemma is a very realistic one. I'm delighted Usha has finally reappeared to give her some advice. I'm not sure about the Fairbrethren yet - my main objection is I can't tell them apart (either from each other or from some of the other characters). I love an agricultural storyline so I'm enjoying the maize war and I think the difficulties of working for family in a family business that can only be split so many ways is a very rich seam (Bridge Farm, Brookfield and now Home Farm). In fact Home Farm has the potential of being the best of all since neither Debbie nor Adam are Brian's natural children (although they are the ones with the biggest stake in the enterprise) and Ruari is waiting in the wings. I'm in two minds about the resurgence of old storylines and the retelling of Ambridge history since I can remember all of it which makes me feel VERY old (so I must be ).
A final question - which is thread related - where is zero??

That's so weird Gaspode - I think you mean the doctors who presented Operation Ouch on CBBC (Google - can't link) - that is EXACTLY how I picture Toby and Rex ( and probably another reason I can't tell them apart!)

I reckon he did 6 months in the city before being sacked for snorting coke at his desk

I might dislike the brothers so much if they didn't make Pip so much more irritating. A horny Pip is horrific.

That said, allowing me more tolerance than Pip gets, is it only me who finds Adam oddly attractive? It is isn't it, God is this the equivalent of fancying Ian from Eastenders?

Yes to more Usha though and can we have Kenton's old personality back please. I see jenny has returned after the odd period where she was a pastiche of herself point scoring about kitchens an being horrid and all two dimensional.

I think Adam sounds attractive too (when he's not being a bit whiny).

Kenton tbh did well not to lose it with Shula as she went glibly on about all the great things he could do with the bull, which may be unrealistic sans the Brookfield windfall. (My spellcheck knows Brookfield , is that bad?)

I think of the Fairbrethren as the 118 men.

Here we are. Drs Chris and Alexander (Xan) van Tulleken. I knew there was a T in it but I had to google.

I think Zero has had a name change. She's still here!

She's probably still around Lil'G ...

I'm not normally a violent person but Kenton.. and... on and.. on makes me stabby His sulkiness.

Wasn't Shula talking about the Bull being done up with the insurance money?

Similarly, what's happened to PetulaGordino? Apols if I have missed obvious clues to a namechange!

CuttedUpPear, I'm sure you're right but when I hear accents from the North East I usually love them. But her moany moany moany moany moany Daaaaaaaaavidddddd. is just irritating! I am so bored with Ruth and have been for YEARS. I just wish she would go to Pruddah and never come back, that she'd drown in a care home culvert incident and just let David get married to someone less odious, sanctimonious, self pitying and DULL. A young Lilian, someone with a sense of humour.

But most of the Archers' script humour is dire. it's only great acting that makes it funny. Brian is the funniest by far and so is Lillian when she isn't doing that heinous laugh.
I hate all of it at the moment, moany Kenton, Moany Rob, Moany Adam, Moany Charlie, Moany demented Gill, Moany Auntie Christine, Moany Bloody Kate, Moany Phoebe, Moany Shula, Moany Joe Grundy, Moany gardener who's wife died.
I can't bear it!

You've definitely missed one PG namechange - not sure if she's changed again since then.

Thanks. I've been meaning to ask about that for ages. I'm normally quite good at keeping track of people but not this time.

nigels No one's making you listen to it .

Fancying Roy would be the equivalent of fancying Ian from EastEnders. I think fancying Ian is perfectly acceptable - though fairly pointless unless you are a man! I like Adam - I think he gets a really tough deal. He is the one on site running Home Farm - getting up to do the lambing, always out on the combine and yet he always has to play second fiddle to Debbie and seems to get no thanks for his efforts from Brine.

Just seen your post Gruach An unannounced name change is the equivalent of a change of actor. So glad all is well.

I know no one's making me! But sometimes it gets better.

I listen for Brian and I used to listen for Matt, proper actors.