Badly done Helen, badly done - you're as stuffed as a Grundy turkey. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread in time for Friday's episode...

So a household made up of 4 adults (including Pip and Bert), a 17 year old and a young teen need an 85 year old to look after them? They ought to be ashamed of themselves. My 84 yo MIL is hale and hearty but I wouldn't dream of expecting her to take on that role.

Listening to Lynda assemble her cast I'm left wondering who will be left to be in the audience - then I remembered that we will be!

There are all the men, too. Robert and Neil might do a bit of scenery and so on, and there are a couple of parts for men, but most of them will not be in the play themselves.

It's utterly pathetic. I just wish this stupid SL would hurry up and be over pdq as I'm getting bored by the Jill as wifework saviour

I'm trying to guess what Lynda's inspired thought for casting whatshername who Helen Mirren played is. It needs to be someone at least around Lizzie's age. Shula? I can't really see it.

Has she asked Helen yet? Rob's reaction to the thought of Helen going nekkid in front of the good people of Ambridge should be interesting.

She isn't askin Hellin because she is pg (and a bit young no?)

Maybe Clarrie will be Mirren.

I wish Jill would just go home and that would close up the last sl that never happened and put everything back as it eas before .. .apart from our faith in TA sws.

Would these city lads really invest in beef cattle

Only if the cows can be re-hypothecated multiple times like mortgages Joskar :o Then you'd have good cows and sub prime cows chopped up, mixed up and sold and resold all as triple A rated cows until nobody knew what was what and the whole thing went tits up requiring the government intervenes to keep things alive at great cost to the rest of us. :o Of course that'd never happen, those city types are so trustworthy...

Kathy. Kathy must play whatsername.

She will reveal hitherto-unsuspected vivacity and wit, which only Lynda had suspected was lurking beneath her monotone monochrome exterior.

Or...

PAT!!!!!!!

Lynda was hinting at someone a bit blunt and bull-in-a-china-shop. Susan?

Bore, I think Pat too.

Given how much the TA production team love guest stars, I do hope it's not going to be Helen Mirren herself pretending to be Hilary Noakes.

Oooh yes - we haven't heard about the inevitable guest star yet.

I'm still struggling to feel any excitement about it all. And it's a shame Helen won't be able to recycle her New Year's Eve backless dress.

Speaking of New Year's Eve, does Adam know that Helen saw him in the shrubbery with Charlie? Does Charlie know?
She told Rob of course but has she dropped a hint to Ian?

Didn't she exclaim and turn on her heel when she saw them? So Adam and Charlie know that she knows. But they don't know she's told Rob. (Not sure what Charlie has gathered from Rob's hints.)

I'd like to think "they" are saving it all up for a huge explosion - but it'll probably disappear into the sinkhole.

Adam and Helen spoke about it as he tried to 'explain'

Oh yes! Wasn't that while she was still being superior about perfect relationships?

Yes! Because her boyfriend was perfect and would never cheat on her (oh hang on, but he would on his wife)

'A bit blunt and bull-in-a-china-shop'? Kate!? (Although much too young I guess)

Fag-ash?

Lillian I presume - Fag Ash Lil

He's already separating her from Henry!

And how can he be giving her money???

Whether or not Helen actually is pregnant - how can Rob be so sure nothing will go wrong?

Kirsty! Yay!

The scan is going to be bad isn't it.

that might be too obvious?