I'm a celebrity -get me in The Archers! The jury's out in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for the celebrity packed hour long special tonight! Welcome to regulars and newbies alike

NO SPOILERS please there's a thread for that here

Added by MNHQ: NB there will be spoilers on this thread for those who are yet to listen to the one hour special.

Surely the social workers won't let Henry stay with Rob now? Surely?

Kuriusoranj
I agree with pretty much all that you say. It's taken several hours to come to that conclusion but waking up 10 mins ago (GMT) had some perspective on it being drama rather than the RL I'd invested it with.

Bertrand
Don't know how social workers operate but would they perhaps ask Henry who he wants to live with?

Sean O Connor

Oh sorry didn't refresh

Surely there's a proces of jury selection/ deselection (voidir) in the pre-trial phase?

How did the Jury foreman (who seems to have previously been to court and been restricted from seeing his own ex-wife/children -possibly due to abusive behaviour) pass jury selection? Would Anna not have struck him during the selection process? And if Lisa the single mum had experienced DV wouldn't she also have been struck during selection?

In general I thought the jury deliberations though a bit clunky were well done - even the loo break was a necessary device to allow for the forbidden 'small-group' chats.

But unless I've totally misunderstood the jury selection process, and with the exception of Tristan's story, I found the 'sudden reveals' of their personal experience with DV a bit too convenient.

Veterinari you're probably thinking of a US style jury selection, where the lawyers go through the jurors and reject loads. In the UK everyone who is not barred is required to serve on the jury if called , completely random selection.

SOC on Today this morning, ' send your questions in' apparently.

I don't think we have jury selection in this country. Certainly when I did jury service, they called our names - I think it was 15 of us - then they told us what the charge was and asked if anyone wanted to excuse themselves. Then they picked 12 of the 15 - literally names out of a hat. Boom. Job done. I think perhaps the accused could object to any of the jurors but it wasn't like it is in America.

Ah, but Bert, This. Is. Ambridge! (Shout it like Gerard Butler in the 300)

Thanks Fink and Cathy I do indeed listen to a lot of US crime drama and I've never been called as a juror in the UK so didn't know that jurors weren't selected - that makes it more realistic then then. Though I do think that's a fairly big flaw in the system if people with biases relating to their own experience of the police/court make the decisions

Re "custody battle", the proper term is surely "court case/litigation over (child) residence arrangements" or something similar (my speciality isn't family law either) but although I practically detonate when I hear about people "pressing charges" I don't mind custody battle - it is out of date but convenient and something we did once have.

I've just listened.

Using the Nigel actor I thought was such a poor choice. I know SOC probably thought TA fans would find it funny and ironic. But I didn't. I felt like it showed his complete lack of respect for long time listeners and for the credibility of the programme. It felt like him sticking two fingers up at us.

I would have thought that the social workers would be in to collect Henry as soon as the not guilty verdict came out. Surely Henry is automatically now at risk where he is?

And the parental responsibility thing- surely you can take it away? I remember teasing dp about it when do was little.

Given that 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic violence at some point, it's not surprising that people on the jury had some experience of it either first or second hand

Judy I think the Archers should take it in turns to leave anonymous tuna bakes on his doorstep.

Not every day - just randomly, so he never knows whether there will be one when he opens the door.

I just thought 'what if there wasn't a Jackie?', who was almost too good to be true - not just competent, self-assured and clear about their task but very switched-on about the subject matter.

And, if Karl had had less direct personal involvement with the issue, or not admitted it - surely he could see how that was going to make him look - but held the same views he did, he could have been a terrible influence. Like Rob (of course) he really wasn't that bright, couldn't control his emotions and seemed to hold a responsible job by virtue of 'type' - a face that fits, rather than competence.

(Surely a housing association has trustees, surely he'll slip up emotionally, or through incompetence, like Rob, at work one day...).

SOC on R4's Today right now and he says they didn't kill Rob off so the story could carry on for another 30 years.

Also he's 'a typical Archers listener swearing at the radio' 😁

Spluttering Tea over SOC being a typical listener. One who can't remember how the characters behave, and forgets to conclude too many stories.

Just listened again (DH brought me the iPad at about 6.30 and said "You'd better listen now otherwise you'll find out the verdict - it's everywhere!") Jury deliberations were predictably 12 Angry Men - it sounded like the afternoon drama and - surprise surprise - it is the afternoon drama! Nevertheless I actually cried at the Not Guilty verdict and Helen's reunion. My immediate thought was that Henry is still hostage and can't believe this was not mentioned especially after the description of Knob losing it with the prosecution barrister. I know there is a court order etc etc but I can't help thinking in RL Helen would have been saying "I have to see my son". Also has she learned nothing? Why didn't she immediately tell someone Knob had threatened her? She is surrounded by family and friends with whole of Ambridge celebrating - she is not coming out of court to no support? It feels like we are back to square one. I can see this going to drive me mad all over again ...

Just LA to verdict - which part of both Not Guilty answers from jury didn't she understand ?

So SOC's legacy to The Archers is Rob Titchener - further confirming my long held belief that Knob and SOC are the same person. SOC bullied scriptwriters into writing in changes of character, dropping plot lines and generally wreaking havoc with the show, if anyone dared to complain they got the boot (list of departures and missing characters too long to mention) and now, just as we thought we'd got rid of him, he announces we'll never be rid of him because Knob will be there as a reminder for years to come.

lilliangish what a honey you have at home

I wondered if some of the 'point' of the jury episode was as an example of how to behave if you're ever in that situation yourself, assessing a case where the accused is a victim of some sort of abuse. Be a Jackie or a Tristram even if at the outset the other jurors are leaning the other way, don't be bullied by MRA types. Ive never done jury service but I might be able to do it better after hearing that.