The dog days of summer are approaching Ambridge. Freddy’s being hounded and Brian is in the dog house - can Jenny take the ruff with the smooth?

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to all for the dog ideas, and special mention to Ppeatfruit.

Discuss the Archers here!

Oh, Will!

Will deserves everything that's coming to him. Poppy doesn't, poor thing.
Hopefully someone will talk him out of it. What a total git.

I find this storyline quite distressing. Will doesn't seem able to process any of this in terms of what is best for the children, when they have just lost their mother. Obviously they need their dad. And Poppy needs him. I feel cross because he's got loads and loads of support from his family (more than many people would in his situation) and Andrew is stepping up with Jake and Mia.

And he's being ridiculously unrealistic - how will he cope with the extra school runs and parental responsibilities when he can barely cope with Poppy?

I’m finding the Will fights for custody storyline too melodramatic. I just don’t believe anyone in his situation would do that - especially with kids who are teenagers, their real dad living nearby and not having any problem with Will having access, having to call on people left right and centre to help with childcare anyway and also being a father to a child who lives with his ex- wife. What would he have done if Emma had died - left George with Ed? I think Nic’s death has otherwise been handled brilliantly and has already throws up any number of story possibilities with Will struggling to cope and come to terms with it without adding this extra drama. It is this that reminds me I’m listening to a story rather than eavesdropping on real life - it’s one of the reasons I don’t like TV soaps. To care about the storyline I need to believe in it and I’ve just stopped caring about this one.

I agree with every word, Lilian. They've already thrown in the "Nic nearly dedding Matt" storyline, and the ''heartless employer" twist. Now they're adding another unlikely turn.

I don't know about "heartless" employer. I've just googled and found that "Research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and cited in the ACAS guidance suggests that most employees are given five days paid leave to deal with emergencies (compassionate leave).". The most generous was 10 days paid.
Will was more like two months before he went back F/T!

I meant threatening to chuck him out of his home.

You mean his tied cottage?

Yes - I understand this this would be a real life scenario but they made Martin Gibson unnecessarily unpleasant. And I am not sure it's realistic that Martin would have dealt with it directly as Chair of BL, with other board members (Brian/Annabel/Justin) shrugging their shoulders. [And surely they have some executive staff?]

I think Will having to go back to work and the reminder that he lives in a tied cottage was a reasonable storyline - though slightly weakened by the fact that Will already owns his own property (most employees in tied accommodation would not be so fortunate). The death bed confession was absolutely not (in fact I'd completely put it out of my mind since thankfully the SWs have chosen never to refer to it again). The custody battle definitely falls into the latter category. It is a pity because I think there are more realistic avenues to explore after Nic's sudden death - the fact that she died on such bad terms with Emma, the fact that she died from a cut on the wrist, the fact that Will is domestically incompetent, the fact that Will (and at the end of her life Nic) had been so unsympathetic to Ed and Ems bad luck in contrast to their own good fortune and that now it is Ed and Em who are helping Will - one of my favourite scenes was the one where Ed told Will he was his brother and he would stand by him whatever. I don't think the manufactured custody battle is helped by the fact that Jake and Mia have scarcely spoken a word since their characters were first introduced - this is one of the reasons the storyline feels so contrived.

Is it at all possible it's a storm in a tea cup segueing into a mental health storyline? Emma pointing out (rightly) that Will sounded paranoid sounded portentous.

The custody storyline makes no sense, given the ages of the children. Jake and Mia would be asked for their opinion and it would be completely unfair to put them under that sort of pressure.

What would happen if Mia said that she chose Will because he needs her to look after Poppy and help with the shopping etc?

I am enjoying Freddie & Lily, though I do want to shake Lily, because Russ is all Freddie says.

And I quite enjoyed both Kirsty and Hannah with Tom.

Just catching up with the thread. Minimammoth, I love your comment yesterday that The salmon of doom revisits Ambridge.

Agree with LillianGish that I’m finding the Will fights for custody storyline too melodramatic. I just don’t believe anyone in his situation would do that - especially with kids who are teenagers, their real dad living nearby and not having any problem with Will having access.

The tension between Tom and Kirstie was ... chewy. Really good.

But Harrison at the end made me wonder if TA has slipped into horror story territory.

Meant to add that I find Lily and Freddie very annoying (though I know you could say that all fictional teenagers are meant to be annoying). But for some reason I did smile at this part of their exchange tonight (paraphrased) :

L: Russ has done you a big favour!
F: Has he resigned?

Freddy is quite likeable isn't he. I can't believe how lily Silly is being, and we've had the older married man and young woman before. I wish they would bring the real Tom back, but any Kirsty is good.

Is it a new, NuTom? I obviously haven't been listening carefully enough.

Plus, I bloody hate it when they do Youff storylines like current twins one. Does the production team think they are going to entice teenagers into listening to TA in this way? The only reason my DD knows who's who is because I exposed her to TA from before birth. She wouldn't choose to listen voluntarily.

I rather liked the music playing in the background, some Phil Spector -produced song, the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love", "Que Sera Sera". Is it all emblematic of the fractured relationships, or a vanilla version of "Goodfellas"?

We need a playlist.

I like the Twins storyline - I would definitely stop listening if the stories were just about people my age!
And as a parent to teenagers I think I can relate only too well.

I like Freddy and think it's great that Lily has shown her imperfections at last. I just want Russ to get his comeuppance and Lily not to wreck her future.

Was it Elizabeth who had a relationship with the French Dad when she was Au Pairing in Paris?

That episode was a laugh.
Fallon: I'm going plastic-free.
Kirsty: Yeah, I'm with you all the way.
Fallon: Oh, I have to move my plastic-free car.
Kirsty: OK, I'll go and sit over at that table with my plastic-free phone.

I don't think Freddie and Lily are meant to draw more teenagers into listening any more than Auntie Chris's (heavily signalled) possible dementia (groan) is meant to appeal to an older generation. It's all part of the 'contemporary drama'.

My DC certainly haven't been tempted to listen despite years of (failed) indoctrination. DS1 used to kick his little legs and smile when he heard the tune as a baby. Soon grew out of that and now they humour me and leave the room after years of being told not to interrupt.

Tom left Kirsty at the altar and came back a few months later, an altered person devoid of personality.
RealTom had a distinct voice and a boring personality, but at least he had a personality.
RealTom was one of my favourite characters so I was gutted when NuTom appeared. NuTom's only redeeming feature is that when he and Tony are in a scene together, they really do sound like father and son.
RealJosh was also quite distinct and NuJosh doesn't seem right. But Josh is only a minor character.
OldPip was ghastly but ghastly in her own way. NuPip is ...well, words fail me.
Chris Carter was quite a good character but now there are two cardboard Chrisses on TA.
Old Clarrie is also missed. She was replaced by OldOldClarrie who is the same person as NewClarrie.
NewKate isn't too bad but I despair at JennyDarling. If she could lower her standards to watch EastEnders, she would find her real daughter straight away.

Will they let Ben out of the cereal cupboard to go to the big 50 party, or will he get to go there but spend the evening in the cellar with Ruari and Mausy.

Other characters have changed over the years and I've got over that. For example, Helen, Hayley, Emma and Kenton have been played by different actors. I really liked the original Tony but the wonderful Colin Skipp had to retire because of health reasons and was replaced quite smoothly IMO.

Aha ... has it been Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti writing all this week? That explains the chewiness. Another excellent episode.

BOOP for both strands tonight.