Ambridge is in the doldrums. When will Pip pop? Does anybody even care? And Anisha’s off, leaving Rex in the (pig) trough? Discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Sorry about the title, nothing particularly inspiring in the storylines currently

No spoilers please, there’s a thread for that.

It really was a fabulous topical insert, and felt seemless compared to most. I wonder which Scriptwriter wrote it? Although having Susan and Emma do it really helped.

I thought the partnership was basically set up to protect Ruari’s interests? Otherwise it would just have been passed on to Adam as he’s the one who’s been working on it for the last decade (or more - when did he come back from Africa?)

It was, cheminotte - but there’ll only be an interest to protect if Brian keeps Adam (and Debbie even if absent) onside to make the place profitable.

Neil is probably grateful England lost, it might just save him from the Southgate-style waistcoat, at least for now.

Loved the casual introduction of the Button girls' facial adornments.

I also enjoyed Susan's "You watch my back, I'll scratch yours", and the mention of people needing therapy after Maurice tells their fortune.

Writer this week is Adrian Flynn - obviously one to watch out for.

Yet again, I am confused about legals and family businesses in Ambridge. Are the Aldridge DC partners in the farming business or partners in land-owning? I thought that it was the latter, that it was more about passing on assets IHT-free than about involving them in day-to-day farming decisions.

Would taking Ruari out of boarding school help the family finances? I'm not sure what school year he is in, and I get that no one would want to disturb his GCSEs, but surely someone would have mentioned he can go to the sixth form college that the twins go to?

I've missed a lot of episodes the past few weeks (which hasn't happened for years, it's just not grabbing my attention currently...)

Caught up on here and lowfield, but no mention on lowfield about Toby and Kate? But on here people were mentioning pregnancy, did they hook up again?

Not liking the Anisha storyline, surely they could've just changed the actress if her other commitments meant she wanted to leave, poor Alistair, it's all going wrong for him...

Much easier for Kate to relocate Spiritual Home than for Jenny to relocate from the Farmhouse. In fact the Lower Loxley idea is not a bad one. The businesses could be mutually beneficial - LL business conference guests could stay on for a bit of r and r afterwards, or visitors to the various steam rallies, wine festivals or even Deck the Hall (might be chilly, but there is a fire pit). It might even help Elizabeth mine a seam of alternative customers, water diviners for instance (I once shared conference premises with a group of water diviners) would probably loved to stay in yurts. And somewhere like Lower Loxley is never going to have any nasty old agriculture destroying the landscape and bringing in noisy machinery.

It’s a fair point, CrackingEggs ... Yes, he does have GCSEs this coming academic year. So two years after that. They’d save ... quite a lot in fees if he left his current school. (Though there would obviously be other costs if he was at home all the time.) It’s an area they haven’t explored yet ... Perhaps it’s coming? But perhaps it would be too small an amount to make a significant difference.

On the other hand - setting aside the ins and outs of what would happen in real life - they usually do give characters a voice in mid to late teens - so I assume they’ll have arranged the story to make this happen with a new Ruairi.

If I was Brian, I would be paying Ruari's fees in full for the whole year now. That means that he is sorted until GCSE, in preference to the money going on Environment Agency fines.
If you remember, Alice was in some fancy school but rebelled and insisted on going to the local college for sixth form. The family could talk Ruari into doing the same.

Although - I’d slightly suspect that they’d have paid all his fees up front. What would be most financially efficient in terms of farming income?

Adrian Flynn is a longstanding SW, IIRC. Is there a complete list anywhere? I've had a look at Lowfield and this is the position for this year so far. The new Editor, if he ever starts, will probably make a few changes, like his two shortlived predecessors. Several names here I don't think I'd ever registered before as Archers SWs.

Keri Davies (credited for a week quite recently)
Paul Brodrick (credited for a week in March)
Caroline Harrington (credited for a week in early April)
Mary Cutler (last credited two weeks ago)
Tim Stimpson (credited for a week in April)
Simon Frith (credited for two weeks in early May)
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti (credited for a week at the end of May)
Amanda Whittington (credited for last week)
Liz John (credited first two weeks of June)
Naylah Ahmed (credited for a week in mid-May)
Sue Teddern (credited for a week at the end of April)
Gillian Richmond (credited for two weeks in January)

Graham Harvey has been the Ag Ed for a long time but also writes scripts sometimes.

Carolyn Sally Jones (early 2010s, now moved on)
Joanna Toye (retired in 2015 but I think she has occasionally helped out since)

There must be lots of others. For many years after it started, every episode was written by Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason working together. They had previously written Dick Barton, Special Agent, which The Archers replaced. Susan Hill wrote for TA decades ago, before writing The Woman in Black.

Maybe you can just send a script in on spec. Some of the regulars on this thread could certainly make a good stab at one.

In theory you would need to know where the plots are heading, but some regulars on here work it out before the editors.

I wonder if the actors get much input, they probably know their own characters and backstory better than the writers.

Not liking the Anisha storyline, surely they could've just changed the actress if her other commitments meant she wanted to leave

Yeah, but they've got to free Rex up to be with Pip.

I wonder if the actors get much input

I think they point out things like, "Jill wouldn't use those words," and might point out obvious inconsistencies, but I don't think they can direct the storyline at all, unless it's in terms of, "I don't want to do this job any more."

@WineAndTiramisu at Ruth's big birthday bash Toby and Kate did the deed on the bouncy castle and punctured it in the process, Kate fessed up to Adam (loudly) about the puncture and how it happened, and told Pip too.

Adrian Flynn is a longstanding SW
Keri Davies - longstanding. AKA Mr Keri. His son used to be Fat Dan
Paul Brodrick not sure
Caroline Harrington long standing SW
Mary Cutler long standing SW
Tim Stimpson long standing SW
Simon Frith long standing SW
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti long standing SW
Amanda Whittington not sure
Liz John new to me
Naylah Ahmed not sure
Sue Teddern new to me
Gillian Richmond not sure

Graham Harvey has been the Ag Ed for a long time but also writes scripts sometimes.

Carolyn Sally Jones (early 2010s, now moved on)
Joanna Toye (retired in 2015 but I think she has occasionally helped out since)

I think GH once trod in a field when he read Agriculture at Reading and has written articles for FW and similar.

Mike, were you on the BBC Archers MB? Fat Dan is suggestive!

The farmer on the next door farm to where I grew up knew Graham Harvey, and apparently had Archers-related conversations about sheep and so on, when GH was thinking about upcoming storylines.

Mind you, neighbour wasn't very complimentary about TA...

@KitchenFloor ah, missed those episodes, it all makes sense now thanks!

I thought your username was familiar Gasp.

Mr Keri is a giveaway too. I should have snatched OneEggOrTwo as a username but I just couldn't.
I'm still missing The Real Tom Archer and The Real Pip, and still have a massive soft spot for Neil.

I didn't have this name there. I changed to this here the day Terry Pratchett died and I can't see myself changing now. I was more insectlike on the BBC.

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting. I had hoped for a set piece where everybody shouted at everyone else. However, a heart to heart between Jennifer and Brian was a fairly good substitute.

Insectlike? Flylady?