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.

I'm so glad Anisha is going. She annoys me so much.

Lily really is dim. As is Shula.

Oh bleurgh Jill being all friendly to Toby. Can't stand Jill either.

Anisha sounds so much like Morven Christie who is that terrible actress who was in The Replacement with Vicky McClure.

Oh, but Jill suddenly warming to Toby was hilarious. She looked at him holding RR and suddenly realised that access to her great grandchild would be through him. It was so deliciously calculated. And then, immediately, Robin.

What’s the saying? No good deed goes unpunished ...

The previews are released ages in advance and they obviously wanted to keep the Anthony Heads news hush hush until this week.

The person reading poetry on today's Today programme on R4 - is it Anisha?

Presumably Robin Fairbrother could stay at Grey Gables or a local b&b? This practical side is why I don’t write fiction.

Lynda's!

Lettice - I thought the same; such a distinctive voice! But it wasn’t her. Anisha is played by Anneika Rose - and the actor reading on Today was someone else. (I had to double check.)

and the actor reading on Today was someone else. (I had to double check.)

I couldn't find who it was. Was it Morven Christie?

Exactly ADark but I had assumed she’d be booked up most of the summer.

The previews are released ages in advance and they obviously wanted to keep the Anthony Heads news hush hush until this week

Not really - sometimes it's only a couple of weeks. And presumably it could have been changed very easily once the news was out.

I wonder what went wrong with Anisha actress. I just can't believe that they would introduce a character, try to establish her, then disappear her for a hundred years then get rid. Surely it wasn't a mutual decision. If it was to do with listener feedback then I think they have been a little unfair, the fairbrothers for example have been given a long time for people to warm to them. And in Rex s case I think it has worked.

I could be wrong, but is that Matt Crawford in one of the “Guaranteed over 50s plan adverts?”

People do come and go. Charlie. Sam the cowman. The Welsh barman guy at the pub - Rhys?

Yes, people do come and go. Carol Tregorran is presumably still infusing things at Glebe Cottage but we haven't heard her for a couple of years now. This is presumably because Eleanor Bron has plenty of other work.

I do think it's a mistake to cast a very well known voice for more than a very transient part. I won't struggle with hearing Anthony Head as he's not likely to be around for more than a week or two. I never heard Carol and thought 'Carol', always 'Eleanor Bron!'. And that's not how TA normally works for me.

They are incredibly bad at including references to people who would naturally be part of any given situation.

It was lovely to hear Mike mentioned a little while ago - but how on earth can Pip have brought her baby home without Carol coming to celebrate with them? It would have taken just one sentence from Jill, or David or whichever of the family had visited.

Grrr ....

Sorry Lass - I was distracted both times I listened, so cant remember her name! Not the actor you mention though.

and another thing, why did Jill have to bustle around and insist on changing the child's nappy ?

Surely it would make so much more sense for her to offer to supervise, while Toby gets as much opportunity to practice as possible.

Is Rosie breast-fed? 'Cos very tiny breast-fed babies don't smell bad with a full nappy.

That’s what I thought too. I could barely tell by smell if my two needed changing at that stage/

FinallyHere - two birds, one stone? Apart from the power struggle element, I imagine it was the obvious way for the SW to get Jill out of the room while Robin was on the phone - so we got the drama of hearing the news being delivered to her.

Good point, @Gruach [sigh]

I thought Jill was going to drop the baby whilst changing her nappy as it was built up so much 😬

Eleanor Bron is currently playing a speaking , non- singing role in Opera Holland Park's/Scottish Opera's co-production of Ariadne auf Naxos. And very good it is.