#102: Fatted calf is off the menu - will the Easter Bunny save Lower Loxley's bacon, or will there be egg on Russ's face? Will Tom's sausage business get the chop? Join us here to discuss The Archers!

[GabrielleNelson]

Thanks due to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and to @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit. Thanks also to all those who contributed to the thread title, principally Dumdedumdedum and MikeUniformMike on this occasion.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to be Susan's best friend or other odd unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from this thread, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

So, to business: will Helen's new cheese be a success? Will Kate succeed in keeping her visiting Brummies under control? Will Pip, Toby, Tom and Natasha fall into the slurry pit, leaving Rosie to be brought up by Anthony Head Robin Fairbrother? Will we ever hear Lee again, and will he casually drop in a mention of his fine collection of framed Bruce Lee posters?

I do remember thinking that WALTER Gabriel was annoying (he needed to clear his throat) and The dog lady. Though as I got older I liked them more. I like Harrison and Johnny I don't mind Shula and Tom (ducks flames). I like Clarrie and J'lene and Fallon WAS alright. Shame we don't hear much of Carole I like her and Bert oh and Rex.

Surely everyone likes Johnny? Harrison? Jolene?
Nope. Don't like any of the three of them.
Johhny irritates me with his naivety. Harrison is as dull and flat as his accent. I can't take Jolene seriously with that ridiculous twang (see also her daughter).

I think the person who wins Unanimously Liked is probably a Silent.

Ref. Harrison It's pleasant to have a character who's 'dull' , IMO he's not especially so, (he shopped Freddie) and likes dressing in women's clothes, I think Fallon is lucky to have him.

Jazzer - everybody loves a bit of Jazzer!

I like Jazzer and Johnny. I like Pat and Tony and Emma and Ed and Susan and Neil. I like Peggy. The developed characters with consistent flaws. (Which is why Peggy ditching Emma was so annoying) I

Oliver?

I like (in no special order) Jazzer, Peggy, Neil, Chris, Robert, Noli, Fallon. Haven't heard Debbie for ages, but I don't remember disliking her.

Clarrie, Susan, Brian and Jenny all ring true as well rounded characters.

I really like Neil.

I absolutely love Lilian!

God knows where she is, though.....!

I like most characters, at least to listen to. I would be driven up the wall by many of them IRL, but that doesn't mean they don't make entertaining listening.

I miss Margery Antrobus and Nelson Gabriel

I like Oliver and liked Caroline

I sort of like Lilian and Linda Snell. although I suspect that I'd find them pretty irritating in real life.

Jenny has her faults but she has loved Ruaridh with remarkable generosity of spirit, just as Siobhan asked of her

I like Ian; but preferred Jean-Paul

Ed/Emna - thick. He wants to risk getting a criminal record? Guess a spell in prison will mean he'll have more in common with his MIL; she'll be able to give him tips about life inside.

Will - nasty piece of work. Always thinks the worst of people, he's selfish, ignorant, ill-educated, unintelligent, spiteful twat who's a bully. Thinking that Rui was up to something underhand with Mia. Will thought that because probably that's what he might have done at Rui's age.

And please can we have less of the Saint Nick. I still remember her child abuse of George, locking him in a dark cupboard s verbal times because he didn't behave . Emma was furious at the time, I'm surprised she ever forgave her. Not sure I would have.

Oh yes, how could I forget lovely Lynda! She's adorable.

And I love Ian, too. But then I'm a sucker for a man with that accent

The problem is we can't even agree on a set of criteria to judge likeability - I mean if R4 is going to reject someone because of a twang in their voice, then each of us can probably find something to dislike in someone else's choice.

Plus, obviously, sometimes we like a character because of their flaws, and the flaw that makes them sufferable in a drama might make them insufferable in real life. Most of us probably enjoy hearing Lynda as a character, but like many in Ambridge, would probably give her a swerve in real life.

That said, surely nobody dislikes Robert Snell?

I was going to say Leonard, but he's got his artistic deceit as a mark against him.

Did Leonard give Shula someone else's horse painting? I missed that explanation.

Yes I missed that too- just him and Jill laughing when he confessed and then in a later episode someone saying “that’s a lovely painting Shula, who did it?”. I was expecting him to fess up to Shula with Jill there to support him, then for Shula to be relieved that she wasn’t the only one who gets caught up in lies now and again. Also, wasn’t the painting meant to be of Shula’s specific horses? How would an off the shelf one be passed off as his original?! It’s not as if Shula doesn’t know horses, for goodness sake!

My favourite voices are: Adam and Ian. I don’t think either of them are particularly good looking (although I avoid cast photos as much as possible) but they sound gorgeous to me!

I loved Marjorie Antrobus. Julia Pargetter was great as was her sister Ellen. I'll never get over Nigel.
Neil and Robert Snell are likely to be liked by everyone.

I just heard Joe is dead

Yes, me too, I came to post that it was just announced on the news. I'd been thinking we hadn't heard him for a while. I always liked the way he'd call people by their full name. I'll miss him. RIP.

I heard it on the news too, happened to be browsing the thread at the same time. I loved the first name-surname thing. I wonder how long it will take for them to kill the character off.

Oh that is sad.

RIP Edward Kelsey.

I'll never forget the ferret episode.