Discuss The Archers #108: Has Ed & Emma’s ship sailed? Will Alice stick her oar into Kate's love life? Can Shula walk on water? Come and discuss whatever floats your boat in The Archers.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit.

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 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 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks to @QuaterMiss for the title of this thread. For reasons of space had to cut out the bit speculating about Oliver and Tracy pairing off. Surely not!

Off now to give blood, something nobody in Ambridge ever does. See you all later.

Aberdeen! Which used to boast that it had 2 universities when there were only 2 in the whole of England.

As for the conference most of it will happen on the Saturday. Actually if I could just do that and the MERL bit - then I'd be happy. I'll have to think about it all carefully.

The conference is a bit expensive. I am fairly local so it wouldn't be a nightmare to get to. Would it be worth it?

Sorry QuaterMiss, nothing personal! It's just that after we've been talking about how the SW stereotype the working class, it feels like the academics do too, although I do understand that they lost money, so had to increase the cost.

Will somebody please have a word with Will. He has gone from dragging Poppy out gamekeeping at all hours to thinking that she is in imminent danger from chicken pox.
Can the man not do a reasonable, measured reaction to anything? I know he's supposed to be still grieving but he is not handling this at all well. I think Clarrie needs to say, "if you don't go and get counselling, I'll send Shula round to minister to you."

Will’s on the edge of a breakdown.

They can't repeat the 'surly gamekeeper in that cottage the woods goes a bit batty' storyline.

I think he’s starting to show signs of PTSD.

Have the Grundy's made it on the short list with their diverse pasture thingy? If they win I will be sooo happy for them.

Pheasant shooting season starts in about 6 weeks' time and the birds probably need a bit of attention.

Will (having sacked his assistant) isn't really in a position to take a couple of weeks off. Or maybe he is supposed to be in danger of being sacked.

I think Emma is probably going to step in to help with Poppy and choose to spend more time with her coffee table!

Surely we can't have another troubled gamekeeper SL?

It sounded like Emma was about to suggest to Will about getting counselling, but of course, he talked over her and ended the conversation. That trope was merely annoying before, but now it's giving me the rage.

I think Eddie pulled out of doing the conservation thing. Don't remember why exactly, but he decided something else was more important.

Surely we can't have another troubled gamekeeper SL?

I think we've got one, whether we want it or not.

The rewilding project always gives me a shudder as my subconscious imagines attempts to lure the Wildlings down from The North into Ambridge. Along with the living dead.

Apropos of nothing, I'm watching Ackley Bridge on catch up and can tell you that the vet who loved and left Rex is now a lesbian teacher in Barnsley. Who'd have thought it.

I'm in favour of rewilding if it involves Beavers. I really can't see Wolves being practical, and too many domestic cats for Wild Cats I'd have thought.

As the archivist has been jettisoned perhaps the current SWs don't realise that there has already been a disturbed gamekeeper storyline. Doing away with the archivist was a huge error imho and has led to training plots and characters acting out of well, character.

Trailing plots, fgs!

Alleycat1 - I do so agree, although I also believe the revolving door of editors* since VW's retirement has had something to do with it. I can't remember who it was who did away with the archivist, though - was it VW herself, I wonder, leaving a legacy of incontinuity?
*IYSWIM?

Don't the actors say something? Or is it too late by the time they see the scripts?

If the SW's pile on the agony for the Grundy's ,making Will redundant and losing his cottage, therefore having to live in No.2 or is it 1 ? and making the rest of his family homeless. (not to mention the death of Joe) I will stop listening, it's becoming effing ridiculous.

R4 - I've always had the impression that the actors are presented with faits accomplis and any discussion would mean instant dismissal if they dare to protest, even faintly, they are ignored.

I sneakingly suspect that some of the actors are less invested in their characters’ histories and personalities than many listeners!

Yes you're probably right Argumentative they KNOW it's not real (oh dear, the irony!). If that is the correct term ?

I SUPPOSE it might be a good storyline if Helen were to recognise the danger signs and befriend Will. Presumably she spends a fair amount of her time with Clarrie and Susan in the dairy.

I think Keri Davies is back on the rota for September - he has a lot of Archers history (though he did get lot of flack when he commented that Ambridge was a village of 800 homes when people were trying to figure out where Brian's old chemical tip might have been).

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that some actors don’t actually listen to all the completed episodes! I wonder if they see scripts for scenes they are not in?

Hi all! Newbie here, and Archers listener for about 8 years now. My first ever episode was Nigel falling off the roof!

When was the other gamekeeper SL?

Yes they get the whole scripts, well they do on telly anyway! I suppose on radio they'll get each week's worth.

DD1 was in one ep of Lovejoy and she got the whole script (a long time ago now of course).