The Archers #109: Pulp Fiction! Hammer Horror (Tracy), Carry On (Brian & Neil), Call the Midwife (Adam, Ian, Lexi) - but no political thrillers, Ambridge remains Brexit-free. Nitpick here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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. grin

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 Bucking Frolics and LillianGish for the title ideas, which I had to edit down a bit to get under the character limit.

I wonder if Lily will have gone back to Manchester by the time we've filled this thread.

Why introduce new characters when there are so many story lines already? This is it in a nutshell.

Loving all the outrage.

I’m not so bothered by the poor incomer. All I hear is Lynda / Vicky / Charlie Version 57. She has to start off exaggeratedly awful so we can be shown her jou*y towards assimilation. (I’ll never forget how ‘normal’ Rob seemed at first. I’ll take absurd caricature every time.)

I agree we don’t necessarily need random paramedics or whoever to be voiced - but given an entire new estate of houses I’m inclined to think the introduction of one new character is not just legitimate but necessary.

Will wait and see how she develops ...

Dear lord that was a trial to listen to.

What's happening to

Ben's puppy
Jennifer's tagine woes
Helen's ability to love again

Not to mention
the Gills
lower loxley

Sorry I haven't been joining in - recent new baby in the house has caused a fair bit of chaos. I do still listen and enjoy it all, and have posted previously but probably under different user name.

I just wondered (without reading the thread - sorry), is the general consensus that Adam and Ian will get their baby or that Lexi will run off with it in some way? (As the legal mother)?

Also what is going on with Lily and that awful bloke? He gets a vague mention now and then but I really thought that was going somewhere sinister - maybe I am hoping for too much there.

I’m inclined to think the introduction of one new character is not just legitimate but necessary Yes and no. There are other developments (Grange Spinney, Glebelands??) mentioned periodically and inhabited by silent characters who are as vivid in their own way as the speakers. I would have thought Beechwood would have been a golden opportunity for a couple more of these - Kirsty could have described her neighbour, Emma could have recounted her encounter at the PC meeting. It would almost certainly have been funnier and would have taken up less time. Instead we have other recently introduced characters- Russ, Natasha - even Timotei - waiting in the wings with nothing to do. As for the Gills they are neither silent nor voiced - I’m not sure what the SWs are intending there. A new family who have ousted Ambridge’s Lords of the Manor from their nest and who were supposedly merrily ripping the ancestral Aldridge home apart under their very noses (well at least decapitating Ruari’s dog statue) while Farm business continues as usual all around them and we have had not so much as a peep or a mention.

This may have been covered before but why didn’t Jenny and Brian move into their cottage on the farm? If the farm still belongs to them except for the house are they still being let out?

I must confess Lynda’s arrival did cross my mind too Quater but at least when she and Robert arrived from Sunningdale it was explained why they were downsizing (to Ambridge Hall ) so their move made sense even if Lynda did take a bit of getting used to (not to mention the fact that Carole Boyd is such a great actress). Joy hasn’t given the slightest indication of why she might have moved to Ambridge - she just keeps wittering on about her daughter in Leeds. Once again all plot and no character.

I am so tempted to give up.
I didn't like Lynda at first, and she still doesn't strike me as someone from Sunningdale.

I suspect/hope that Joy may be a passing phenomenon. Having coughed up for an extra actress for the council meeting scene, someone said "We have to pay her to turn up for the recording anyway, let's write in an incredibly amusing scene where she further shows her townie ways and doesn't let anyone get a word in edgeways. Then she need never appear again and we can just insert the occasional line when Kirsty moans about her neighbour till everyone forgets about her."

I’m hoping Joy is still there in thirty years - fully integrated into the village.

If she’s single (widowed, divorced, happily partner free?) the SWs may want to exploit that. Although as she has an adult daughter and grandchildren it may be that their eventual arrival in Ambridge is the larger intention. Does Rochelle have a partner, as well as a glamorous public speaking existence?

Have to say, having been, over the course of a tediously long life, both a source of excited pride and bitter disappointment for my parents (and stuck firmly in the latter category right now) I’m finding Joy’s garrulous delight in her daughter very sweet to hear.

I think Rochelle is a victim of a pyramid selling organisation which is going to come tumbling down round her ears. Her speaking engagements are selling parties.

Yes, just think of all the lovely stereotypical behaviour they could plan for Joy over the coming months! Hen-pecked husband?

Pretty sure there’s no husband. Wasn’t she introduced to us as definitively single? (Leading to speculation, on my part at least, that she might exist to hint at Kirsty’s likely future of solo executive house possession.)

I think Rochelle is a victim of a pyramid selling organisation

Aha ...!

I think my main objection to Joy is that she has no demonstrable reason for moving to Ambridge. Other new characters (love em or loathe em) at least had a reason to be there: CallMeRuss taught in Borchester, Timotei - worked for Oliver (ostensibly), Lee - teaching Karate, Knob - came for work ditto Charlie, Vickoi - met Mike at Ballroom dancing, Gnasher - met Tom thru Nuffield, Tracey - previously silent sister of Susan, Lillian’s son and Robert’s daughters the same.

Maybe it’s an elaborate witness protection scheme cover.

Maybe her husband is in prison for farm chemical smuggling and she’s the new Don, come to find out where the missing drums are.

Other new characters (love em or loathe em) at least had a reason to be there: [eg] ... Tracey - previously silent sister of Susan
The Horrobins are as much a part of Ambridge as the Grundys.
But I agree that the arrival of Joy is inexplicable, unless her family encouraged her (can't think why) to live somewhere very distant.

Just had a thought. The Christmas show/panto is looming isn't it? (There is no way the Canterbury Tales were Lynda's last). Joy is going to be one of those people who thinks she can sing isn't she 😱

I do not like the new Geordie woman at all.

Is it just that they have all the other main regional accents covered by other characters?

Scots - Jazzer
Welsh - Natasha

etc... please give me some others.

Is it Jackie Lye who's playing Joy? She was the Secretary Sandra in Brush Strokes. It sounds like her

Ruth is from Northumberland

Ah yes, forgot about Ruth. Maybe we'll get a Geordie showdown.

Welsh Pat. Not sure which part of Wales she was from. That little bit of Wales in the Home Counties perhaps.
Ruth is from Northumberland but the actress is from County Durham I think. As an aside I enjoyed Kevin Whateley on R4 last week such a lovely voice and accent.
Robin Fairbrother is from Cabin Pressure... Bring me the voice of Anthony Head.