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.

I’m looking forward to Joy meeting Susan.

We could have had a new character from Ireland, north or south. That accent is no longer represented, now Siobhan has joined the majority and Ruairi has lost his improbable Dublin accent.

Ian is from Ireland

QuaterMiss
I’ll never forget how ‘normal’ Rob seemed at first.

That is because when he was introduced by Vanessa Whitburn in October 2012, and then arrived and started to speak in January 2013 while she was still editor, he was intended to be normal -- a replacement for Brian, according to his actor at the BBC show at Hampton Court. It was only after VW resigned from the programme and Sean O'Connor arrived, and he and Tim Stimpson got together and decided the programme needed an abuser to be an Issue, that Rob was completely changed and turned into an ogre. Rob and Helen didn't get together until Helen started to make a play for him after his dinner party for Adam and Ian in June 2013 and then embarked on a determined pursuit during the next couple of months regardless of his being married; even then he was by no means awful apart from not telling her to sling her hook and then not keeping it in his trousers, except for a few slight clues such as his stereotyping gays as liking musicals. He didn't start being nasty (apart from being unfaithful to his wife while she was nursing her dying father) until Jess's arrival in Ambridge, and even then he came across as henpecked rather than a bully until the night of her party.

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

BBC cast-list says "Joy Horville: Jackie Lye", so yes it is.

I’m going to have the Brush Strokes ‘Because of You’ going round in my head now!

Thank you Asking.

(I was aware of Rob’s character development but I daresay other listeners might not be.)

Think my Borg point still stands!

Doh! Of course Ian has the Northern Irish accent position. We don't hear him often enough. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I know we've had several years of serious and difficult storylines, but this new 'Comedy Archers' trend, that seems to be prevalent just now, isn't really doing it for me

JennyDarling is turning into a ridiculous caricature of herself.

The nosy neighbour, Joy, has potential for light-hearted relief, if used sparingly.

My goodness, though, if this sort of thing carries on, we'll be hearing Adam sounding genuinely amused about something

And that would never do....

And BTW, I love Ian's accent and voice

Welsh Pat. Not sure which part of Wales she was from. That little bit of Wales in the Home Counties perhaps.

One of the papers at the first Academic Archers was on accents, with Shula and Pat as the examples over decades. Pat really did sound quite Welsh when she first arrived in Ambridge - they played a recording.

I knew I knew Joy from somewhere, if I remember rightly Sandra from Brush Strokes was one of the better actors in that series.

Right. So we've got the main countries of the UK represented:

Northern Ireland - Ian
Wales - Natasha (and formerly Pat)
Scotland - Jazzer

Regionally in England, we've now got 2 Geordies. Quite a lot of generic country yokel.

What's Will's accent? can't tell for the whinging. Why doesn't he sound like his brother?

I think there are some Brummies/Midlands as you'd expect. Who though?

No northerners/Yorkshire types are there?

I really hope Lexi goes home and keeps her lovely baby, citing Jenny as the reason why.
(Sorry Adam)

Northerners include:

Johnny
Leonard
Harrison

Tracey sounds vaguely West Country to me

I had Tracey filed under country yokel... which is usually West Country by default.

I am really impressed at Painting recognising an actress from a role she played 30 years ago! (I vaguely remembered that Brush Strokes was about a painter, but I don't remember watching it). Actually, given your username, perhaps you specialise in painting-related dramas?

Yes, but Tracey sounds nothing like Susan to my ears! Did they grow up together?

One of the specious reasons given for sacking the previous Tom actor and replacing him with the Tony actor's son was that the previous actor had always kept his native Nottingham accent. I never found this a problem. I always knew who he was. This was a good thing.

No northerners/Yorkshire types are there? Don't forget Alan - who I occasionally confuse with Harrison.

Isn’t Usha from Leeds?

No she's from Hounslow.

Oh yes, I forgot Alan.

I often mix him up with Harrison too.

Isn't Harrison from Lancashire?

Ruth is not a geordie. She is meant to be from Northumberland.