Call #111 for Archers advice: Is Hilda breathing? Should Joy be breathing? Could Nelson Gabriel be in cryogenic suspension? Discuss The Archers 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 Joy'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 for all the input on title suggestions. I'd missed the significance of 111, but @R4 and DDD, our resident numerologist, were right on to it. Strongly tempted by Bore's suggestion but couldn't resist the chance to mention my favourite ever Archers character, Nelson Gabriel. Have not managed to incorporate a cricket reference, so you'll have to read up on that for yourselves. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_(cricket)

I wonder if this thread will last till Joe's funeral.

I see Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, sometime TA scriptwriter (who’s created a few wonderful scenes) has a new play on at the Royal Court soon - A Kind of People.

The blurb says

“Gary and Nicky have been together since school. Gary’s going for a promotion so he can get his family out of their council flat and give Nicky everything she deserves.”

Why am I certain it won’t end well for them? ...

Helen is 40. I predict a fling with Toby.

Well unless Helen has a marked change of character (remember Lee?) she'd run a mile from a cad like Toby , Of course with these SW's anything's possible.

Happy Halloween everyone I'm off line for my couple of weeks with you

Have a good break, ppeatfruit!

Helen has abysmal taste in men, but surely after Rob and the debacle with Lee she should have learned some sort of lesson?

Not another fucking character!

And more “comedy”

Noooooo! Freddie...

When will he learn? Has he no impulse control whatsoever? I am so sick of hearing him apologise.

I really really hope Shula doesn’t forgive him. Or forgives him but says she can’t have him living there any more. It was an u forgivable thing to do. He really is a vile little toad.

Oh no! What happened? Do I even care?

God Freddie's whining is irritating. The thing that really pissed me off was "don't be angry" and "I couldn't help myself; utter lack of responsibility. Shula will forgive him because of her Christian beliefs but agree. he should be booted out of her house.

I listened on fast forward so missed what he did. The drag act was excruciating though

The thing that really pissed me off was "don't be angry" and "I couldn't help myself; utter lack of responsibility.

Yes, he really has learned nothing. He has been shit stirring abouut uOliver and Tracey and caused trouble there, breaching Shula's trust in such a nasty way and the sharing it onward was vile. Then he turns round like a whiny little 6 yr old expecting everythign to be ok if he says the right words because it pretty much always is for him.

If George or similar had pulled half the stunts Freddie had they would be in far more trouble and without the wealthy family, aunts and friends to prop him up at every stage.

I listened on fast forward so missed what he did. He read Shula's autobiography. And then blabbed about it to Kenton, which was how he was found out. So not just out-of-order, stupid with it.

It was one way of filling in newer listeners (ie those who've listened for only a decade or two) to a bit of back story.

A most surreal episode, but l kind of enjoyed it.

Think so, @echt - I’m not her though unfortunately.

I’m confused about why they think Joe, who never came up with a good idea in life, would suddenly have come up with a stonker now just because he’s dead.

Carmen Haveago... Quelle beau de lollox.

If this were intended as a serious story Ms Haveago might turn out to be Eddie and Alf’s half-sibling. (Though the wording of the letter suggested something more like a scientific discovery.)

But I don’t get the impression it’s being played for anything but lols ...

Either way, can we have DoctorTwo’s elegant phrase in the next thread title please?

(Name-changed btw)

Haven't dared listen for days. Tell me when it's all over. This goes for TA and GE

About to listen to last night’s episode. I think it’s too early for a quick pre-listen tot of something fortifying so I’m going in raw here.

I never thought I’d say this but I felt a tiny bit sorry for Shula. And the scene with Lynda and Tracey was well done (who hasn’t applied brute force to a recalcitrant printer). But the whole Carmen thing is just ridiculous, why can’t the Grundy family just mourn Joe without having “comedy” interludes?

Well - given Joe’s death is being used for comedy effect i shall spend a moment thinking of him reunited with eg Jethro, Uncle Tom, Dan and Doris, Walter, Marjory A and of course Susan.

I feel incredibly sorry for Shula. Such a kick in the teeth from someone she has been so good to.
I don’t get the Shula hate actually. Never have done.

Shockingly I read ‘Shula’ and ‘kick in the teeth’ and thought ‘horse’. I have no idea where my apparent loathing of her comes from but it is strong.
Goes way back to her first husband (whose name I’ve spectacularly forgotten) and somehow their early relationship and his parents ?? She has too often been used to be the disapproving voice re eg Kenton Elizabeth Kate. Her friendship with saint Caroline couldn’t undo it. Richard ??

I’ve got a theory that Shula’s unpopular because she is quite real and very ordinary. Tries to be kind-sometimes gets it wrong, sometimes not. Very loyal, agonises over things. A bit too much holding a mirror up to the listener.