Archers thread #113: Who’ll find some Magic Time this Christmas in Ambridge? Share the glad tidings (and bad writing) in The Archers! Election-free zone so far ...

[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 Hannah to stay around, 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 @SurpriseSparDay for the title. I haven't heard 12/12 yet so must catch up now, seeking relief from the outside world.

Thanks, Gaspode! I was getting quite worried there!

Sterling work Gasp0!

Looking forward to the topical insert this evening ...

Certainly TA is election-free, and mostly Brexit-free in their little bubble.

Hello, place marking!

SW1 - Oh hello young person, I don’t think we’ve met; this is the Archers script meeting, are you in the right place?

Intern - yes, we have been introduced several times, I came to this meeting regularly until you seconded me to the election fact checking unit.

SW2 - oh my god, how was that?

Intern- not as bad as I thought, political lies are pretty easy to spot. I have been keeping up with the minutes of these meetings though, so I know what’s been going on.

SW1 - there are minutes?

Junior admin man - yes, I circulate them every week by email (mumbling) not that anyone except the intern ever opens the email.

SW2 - I’ve always wondered who you were.

Intern - is everyone here, there seem to be fewer people than usual? I see the admin guy has a seat at the table rather than standing in the group at the door.

SW3 - yes, scriptwriters 4 to 27 have moved on to new projects

SW1 - so young person, you are aware of project Sort Out the Hanging Threads. I feel we’re making good progress now. Once Russ falls out of the attic window, Ed and Em reconcile over Christmas dinner, Joy becomes Pat’s new best friend, Helen marries Lee and Natasha is arrested for bigamy we’ll be good to go with some sensible ideas.

Intern- sounds good to me.

(Just thought it would be nice to have some optimism this morning.)

Yay! The Intern returns.
Thanks for the new thread Gasp

SW - mince pies trumps all references to election.

Thanks, Gasp0de, for the new thread. This should see us nicely into the new year.

I'm still hoping the Lee storyline will also resolve the great blu-tack / frames debate.

Thanks once again Gaspode. I haven't heard last night's offering yet, so I won't comment on whatever might have gone on. In any case I'm still fuming from two days ago over David's pig-headed stupidity. And yes, I have the constant annoyance (in common with a pp on the last thread) everytime Justin is on air, at how far he has apparently fallen in the mega-rich stakes without anyone noticing.

Just caught up with last night. I have a bad feeling about Joy, and the flashing arrows directing me to said feelings could be seen from outer space.

Good to see the intern back, and let's hope that's a verbatim transcript!

Checking in. Thanks for new thread

There's nowt so attractive as self pity. Tony's being played for a fool.

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

Now I have listened. What was that nonsense on the website? The one line summary of the episode says 'Tony makes a mistake' What was his 'mistake'? The lie to Pat (which will clearly be found out)? Forgetting the anniversary? Falling for Joy's hook? None of those are mistakes, particularly the lie, which is what I suspect they're referring to.

Thanks for the new thread Gasp0de.

Called it with Joy and Rochelle. I suppose she'll be invited to Christmas dinner at Bridge Farm.

Now that Lee and Helen are an item again, is she going to come clean and tell her mum this time? Is she going to admit she was seeing him last time?

I'm still hoping the Lee storyline will also resolve the great blu-tack / frames debate

Yes! @DadDadDad. I am still offended that Keri Davies ignored my tweet asking him to comment.

Shame the intern wasn't present at the SW meeting where they discussed "magic time". I'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that.

Do we think "Rochelle" actually exists? I quite expect to hear that she has grabbed some pictures of a lady and kids off the internet.

Thank-you for the new thread, though I am going to have to remember not to read the title. I hope this thread is the last time "Magic Time" arises.

Why oh why does Helen continue to lie about seeing Lee to Pat!

I wasn't listening properly earlier in the week, but is the plan that Elizabeth will host Christmas for all the Archers?

Joy can have Kathy's place at the Fridge Barm Christmas table.
Thanks for the new thread.
Good to see that the intern is back.

I think Rochelle and the kids do exist, but I suspect Rochelle has posted on MN for advice, and has gone low contact with her mum. So she'll (Rochelle) send the occasional text, maybe a card from the kids, and so on, but not actually see her, unless it's at big family gatherings.

Joy will try to get her claws into Tony and that will be the Christmas drama. I'd prefer the mannequin to come to life and frighten CMR so much that he falls out of the attic window.

Does Lee know about Rob yet? Missed a few episodes. How did he not know? Do they not google in Borsetshire?

Google? In Borsetshire? Goodness me, of course they don't. If they did that, they might find out that it's sensible to take legal advice before entering into a business contract with a businessman known for being duplicitious, and then where would we be?

Yes, Lee now knows all about Rob and thinks it's fine. Not at all sure I would in his shoes.

but is the plan that Elizabeth will host Christmas for all the Archers? Sort of. She was suggesting that each of them could bring a dish. So the Christmas dinner will be a bring-your-own buffet with several sets of pigs-in-blankets and no-one bringing the turkey or the brandy butter.

Does Lee know about Rob yet? Missed a few episodes. How did he not know? Do they not google in Borsetshire

The explanation was that he’d remembered the story, but hadn’t realised that Helen Archer and Helen Titchner were one and the same. And I think it’s plausible that she’d look quite different.

And I’m getting feeling cross at Tony, and David, and CMR, and Elizabeth, and the list is growing!

The one line summary of the episode says 'Tony makes a mistake' What was his 'mistake'?
Having listened to the repeat I think, Fink, that his mistake was accepting Joy's offer of a lovely beef stew. He then went home, realised that he had messed up re the anniversary and had no choice but to force down a second dinner of "winter casserole" (which sounds suspiciously worthy and veggie).