Archers thread #114: Bull banished, Bali beaches beckon, bickering bullshitters burgeon

[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 Gavin 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 for all thread title suggestions! I've gone with a B theme which with a bit of luck will seem odd and irrelevant by the end of this thread. Here's hoping, anyway.

Haven't caught up with tonight's episode yet, so off to do that shortly.

I am scared of those things that are not bulls. (Also scared of bulls but they’re not unpleasant to look at.)

Why is everyone constantly so convinced Philip is about to snuff it? Has there been some leak or presaging that I've missed?

He keeps climbing up ladders, or hurting his back, there is just a certain air of expectation . Also as someone mentioned Kirsty is never allowed to be happy, it's the law.

Well I think Kirsty will get to marry Philip. Because I think Tom will find out that Natasha is cheating on him, probably about the same time. Kirsty may well have a surprise child, just to get the Gavin reaction. Then in a couple of years Philip will pop his clogs. Kirsty will be a brave widow. And then the SW will get Tom and Kirsty back together.

I wouldn't be best pleased if the SWs ever put Tom back with Kirsty! I like Kirsty and Philip, I don't like Tom and Natasha, so the present arrangement suits me very well. I'd like Kirsty to have a child or even twins and all to go very well. I suppose for succession planning storylines Tom and Natasha will also have to have at least one child - a monster, I hope. She and Cousin Henry can fight it out in the next generation.

Ohhhh, jus

oops! (sodding ipad)

... Just had a thought

Gnasher and Gavin have an affair and run off together to Wales!

I wondered if Shula might end up somehow accompanying Jim to the funeral and this would in some way contribute to her presentation to the Bishop. I like the way all the animosity has drained out of their relationship now, but this has happened very gradually and subtly over a period of time without requiring a sudden personality transplant for either of them.
I’m not sure what to make of the Dopey’s going into the wedding business - it appears this is going to be a new seam of ‘comedy’ in the style of Jenny’s new kitchen. It did strike me however that Kenton’s initial assessment of the possibility was absolutely spot on.

Tosh. An underused word, I feel. And what a load of tosh these last few episodes have been. I thought last night's was particularly tosh, actually. The plotting and story-lining and scripting have been completely out of kilter for a while, it seems to me. Did I mention I thought it was tosh? Although, some might say, it is typical of real life in that nothing is smooth, things happen randomly and jerkily with no clear pattern. I think that might be what I'm complaining about, although I also think the plots are most unrealistic and particularly badly written at the moment. Who's the SW, I wonder? Ah, one Paul Brodrick. The name is new to me. Is this his first time, does anyone know?

And then the SW will get Tom and Kirsty back together

Is this what SOC meant about really testing them as a couple before they take over Bridge Farm???

Loving this long term scenario!

Why is everyone constantly so convinced Philip is about to snuff it? Has there been some leak or presaging that I've missed?

I don't know of any spoilers (I deliberately avoid reading anything in advance because it makes the guessing more fun, also hate actor photos but that's another matter), but there've been many portentous, ominous incidents over the last months. Apart from the above-mentioned 'comedy' dangerous situations such as balancing on ladders, there's the periodic references to his advanced age, even though many characters much older than him barely mention their age. Sometimes in conjunction with injury like when he put his back out carrying stuff for the house move. Plus there's the classic 'making happy plans for the future' which, as far as the SWs are concerned, seems to be the ultimate hubris for some characters and thus doomed to fail. Basically, he's been doing the equivalent of the unnamed background character in Casulty or Star Trek who suddenly gets their starring episode and therefore the audeience knows that their painful demise is destined to come soon.

Sorry to harp on about it, but the first time I can find Paul Brodrick credited for a week of episodes is May 2019. Sad sack that I am, I checked to find out how it came over to posters here, and this comment, by @Eastie77, jumped out at me: Everyone is acting out of character at the moment. It says exactly what I'm trying to express myself, today, but far more succintly! There were other similar remarks on the same thread, so he clearly has form for this!
Thread link here for anyone interested

*Basically, he's been doing the equivalent of the unnamed background character in In a nutshell.

Thanks for the link - this is what stood out for me: I know Paul Brodrick wrote scripts for TA from 1999 until early 2005, and then left until 2015; I am beginning to see why they stopped using him for ten years. That was dreadful tosh. - was that you before a name change?

Sorry - clearly not. That comment was by AskingQuestions who is still very much here in the same incarnation.

Thank you, LillianGish - sorry, hadn't realised AskingQuestions had been toshing around the same thoughts all that time ago!

Kirsty will be posting on here. "AIBU to elope?"

And of course the Dopey's first booking is to the daughter of their nemesis. David is correct that Vince will screw them over, Ruth's deluded if she thinks he won't. He's already started, by telling his daughter she'll get a good deal.

It's more than out of kilter. So many new characters for no obvious reason. Too many cartoon baddies. Dropped or preposterous SLs.
Just rubbish.

Agreed, MUM. Blimey, and I remember the days when I thought the Beetle was bad! (Vanessa Whitburn = VW = the Beetle, just in case you were wondering! Originated on Umra, I think.)

Gnasher and Gavin have an affair and run off together to Wales! Nobody deserves Gavin, not even Pip.

Voldemort's Wife. I too thought it was bad then but it seems to have characters that I don't care about now and the ones I do care about are behaving out-of-character or are given ridiculous SLs.

The characters that I loved are gone or are new actors. I wish my darling Tom, the real Tom Archer, was still here and I still pine for Nigel, dedded for ratings.

I have no idea what is going on at Radio 4 (was tempted to type @R4 ). It seems so lightweight now and many of the programmes that I loved are gone or changed for the worse. Radio 4 chiefs seem to be like M&S are accused of being - have no idea of who their core audience is any more. I am middle aged, fairly intelligent (RG group university educated), like music, love books, love drama, like news-type programmes and magazine-type programmes, science etc. I can retune if I want lightweight or music. I find myself switching off more and more often.

Back to TA, of the new characters, I like Natasha, and as I am welsh, I am tempted to move to Ambridge as I might feel at home with there being four fellow countrypeople there.

Strange how Gavin and Philip don't have the same accent, and they all seem to be from South Wales apart from Welsh Pat. Gavin's accent sounds put on, and Natasha's parents live in North Wales. Why do they not speak to each other in Welsh? None of them have Welsh names - although I do know a welsh speaking Philip and Gavin, Natasha and Patricia aren't exactly names that welsh parents would give their child.

Regional accents are usually bad. Comedy brummies and the weird Mummersetshire accent.

Even Kirsty and her mother had different accents.
I suppose that New Tony and Fake Tom do actually sound like they might be father and son.

Gavin would be ideal for Pip.

I was surprised at Vince's daughter being so soppy about animals. How does she square that with her father's business? Another comedy dimensional caracature, she reminded me of Joyce.

one dimensional