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.

Trust me, the accent was weird. Kirsty to me doesn't sound like a scouser, but she sounds like she is from somewhere near Liverpool, probably the part of Merseyside that used to be in Lancashire.
If Kirsty's mum was say Heswall born and bred, or lived there for nearly 40 years she would not sound like a Scouser.

Patricia Routledge sums it up. Kirsty's mum sounded broad scouse.

I'm curious as to where in Wirral Kirsty is from. It is a strange area as a part of it is in Cheshire, parts very merseyside, and the west part is posher. Paul O'Grady and Paul Hollywood are both from Wirral.

And what biscuits cost £2.45?? Even in a village shop?

I think they need a proper black country accent...

Village shop biscuits are usually expensive, and Ruth would have gone for naice biscuits.

Old Pip sounded realistically west midlands, unlike NewPip who has a strange way of speaking.

How do I find, and listen to, other radio 4 dramas besides the Archers? I listen to the Archers on BBC sounds.

You see, this is what is so wrong about BBC radio now! I wanted to agree with whoever mentioned its current awfulness above - but VillageFete’s query (welcome, btw!) just underlines the iniquity. I can’t add to the helpful suggestions on BBC Sounds because I have abandoned it and just use the R4 and R3 websites now. Unless I have to catch up, when they seem to want my passport, annual income and grandmother’s place of birth ...

R3 is probably undergoing an even worse evolution in pursuit of da yoof. I now have to make an appointment with myself for the maybe two or three worthwhile programmes in a week. The rest is piss poor light entertainment.

It won’t last anyway. Even the family teen, who has been force fed radio from babyhood (how I remember the look of attention on their toddler face as Ian proposed to Adam!) has noticed the concerted downgrading of broadcast in favour of podcast.

Lord knows how I’ll keep myself entertained for the next forty odd years ...

so two of the least likeable characters (well there are so many ...) have Welsh accents.

What conclusion do we draw?

I made the mistake of paying attention to the Book at Bedtime last night so then failed to fall asleep to the utter horror that was "The Skewer".
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m000czyb
I'm not sure what R4 are trying to do, but I wish they would stop it. I switched from R1 in my late 20's/30's so it pains me to have to listen to the ageing DJ's I actively avoided all those years ago.

The World Service seems to have resisted too much change, though I did catch a rather terrifying piece suggesting that the hot weather in the Aussie outback was heating up the ground to the extent that it was in danger of sterilising the stud animals (actually that might have been a nightmare after dozing off to the Skewer).

Anyway, why do you think they have dragged Kirsty's mum down to Ambridge? Will she be the only one brave enough to ask Joy why she moved into a big house miles from home?

Village A couple of the R4 drama series I really enjoy, is Curious Under The Stars, set in a small coastal village in West Wales. The other one I don't remember the full name of, but it's The Philosophers, set in an old northern pit village.
Both are what I'd call lightweight, easy listening.

I'm sure this is old news to most of you but I was very taken back recently to come across Linda Snell with a Scottish accent in Postman Pat.... Just wrong!

Shall I complain to Radio 4 that TA is racist? .

Regional accents on TA are usually hammed up and:
Baddie - Welsh or Brummie
RP - moneyed good egg or villain
Cockney/Eshjuary- wide boy
Northern - down to earth, kind
Mummerset - native to Borsetshire and either comedy or will have a heap of shite dropped on them regularly from a great height

I had a bad Radio 4 day on Wednesday. Did I mention Soul Music. I love the song, but not the programme, and that song will now only remind me of Soul Destroying. Whatever song they feature they kill it for me. I had to listen to Jenni Murray to get over it, and I usually switch Wimmin Sour off.

Just before bed last night, The Skewer. WTF. It was like a headache. It was either bonkers, clever or highly annoying. I found it annoying. I didn't switch off but wasn't really listening. I won't be trying to catch it again.

I listen to Radio 4 usually all day Shipping Forecast to Shipping Forecast. I have been listening to Radio Four for decades and started because I wanted intelligent programmes and liked that it was an old fogey station to listen to. Even the Today programme has gone down hill.

Motoko, it was The Ferryhill Philosophers, with Alun Armstrong - we enjoyed it very much.

Am with everyone on the dumbed down podcastiness of so much on R4 these days, and the unfunny comedy.

Why the hell they keep banging on about introducing a younger audience I don’t know. Why not change R1 to entice an older audience? Many people seem to come to R4 as they get older and find R1 annoying, although R4 has been the background to my days for most of my life.

Yes, had great hopes of The Skewer due to John Holmes being behind it but . Of course we’ll probably be accused of not ‘getting it’ because we’re old. Bring back John Finnemore and David Sedaris.

Love the idea of dragging someone in off the street near The Mailbox (assuming that's where the Archers is recorded) to voice random Archers Brummies. The Stephanie actress tried, bless her, but it didn't really work out ...

Strange how Gavin and Philip don't have the same accent Will and Ed don't have the same accent. That really is bizarre, as brothers brought up in the same village. My son has a different accent from me, but that's because he was brought up in a different place.

I withdraw my previous comment that "nobody deserves Gavin" - I'd quite forgotten Hannah.

I don’t recall being offered biscuits when looking at wedding venues. I went to see marquees with DIL-to-be, and we were fed with bacon rolls - exceptionally good ones, too. But I guess that's different.

Have almost abandoned BBC sounds, for Audible. It hurts, but is for the best. Cranford on Sounds was pure bedtime bliss, for eg. I listen to TA after catching up with this thread, and am thus to a degree braved for what comes.

MikeUniformMike
I suppose that New Tony and Fake Tom do actually sound like they might be father and son.

Might that be because David Troughton is William Troughton's father?

What on earth was that accent from Stephanie? Truly awful.

Oh, are they related in real life. Asking? I think that NewTony is great considering how he had to take over from Colin Skipp, but I loved the Real Tom, even though his character was annoying.

I re-listened to The Skewer and decided that it was just bonkers. I didn't try to understand it and still didn't listen properly.

I shall join in with the general grumpiness. I used to have Radio 4 on from morning to night, on intravenous drip. Not any more. I often turn off in exasperation at arguing current affairs people, un-funny comedians or general vapidness. There are still some gems but they are few and far between.

I was also appalled by Miss Casey. (a) her accent was awful, they could have pulled anyone off the street to do a better performance (b) why are Brummies always comedically thick (c) we don't need yet more random characters and (d) WHY IS THIS EVEN A SL!? When Steph gets back to them, David and Ruth just need to say, "sorry, somebody else has pipped you to the post and booked that date." They are under no obligation to take the booking.

Arghh. Turned on the radio and it's Sarah Millican. Radio off again until 7:02

Same here R4, her voice is like nails on a blackboard.

The most unbelievable scene on TA ever; Ruth dashing into the village shop for an emergency packet of biscuits. The woman lives with Jill Archer for pete's sake

I love sarah Milligan but I absolutely love daisy May cooper who was a guest on that show. Laughed my tits off!

I can take or leave Sarah Millican but I switch Grace Dent off.
Sorry for being grumpy.

On a positive note, Any Questions seems to be OK with a new chairperson, and I love Any Answers.

The team building thing. Just why?

I love Freddie.

“Kirsty is a bit wet really isn't she? If Gavin had spoken to me like that I couldn't have been so polite”

YES. ‘Oh gavin you don’t mean that’ she should have gone for the jugular, i was seething for her.

The dopeys at the wedding fair annoyed me a lot, david was grumpy and clueless and miserable as usual. Then roooth being all affronted that by some miracle an actual punter wanted to follow up with them - they both sounded terribly huffy and put upon at the prospect of someone actually booking a service they offer, even before the spawn of casey bombshell.

Lillian is going to change her mind about overhauling the bull. I liked that scene with her and peggy talking about the good old days. I liked jim and shula as well. Hello SWs, people just being nice and sensible and normal together can also be entertaining, not everything has to be villains or ‘hilarious’ stereotypes or crap slapstick