💥 Archers thread #117: Welcome to the only C19-free area in the world! 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 think Phoebe is a genius, 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/3853783--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-5-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, 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.)

I put the BOOM! emoticon in the title as I thought it could transition into a vague likeness of a virus if we're still going by early May, when we expect some wild contortions from the production team to get Ambridge back in synch with the rest of the world. I think I would have preferred them to ignore it altogether but I suppose they couldn't.

I am bored brainless by the nonsense of the whole Philip-and-his-twirling-moustaches storyline. The plot doesn't just have holes its a crater with a fragment of plot.

Just to say: Tamsin Greig (sp?) is Malvolio (or rather Malvolia) in the National Theatre's production of Twelfth Night, streaming on their website till Thursday next.

I’ve seen that Twelfth Night, it is fantastic.

Oh and it's free to stream.

I can’t say I care very much about Shula, but I enjoyed Jim’s advice to Robert (even if it reminded me of someone else who recently said ‘sorry if you’re upset’ type of non-apology.)

Thanks for tip about Twelfth Night. I should probably follow that up. I've been steadily working through The Sweeney, which is not quite to the same level.

No Archers tonight.

I know. I start cooking at 7 because .....

The lack of TA, ineffably daft as some the SLs are, severely affects my early morning routine, the cuppa, the emptying of the dishwasher.

If anyone is pining for Brian's delicious voice, he is playing the beautifully named Crispin Mountnessing in The Wyndham Case on Radio 4 Extra.

Well I’m in a mood this morning as like echt I’m denied the pleasure of listening to the Archers whilst unloading the dishwasher. So possibly my infuriation at just how wrong the SWs can get things is compounded by my mood, but how can they not have taken advice on accidents at work etc. As @ArgumentativeAardvaark says this would be a matter for the HSE, not the police. If the HSE find criminal goings on they will report to the police, though I will concede police may have attended the scene as both ambulance and fire were called (when I worked in engineering many years ago this was the case) but generally would not be involved in the initial investigations.

This is as infuriating as Shula’s total ineptitude with horses (harness, bits falling out of mouths unnoticed, horses so fat a vet has to put them on diets).

These aren’t highly specialised areas and it would be easy to get the facts reasonably right, as it is they jar horribly when listening.

I shall resume silent dishwasher unloading.

Agree about the lack of expertise with so many storylines
It's jarring as i eye roll and sigh 'as if'
Whereas a scene where, say, Susan and Emma clash while doing the washing up is nearly always real, and the ordinary stuff is actually why I listen

the ordinary stuff is actually why I listen
This. Do you think the Intern could remind them, please.

It irritates me that they smugly go on about the accuracy of the agricultural storyline - the adviser even gets a mention the credits - but pretty much every other story is thunderously wrong.

I didn't like Philip from pretty much the start. He was okay with Fixing Lilian's bathroom. But then how he became in the middle of Shula and Alistair's divorce - listening to confidences of both parties.
The fact that Eddie lost work to him on price, was highly suspicious in hind sight.
And I find it odd to have had two dodgey builders in the last two years.
I found Philip fixing a fence for the Church at one point, chillingly reminiscent of Tim (the builder).
Also the most telling aspect of the Harrison interview was, Harrison not pointing out the key point: if Blake can't drive where did he get petrol from?
Health and Safety have been mentioned on numerous occasions as have "insurance" they just aren't the focus of the 15 minute snap shot.

Health and Safety have been mentioned on numerous occasions as have "insurance" they just aren't the focus of the 15 minute snap shot

But @MollyButton HSE and the insurers would be in control, not Harrison the local bobby. It’s not that they aren’t mentioned enough, it’s that other completely inaccurate scenes are being portrayed.

Health and Safety have been mentioned on numerous occasions as have "insurance" they just aren't the focus of the 15 minute snap shot.
Yeah, but instead we get, yet again, the-only-policeman-in-Borsetshire doing interviews. It doesn't work, drama-wise.
It gets to the point of silliness when (a) they can't get plot basics right and (b) the world is inhabited almost exclusively by people related to the Archer family.

It gets to the point of silliness when ... the world is inhabited almost exclusively by people related to the Archer family.

Nah. Total hegemony is kind of the point of TA.

Maybe there's a filling station fairly close to wherever the 'horses' are kept, and Blake popped round on foot with a petrol can.

We know that Gavin provided the petrol: he said so. "Everyone does it" was the excuse he gave his father when Philip got angry.

AskingQuestions Gavin supplied the petrol in the real life version, I think what Cat and MollyButton are discussing is where Blake got the petrol from in the Cover Story.

"Where did Blake get the petrol from if he didn't drive' is a pretty obvious question for the investigator to ask, and "Gavin gave it him" puts the blame fairly and squarely on either Blake personally or on Philip's company.

Was Blake gently blackmailing his Dad - reminding hm all he'd done for him and how a dream wedding in Bali was a small price to pay?

(I'm very slow on the uptake)

Also Philip seems a pretty accomplished liar, so it would be better not to ask him that question. The best people to ask would be Blake and Gavin. Ideally not allowing them to talk in between asking, and under caution.

oh dear, Roy in danger

That was a weirdly editing ending to the episode, wasn't it? I got the impression the continuity bloke wasn't expecting it either - ending at 19.13. Is this night out going to continue tomorrow? Is Gav going to blab something to Roy?

Is that why the podcast had long closing music?

I wondered if it was supposed to be a Friday night cliffhanger on a Sunday (I’ve lost track of the weeks and I refuse to check back). Anyway, Gavin’s going to hurt Roy resplendent in his naice/unnaice (what does it matter, it’s done its job) shirt - and that’ll make Roy have a think about what’s going on. Then we’re going to have monfs and monfs of old epis and then we’re all going to lose the will to live and won’t care any more.