💥 Archers thread #119: Has the Bull reopened? Will Ambridge pull through? We’ve all dozed off and haven't a clue. Moan about the monologues 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 we should have monologues all the time from now on, 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.)

Thanks to PPE on the last thread for the title suggestion, which I tweaked a bit.

As for the current state of affairs: here's how it could have been done. www.youtube.com/channel/UCvRSVdfQWAjNhNu1AtABYjw Nigel Pargetter returns, albeit in spectral form. I loved these.

I don't love the current set up. Very, very hit and miss for me - but I am too much of an addict to give it up. Looking for a silver lining, maybe the rather clunky trot through the Aldridge family tree last night was helpful to newer listeners. It is rather convoluted. In 12.5 minutes they managed to explain that Adam and Debbie are Jennifer's children by different fathers, that Debbie's father Roger Travers-Macy adopted Adam, that after he and Jenny divorced she married Brian and that he (secretly) loves Adam and not nearly so secretly adores Debbie. I don't think they explicitly stated that Kate and Alice are Brian's children with Jenny, but they did manage to squeeze in a mention of Siobhan and Ruairi, and explain that Xander is Adam's son by a surrogate and has no genetic connection to either Brian or Xander's other father Ian. Phew!

I also hope that things work out for Ad and Em because it’s just too repetitive to have disaster after disaster. I hope that Emma’s recital of their past woes is a summing up and moving on gesture from the SWs rather than a portent of further doom.

I just can't find anything to say!

It was all so depressing.

I was wondering if she was over the limit when she drove to the shops. Also if whatever she was cooking would be forgotten about because she fell asleep on the sofa (or does booze not make you sleepy if you’re an alcoholic?)

£5.99 a bottle sounds like Blossom Hill...things are worse than I had thought...

I think she said rioja.

At Sainsbury's, Faustino Rivero Ulecia Barrel Aged Bobal-Tempranillo is £4.85, Era Costana Crianza Rioja is £5.85, Marques De Montino Gran Rioja is £5.75, Sainsbury's House Torla Rioja is £5; Tesco own-brand Rioja is £5; Lidl's Cepa Lebrel Rioja Reserva is £5.49; Aldi's Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva is £5.49; and I think there are some at Aldi for under £5.99.

All these are standard 75cl bottles.

@Taswama, my first thought too. Wonder how long before she loses her licence.

Ha! Aldi table wine is about £3.29. It's fine for the money.

Well done Ed, I hope that's the end of it.

It’s not as if Tim-O-Tei is going to go down for life for fly-tipping. He’ll probably only get a fine even if it does make it to court. I have a feeling he may cross Ed’s path again...

And naturally petty criminals go to extra trouble and expense just to get themselves shopped, committing crimes pointlessly against people who know them.

Though in fact TO knew where Grundy's Field was (because the barn there was where the chemicals were put by Ed when he was unable to deliver them) but has no reason to know that the fifty acres Ed rents from Oliver Sterling have anything to do with Ed.

Harrison (I think might have been David) said something about rumours of the Grundies fly tipping all over the County. It makes sense if it's Timotei because he's probably using the van he let Eddie use.

It makes sense if it's Timotei because he's probably using the van he let Eddie use.

Demonstrating EXCELLENT detective skills Miss @Mollybutton Marple!

Oh my!

news.sky.com/story/farmer-finds-40-tonnes-of-rubbish-dumped-on-his-land-in-lincolnshire-12036232

And oh! Oh! Oh!

There's a new Pargetter Triptych!!! Here:

podtail.com/podcast/the-pargetter-triptych/an-honourable-estate/

Free - but with a Patreon mention. Was mentioned favourably in the ritual Sunday Times slaughter of TA. Am listening now ... Goodness but TA lost a wonderful radio actor - such a voice.

Beginning to wonder if Graham Seed and Helen Leadbeater are launching a takeover ...

Better link to more informative and user friendly Pargetter Triptych website:

thepargettertriptych.com/episodes

Yay, looks like they've finally worked out how to record scenes involving more than one person remotely.

Now if only they hadn't been told at the beginning that it couldn't be done and not allowed to try, how much further on they might have been with that.

After The Plague adaptation in Radio 4 yesterday Neil Bartlett is now equal first with Jessica Dromgoole on my idea list of TA editors.

Absolutely gorgeous listening - and all recorded during lockdown.

I've been binge watching Silent Witness, and Jill should be aware that Leonard turns up at least twice. Once as the "baddy" and again as a victim's father...

I thought Costa-del-Ambridge was quite fun! And Fallon really went up in my estimation as she enthusiastically sipped her cocktail and sunned herself by the paddling pool...

However, sad to say, Harrison is played by such a terrible actor that the scene inevitably felt very clunky...He has zero charisma or sex-appeal, so the thought of being frisked by him leaves me cold!

Harrison is so creepy.
Remember when he first started with Fallon and his idea of a chat-up line was to 'arrest' her. Now he is 'frisking' her. There is some weird power dynamic going on in his head.

The frisking thing came on a very wrong day (given the real life news on police behaviour). Left a nasty taste.

I had a brief 🔮 moment when I wondered if we're leading up to Harrison being (probably accidentally) killed by Scumbag Oatey. He's already had his Clap for Our Copper moment, we've heard the declarations of marital adoration, he's made the big romantic gesture. It's Time. And the SWs had him tell us what a nasty piece of work Oatey has been forever ...

But I know they won't do me that kindness. Have a feeling they want to keep the monologues pretty mild - though I don't see how they can roll back on Alice's story post lockdown.

But I know they won't do me that kindness.
If only. I think that the SW have woken up to the fact that Ambridge hasn't got any keyworkers so they can't kill off their sole representative.
I thought we were, via niece-babysitting, heading towards Alice or Fallon finally getting broody. After some 'comedy' parenting-fail moments in the mean time, obvs.

I like Harrison. At least you can tell it’s him speaking.

Please can Oatey do away with Pip instead.

or Fallon finally getting broody

Oh yes, that was pretty clearly signalled. I assumed they think no one's left alive who remembers Shula's in the midst of bereavement pregnancy. So - toddler visit prompts conception. Scumbag kills Harrison. Fallon becomes widowed new mother. Simples.

At least you can tell it’s him speaking.
If the voice appears without context, I get confused between Harrison and Alan.