🧚‍♀️ Archers thread #120: Magic time. Dialogue! Good Fairy Lilian made Lynda’s wish come true. Will Phil vanish in a puff of smoke? Join the Magic Circle in Alice’s shed, where time is never called!

[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 hear more about the Naughty Milkman, 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 @Roysnewshirt for the excellent title suggestion, which I tweaked a bit.

I wonder how much dialogue we're going to get in the coming weeks. They're back to normal recording, I believe, albeit socially distanced. Also, when will we get our Friday and Sunday episodes back? I know I'm not the only regular to miss TA a lot more on Friday than on Sunday. The Sunday episode is still an incomer, of course, having only been introduced some 20 years ago, of course.

(My parents retired to a village and some features of Ambridge life are very familiar from their experience, the 'incomer' label being one.)

Thanks Gasp. Seeing as I am first to post...
I like Shula.

I think I could give Lynda a run for her money with the involuntary disapproving sniff I just had on seeing that, @MikeUniformMike!

I'm not all that keen on Shula, tbh, but she's a good character. I hope we hear from her again soon. Ditto Alistair.

Can anyone remember exactly which characters we've heard from during the last few months since the Monologue Era began? (Asking will know, of course.) Here's my list, which is longer than I thought it would be.

Tracey
Susan
Emma
Ed
Chris
Alice
Brian
Debbie
Adam
David
Helen
Tom
Natasha
Lynda
Robert
Lilian
Josh
Ben? Or did I imagine that?
Kirsty
Philip
Gavin
Joy
Harrison
Fallon
Kenton
Jolene

I bet I've forgotten lots.

I can’t stand Shula. Balance restored.

We did hear Ben. You missed Tony.

I had a feeling I'd missed Tony off. No Pat.

Did we hear from Kate or did I imagine that? Jakob?

Thanks be we haven't heard from the Brookfield Wunderkind.

Thanks for the new thread.
I dare not mention which names are missing as I don't miss them.

Yes Kate and Jakob did a yoga session.

Thanks, @Taswama, I'd blanked that out as well!

Monologue Era cast so far, not counting the past two weeks which have had dialogue; I make it thirty-one during the sixteen weeks, so you only forgot five.

David Archer
Josh Archer
Harrison Burns
Tracy Horrobin
Ben Archer
Susan Carter
Ed Grundy
Emma Grundy
Helen Archer
Natasha Archer
Tom Archer
Tony Archer
Lilian Bellamy
Justin Elliott
Jakob Hakansson
Kate Madikane
Kirsty Miller
Elizabeth Pargetter
Freddie Pargetter
Brian Aldridge
Debbie Aldridge
Alice Carter
Chris Carter
Adam Macy
Kenton Archer
Jolene Archer
Joy Horville
Johnny Phillips
Fallon Rogers
Lynda Snell
Robert Snell

in order of first appearance.

Thanks, Asking, I knew you'd have chapter and verse! It's a lot more than I remembered, to be honest. In my mind we've been hearing from a tiny fraction of the cast, but I now see it must be at least half the active cast members (I've plucked that fraction from the air, of course).

People we haven't heard from for five months at least:
Ruth, Pip, Jill, Leonard, Shula, Alistair, Jim, Jazzer, Christine, Toby and Rex, Lily, Russ
Peggy, Jennifer, Pat
Neil
Roy, Phoebe
Oliver
Eddie, Clarrie, Will
Alan, Usha (must be years in her case)

Thanks so much @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g for new thread and your generous acknowledgment of my (very clumsy) contribution towards the new thread title!

Custard cream, anyone?

I feel unworthy!
Splendid recall above 😄

Fab intro, Gasp0de.

I’d like to hear from Jazzer&Jim and Lily.

So who do people think is the phantom shoplifter? Blake?

Btw, Tracey is my absolutely favourite character. I especially enjoy her being rude to Susan.

I am unsure why Blake would want light-bulbs, or how he would get to Ambridge when he doesn't live there and they aren't working there. Otherwise he would be a strong contender.

I think it has to be someone Susan knows, or she would have noticed a stranger in the Local Shop For Local people.

Thanks Gasp0, and Roysnewshirt - excellent titling.

I'm wondering if the absent actors are annoyed at not being included, or whether they declined for one reason or another. Seems strange to have heard from nonentities like Harrison and Joy while the Brookfield and Lower Loxley heiresses remained silent.

The Bull Bollocks... the way Jerlene says “Norrr-dee Milkman” makes me want to hurl.

I suspect some of the absent actors couldn't be arsed with setting up recording at home, under duvets and so on. Though you'd think if Brian's been in it, there could have been a few Shula scenes. (Just for MUM.)

All I keep thinking is why should a milkman, naughty or otherwise, deliver things from a pub?

I'm hoping Smugula has walled herself into a small cell attached to St Stephens and will spend the rest of her days as an Anchoress in prayer and contemplation, never to be heard from again.

Thanks for the new thread Gasp0de. Splendid title!

In other news, the 🔮 thinks Tracy and Jazzer will get together.

I wonder if the Jazzer actor would have found it hard to set up the equipment in his home? Though his wife could have helped I guess, but I seem to recall reading he has 2 or three kids so maybe them running around was an extra hassle that just made it all too complicated.

SW1- hello young person.

Intern (not new any more) - hello sir.

SW 1- now, now, no need for that sort of formality, Mr (insert fabricated name here) is fine. Now tell me did you manage to contact the old young person?

Intern - yes, we chat online quite a bit.

SW1- then did you get to the bottom of why they could never sort out the recordings of Pip and Shula when all the rest seem very straightforward?

Intern- not really, every time we get on to that either the connection goes funny or they have something urgent to do. But interestingly I did once hear someone in the background, it might have been their mother, shouting what sounded like “over my dead body will you enable that sanctimonious bore to make these god awful monologues even worse. And as for Pip unless it’s a recording of her finally getting her comeuppance you can just keep deleting them” or words to that effect. So no, I’m not sure what’s been happening.

I bet the OYP's mother is a MNer.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I bet the OYP's mother is a MNer.

I think she has been confirmed as such, she's a farmer’s wife and president of the local WI if I recall correctly. Unlike some scriptwriters I try to remember the back story of my characters .

Thank you for the new thread (and the list of who has been moaning in lockdown).

I did wonder why some of the (younger) cast had been absent. Perhaps they are hoping to resurrect some of the storylines.

I am thankful that all talk of rewilding appears to have been kicked into the long grass!