💰 Archers thread #121: Brookfield digs for treasure, Alice & Philip try to bury the truth. Dish the dirt here if you dig The Archers. PS Send nudes.

[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 long to hear Pip again, 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 @LillianGish and @PersephonePromotesEquanimity for the title suggestions.

Current events: as @Bailey0703 has astutely spotted, it's Anti-Slavery Day tomorrow - could this herald the beginning of the end of the horses storyline? I do hope so. Horrible stuff, but what a blow for Kirsty. They're laying on the dramatic irony with trowel at the moment.

What do we think will happen to Alice and Chris? I can't see this pregnancy going to term and ending well. I don't think the marriage will survive either, giving Brian a chance to revisit his classic line about having to treat this as Alice's starter marriage.

Will Elizabeth end up on a date with Vince Casey? That would put the cat among the pigeons at Lower Loxley.

Over to you ...

Yes you're not wrong @Roysnewshirt

As a parent of two teenagers I find the bisexuality storyline extremely current and entirely believable. It definitely seems to be an option for teenagers these days in a way that it just wasn’t for my own generation. I don’t think I knew anyone who was bisexual when I was their age and yet they seem to know so many people among their peer group.

As a parent of two teenagers I find the bisexuality storyline extremely current and entirely believable

Thats v interesting insight @LillianGish - thanks for sharing. I don’t doubt it’s a v real issue, I just think they tossed it in a bit too casually and we could have done with a bit more story development.

We only first heard about Troy a few episodes ago. TA is usually at its best on a slow-burn so if they wanted to go down this track it could have been done more effectively. No need for endless angst just a bit more of a realistic window into modern teenage lives. Rather that, than endless airtime spent on Ben’s stupid two-dimensional crush on poor Evie. In fact, Ben seems quite immature to the (admittedly very limited number of) young people I know.

I just think they tossed it in a bit too casually - I think that's sort of the point. That was exactly my reaction when my kids started saying "so-and-so is bi" in reference to various friends. It is a casual matter for them while it still feels like a big deal to my generation. For me, it is one of the things that makes me feel the generation gap (when I usually think of myself as a cool, right-on, down-with-the-kids type of parent - who am I kidding ) They genuinely don't bat an eyelid and while I try not to I sometimes can't help myself.

I loved Ben's idea of getting first dibs on girls when they are out.
But what were they saying about Evie?

Know just what you mean @LillianGish

Evie being mentioned for no reason at all was rather irritating.

I must have had an unsheltered life: people I knew proclaiming that they were bi was no big deal back in the sixties either! They usually seemed to decide in one direction or the other after a couple of years, and become either gay or straight and bi never mentioned again; I have no idea whether that is still the case, but I thought then and think now that nailing your colours to the mast about your sexuality to early on seems to be a mistake in many cases.

I just think they tossed it in a bit too casually - I think that's sort of the point

I happily bow to your knowledge and experience in this field @LillianGish! I really know nothing about teenagers today so if it feels right to you then I am v happy to admit I have done the SLs a disservice!

*too early on.

I think the bi-sexuality story is quite well done - Ruarie letting Ben know that Troy is not competition as a friend, opening up a little bit more, and Ben making a mess of it but being gently guided by Ruarie to where they need to be.

And good that Ben didn't automatically assume that Ruairi would fancy him but that they could still be friends.

I don't think there is anything wrong with Ruaridh's statement of his bisexuality being taken very casually by Ben. I remember a friend of my son's coming out to their group of friends with great trepidation, only to be told that it really wasn't news to them and they'd known for ages.

Twenty years ago: big news in some circles.

Today? Bit meh, really. Have to try harder than that to be Special.

Didn't Freddy say 'is that legal?' when Jazzer mentioned the house party? So it probably isn't but neither of them care.

Ooo I wonder if someone is going to get Covid... all that mixing.

sob!

Oh my goodness, sobbing here!

Same.. full on snot fest .. LOVE JD .. THATS what putting your (s)dc first means ..

Writers, Liz John & Katie Hims Director, Kim Greengrass Editor, Jeremy Howe

Very well done.

I can't tell if that's her voice. Anyone know?

Definite BOOP for tonight.

Loving Jenny and Ruairi (even more than Ben and Jill). Good to see someone's actually thinking about a variety of family relationships.

Oh so is the being bi just something to hang the Shiobhan CD on? Her saying just the right thing. Not that it needed anything at all.

I wonder how many years more of life experience it'll take before Ruari realises how extremely brave it was of Jenny to listen to that with him.

Haven't heard tonight's episode yet (still getting enough tissues together ) but yes, it's her all right.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3hvprMtrt4xwJx5d1Hgy5vC/siobhan-donovan-back-from-the-dead Warning: actor pictures all over this article.

Oh spewk.
The utter selfishness of Siobhán - the rotten witch, by lobbing in her self-indulgent time-bomb, has actually made me slightly sympathetic to (the normally twittering moron) JD.

An outrage!

That video chat is lovely Gasp0de

Thank you, Gasp0!