🍾 Archers thread 123: Goodbye & good riddance to 2020 – to Philip too? The Archers is 70 on New Year’s Day – celebrate or vent about it 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 wish we heard more from Shula, 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.)

So! 2021 beckons. Big anniversary next Friday, 1.1.21 (and to mark that we have episodes Tuesday-Friday next week). What would we like to see happen? I may be in a minority of one, but I'd like a nice gentle character-driven episode. I don't think we'll get that, but I really, really hope they don't kill someone else off, just for the headlines.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP'S request]

I would have thought that if she believed Philip was divorced and married him in good faith she would not be charged with bigamy

Would she be charged anyway? It would be Philip who was committing bigamy, not Kirsty. The second spouse of bigamists is a victim.

I think Rhiannon might have mentioned if she was still married to Philip.

May be he has another family somewhere else...

@StillDumDeDumming

I'd love to do the quiz with my mum. We talk about TA in front of my dd as if it's real people- she gets really into it and then says ' Wait. This is the bloody Archers isn't it?'

I can't see mum in person or the garden T4. So how can I do this best. we could both just listen and chat on the phone, but there has to be a better way. We have smart-Ish phones a tablet and/or a laptop each. TIA

FaceTime or Zoom? The latter would be better. (Maybe Skype though I'm not a fan.)

But I daresay you've considered both of these options?

You're very lucky! My mother introduced me to TA before I was born, but after a period spent living abroad her interest in Ambridge has dwindled to an "Oh really?" when I mention someone she would remember, like Jill Archer. She used to listen with half an ear when she visited me, but obviously Not This Year.

Hope you have a fun evening!

I'm a new Archer's fan, I've read up on this thread to try and figure out who everyone is! I'm in Australia but I'm from the UK. I used to listen along a little bit when my mum listened to it many years ago. I'm hoping for an uplifting episode for the anniversary.

@BeaLola

Way out suggestion for the shock episode - Kirsty finds out she's pregnant ? Otherwise in good news she finds out that Philip lied about being divorced so he's a bigamist - sentence for that would probably be rap on knuckles only

I meant Philip would get rap on knuckles for being a bigamist not Kirsty.

Do you think Philip may have a heart attack with the stress - Kirsty would end up with the house then ?

Please no more unexpected pregnancy story lines. Please.

@C8H10N4O2

I would have thought that if she believed Philip was divorced and married him in good faith she would not be charged with bigamy

Would she be charged anyway? It would be Philip who was committing bigamy, not Kirsty. The second spouse of bigamists is a victim.

Yes. That's what I meant.

@TheSilveryPussycat

Please no more unexpected pregnancy story lines. Please.

Absolutely! When did we last have a planned pregnancy?

Kirsty and Tom's was unplanned although obviously then lost

Pip's was unplanned and pretty unnecessary really as they haven't done a lot with it (realistically who's ex moved in with them and the juggling of childcare whilst is sometimes mentioned all works pretty well). Mind you I'm not complaining as I don't want more Pip airtime.

And Alice's was unplanned too.

the scream of the 60th was horrendous
The speed with which it became a ringtone was positively heartwarming

Poppy was planned, as were George, Keira and Abigail. Henry was planned, as was Jack, although not quite in the conventional way.

Unplanned pregnancy in the over-40s is common in Ambridge, and I don't think there are any candidates other than Tracy or Lizardbreath.

Are we to be told of a forthcoming Trolley/Trazzer/Troman or a Vinzabeth?

Jack was the product of rape, hardly planned.

He was planned by Rob. Eurgh!

@PoulePouletteEternellement thank you- yes just wondering if there was some kind of magic I'd not thought of. I am very lucky to have my mum. She's also promised to leave me her imaginary single residence in her will. Currently this is an imaginary apartment with a bay window overlooking the sea where she sits and reads. She called me a few years back just to tell me that she'd added a balcony.

CaptainMyCaptain
Kirsty sounded to me like someone putting on a bright smile, keeping calm and carrying on, only to crash later. I'll reserve judgement on that.

She has form. She was dealing well in her own way with the miscarriage, until she was repeatedly told by "concerned" busybodies that she was failing to grieve properly and bullied into having a minor breakdown.

ILoveShula
Poppy was planned, as were George, Keira and Abigail. Henry was planned, as was Jack, although not quite in the conventional way.

Poppy, Keira (by Emma; Ed had stated they couldn't afford a child and ought not to have one at that point, so she threw away her pill and went ahead regardless), Abigail and Henry, yes; but George absolutely was not planned, and Emma didn't even know which of two brothers was his father. Jack was the product of repeated rape, so he was not planned by his mother but inflicted on her.

You are right AQAAT. George was conceived outside of wedlock.

Just seen 'polorized' on today's R4 schedule.

And there I thought it was the British Broadcasting Corporation. I assume they meant polarised?

I didn't listen to the programme, so I don't know. Shall I complain?

Yes!

There are often glaring wrong spellings of words in the BBC synopses, as well as grammatical howlers, but complaining about it gets you nowhere: they ignore any criticism without turning a hair.

Poppy might not have been an accident but Nic hadn't wanted any more children and WIll badgered her into having Poppy, thereby tying her back to home just as she was beginning to get a bit more independence.

If you complain, you get a reply that just fobs you off. I complained about a tv programme that I found offensive about 10 years ago, and the reply was that it was popular.

You know the one - set in an airport, several characters played by the two male stars.

Was only looking at the schedules to listen again to try the play that was on his afternoon and re-listen to TA.

One good thing though, TA is on tomorrow.

Is TA on tonight?

Deffo no pregnancy for Kirsty please, that would mean she'd have to see Philip again.

@ILoveShula was the play good? It's not available on Sounds outside the UK. I'd have listened live if I'd known