❓ Archers thread #126: It’s a mystery why we’re all still listening.

[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’d love to be on the Parish Council, 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/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-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 @Taswama for thread title ideas, but I felt most in sympathy with @R4's suggestion. Is it me, or is the programme in the doldrums at the moment?

Haven't heard the 31/3 episode yet. Perhaps it's a gem.

Insisting is going way, way too far, at that age, IMO.

@theThreeofWeevils

I also thought the bit about making a pass at Harrison was very credible

...except for it being, well, how can I put this, Harrison. There's not enough booze in the world for that.

Ooh, I hope AC12 get onto him and he becomes disgraced ex-Plod.

Oh, I can see Harrison in the Interrogation Aquarium with Ted ranting about him taking advantage of the "Poor wee girl".

"She was drunk, you say? Do you think I came up (down?) the Lagan in a bubble, Fella?"

Wow I'm thrilled I've happened across this thread!

I've been listening to TA since a rainy holiday in St Osyth (Essex) during Wimbledon (I hate tennis) in the 1970'sI was about 9 I think.
Sitting in my bunk bed I discovered R4 on the transistor radio & I've been listening every since (a few missed episodes in my teens).
My family always thought I was strange. Thank goodness for podcasts, I have listened to them while on holidays abroad (remember those? 😊
I remember the episode when John Archer died (have I got that name right?, the mad cow disease episodes & poor Helen's troubles.
I agree that the story lines lately have been dire. I only carry on listening because it's only 13 minutes & it will hopefully find its rhythm again soon.
Happy listening folks.

Welcome, Mummyyyyyyyyyy! Always good to meet another lifelong listener. I'm now trying to recall whether we listened to The Archers during rainy 1970s holidays in Wales, as we did at home. All I can remember is reading Malory Towers aloud to my sibling, and endless route marches around castles.

It's a shame you've missed the past 125 threads, but I hope you'll stay, now that you've found the thread. Yes, it was John Archer.

Which reminds me - I was sure Johnny's jalopy would be involved in Alice's ultimate downfall; I hope the SWs haven't forgotten about it.

Oh dear! I think she went in for a snog rather than a grope as his voice was slightly muffled as he pulled away. This is NOT how I wanted Alice and Harrison to get together. A slow-burning romance was more what I had in mind.

What a gentleman he was, though! No #metoo moment there. I don’t think he will be reprimanded for taking advantage of a vulnerable woman at all. Or for turning a blind eye to drink driving. She was clearly stopped in the lay-by when he found her and no good would come from arresting her. He’s back to good old-fashioned policing, behaving like a pillar of the community. I wonder if he will tell Fallon - could make things a bit awkward round the font!

Blimey. I want all of the following to happen now:

1. Harrison arrests Alice for drunk driving and the Borchester Echo and Borchester Life go to town on covering the case.
2. Harrison tells Fallon about Alice making a pass at him. Fallon tells Jolene. Alice is barred from the pub.
3. Chris moves back to Ambridge View with Martha. Susan finds out about the drinking during pregnancy and goes ballistic. Everyone who comes into the shop finds out the full gory details.
4. Jennifer goes in for the longest period of breast-beating and self-flagellation we've ever heard from her (and there have been others). Brian wants to turn to the bottle but expresses an awareness that this is possibly problematic. Kate wants to cure Alice with essential oils and reiki.
5. Lilian pauses for a nanosecond before necking her next G&T before deciding life is too short to waste any of it on self-denial.
6. Peggy spends the rest of her life saying 'I told you so'. (So, no change there.)
7. Tony sets off WW3 by saying it's all Jennifer and Brian's fault and at least nobody in his family has become a drunk, conveniently ignoring Helen's eating disorder.
8. Alan tries to pray with Alice and she lamps him.

This could run and run.

Welcome @Mummyyyyyyyyyy, I'm always jealous of lifelong listeners as I only started listening shortly before Peggy's husband, Jack, died in The Laurels. (Thinking of NHS workers why don't we have a villager who's a carer at The Laurels?)

I think Alice went in for a smooch. I think Harrison will be discrete but this will be another reason for Alice's shame and guilt and reason to drink more to forget/ hit rock bottom.

I agree that Susan felt left out and that's why she pushed to help with Martha. I think she went to buy the booze (can no longer purchase at village shop), drove to layby then drank. This is what Harrison will assume.

Chris will leave her, if not now, within a few weeks (she will drink in Martha's care which she has sworn she will never do) and that will be it. Then the whole community will know, not just her family and what was the quote from earlier in the week? 'I'd rather something than my family find out.' I wonder where they will go then? Alice missing / eventually homeless rather than face demons and get help? I knew someone who went missing at 18, there were various reasons why it wasn't a crime but by choice, it was utterly tragic for the family. That would make very difficult listening.

Yes to all of the above. Susan is clearly going to be doing a lot more babysitting than she ever hoped for.

I’d love a Red Nose Day style Archers x LOD. “I’m interested in one thing and thing only, and that’s missing bunting.”

I thought that was a great episode, which presumably means Monday’s will be a festival of flopping, misjudged “humour”. They desperately need to do some weeding out of the weaker writers. I think next week will be the tipping point for Alice, one way or another. Her expression of her disappointment with her life was heartbreaking.

Sorry, yes to the predictions from @gasp

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Blimey. I want all of the following to happen now:

1. Harrison arrests Alice for drunk driving and the Borchester Echo and Borchester Life go to town on covering the case.
2. Harrison tells Fallon about Alice making a pass at him. Fallon tells Jolene. Alice is barred from the pub.
3. Chris moves back to Ambridge View with Martha. Susan finds out about the drinking during pregnancy and goes ballistic. Everyone who comes into the shop finds out the full gory details.
4. Jennifer goes in for the longest period of breast-beating and self-flagellation we've ever heard from her (and there have been others). Brian wants to turn to the bottle but expresses an awareness that this is possibly problematic. Kate wants to cure Alice with essential oils and reiki.
5. Lilian pauses for a nanosecond before necking her next G&T before deciding life is too short to waste any of it on self-denial.
6. Peggy spends the rest of her life saying 'I told you so'. (So, no change there.)
7. Tony sets off WW3 by saying it's all Jennifer and Brian's fault and at least nobody in his family has become a drunk, conveniently ignoring Helen's eating disorder.
8. Alan tries to pray with Alice and she lamps him.

This could run and run.

🤣🤣🤣 I think you should be a sw! & I read the 'possibly problematic' in full Brian voice!

Goodness, Gasp0de - in our long MN acquaintance I never thought of you as a cruel person. I don't want any of your first three things to happen.

There's no law against buying alcohol, transporting it to a place, and drinking it there. Then phoning a friend to take you home. I'm not sure Harrison can conclude much more than that?

He's in such a difficult position though. Chris needs to know, so he can look after Alice. But of course, he'll absolutely leave her, taking Martha, if he finds out about the latest escapade.

And Fallon! Now we know why Plod & Teapot were jointly awarded the godparent gig. Perhaps Fallon will withdraw? Leaving room for Emma after all. Or perhaps she won't be told until after the christening - at which point she might swear never to have anything to do with Alice ever again. (Though that'll make no difference to Martha, who by then will probably have removed herself to a separate establishment.)

I don't believe Alice will be found wandering the streets, homeless and destitute. Debbie will swoop in to rescue her - alongside Brian, of course.

except for it being, well, how can I put this, Harrison. There's not enough booze in the world for that.

Hastily adds that I think we are meant to believe Harrison is handsome, not that I find him attractive! Actually, I think Alice would have probably behaved the same way, whatever Harrison looked like.

I do think he will have to tell Fallon. I imagine her as someone who would accept Harrison's word that he didn't want it to happen but would not be happy if he didn't tell her and it came out later.

Hello mummyyyyyyyyyy. That's a very evocative image of a nine year old girl on a wet 1970s holiday in the UK listening to the radio! Admirably resourceful faced with everyone else watching tennis.

Some excellent plot lines there, Gasp0de! Let's hope we get at least some of them.

@Darker

Poor Alice. Poor Chris. Very plausible that Alice would try to get Harrison into something sexual - alcohol is disinhibiting and she's desperate for some comfort/wanting to feel something other than self-hatred. It ramps up the shame/self-loathing and draws Harrison into the drama of either telling Chris or becoming complicit in the lies and cover-ups. He's already professionally compromised by not arresting her.

Alcoholism is a bastard.

I don't think he is compromised. She hadn't been drinking and driving - she actually called him for help instead of driving back. Considering she is in recovery and seeking support it would be unlikely to go anywhere at this stage.

This evening's episode was a great illustration of why alcoholics cannot recovery and keep it secret. If their families knew they could actually support Alice through the self loathing and doubt, provide more company for risky times and help keep her clear of alcohol until she can manage that herself.

She is getting no actual therapy for the root causes and until she does she will struggle to manage the situation. I think this episode was the first time she acknowledged what she has given up to stay with Chris in Ambridge.

@MayIDestroyYou, . I'd better state the obvious - if they were real (where's the wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap emoji when you need it?) of course I'd be reacting differently. But as they're not, I'd like this to have massive repercussions. I do think that would be more realistic, actually. Alice and Chris trying to keep this quiet hasn't worked out well.

One thing I forgot - when Jennifer finds out that Peggy has known for ages and not told her, she will be absolutely furious.

It would be lovely if Debbie made a flying visit home to help sort things out.

I do think that would be more realistic, actually. Alice and Chris trying to keep this quiet hasn't worked out well

Its disastrous. The question will be does Chris blame Alice for the secrecy and use her lapses to leave or does he acknowledge they have to share the info and get support himself instead of persisting in this nonsense that Alice is "fixed". He is not helping her at the moment.

I think Fallon and Harrison are pretty solid. I don't think she'd be phased by his telling her at all.

In real life, she might end up comparing notes with Emma (who is, after all, both Alice's SIL and Fallon's business partner/employee and close friend) and finding out that in Alice's long drunken voicemail one of her baseless accusations was that Ed fancied Alice.

Oh of course, Fallon and Jennifer suddenly getting cosy over cupcakes is for a reason. Fallon will know, experience awkward moments, then let slip.

No, I agree it won't harm Fallon and Harrison's relationship - but it will make attending the christening as godparents tricky, if Fallon is told beforehand; and it will make being her godmother awkward if Fallon doesn't hear about it until afterwards.

It would be lovely if Debbie made a flying visit home to help sort things out
Because of course bloody Debbie is an expert dipso-wrangler as well as everything else.

He's already professionally compromised by not arresting her
This. She was drunk in charge, whether or not she actually drove while pissed. The idiot Burns' ought to be in deep shit.

Burns'??? Edit button....

Debbie is the sanest member of that family. The bar is low, admittedly. She's one of my all-time favourite characters.

Fazed not phased.

Whether or not she had been drinking and driving, Slice was drunk in charge of a motor vehicle.

It would be lovely if Debbie made a flying visit home to help sort things out.

Ooh yes I'd love Debbie to arrive & sort Alice out. I just love her voice! - Is that a weird thing to say? Sorry I'm new here 😬