🌱 Archers thread #131: A time to plant, a time to reap. Discuss The Archers 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 also have a few millions lying around you're not sure how to invest, or other unusual things.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the week night 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 @Roysnewshirt and @Edmontine for title suggestions, and apologies to anyone I’ve missed or forgotten. In the end, inspired by Edmontine's idea and a brief discussion at the end of the last thread, I remembered that it's autumn now and the Ambridge farmers are presumably sowing barley, winter wheat, potatoes etc, so I found myself recollecting Ecclesiastes 3 (King James version) - my Church of Scotland upbringing has a lot to answer for. This led me back to one of my favourite numbers by The Byrds (written by Pete Seeger):

Roysnewshirt suggested Prayer cards, rehab, a glass of scotch, a bowl of chilli or even a dish of lasagne…we offer a range of solutions here to help you solve any Ambridge problem - large or small etc etc, which is as good a point as any to start this thread. Do we think Neil and Susan are solid again? Will Alice relapse? Will Shula confess all to the Bishop?

Reflecting on last night's offering, Edmontine said I’m musing on Baby steps … - but we need the culmination of Alice’s story this week. We have a new nurse in training, a possibly resigning midwife settling in Ambridge, Xander, Martha, Alice somewhere trying to find her feet sans grog, Shula trying to find her saintly feet sans Neil …B(ill)eth & Ben. Lots and lots of newness. Stir in Three’s blood and jam …

The blood and jam made me laugh. A lot. Just as well, as the storyline that line inspired is pants.

Over to you!

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

How long before Kristiffur and Aimless are an item? Will Alish come home? Will Eddie scoop all the H&P produce? Is Adam really that tired - how long is his commute? Couldn't he WFH?

prizes not produce.

Thanks Gasp0de

The 🔮 is muttering darkly that "AS YE SOW, SO SHALL YE REAP!"

You’re a wonder, Gasp0de - thank you!

Glad the 🔮 is watching the Vicar’s daughter. I’ve been considering - and obviously career progression is important, if it’s important to you. (And you’re not being written by SWs.) But Amy’s midwife’s salary possibly couldn’t provide her with her own home in Ambridge. Perhaps she genuinely would prioritise ‘quality of life’ - gentle childcare and country walks with a befuddled farrier?

Oh lord - Susan! Now that Martha exists, her family relationship to Archers/Aldridges can never be gainsaid - so she might survive the divorce. But whether she’d welcome Alan’s first wife’s daughter as a DIL is a puzzle …

I wonder what Alice will do with her life? She must have minimal income and has hefty credit card and livery bills to pay.

Will she announce that she's moving in with Shula to run the riding stable?

If we are going to be stuck with an Amy and Christopher romance I hope the actress gets some lines that make her sound less wooden.

@Madcats

I wonder what Alice will do with her life? She must have minimal income and has hefty credit card and livery bills to pay.

Will she announce that she's moving in with Shula to run the riding stable?

If we are going to be stuck with an Amy and Christopher romance I hope the actress gets some lines that make her sound less wooden.

Didn't she ask Shula to sell the horse?

Banjo now effectively belongs to Shula, because Shula gave Alice the money for rehab only until Shula had sold him. When he's sold Shula gets the money that is paid for him.

If we are going to be stuck with an Amy and Christopher romance I hope the actress gets some lines that make her sound less wooden.

It's not so much the lines but the delivery. She makes Chrissifur sound like Gielgud.

I now have a wonderful mental picture of various Famous Actors coping with an Archers script.

Brando method-acting his way through Alistair's lines, say. Sean Connery playing Jazzer. Who would Alec Guinness be? Dame Judi Dench as Susan...

OH wandering past says "Alec Guiness as Oliver" in a thoughtful way before heading for the fridge.

Maggie Smith DBE as the Snell-beast MBE?

Mel Gibson as Tom.

Now you're just being silly, Asking

Who would Olivia Colman play (she seems to be in just about every film I end up watching)? Joy Horville?

Can I put in a request for Roger Allum? He's great on radio. He could be Justin or Alistair.

On the subject of which moonlighting thespians, Debbie is busy narrating Secret Life of the Zoo on Ch4, filmed recently. She ought to have scope to do a spot of work in Ambridge.

I think Alice working at and possibly eventually taking over the running of the stables could be a good plan for her. It would follow on nicely from her contacting Shula to help her with her rehab costs. Of course, we’d then have to forget that she ever wanted to be an aeronautical engineer, but the SWs seem to have confined that minor irritation of ambition to history anyway.

Meryl Streep as Clarrieluv - "A dingo took moi Eddie!"

Helena Bonham Carter as Kate

Can I put in a request for Roger Allum? He's great on radio. He could be Justin or Alistair.

Brine, surely.

What's happened to Kirsty now that Susan is back working at the dairy? Has its income magically expanded so that Helen can still afford to pay her?

Martin Comston-as-Steve-Arnott as Tom: I'm sure he could project that 'face like a freshly skelped arse' vibe over the airwaves.

Droite I expect that Amy dragged Kirsty into the cereal cupboard as she was climbing out.

I'll have Colin Firth for Brian, please.
Timothy West rather fancies being Jim or Oliver.

Does Timothy Spall do a good accent (not that this has ever bothered the editorial team before)? He could be Eddie

Isn't Timothy Spall a Brummie. He could be Vince

@ILoveShula

Isn't Timothy Spall a Brummie. He could be Vince

London born and bred - see here: www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/02/timothy-spalls-teenage-obsessions-for-my-art-a-level-i-nailed-up-apples-covered-in-pubic-hair

Although I note that first "Guardian pick" comment on that article is

I'm still coming to terms with the idea that Tim isn't from Birmingham. I've known it for years but Barry was so convincingly Brummie, I can't imagine him not being.

Thanks for the new thread!

Oh. Thanks @DadDadDad
I quite like the existing actors apart from Pip, obviously because I can't stand Pip, and the current Tom, the real Tom was so much better.