🎲 Archers thread #134: Ambridge as human board game. We’ve had Pandemic. What now - Game of Life or Trivial Pursuit? Go! 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 warm to Hazel Woolley, 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 @LiterallyKnowsBest for the thread title idea. I also liked @LillianGish's suggestion which was Conversions abound and it’s not just Harrison - Lily’s kitchens, Hazel’s flat, Jazzer’s finances, Bert’s bungalow...come and discuss The Archers - are you a convert or could you be converted? and that seems like a good place to kick off this thread.

Who'll get the bungalow? Pip, Josh or A. N. Other?

Will Lily leave the cold calling behind and launch a bid to run LL when Elizabeth hangs up her clipboard?

Will Jazzer become a financial whiz after mastering Tracy's state of the art budgeting techniques, viz, writing it all down in a little notebook with a kitten on the front?

Over to you!

I thought Mia was talking to Jake, her brother

Oh thank goodness for that • no wonder I found that episode so confusing…

Roysnewshirt, and anyone else who finds themselves scratching their heads over exactly who is in each episode - even if you don’t want to get involved with our own Spoilers Thread, you may find it helpful to glance occasionally at the Episodes list on the BBC website:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr/broadcasts/upcoming

At the moment it’s showing teasers up until February 24th, and at least once a week there’s a full credits list - writers, director, and cast - so you are forewarned as to which characters will be appearing that week. It does help.

You’re not alone, I thought Jake sounded just like Will too. Given that we haven’t ever heard from Jake before, it was weird he wasn’t introduced. I zoned out when Mia started up and half-listened at first thinking she was banging on about Will fancying Stella.

@BeardieWeirdie

You’re not alone, I thought Jake sounded just like Will too. Given that we haven’t ever heard from Jake before, it was weird he wasn’t introduced. I zoned out when Mia started up and half-listened at first thinking she was banging on about Will fancying Stella.

They were getting the bus to school and their Dad phoned to check they'd caught it.

Haven't heard last night's offering yet. Just nipping in to say that Arthur Hughes who plays Ruairi is going to play Richard III with the RSC! Fantastic news. We know he's an excellent actor already, so we are ahead of the curve.

www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/feb/08/theres-a-truth-to-it-rsc-casts-disabled-actor-as-richard-iii

I thought Jake was quite clearly signposted - that and the fact they were on the school bus. A tedious and inconsequential storyline though interrupting a far more significant one. Is the inclusion of junior residents of the village supposed to hook in younger listeners? It has me reaching for the off switch particularly as it doesn’t seem to be very realistically done. Chelsea, Jake and Mia (mercifully we have yet to hear much from Brad) feel very much parachuted into Ambridge for undramatic purposes - I’d much prefer it if they were mentioned in passing while remaining silently off-stage.

I actually liked the storytelling - that they’re staying at Grange Farm while their bio-dad Andrew and his partner are away on a trip. Jake did sound rather stilted (so I’m surprised anyone mistook him for Will) but very true to life on Clarrie asking endless questions, and his sister being a total pain.

It was an interesting window on their life. I guess Jake in particular finds life with his dad pretty easy, whereas the Grundys must be more excited to see him, and thus more talkative and questioning.

I’d thought they were done with Mia feeling intimidated by Chelsea. Lentil knitting while hand wringing can’t be easy, and I hope it doesn’t evolve into anything nastier.

And I’m a bit disappointed, once again, at the SWs’ socially stratified match-making. Mia fancying Ruairi was fabulous. Perhaps Jake has never set eyes on the fragrant Lily (not that Chelsea isn’t) but that might have been fun, too. Phoebe’s too po-faced, and an impossibility now. (Are there really no other young women in Ambridge?) It’s dramatically dull to mix un-landed, non-First Family peripherals with other characters of the same status (because low stakes re land redistribution and ever closer proximity to Archers). Still not too late for Oliver and Tracy …

Ha! Hadn’t seen your post Lil’G!

Enjoying hearing Ruairi right now on Today.

Clearly the RSC has saved Ruairi from a future at Felpersham Uni!

Yes, I missed the very beginning and spent all the episode wondering why Mia and Will were on a bus and when I had missed Will signing up to an evening class. Mia was acting as if she is about 12 but that can be forgiven now I know she was talking to a sibling. It is very easy to regress in such circumstances.

Also enjoyed hearing Ruarhi on the Today Programme. Was very surprised when he started reading a few lines from the play - they don’t usually get actors to do that during an interview. Seemed like they were taking advantage of either his BBC contract or his age.

He's 30! A good 10 years older than Ruairi.

I think I’d better give up on this morning…

It’s dramatically dull to mix un-landed, non-First Family peripherals with other characters of the same status - that’s exactly it! Brilliantly expressed once again Tottering.

Perhaps Jake has never set eyes on the fragrant Lily (not that Chelsea isn’t) but that might have been fun, too. Phoebe’s too po-faced, and an impossibility now. (Are there really no other young women in Ambridge?)
I'm assuming Jake is the 6th Form and Chelsea is at college doing hairdressing so they are a similar age. Lily and Phoebe are much older and wouldn't want to go out with a school boy. I'm not sure there we know of any other girls his age.

@LillianGish

It’s dramatically dull to mix un-landed, non-First Family peripherals with other characters of the same status - that’s exactly it! Brilliantly expressed once again Tottering.

Yeah I agree with this as well and doubt it'll last - Chelsea is surely meant for more fun things - although maybe they're planning future SIL conflict for decades to come? Can't believe they've bothered to introduce Jake for this.

I'm assuming Jake is the 6th Form and Chelsea is at college doing hairdressing so they are a similar age. Lily and Phoebe are much older and wouldn't want to go out with a school boy. I'm not sure there we know of any other girls his age.

Oh, I know … I’m not really thinking of the long term, but it would just be more interesting if he had a crush on someone unlikely. So we get a mixing of households and … societal cultures. (🙄) Like Ruairi visiting Mia at (was it?) Grange Farm or the gamekeepers cottage (can’t remember where Will was living at the time) for maths tuition. Or Tracy going to lunch at Lower Loxley. Something that disrupts the universe!

@stilldumdedumming

Oh! I appear to be alone in my sympathy for Chris. People in tricky and stressful situations are often rude. They were extremely insensitive. Poor delicate Amy now is it?

I have always had sympathy for Chris, why is everyone so supportive of the Awful Alice? She's certainly not fit to have custody of their child but no dpoubt she'll use Daddy's cash to buy it, poor child.

Definitely team Chris here too! If Alice had been dragged up on a council estate instead of a poor little rich girl, she wouldn’t have seen Martha for dust.

Someone who is passionate about environmental issues and gets on with Rex - has to Kirsty (though Kate was clearly hinting it should be her). Not a single comment so far on that episode - it truly did feel like the SW were moving the counters another square round the board.

I hadn't thought of Kate taking over the rewilding. Fortunately Peggy is more than a match for Kate. I was pleased to hear Peggy giving Phoebe sage advice about throwing herself into the new job and not trying to micromanage the rewilding alongside it. Also delighted to hear an Ambridge woman encouraging another Ambridge woman to leave the village!

I suppose we're in for a short (please) period of uncertainty about who will take over, before Peggy does the sensible thing and appoints Kirsty or Adam or both and finds a way of fobbing Kate off.

Adam would be in his element! Full time pontification and few, or no, baby-unfriendly hours, or wearying physical labour.

I don’t understand why Kate is interested. She already has a business, and this is just the moment to push forward with it after the enforced hiatus.

Poor poor Rex. Kate or Adam - or both…

Kate wanted to move Spiritual Home over to the rewilding when Phoebe and Rex were just setting up their campsite. Brian almost exploded.

If she did take it over/move her yurts, Brian and Jenny could sell the plot of land they had to keep for Kate (and use the proceeds to buy back Home Farm).

I am so glad they've remembered Phoebe needs a life and are moving her out, I'll be SO cross if they let anything stand in the way.