🏏Archers thread #136: Howzat! Oliver’s bowled a googly, Kathy’s out, Grey Gables left with nightwatchman. Tracy knocked for six. Is Ambridge on a sticky wicket? 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 are entranced by new character Adil, 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.)

Apologies if anybody made a thread title suggestion and I missed it. I decided to mark the start of the cricket season in the hope that things will take a turn for the better for poor Tracy.

It feels like months since the last new thread, which was just after Phoebe departed for Scotland. Has she been mentioned since? I can't recall. Not greatly missed, by me, at any rate. Her fish gifts didn't last long.

I can't shake off the feeling that The Archers is going through a long dull patch. I don't feel greatly engaged by anything that's happening at the moment other than Tracy's plight. Such a good actor, which helps, of course.

What's keeping you listening? Habit? Genuinely enjoying it? Over to you!

(PS In the process of starting this thread, I've discovered that our custom-made Archers emoji has gone. You used to get it by typing . Not any more.)

I'd like to think that she was a nice person, but if she is the SW will change her.
I don't understand why they keep bringing in new characters and not do much with them

I think the rescued greyhound and hanging wistfully around the stables angling for a hack, plus girly nights with Ruth are all meant to be signifiers if moral rectitude. I'd be surprised if she turns out to be shady.

How was Rob with animals?

(Can’t believe I’ve forgotten already.)

He wasn't a fan of tuna, does that count? Not sure if that's shorthand for evil in the same way as, say, kitten-kicking.

Rob was keen on hunting, wasn't he? I suspect he wasn't averse to letting the hounds catch live foxes.

A bit behind events but am I right in thinking that it was a bit odd that no one called the community picnic, a Jubilee picnic? There seemed a deliberate policy not to mention the jubilee when in most villages round here people were getting thoroughly involved/over-excited - but I must admit I’ d been zoning out of late so may have missed the occasional mention… It just seemed a bit odd.

I recall Stella behaved very strangely when Ruth introduced her to Usha and seemed extremely hostile towards her. I think she is going to become obsessed with Ruth.

I also don’t believe the heart attack story.

Yes, they were extraordinarily low key about the Jubilee. I wonder if they just thought it wasn't going to be seen as a big deal? But if so that's pretty odd in itself, it's not as if the producers aren't part of an organisation that was making a hell of a big deal about the whole thing.

Hmm … I guess the rest of the BBC had back-up plans in place in case the Jubilee … didn’t happen. Maybe the TA producers were disinclined to record alternative versions, so hedged their bets?

I'm not really clear on how old they are and whether they even share a mum. Isn't Vince much married? I haven't a clue where their mum(s) are either.

My impression is that Beth is within a couple of years of Ben, say 20-22, and Steph maybe 24-25? But honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they were both a bit older.

This made me chuckle: I think the rescued greyhound and hanging wistfully around the stables angling for a hack, plus girly nights with Ruth are all meant to be signifiers if moral rectitude.

I think you're probably right but it's so like something out of a tweenage animal lover book of the 80s, probably a girl who wants to be a vet and will fulfil her dream after a near-tragic horse related accident.

Jubilee-wise, I'm guessing if they recorded it months ago they didn't want to bet on the Queen being well/around and the celebration going ahead. Sounds horrible but she is very very old. Different with live events like the coverage.

x-post Totters. Radio is very low budget, tehy probably couldn't afford an alt version. I expect the weekend TV coverage cost far more than the Archers costs all year.

Steph & Beth are half-sisters, IIRC

That was Hannah I think -yes you're right. I was confusing Stella with Hannah (who hasn't been heard of for a while either). I'm now revising my opinion that Stella is dodgy - I like the idea of her filling a Debbie-shaped hole. I'd also much rather hear from the characters already in play (ie Hannah, the Fairbrethren, even Joy) - people we already know a bit about, before the SW start voicing dreadful caricatures like Steph. I don't mind hearing about her awfulness secondhand, but her actual scenes were, to quote a pp, "bilge".

My proper Friday!

💃🏾

(🙄I meant my first proper Friday!)

And this is what we get

I don't want to listen to this shite any more.

This was the first post I read tonight, and it was a bit of a shock to realise you wrote it about Wednesday

WELL.

I was looking forward to the reinstatement of my Saturday morning Archers, and get this !!! Irritating.

I'd like to hear the scene where Vince drools on to Elizabeth about poor little Steph, forced into adultery, and her husband's unreasonable response to it.

Didn't Steph proposition Freddie for a threesome with Liam? Or was it just a one night stand with her, before the wedding? Either way, it's clearly never been a monogamous relationship.

Did KD write the threesome proposition episodes as well? I was surprised to find he’s responsible for Stephanie’s toddler tantrums this week.

It’s hard to understand what the creative team were thinking. Perhaps there was just a random failure of communication between idea and execution with this story - because, handled differently, it need not have been gobsmackingly awful. Maybe the Stephanie actress was second or third choice and just isn’t portraying the character as the writers first imagined her?

I agree with whoever said the SWs are turning Beth into a miserable drudge. If they’d swapped the characters - had Beth as a lively, effervescent spoilt princess, and Stephanie as a sombre joysucker, the prospect of them sharing a flat might have been quite entertaining and even interesting. Ben constantly having to jolly miserable Beth along doesn’t make for sparkling listening.

But my first thought yesterday evening was that Stephanie moving in with her might be the thing that moves Beth - permanently - to Brookfield.

Why are all the characters such pantomime characters? It feels more eastenders than archers. I hate what they've done to Chelsea, it is such extraordinary stereotype. And Steph is ridiculous. And yet Ardil is just mundane, a beige character who I don't believe is clever or charismatic enough to be an extremely successful businessman.

Dreadful! I used the skip facility when I heard something grating which meant I skipped nearly the whole episode!

Can Steff join Pip in the sink hole, off-air, when that forgotten storyline is brought back!

Appalling.

As many have already said, Chelsea is a trainee hairdresser. She doesn't need to look for a waitressing job to make extra money, she has a profitable marketable skill which she could be plying in people's homes.

Tracy is the only person in the UK struggling to get a job in the service sector.

Steph is insultingly bad on every level. She has no redeeming features and no points of interest whatsoever. Why was she introduced when there are so many speaking characters we haven't heard from in months?

Etc. What a shocker of a week.