🏏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.)

That was a very strange scene but hasn't been followed through.

Do they not read each other's scripts?

Chelsea as a very junior trainee hairdresser cut the hair of probably the 3 most challenging clients, for various reasons, they could have found for her, and they all loved what she did. Turning her into a terrible, rude and incompetent waitress is ridiculous.

Steph and Beth have the same mother then. Is Beth short for Bethany?

I agree about the Adil acting ( and character) it reminds me of when building society employees are used in TV advertisements.

Maybe Steph " looks like a Kardashian" will make a move on Ben, he does seem warmer towards her than her drudgey grudgey sister does. On the other hand, if there's an opposite of overinvested, I'm it!

I don’t think Jim would have been bustling around getting Chelsea biscuits. He is not a man lacking in confidence and would have had no problems teaching Chelsea about boundaries and asking for the key back.

Poor script-writing from Keri this week. I think he is losing his touch. He used to be good at astute social perception and tight one-liners but he has gone for full-on over-writing this week which has been dismal.

Just joining the chorus of surprise at Keri being responsible for this week's scripts. Amazingly awful.

Stephanie and Bethany? Anything is possible. We once had neighbours with four daughters called Jodie, Cody, Chloe and Zoe.

Beth could be the name on the birth certificate, or that could be Elizabeth.

I wonder if KD found it tricky to get back into the rhythm of writing six episodes after such a long period of writing four and then five. I'll be charitable and suggest maybe his hands were tied by decisions made by the production team as a whole about Steph's character and the casting decision.

I’ve got friends called Stephanie and Bethany (not related to each other!!) and they are ALWAYS having people mishear one for the other, it causes chaos sometimes. Parents would have to be idiots but then…

otherwise she must be called Elizabeth and surely that would have been mentioned giving he’s been banging another Elizabeth. Or maybe just Beth?

Just caught up on Thursday’s and Friday’s. Good Lord. I was so delighted when Beth DIDN’T do the soap cliche of agreeing to an obviously cheeky and shit idea, but then of course it happened anyway. If she was my sister she’d have perished in a mysterious hair straightener accident a long time ago.

She might be just Beth. Why do the characters have to be over-the-top characatures? I didn't listen to the Omnibus.

Gosh, Muriel Spark on R3 is so brilliant! Sometimes I hate having to choose between the Sunday Feature and TA.

(I know I can listen to one later.)

I enjoyed the trip to the County Show. Uneventful but it hung nicely together with no hammy acting or contrived conflict. Likewise, Susan and Natasha’s chat. Obvs Ruth and David scenes were as dull as ever but you can’t have it all! I have high hopes for this week…

Utter garbage that Ruth and David would be willing to host a “suddenly single” party for a woman who has admitted to cheating on her husband. They’re not that strapped for cash. What nonsense.

I don't really see why they wouldn't. They're running a commercial enterprise, the day any such enterprise starts accepting or rejecting bookings on the basis of the perceived morality of the reasons behind them is the day it steps onto a very slippery slope.

yes! Real countryside stories after what seems like a dearth of farming. I enjoyed the county show through Ed and Jazzer. Also good that Jazzer explained how he got in - a friend went to our local show and paid almost £40 for adult +!child but there were virtually no animals! Good to hear of Ruth and David's solar panels too.

I disagree. It’s not their main source of income. Steph is clearly a flake and a nightmare to work with. There are messy family connections. It’s hardly the type of party that will be universally seen as a wonderful occasion- cue her whining because half the people she invited turn down the invitation. It has pain in the backside written all over it.

Nothing to do with rejecting it on morality grounds! more rejecting on in the basis that it is a bloody stupid idea.

If I ran an apparently well publicised wedding venue and one of my highest profile couples broke up soon after the wedding - I’d be quite worried about the venue being tainted. I definitely wouldn’t be going out of my way to host a party celebrating the failure of said marriage.

Staphanie may well have a gazillion SM followers, but weddings prompt a good deal of superstition. Might prospective couples not cross off the shortlist a place made famous for subsequent spectacular break-ups? Why chase bad luck?

Not that it matters. Everything about Stephanie’s story is ridiculous and unconvincing and nothing like actual life.

Sorry! Particularly Ruth, Ruth clucking around her like a mother hen. She’s so much nicer to Stephanie than she usually is to any of her own children - even when Stephanie isn’t there!

They shouldn't because it's a trashy idea and tarnishes their aim of being a classy wedding venue and also Steph is a massive flake which they know. Also vince was paying for the wedding, how do they know anyone will be paying for this mess?

It's virtually inevitable that the unfortunate Liam will decide to take Steph back and the party will turn into a tacky renewal of vows or similar.

It’s … disappointing. This is supposed to be drama, not necessarily sophisticated (on their budget) but intended for an apparently intelligent R4 audience. The ancient amongst us will remember just how distraught and disgusted David was at the threat of infidelity in his own marriage. The disclosure of Steph’s behaviour - and its tangential connection to Brookfield - could surely have prompted something much deeper and more emotionally searching than we’ve been offered. I don’t see how one marriage is treated as sacred and another as hilarious comedy.

Please no; not another renewal of vows. Eddie and Clarrie have already done theirs twice!

I am hoping that "pantomime Steph" was simply introduced to highlight how "resilient and lovely" long-suffering Beth is. Like others I am keeping my fingers crossed that she and Ben are to be the future of Brookfield.

Hannah/Stella & Steph/Beth - I wish the SW had a bit more imagination with first names.

I don't think that's fair: there's Pip, Shula, Kenton, Jolene, Rex and a few who have been and gone like Lexi, Spencer, Jude and Liberty

Stella and Hannah are quite different sounding names, as are Steph and Beth

I wasn't paying much attention last week. Did Ben and Beth tell Ruth and David what had actually happened, as opposed to Steph's original entirely fictitious account claiming Liam had been unfaithful? I could understand their attitude much more easily if they still think that's what's happened.

The County Show bits were good. Nice to hear Ed again. Ed and Jazzer are believable as friends. I also liked the Susan/Natasha scenes. Poor Natasha must be really suffering now. Does anyone remember the due date?