👑 Archers thread #139: Who’s the Daddy? No ceremonial required to join us – 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 like the sound of Lilian’s Cinnamon Chicken, 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.)

I'm often struck by the time a thread ends how irrelevant the previous title has become to what's currently going on in The Archers. The Queen's death has only been mentioned very briefly in TA, of course, but I suppose that was to be expected in a time of budget constraints. In a few weeks when this thread fills up I wonder if we will still be thinking that, and about Chelsea and her pregnancy. That depends on what she decides to do, which at the time of writing is still up in the air.

As usual, I asked for title ideas and for various reasons then didn't use them. Sorry. Lillian Gish's was very witty - Will Chelsea stay mum about dad? Muddler made a more controversial one - Horrobins thread #139. As a new Great House of Ambridge emerges, come swear your allegiance here.

That's about all I can face saying about TA at the moment. I am expecting to have to travel north soon as my Dad is in hospital and I have to be with my Mum. (They're the same sort of age as Jill Archer, and up to now have been like her and Peggy, very active, managing very well with no help, but this may all be about to change ). So apologies if I'm more absent than present for a while. Will pop in when I can.

Chelsea was until they turned her into Kevina the Teenager. For the moment I'm fed up of her strops, her mother's useless hand wringing and Jazzerr's equally useless blustering.

Well that was my first thought last night because of the drama rule that Women Only Puke When Pregnant, plus she also reminded us that she's been having unprotected sex with Ben (I presume she's on hormonal contraception of some kind but not condoms too/instead).

I am just a bit BORED of the people of Ambridge not planning their bloody pregnancies properly. It starts to feel very repetitive. We need someone going door to door with the implant/multipacks of condoms.

Well that was a waste of 13 minutes.

How much more of this drivel from Kenton's diary are they going to inflict on us?

I can't decide which is drearier -Kenton's diary or Ruth's wittering on about redecorating. I usually like Leonard but the scenes with Ruth, David and Leonard were excruciatingly badly acted.

George Grundy, Jolene and Kenton's diaries can all do one.

There’s no spare bathroom at Brookfield, is there? Certainly no en suite for Josh and Ben. Who wants to go on holiday and be taking a shower after a farmer? I dare say it’s been written about TA/Dopeys before, but they really haven’t thought this through.

Dredging the memory here, but I thought Elizabeth (as she was always called then) had an en suite when she lived at Brookfield as a teenager.

Chicken casseroles and interior design…Leonard seems to have taken on a housekeeping job at Brookfield. I wouldn’t mind him moving here- there are quite a few jobs I could line up for him. And I could send him out for the odd take-away if needed. Very useful…

Just back from watching the RSC’s latest production of Richard III (streamed into our local cinema) with Ruarhi (Arthur HughSS) moonlighting in the lead role. He was absolutely brilliant.

George, to me, could totally go the incel route, influenced by dodgy YouTubers. Don’t think it’s an Archer’s style storyline but he fits the mould perfectly.

I hope Chelsea decides on an abortion. Apart from avoiding another tedious pregnancy storyline, and her being able to live her life successfully (would love to see her succeed where her Oxbridge etc counterparts haven’t particularly, I think it’s good timing to reinforce that abortions are available and can be freely chosen for any reason. I’d actually prefer her to not self flagellate over it.

Totally agree, except George, to me, could totally go - anywhere a long way, away.

That's another pointless and nasty storyline in the making.

I do fear that as the number of people who know Chelsea is pregnant continues to expand the less likely she is to have a termination.

Oh and note to script writers Kenton does not employ George's mum. Kenton used to employ George's dead aunt by marriage who was sacked for a public falling out in The Bull with George's mum.

Didn't Emma work in the Bull briefly at one point?

I don't recall that. According to this Clarrie and Nic did. I remember Nic and Emma having a fight in The Bull.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Archers_characters

Sorry, Nic was of course George's step-mother not aunt so they appear either to have confused George's live mother with his dead step- mother, or, for some inexplicable reason, Brad was hanging out with the Grundys and it was Brad who made the "Mum's boss" comment.

MuddlerInLaw didn't Phoebe have an abortion a couple of years ago?

Yes I found that incredibly confusing!

No she wasn’t pregnant in the end

Sometimes the Archers serves up excellent commentary into the modern world, with well drawn characters struggling with dilemmas that are written both plausibly and with dramatic tension.

and sometimes we get Jolene blathering on about a decades old snog and inconsequential ramblings about paint.

Can we hear from Kirsty please? Or Elizabeth? Or Find out who moved into Brian and Jenny’s old house??

Kenton’s diary revelations are an incredibly crass compare and contrast with Chelsea / Ben / Beth. (Fink pointed it out beforehand but yesterday’s scenes were awful.) It’s a shame because it might have been mildly amusing in isolation.

The paint business at Brookfield? I don’t think that’s inconsequential. I suspect Leonard is angling to move in, now the offspring have departed. Maybe he’s even hoping they’ll carve a granny flat for Jill and him out of the extra space. He might offer to pay rent to replace any B&B income

Here’s the missing ‘.’.

i thought Emma was the pub cleaner. Didn't she have opinions about the hanging baskets?

what's this nonsense about Kenton?

is it a joke?

Beth and Chelsea - BOOP!

(Now … Where’s my prediction medal?😄)

Leonard - alternatively he may be hoping that if he does the two rooms well he may persuade them to throw Jill out so they can use her room too. Then she could go and live with him. Can’t decide which is more likely.

Tiny point of order, in two parts:

a) How did Beth even know who Chelsea was? When were they introduced??

b) How on earth did she find out where she lives. There’s no way she asked Ben!

It's a small village it would be easy to find out even without using Facebook etc.

Chelsea did her sister's makeup /hair for the Breakup Party

Chelsea did Steph's hair and makeup at that ill fated party.

I think tonight's episode was extremely implausible.

George and Eddie are vile. There's only 4 years between Clarrie and Kenton. Can't help thinking Clarrie's life could have been so much better if she'd ended up with Kenton.