Archers thread #141: The nights are drawing in. Can we turn the clocks back to a time when The Archers was fun? Cackle or carp about 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, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you're hoping Ambridge has a pantomime again this year, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-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.)

Many thanks to @TottersBlankly and @GoldenCupidon for the title suggestions.

Too much to hope, I suppose, that by the time we get to the end of this thread Chelsea's pregnancy is a distant memory and the Horrobins can gear up for a cheap and cheerful Christmas. I really, really hope she doesn't change her mind about the termination. It's a horrible and unrealistic storyline, as most of us have agreed over the past few weeks, but now I just want it to end and be forgotten about.

I do like the idea of Lilian taking on the role of witch in the woods. Much more fun to listen to than Mia sabotaging the Hunt Ball, which is surely bound to go horribly wrong, or the odd wrangling over the stained glass window which we know Peggy won't be contributing to on air , given June Spencer's retirement.

Not a peep out of anybody in Ambridge about all the recent political shenanigans, but that's hardly surprising. Nobody fretting about fuel bills or rampant inflation either.

Also, where's Jenny? I hope Angela Piper's OK.

Over to you!

Hello, @TheUsualChaos, well done on coming out of the Lurker Zone!

It is very late for any sane body of people to start putting together a Christmas show, but don't we say this every single year? And it's always a triumph! After the year we've all had I am rather hoping for a good old panto this year.

Like PP I felt like last night’s episode was well done, despite the very poorly thought out storyline.

Definitely an opportunity to cast Adil and Kursedy. Maybe Paul the vet nurse will be in it. Something upbeat I hope, and no two baby messiahs.

Unfortunately, judging by previous experience, there’s still time…

Oh yes Paul could be Buttons!

and no two baby messiahs

Lord! Had forgotten Natasha!

Anyway, Amy’s probably booking her donkey right now …

I'd forgotten Amy. Given how soap ONSs result in pregnancy, might there be a baby Frankscarter on the way?

@ILoveShula ooh, that’s a good point. How long has it been since she left?

Not sure, but a Christmas/New Year or Easter baby is traditional, and it would tie in with Susan's comments to Tracy about how much she loved looking after Marthyr.
I think there will be news about a baby before long, and my likely candidates are Tracey or Amy, or Beth if she has split with Ben for good.

I suppose we'll find out about the "panto" first when the Christmas Radio Times comes out. The Archers cast usually managed to pad out the Christmas listings.

After the year they've given us I hope we aren't subjected to more mystery plays.

Maybe it's just me, but was it not a bit insensitive of the nurse to say "Mums are the best" immediately after Chelsea had just chosen not to be a Mum?

And when Tracey was talking about when Chelsea and Brad were little... felt a little but like rubbing salt in the wound (that there would be no little one for Chelsea to mother). Then again, could be argued that it was quite a nice parallel that you never stop mothering your children, even when they're old enough to become a parent.

I thought last nights episode was well done. I hope that Ben and Beth find their way through this.

If I had to make a guess, I'd say the next pregnancy will be Tracey, who will dither because she's 'too old' but will be persuaded to make a go of it by Jazzer... Chelsea will express mixed feelings, especially due to her recent experience (a pregnancy close to her will probably compound that, which is partly what makes me think it'll be Tracey because the scriptwriters will want maximum drama...). Then again, perhaps the writers will have mercy and stop aiming for maximum drama!

You're not wrong.

Previous pantos have not necessarily been mentioned on air before November. 15th November seem to be the latest "first mention".

ambridgereporter.org.uk/Village_Entertainments.html

Delurking (given the debate about the tone of these threads putting off lurkers)

I hate the Chelsea story line. I’m pleased she was allowed an abortion as that’s normally not an option in soap land, but the dithering was ridiculous and there was no reason to make her wait this long. We could have had an easy early abortion. It’s made her and Tracy sound like fools. Ben could have had more input on matters if he hadn’t been another character written to indulge Chelsea’s dithering and therefore refuse to voice any feelings on the matter. I am strongly pro choice and think abortion can be a simple decision for many women, with no ongoing trauma or guilt. But even I have found the emphasis on the mechanics of such a late abortion upsetting.

It caps off the tedious ongoing focus on the young uns. I don’t want to hear this much from Brad, Mia, George etc. Christ Henry will probably get his own story line too. I don’t know why the BBC are kidding themselves as this isn’t going to make 18 year olds tune in (ok I listened to the Archers at 18 but I was a weirdo).

At the other end of the spectrum, I think it’s daft to give Peggy a storyline when the actor has left the show. Although I’m very disappointed that Emma caved on the window.

I don’t know why the BBC are kidding themselves as this isn’t going to make 18 year olds tune in (ok I listened to the Archers at 18 but I was a weirdo).

Same here, I listened at that age too, but did so partly because it didn't feature a load of teenagers and wasn't trying to target my peer group ('old before my time')...!

I am strongly pro choice and think abortion can be a simple decision for many women, with no ongoing trauma or guilt. But even I have found the emphasis on the mechanics of such a late abortion upsetting.

Agree with all of this.

However … Like it or not, it’s vital they invest in the younger characters - otherwise where will we be in twenty years? VR-ing influencers, that’s where, with only distant memories of some old radio soap that used to be on a long time ago.

I don’t imagine the youth stories attract youthful listeners, but I still want to be listening when Mungo, Jack, Rosie, Martha and the starry twins are adults. For us to care about the core clan members in middle age we need to have known them as they were growing up, running wild, making the mistakes people do in their teens and twenties. That way (in theory anyway!) we’ll love (or despise) them when they’re boring old farts complaining about the price of cattle feed. They can’t all arrive fully formed at 35.

So, of course Henry will have his own stories! Soon as he’s old enough to act independently and do stuff with consequences. Bring it on!

i think they need to do some plotlines with the younguns, or they will suddenly pop into life in their mid twenties without anyone knowing what their formative years were like.

Please no more accidental pregnancies - won't SOMEONE set up a mobile coil clinic on the green?

x post Totters - you said it much better!

Was just a longwinded way of welcoming @Softleftpowerstance .

And welcome to all other delurkers, too!

Please no more accidental pregnancies - won't SOMEONE set up a mobile coil clinic on the green?

But if i wasn't in a relationship, as Chelsea isn't, and Phoebe wasn't (not that she was actually pregnant,) and... I don't think Pip and Toby were, were they? Anyway, if I wasn't in a relationship, I wouldn't want to be on long term contraception. Not that that excuses any of them, because if you're having casual sex, you should be using condoms because of the STI risk, and it's not difficult to carry one in your purse just in case.

So in their positions,I wouldn't use a mobile coil clinic, even if it was right in the middle of the village where everyone, including Susan Carter at the shop, would see you going in. (I refused to use the local FPC, because my mother rang to leave a message offering a lift to my sister's teenage friend who had an appointment there, in pre mobile phone/data protection days...)

And also, quite a few of my friends had unplanned pregnancies, at least for their first. They were mostly in committed relationships and planning to have children at some point in the future, just not yet - and aren't quite a number of abortions to married women who already have children? It's only if you're not in a relationship that it's so obvious it's unplanned.

I think you might have taken me a little too literally there @EBearhug

What I actually want is an equivalent of the moment in Cold Comfort Farm where Flora goes to see Meriam the hired girl and dispenses the secrets of contraception. Except going door to door in Ambridge. We've listen them before so suffice to say - having the vast majority of any village's babies be unplanned shows a lot of carelessness!

(And EBearhug you're quite right of course, I was the same which is why I always bloody insisted on condoms!)

Well I'm glad that the SW have "klaxoned" that Chelsea is a gifted hairdresser. Perhaps Grey Gables will get a beauty salon as part of its refurb. Or perhaps the "that's a great hairstyle for a wedding" was a not very subtle hint that David and Ruth might refer would-be brides her way in due course? Anyway I hope that SL is parked away, not to be repeated so crassly, and Chelsea is allowed to do well at College.

I wouldn't object to having Mungo, James and Coriander relocate to Ambridge - I can't remember what his parents do, but I am sure they could work from Ambridge a couple of days/week.

Something feels wrong with the pacing of things this year. We seem to alternate between the "Darling Buds of May" teens and then the oldies, who get even less plausible storylines.

I suppose Peggy/Joe/Bert/Shula (and Brian?)/Pat/Jenny/Toby have left quite a void in the available cast.

Will 2023 be the year that Fat Paul gets a voice.

I think Fat Paul will remain silent if Fey Paul becomes a regular.

Welcome, @Softleftpowerstance! Intriguing username.

James Bellamy was involved in a property development scheme a while back, which I think Matt 'Tiger' Crawford may have had doubts about and prevented Lilian from investing in it, perhaps unwisely. It was quite a while ago and I was incredulous when I heard that James and his associates were proposing to build flats in what they hilariously called West Greenwich. I live not a million miles away and know it as Deptford. Fast forward a few years and I have to concede the SWs had their fingers on the pulse as Deptford is teeming with new-build flats and flats carved out of former industrial buildings. Changed out of all recognition. Fortunately, however, the area is still called Deptford, in spite of the developers and estate agents. I was aghast when one of them attempted to rebrand the ancient and fascinating Deptford Creek as Greenwich Creek, but that didn't stick.

No idea what James does now. No idea what Leonie does either. I think Mungo is 8 now.

The 🔮 is of the opinion that another pregnancy storyline is still lurking. As predicted up there ^, Tracey's ovaries will have one last hurrah and a wee tartan bairn will be produced.

Please God no! IRL this would be a really high risk pregnancy in several ways. I can't see why Tracy would want to go ahead it just as she's getting back on her feet.