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!

Last night's was very gentle! Nice change. Jakob is a good character and well (but sparingly) used.

Please not have any more unplanned pregnancies. I'd like Kirsty and Adil to have a whirlwind romance and eventually foster/adopt.

Oh sadly I fear George's "entrepreneurial" tendencies (idolising of whatever he's called with the pheasants - Gibson?) will combine with a realisation he has need of Brad who would have been able to multiply £2.50 by 15 at the drop of a hat. Hence years of "fun" where sensible Brad is dragged into his stupid cousin's criminal ventures.

They produced it as a three-episode series in 1982, and that has turned up quite often on Radio 4 Extra. Whether it still will while it is a series on telly is a different question.

What ought to transpire is that Lillian has infected the entire village with a novel strain, and Alan will have to impose total village isolation for the sake of humanity …
Like at Eyam during the Plague.

There was definitely a "touch of Nancy B-S" about Charlotte's article (thank you for the link, Tonight).

It is as if they have forgotten that Lynda survived being aflame. I can't imagine that her lungs are in the best of shape. There was a terribly sad piece in the news about a lady called Jacqueline Kirk who died recently, 20 years after her husband set fire to her.

They are definitely emphasising "Emma has a bad headache". I hope it was just a device to get George to help Fallon rather than anything more sinister.

I for one love the Covid free status of Ambridge. The last thing I want to hear is people worrying about whether they can visit vulnerable elderly people, I get enough of that in real life.

A headache isn't usually an indicator of pregnancy is it? Definitely a symptom of covid though.

That is what I was thinking of, @CaptainMyCaptain !

Very much a symptom of bird flu as well.

Of course. In RL covid would be more likely but in TA in conjunction with dodgy birds it's probably Avian flu.

The Archer have announced very sad news that Graham Blockley has died. RIP Robert Snell.

I saw that on the BBC Archers Facebook page. It must have been quite sudden as it doesn't seem long ago we heard Robert speaking.

That's sad. I thought he was a good actor and made Robert a sympathetic character.

Oh no.

No more "Lyndy".

His poor family and patients too. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/31/surrey-gp-reveals-archers-character-robert-snell-graham-blockey?CMP=share_btn_tw

I think it's incredibly sweet that Lynda's "husband" was basically someone doing amateur dramatics the whole time.

Yes. Another actor who showed warmth towards others

That’s heartbreaking news. Far too young.

And it’s obviously a shame for TA - he played Robert with such understated brilliance. Hard to imagine how the show will do without him going forward - the creative team must have had lots of plans for the return of Leonie and Mungo (with or without James) which will be strange to write if Robert is silent.

Awful …

That is news which makes me sad: Robert was a benign character, on the whole, and TA doesn't have enough of those any more.

So sorry to read this. He must have been only around 66, which is no age at all these days. What an awful blow for him and for his family that he didn't have all that long in retirement.

Robert Snell was one of my favourite characters and will be greatly missed. I suppose they could try making him silent. He's never spoken as much as Lynda, for the obvious reasons set out in that Guardian article above (thanks for the link).

I’m so sorry to read this news. Robert was one of my favourite characters as he was imbued with such warmth, patience, and kindness. A large part of that was down to skilled acting. How sad.

Oh how sad
RIP Graham

Another character to be written out, along with Peggy, Jill (who surely can't continue), Smugula and very possibly JennyDarling too.

My memory is that in the months running up to Nigel's demise, Lizzie was in full outrage mode. It could have been a storyline about The Future of Brookfield that got the Archer siblings arguing, and/or maybe something else. She was always written as the baby Archer sibling prone to tantrums as a consequence of being spoilt when she had childhood heart problems. Anyway, Nigel was the one that distracted her and managed to calm Lizzie down eventually and see sense, but in a kind and thoughtful manner.

Case in point - Lizzie blamed David for Nigel's death for months and returned to outrage mode, lashing out at everyone. She has been a lot more reasonable in general over the past few years, whether that has been deliberate plotting or inconsistent writing, who knows.

Very sorry to hear about Graham Blockley. I remembering him "coming out" when he retired from his day job. Robert fulfilled the same role with Lyndy that Nigel did with Lizzie, that of being the calm voice of reason. Also very much enjoyed his little one-up-manship birdwatching scenes with Jim, which were typical classic Archers scenes of enjoyable everyday life (particularly if you're married to a Twitcher like I am!)

I hope they keep him silent. Jim could comment how they have been birding together from time to time.

Went to see 'Living' with Bill Nighy in at the cinema, thought I recognised the voice of the actor who plays Sir James and it is indeed our own Oliver Sterling!

No mention of Graham Blockey tonight. Very odd.

Graham blokey??

Pip, such a star....