Archers thread #144: Window pains again! Light relief or dark times ahead for Ambridge in 2023? 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, 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’d love to volunteer in the shop with Susan, 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.)

New year, new thread. Many thanks to @LillianGish for the window pains pun! Hoping to hear a lot less from the Caseys this year and a good deal more about farming and how Ambridge is coping with Brexit, cost of living crisis, ageing population and all sorts of credible character-based storylines. Yes, I know, but one can only hope.

Over to you!

Possibly the effect of a spell on stage using his voice in a different way?

@Jellykat same here!

They had that brief thing where they were hinting at Stella and Will too, didn’t they?

I do think at some point they would be missing a trick if Julianne doesn’t somehow turn up in Ambridge. Perhaps she’s an old flame of Brian’s.

I also think that The Archers is also unusual in that so many listeners are aware of what’s going on behind the scenes with the actors. So we know there are a number of deaths / retirements that mean other departures onscreen eventually to be dealt with. It adds an extra layer of doom and sadness to the actual current sad storyline making it very heavy. I think the SWs try to counter this with the comedy storylines which is too jarring at times, I think we also need something potentially dramatic happening, not soap level but a good old baddie to be uncovered.

Thank god! I thought i was going barmy, glad im not alone..

Oh it was awful when they changed Hayley, had forgotten that.

Yes these threads are at least equalled in enthusiasm and knowledge by other groups etc.

It was very good, and harrowing, but that wasn't Philip Moss, although it did sound very like him. The R4 rule seems to be that Welshmen pop up and all the other characters are non-Welsh, it's easy to spot the baddie!

So much happening in every episode at the moment.

Am surprised we found out how Ruari felt so quickly.

Poor, poor Brian. My tear ducts are working overtime this week.

Oh my goodness. I'm a snivelling wreck.

The cast are really stepping up for this s/l

Coo …

Though they’re right - every one of them went out of their way to make Jenny sad recently. (Apart from Debbie - unless simply being away counts.)

Sensible decisions too to have Ruairi talking to Ruth, who was designated to look after his interests while he was a minor, and Brian to David, as has happened many times before.

Yes. She loved all of them, but my word, there must have been times when she wondered if she liked them.

Brian’s right though - Home Farm farmhouse was Jenny’s domain and he (and Kate) took it away from her.

I agree.

And I've always hated the idea some people have about having a right to other people's medical information.

Bract only her last months, diagnosed in Nov apparently. Did we get any hint then?
When was Brine's angina episode, that seemed strange at the time? About September?

• In fact

No, Brian's collapse was just before the Jubilee weekend, so start of June last year.

I wonder whether Charles Collingwood's interview this morning, when he said he had no intention of retiring, can be entirely relied on? To say anything else would be a real spoiler!

Wow. What a wonderful performance by Charles Collingwood. I find Brine mostly a smug, self-serving, controlling type but this brought a tear to my eye, his self-reproving (and accurate) litany of his shortcomings and JD's virtues was very moving indeed.

As an aside, this is the third time lately he's left a convo to answer the phone. Annoying characteristic or lazy writing?

@echt As an aside, this is the third time lately he's left a convo to answer the phone. Annoying characteristic or lazy writing?

Well, he's been doing it to take calls from Jenny - with hindsight, for obvious reasons. I hadn't noticed it apart from that.

It's one of the strange things characters do in TA, not listen to each other to the end of their sentences.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that, and very plausible.

As an aside, this is the third time lately he's left a convo to answer the phone. Annoying characteristic or lazy writing?

I don't think it was lazy writing but actually very good writing. Although I think it is annoying characteristic but happening here because of the emotional turmoil he's under - the grief and the guilt as evidenced by his conversation with David shortly after. The need to be strong for his son and simply avoiding the possibility that he might break down in front of him.

This was Brian desperately trying to stay in control of his emotions even at the cost of sharing his grief with Ruairi. David seems to be the only person he can truly share his feelings with and has been a trusted friend for many years. Very well acted Charles Collingwood!

I'd be disappointed if he left, losing Jenny is bad enough.