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Archers thread #149: This is not a drill, it’s a plot device. Here’s hoping for Stella-r rows in Ambridge. Discuss The Archers here.

979 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 06/06/2023 08:28

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

Archers All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. 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 think George Grundy's bantz make him a great laugh and totally harmless to women, or other unusual views. Grin

Archers 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!

Archers 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.)

Thanks for title suggestions - @FallonsNewCoat started us off with Drilling down OR What’s the drill?: So many jobs hanging in the balance - what’s planned for Adam, Stella, Freddie and horrible George?, @OverArmour's suggestion was ‘Drilling down on less than Stella-r performances and who will be a pig in muck’ and @TeenDivided contributed the laserdrill focussed Lets drill into plot holes and hope George gets his comeuppance. I went for a bit of all of that. The phrase at the back of my head, which I am very pleased to have tracked down, was from one of my favourite film franchises where the character Conklin says in Jason Bourne's memory This is not a drill, soldier. We clear on that? This is a live project. You are go. Training is over. Training is over. Well, that's us, troops. Training is over, discussing The Archers is a live project, and it's our job to drill down into all aspects of what we hear. Grin

On the last thread, people were discussing how unrealistic the portrayal of mental health problems is on TA. I wholeheartedly agree, but I suppose they don't feel they can tackle long-running slow burn storylines that often. They made a great effort with Jack Woolley's Alzheimer's. Other than that, I don't recall anybody having a recurring illness that's been portrayed realistically (and actually that goes for physical conditions as well). Most things clear up and are hardly mentioned again. Sticking just to mental illness, Pat had depression after John died, Mike Tucker had a bad bout of depression, so did Elizabeth. Helen's ED may or may not be about to re-appear, but nobody's mentioning it. Ben's rapid-onset depresssion recently led to a psychotic episode but now he's fine, not least because he got prompt, skilled and appropriate treatment on the NHS, unlike most of the UK. Hmm This is one area where I feel they shouldn't even attempt it if they can't do it in a way that reflects the reality of what most of us experience, for ourselves and our loved ones.

Anyway, with that off my chest - over to you!

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WitcheryDivine · 30/06/2023 11:49

Quite a few retired professors are emeritus/emerita which means they keep on being "Professor" I think.

Madcats · 30/06/2023 14:17

Choccyp1g · 30/06/2023 11:43

I thought the woman from the Eco-business was Stella at first.

I listened to the episode with noise-cancelling headphones on. I do wish they would hire newbies who could act for radio (she really sounded as if she was reading from the script).

So will Ambridge get a Greggs at the charging station? A Costa?

WitcheryDivine · 30/06/2023 14:39

Sometimes I feel they make their British Asian actors enunciate/read out in quite a different way - more "precisely" (see also: Adil). Surely that cannot be the case.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 30/06/2023 14:57

Maybe it is simply that many British Asians do speak English with more precision than the likes of Brenda, Fallon and the rest of the glottal (sorry, glo'al) stop brigade? Just knowing that a t is a t and not a d makes them sound that way?

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/06/2023 16:19

WitcheryDivine · 30/06/2023 11:14

So glad it's not just me and the voices, I thought I was going deaf. All the actors have the proper old "BBC pronunciation" and all aged within about 5 years of each other.

I think Fallon will get the contract, I think this is supposed to be a story about how village NIMBYs can be wrong about green projects/maybe also a nod to the Tory listeners that "big business" can do The Right Thing at times. (Just a hunch)

Dreading tonight!

I think Justin has a certain wheezy pompousness that distinguishes him from the other two, but I do have difficulty with Jim and Oliver. Especially as you never hear them together.

Agreed, the "Eco-business" woman sounded very like Stella. Especially as she was with Justin. I was thinking as I listened "why hire an actress to do that. So very afraid we haven't heard the last of her. All to do with making TA and R4 attractive to youngsters I presume.

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/06/2023 16:26

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 30/06/2023 14:57

Maybe it is simply that many British Asians do speak English with more precision than the likes of Brenda, Fallon and the rest of the glottal (sorry, glo'al) stop brigade? Just knowing that a t is a t and not a d makes them sound that way?

People learning English as a second language tend to learn/ be taught Received Pronunciation.

Round here, the Asians speak Yorkshire, just like nearly everyone else.

WitcheryDivine · 30/06/2023 16:37

Maybe it's just because Adil and Lena are supposed to be very "corporate" young go getter types, and that's what the director thinks those people sound like (i.e. brilliant diction, apparently), not sure why. Met lots of entrepreneur and business types all with a range of regional accents!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 30/06/2023 16:42

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 30/06/2023 14:57

Maybe it is simply that many British Asians do speak English with more precision than the likes of Brenda, Fallon and the rest of the glottal (sorry, glo'al) stop brigade? Just knowing that a t is a t and not a d makes them sound that way?

Somebody should mention this to Amol Rajan! I like him as a presenter generally, but his enunciation is not always tiptop. I'm not optimistic he'll have the precision necessary to host University Challenge.

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WitcheryDivine · 30/06/2023 16:46

Haha I like Amol's voice and the fact that he hasn't let the pressure of presenting Today rub off all of his local accent (south London). It's refreshing! I get bored with not hearing regional voices. I don't think you have to sound like George V to present UC.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 30/06/2023 17:03

You don't, but when the question involves reeling off multi-syllable chemical names or obscure geographical names, precision is key. I'm sure he'll try his best.

(University Challenge is my favourite TV programme. It's a nervous time for nerds like me.)

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FallonsNewCoat · 30/06/2023 18:43

I’m very struck on Amol. I love it when he is on duty. Now all they have to do is pension off Martha. She used to be bearable when she acted like a school mistress but I frequently have to turn her off now she has gone all giggly and relaxed.

CountryCousin · 30/06/2023 19:06

God, this is excruciating to listen to …

TopOfTheCliff · 30/06/2023 19:06

Oooher Rob is sounding seriously creepy. What is his game?

CountryCousin · 30/06/2023 19:09

Lee is not up to this …

CountryCousin · 30/06/2023 19:10

Too bloody easy for Rob.

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/06/2023 19:25

Well, that’s a lot of useful information about the boys that Lee has given him. And he’s really messed with what passes for Lee’s brain

Oblahbla · 30/06/2023 20:46

We were wondering what Rob could do with Jack being bruised from gymnastics...... Do you think he was mic'd up?

And now Lee is looking at a trip to the US, leaving Helen at home with the boys......

NewBootsAndRanty · 30/06/2023 20:47

Accusations of physical abuse maybe?

BeatriceBatchelor · 30/06/2023 23:09

It was so frustrating having a wonderful actor like Rob hanging around whilst that turnip Eddie was being ... a Grundy!

echt · 30/06/2023 23:29

Get yourselves over to Dead Ringers, where there's a sketch about TA scripting. Very funny and apposite. It's at the 15 minute mark.

Agree that Knob is stitching up Lee like a kipper. I don't think the bruising will stick but will still be used as a waters-muddying device.

BeatriceBatchelor · 30/06/2023 23:47

😂 thanks for that echt Archers written by AI - will they omit the slurping and chewing noises?!

OverArmour · 01/07/2023 00:15

Oliver, Justin and Jim could voice Mole, Toad and Badger in The Wind in the Willows, perfectly. Bryan could play Ratty.

Kiwano · 01/07/2023 06:57

Something tells me that Rob is going to take an interest in fitness that requires visits to Borchester gym around the time the boys' gym classes come out.

JanglyBeads · 01/07/2023 07:26

Last night's episode made Rob into Hannibal Lecter - using any power given to him whilst otherwise confined to get small but significant titbits of the information he so craves.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 01/07/2023 08:30

I kept waiting for Lee to question Rob as to why he wanted to see him. Instead he just poured out lots of juicy information.

I’m with you on Amol Rajan @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I’m clenching at the thought of UC.