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.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

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

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.

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.)

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.

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. 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!

I think the reference to Ben finding Freddie's thing a bit much was just the scriptwriters belatedly noticing that people are finding his miracle cure just a tad improbable.

I wouldn’t go so far as to borrow the 🔮 but I'm getting slightly doomy vibes around Brian. Maybe it’s just me imagining things. All the stress on him overdoing it, though, needing to stop to glug water, out in the hot sun, getting up at 5. Plus the stuff about how he’s arranged his will, or not.

What if he meets Knob on his way to abduct Gideon and selflessly takes one for the team? But no, I’m probably overthinking this….

I think tonight might end with the eventual death of Peggy (possibly hastened by Rob related stresses)

It would be fitting for the only member of the original cast to be written out on the 20,000th episode. June Spencer might even have agreed to record a few lines in advance.

It would also be less controversial than something like the Nigel roof dive.

I don't normally listen to DumTeeDum but just followed a link from Twitter to this. Various interviews with the cast in the course of the Hay Festival, starting with 'Stella'. Meet The Archers cast! - DumTeeDum - A show about BBC Radio's 'The Archers' | Acast

Maybe we'll get Peggy dying, Brian in some kind of heart attack, and Rob popping up at The Effing Dairy Window right at the end... "Hello Helen..." It is the 20,000th episode after all

😂

How about Lee proposing to Helen ?

Could it have been more boring?

Really boaring!

was that it?

Snout to write home about eh.
Boaring indeed.
Pigging dull in fact!

So much for a dramatic 20,000th extra long episode 😕

If the early days were like this it would not have hot up 20000 episodes - paint drying was more interesting

I know!

And what were the Radio Times playing at advertising an extra long episode?

I think that's next week.

Tom's idea is so dreadful.

Presumably they won't tell Helen.

They’ve done the dementia storyline with Jack, though…. Or is that long enough ago not to count?

I'm perfectly happy to have a relatively dull episode. I don't want TA to manufacture unlikely drama just because it's reached a significant point in its own history. I'd have been even happier with some old staples like the flower show and change counting.

I LAd to the hoeing scene and thought his hesitation could have just been a symptom of his general unhappy state of distraction?

I wondered that too @JanglyBeads- perhaps just the fact that he’s under a lot of stress and pressure and it can have an effect.
Not everything has to be a clue or a symptom.

Thanks for the new thread - great title. My heart sank a bit at the not telling Helen aspect of the Tom and Lee intervention. How exactly do they think it's going to help the situation by going to his lair (assuming they know where he is) and poking him with a sharp stick? And why do they want to cut her out? It's like the reverse of the original situation where she failed to confide in anyone and everyone looked the other way. It hardly needs saying that it's not going to end well. On the other hand, I like the fact that so far we haven't needed to see or hear Knob - the mere fact of his being there, waiting in the wings is enough. It's the same with the piglet wrangling - I couldn't see it, but I could imagine it so well - and I can't help thinking there was a parallel there with the angry sow having two of her piglets removed.

I was somewhat disappointed George didn't, at the very least - end up in the s**t!

The Lee and Tom thing will end very badly. Rob could get them charged with harassment, and Helen does not need other men taking over her and the boys' lives.

I didn't want unlikely drama. Something credible and believable.

A quiet exit for Peggy in the style of Phil Archer would have been perfect.

Realistic, not overly dramatic, entirely likely after the shock of Jennifer's death. And an opportunity for some more great acting from Lillian and Tony

I'm all for change counting, but leading us to think that George was about to be eaten by an enraged sow as we listened and then dashing our hopes was just cruel.