Archers thread #152: The Dog Days of Summer in Ambridge! Rabid rants, tearoom dogfight, Bully Dog George gets it all on camera. Is Lone wolf Rob waiting in the woods? 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'd love a son like George, 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.)

Starting this new thread a bit early, as we're near the end of the last thread and I'm out all day today. As last night's episode was a banger, I thought I'd better ensure discussion can continue seamlessly!

The original idea for a dog theme for this thread came from the death of poor Weaver. RIP. The Dog Days of summer are associated with storms and the silly season, so quite appropriate for The Archers at the moment! They may technically be over now, as it's all to do with the heliacal rising of the Dog Star, Sirius (no, me neither), but apparently the Anglo-Saxons considered they lasted into September (thank you, Wikipedia), so that will do for me.

So - what next for Helen, Henry and Jack? Surely even the Bridge Farm Archers will see that she needs professional help? After her outburst the other night they might finally grasp that Henry could do with some too. All very grim.

On the lighter side (perhaps), whither Pip and Stella?

Over to you!

There's Chelsea but not even Emmur could get away with Chelsear.

I also forgot Novur and Stellur.

Jennifer doesn't count.

On the opposite team there is Ruth Archah who probably calls Jennifer Jennifah and Oliver Olivah.

What happened to Beth?

She and Ben split up after the pregnancy SL.

I’m glad it wasn’t just me! I was negotiating my way round a roundabout at the time and only as I got going again did I think “Hang on, did they just talk about eating BADGERS?”

TKC, Cabin Pressure and, of course, The Archers. God I love R4.

I know she split up with Ben but has she gone somewhere or is she still in ambridge?

She went back to Brum I think.

I was not going round a roundabout but only half listening, and thought 'Did she say eating bagders?' but she then said they was a bit like onion bargees.

Oops. 1st she was Bethany Casey, the 2nd she was a badger-eating cook.

Ed Reardon's Week (curmudgeonly writer sitcom) also excellent.

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I love R4 too, but I find myself reaching for the off switch more and more. There are some real gems on there.

There are a lot more repeats - I often find myself listening and realising it’s a repeat of something earlier in the day/week

I can’t work out if Helen knows about the video. I think she probably doesn’t because can’t imagine her forgiving him for that.

And on the World Service many programmes go round three or four times before they are reduced to trailers advertising their presence on Sounds. This morning I got The Documentary "Kids Who Care" for what must have been the third time; twice on Tuesday, and again today, and can I be sure I won't hear it again some time during the coming week?

The broadcasters who don't look like I'd expected were Peter White, Sarah Smith and Niki Bedi. I'd heard PW quite a few times before finding out he is blind, and he has such a warm voice; he looks a warm nice person too, but he is so professional, I hadn't considered that he had a disabilty.
SS has quite a gravelly voice and I expected her to be quite short with short hair for some reason. Niki Bedi is part indian so I expected her to have dark hair.
Saturday Live is a switch off.

The repeats! There was the one about a little girl that I seemed to catch every repeat of it. I kept switching off, but even if I woke up in the middle of the night it was on the World Service.

I've not heard much news in the past week. Not interested in football including women's football, the Lucy Letby case just reduces me to tears, Donald Trump is vile, etc. As for Nadine Dorries, the only thing that surprises me about her is that she got any votes at all. I have to hand it to her though to pick a silly season bank holiday weekend to make sure it was all about her.

I really hate Saturday live.

All in all Radio 4 is worth a listen I grew up with it on at home in the kitchen and car and once I passed my 30s found myself tuning in again. That's around the time I started listening to the Archers as an adult.

Most of the 6:30 comedies are pretty poor but loved Cabin Pessure, Fags, Bags and Mags, Hut 33 and earlier Ed Reardon. Chuckle at times to Just a Minute. I tune into Today programme in the morning and obviously listen to the Archers but Front Row irritates me.

I also grew up with r4 on and as I left home I would have it on pretty much all the time and there was always something to listen to. But over the last few years I have to switch it off because it’s a repeat or just painful to listen to. I listened to just a minute the other day and found Sue Perkins so irritating I had to switch off. There just seems to be so much sycophancy these days

She does know about the video bc it was mentioned in her conversation with George - but not at length, weirdly!

I didn't mind Saturday Live with The Rev RC , but often got irritated by the giggling. It was long and I could dip in and out without it bothering me too much. More recently I switch it off but heard Rory Cellan-Jones and that was OK.

I swich JAM off because I find Sue Perkins irritating, but she's probably OK on it. I haven't bothered to find out.

Has nobody mentioned more or less? I love that program

Oh god, my ribs!

David!

More or less is great. From our own correspondent too.

Pip is petulant in her manner. Parents enable her so much! Oh Pip - you had to lift one box of bottles - you do so much! Oh Pip- you have a paper cut - we’d better go to a&e. Didn’t see her confiding in David like that though!!

my earlier question about Tracey and jazzers legal wedding answered there!

I couldn’t work out if the mention passed her by as she didn’t get the reference or if she genuinely knew.

The scene between David and Pip, was, unusually for them, excellent.

Then the David Ruth scene kind of ruined it all.

Oh forgot about More or Less yes that show is great. I've recommended it to colleagues.