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!

Tie yourself to Pip and push her into the slurry pit?

If I was planning to have designs on someone for their inheritance, I wouldn't choose someone whose grandmother was still actively doing farm stuff (bees) into her late eighties, was contributing to the farm by cooking and childminding after turning 90, and is still going strong at almost 93.

What if David proves similar? When will Pip inherit?

There's also the fact that there are other family members around and the exact way the farm will be shared between them has not been made clear, to my memory. We know that David's siblings all have shares of an unspecified amount in the case that the farm is ever sold. We don't know, IIRC, whether a decision has been made about exactly what Pip, Josh, and Ben might get ...

wellstopdoingitthen
someone told me recently that there is a limit now on the number of characters that can be used each month. This explains some of the repetitive scenes and characters who seem to go missing for weeks. Can anyone confirm whether this is true?

As far as I know there has been such a limit all century.

One of the editorial team told us that there was a limit to the number of actors used per recording block (24 episodes, done in a week), either just at the end of last century or at the beginning of this one. It is why some episodes have only four or five characters: that's so the script-writer can splurge on one day of their week and use eight or nine if they need them.

I have a feeling the number permitted per week has gone down quite a bit during this century. AFAIK and open to argument, last century it used to average seven point something or even eight point something actors per episode, and it now averages five point something, I think.

(I can only go by the figures for weeks I actually have available...)

So in 1997 there was a week's cast of 22 for the week Mon 25/8/1997 Tues 26/8/1997 Weds 27/8/1997 Thurs 28/8/1997 Fri 29/8/1997
Phil Archer: Norman Painting
Jill Archer: Patricia Greene
Shula Hebden: Judy Bennett
Ruth Archer: Felicity Finch
Nigel Pargetter: Graham Seed
Pat Archer: Patricia Gallimore
John Archer: Sam Barriscale
Tommy Archer: Tom Graham
Jennifer Aldridge: Angela Piper
Debbie Aldridge: Tamsin Greig
Kate Aldridge: Kellie Bright
Christine Barford: Lesley Saweard
Tom Forrest: Bob Arnold
Joe Grundy: Edward Kelsey
Eddie Grundy: Trevor Harrison
William Grundy: Philip Molloy
Mrs Antrobus: Margot Boyd
Lynda Snell: Carole Boyd
Hayley Jordan: Lucy Davis
Sean Myerson: Gareth Armstrong
Clive Horrobin: Alex Jones
Sharon Richards: Celia Nelson
and we heard 7 on Monday, 7 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 8 on Thursday and 6 on Friday; 36, divided by 5 is average 7.7

In 2010 we got a week's cast of 23 for the week Sun 22/8/2010, Mon 23/8/2010, Tue 24/8/2010, Wed 25/8/2010, Thu 26/8/2010, Fri 27/8/2010
David Archer: Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer: Felicity Finch
Nigel Pargetter: Graham Seed
Elizabeth Pargetter: Alison Dowling
Lily Pargetter: Georgie Feller
Tony Archer: Colin Skipp
Pat Archer: Patricia Gallimore
Helen Archer: Louiza Patikas
Brian Aldridge: Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge: Angela Piper
Alice Aldridge: Hollie Chapman
Kathy Perks: Hedli Niklaus
Jamie Perks: Dan Ciotkowski
William Grundy: Philip Molloy
Nic Hanson: Becky Wright
Emma Grundy: Emerald O'Hanrahan
Ed Grundy: Barry Farrimond
Neil Carter: Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter: Charlotte Martin
Christopher Carter: Will Sanderson-Thwaite
Lynda Snell: Carole Boyd
Bert Fry: Eric Allan
Kirsty Miller: Annabelle Dowler
and hear 8 on Sunday, 6 on Monday, 9 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 8 on Thursday and 6 on Friday; 44, divided by 6 is
average 7.3(recurring)

and last week Sun 20/8/2023, Mon 21/8/2023, Tue 22/8/2023, Wed 23/8/2023, Thu 24/8/2023, Fri 25/8/2023 we had a week's cast of 14:
David Archer: Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer: Louiza Patikas
Natasha Archer: Mali Harries
Pat Archer: Patricia Gallimore
Pip Archer: Daisy Badger
Ruth Archer: Felicity Finch
Tom Archer: William Troughton
Susan Carter: Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother: Nick Barber
Toby Fairbrother: Rhys Bevan
Emma Grundy: Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy: Angus Stobie
Will Grundy: Philip Molloy
Stella Pryor: Lucy Speed
and heard 6 on Sunday, 6 on Monday, 5 on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, 6 on Thursday and 6 on Friday; 35, divided by 6 is average 5.83(recurring)

I have a feeling there was a sudden decrease during or just after covid, which might be what has suddenly been noticed as a new limit?

realised how lonely she was without her dog and that Pip was already someone whose company she enjoyed. So Pip is a dog substitute? Yes, seems about her level.

@TherapistInATabard Yes, that makes sense, they made a big thing of Lilian and Justin not marrying, to make sure we got it into our heads and wouldn’t forget.

as the Pope of farming she must have understood more about conception and the importance of contraception than just about anyone else in Ambridge Not necessarily helpful. Someone I know was unaware of her pregnancy till her Mum pointed it out when she was 6months gone, and she was a midwife.

Still catching up but - David Spiegelhalter, is that you? 😀

I am in all likelihood ND (like Mia? and Brad?) Sadly at the age of 32 I thought "we don't need a piece of paper from the City Hall keeping us tied and true," nevertheless I did suggest Ex and I got married as we were starting TTC. I thought at the time (might have been true then) that he would need this for parental rights, and also there was a slight tax advantage, and we were both working.

We did marry, 39 years ago to the day. Worst thing I ever did - I was so naive it took decades before my eyes were opened by MN to his cocklodging ways. Eventually I was able to divorce him at some financial cost to myself.

He also used to mock my Archers listening

A sure sign of a bad un, @ImNotWorthy - glad you got free in the end.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I'm truly sorry for your loss, I have a real picture of your trips up to see your parents and I send strength to you and your mum xx

I think I must be alone in being really touched by Jazzer and Tracey finally getting married, helped by Susan and Emma and the kids (however improbably). It was nice! Good for them.

Also surprised myself - was cheering on Stella in telling Pip to do one, but then found it quite sweet when she'd gone away and had a think and come back and decided to take a risk. I put it down to Stella's acting ability, you really do find yourself thinking - I'm glad you're not letting a previous traumatic relationship hold you back.

As for dinner - on a livestock farm and with little spare time my money's on Pip being an adherent of the slow cooker. Probably some kind of stew all year round, a crap version of Jill's most likely, but good for batch cooking and feeding a hungry child too. With cheesy mash.

Ruth is overbearing isn’t she?

Ruth is insufferable. If somebody has locked their door it means they are Not At Home, either because they are not on the premises or because they don't want to see anyone. If Pip was not there what was the point of barging in? If she was, perhaps she didn't want to see anyone, Ruth included.

As for Pip shoving Stella out of the back door because she didn't want her mother to know about her, I don't see why Stella would ever particularly want to speak to Pip again after that. Especially since Pip apparently didn't know what was wrong about doing it.

Good Lord, I’d have murdered Ruth …

Bad people make bad romantic partners.

I'd have bundled anyone I'd been shagging the night before outside, in Pip's circumstances.

I'm so pleased they haven't been striiingiiing oouuut the storylines recently, and have been really enjoying recent episodes, which sound to me much more like what people actual say

Completely unbelievable that Ruth would have let herself in like that. Yes, she’s overbearing but surely she would have knocked on the door first. Or called Pip on the phone to come over since it was such an emergency.

Then the way Pip continued to ramble on with her inane questions when Stella made it clear she did not want to talk to her and then genuinely didn’t to seem to understand why shoving her out of the back door was wrong was ridiculous. In the last few episodes she has come across as a stalker and a bit mad. If a man had persisted in asking for a date and refused to take no for an answer as she did the other day it would definitely be a Red Flag.

But we all know this will end in then getting together - it’s just got red flags all over the place

Remember Harrison Burns stalking Fallon. That had red flags all over it too.

Just caught up. Bloody hell what a car crash. At the start of all this I was thinking maybe this Pip/Stella thing could work out well. But now, I just can't see how this can ever become a relationship that feels genuine and believable. The obvious difference in age and maturity is really jarring. Maybe it won't last long, let's face it how often would someone realise they're gay and then just so happen to live happily ever after with the first lesbian they kiss. But this is Ambridge of course. The pushiness was unbearable. Ruth and Pip really are like two peas in a pod aren't they 😩

As for Pip shoving Stella out of the back door because she didn't want her mother to know about her, I don't see why Stella would ever particularly want to speak to Pip again after that. Especially since Pip apparently didn't know what was wrong about doing it.

Oh I think Stella was a bit unreasonable really. As far as her and Pip are aware, Ruth knows nothing about Pip being interested in a woman. Plus Ruth and Stella are good friends. Would anyone want to announce the start of a relationship (and really, it was the very very start) like that? A relationship that the day before, Stella had ruled out for being too complicated.

I'm not saying Pip was right, but I think it was understandable.

It's a bit weird that Stella didn't just hide in the bedroom.

God, Ruth was annoying. Her tone was almost leering. Bleurgh.

The arrangements for the Grey Gables inaugural piss-up and brawl made me laugh. A ball forsooth. Shades of Netherfield popped into my head immediately.

Ruth always does sound like a cross between a prurient schoolgirl and a dirty old man when talking about people's love lives. She really needs to grow up.

The GG owners are in trouble financially, aren't they?

And why on earth would such an upmarket operation as GG Mk II want a retired village busybody voluntarily managing its Big Launch Event? Bonkers.

Hazel & co have (temporary?) money problems then.

And why on earth would Ruth, dairy farmer for 40 odd years, need Pip to tell her whether a cow has mastitis? And I presume Alastair doesn’t charge for all the call outs to minor injuries on Brookfield, since they constantly seem to be incapable of coping without him.

I hate what's happened with GG. I wish Oliver had never made that deal.

Thought the same about Ruth nagging Pip to come and check on the cow. How ridiculous. Unless it really was meant to just be an excuse so she could come and nose on her daughter in which case that is rather deranged!