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!

I think most characters are despised! Hard to think of anyone ever who's been universally liked. Of course there are characters we find interesting, whether we warm to them or not, and others we find tedious/badly acted, so it gets complicated.

Favourites of mine:
Nelson Gabriel
Marjorie Antrobus
Brian and Jennifer
Susan and Neil
Debbie Aldridge
Phil and Jill (from sheer familiarity)
Nigel Pargetter

Amongst the recent additions to the cast, I like Tracey, Jazzer and the Prof. Skyesy and Leonard are OK.

The Bridge Farm Archers generate some quite good storylines (in a shout-at-the-radio way) but they're all so difficult in their different ways. I can't warm to them.

The Brookfield Archers are all right, but rather dull. Pip is insufferable. Josh is my favourite, but far too rarely heard. Ben is the best of the bunch in terms of being a decent and engaging person.

The Aldridges are far and away the most interesting family in Ambridge and also the most dysfunctional, if we ignore the criminal members of the Horrobin tribe. Debbie, Adam, Kate and Alice yelling at each other, Brian not coping, and Ruairi walking in on that after Jennifer died was horribly mesmerising.

*Sykesy. I knew that didn't look right!

** I forgot Johnny. I like Johnny. Naturally, therefore, he's effectively been written out.

Can I ask about Tracey? I remember her name popping up in the past and she’s obviously become a regular speaking role now. How old is she supposed to be compared to susan and jazzer? And Clive. And why is she in a big role now - was it just as a love interest for jazzer and to bring some new characters in?

I think Helen was the 'right' DV victim. She has always been brittle and narcissists probably pick people they can manipulate. Helen has her weaknesses, but I don't think she deserves the unpleasantness she is getting on this thread.

She has never been a likeable person, but she's had her share of misfortune.

I like most of the characters - as with people in real life, they are just them.

Tracey's 48, I think.

Susan will be 60 in October

I like Natasha.

Most people like Kirsty, don’t they? I like her.

Tracey became a character to fit the working class single mum pub barmaid role

So how old is jazzer? I’m very confused by their ages as no one sounds how I expect!

BBC says Tracy was born on 23rd July 1975, so she's now 48. Susan is nearly 12 years older than Tracy. 60 in October! Big do planned, I hope which George can ruin. Clive is three years older than Tracy. Keith two years younger than Susan. No dates of birth shown for Gary and Stewart, but presumably they fit in somewhere between Keith and Clive, so Susan and Tracy, the only girls, are the bookends of the family.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/gQ9f0WVGpJFgfZvrRNdZcH/tracy-horrobin (Has picture of actor, Susie Riddell. Not everybody likes to see those. I do, and she looks very much like I'd imagine Tracy would look.)

Ed Grundy was born in 1984, and he and Jazzer knew each other from school, so I assume they're similar ages. That makes Jazzer a lot younger than Tracy, which I hadn't really thought about. I think they're a great couple, though.

Yes I thought he must be a lot younger but they don’t sound like they have an age gap

did they ever get legally married in the end?

Not that we know of. That's quite an age gap.

I imagined Tracey to have dark hair. I don't know why. It's funny the imaginary pictures you have of people that you only know by their voice.

I think one of the several characters who springs to mind who does look as I imagine them to be is David, but perhaps that's because I've seen Timothy Bentinck in other things (Sharpe for eg) and his picture a few times.

I like Kirsty, (much-missed) Hayley, Debbie (snap), Harrison, Jim, Lynda, Johnny, Hannah, Robert (sob!), Joy, Jill, Peggy, Lilian, Neil, Ed and Jazzer.

I enjoy Brian as a character, and often like Ian, Jolene and Fallon.

I used to love Former Clarrie and Former Pip.

Also I can never understand why [Helen] wants to live in suburbia on Brookside Close built on her own farmland. She should have built her own house

Do not get me started on this utter ridiculousness. I’ve moaned for England on the subject …

Beechwood not Brookside

I now hear the theme of Brookside in my head. Maybe Sheila and Bobby Grant live at Beechwood now.

Found you all!

Wasn't George awful!? How can Emma not see it?

@GolgafrinchamB I agree with all your likes! Although I think Kirsty is thankfully still with us?

I would add Nigel. He was great fun in a way that a lot of the other male characters really aren't. And wasn't as though the actor Graham Seed wanted to leave. He was as surprised as anyone when he had the phone call to say his services were no longer required. Why oh why did the SWs feel it was a good idea to write his character out, and in such a ridiculous way?

I realise his demise is beginning to fade into the annals of Archers history but it still rankles with me. Grrrrrr! 😠

I care about almost all the characters. Some (Aldridges, the long lost Maurice, Lynda) hold my attention more than others (Alistair, Brookfield apart from Ben). I despise Kate - as we’re supposed to, and find her historic and more recent unkindnesses and downright cruelty hard to forgive or forget.

But they’re all the ongoing inventions of SWs - and while I find the writing decisions fascinating I wouldn’t want to rely too much on the characterisation of fictional people.

Yes I miss Nigel - he made Elizabeth a better character.

and the death was ridiculous!

I didn’t realise the actor didn’t want to leave. I’d always assumed he did and that’s why they’d killed him off

I thought it was clever!

Should have added - I think I like Brad and Chelsea best! (As we’re probably meant to.)