Archers thread #154: Cider with Fat Rosie, Meadow Rise to Candleford or The Darling Horrobins of September? Get your rural saga fix – 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 be euphoric about getting a job in an abattoir, 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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4888492-the-archers-spoilers-thread-8-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 the thread title suggestions. @HumanWetWipe came up with Cider with Fat Rosie and @BeardieWeirdie thought up Meadow Rise to Candleford. I wish I could have put in the Line of Duty mashups from the end of the last thread. Another time.

Heading for a ferry shortly, so nothing more from me for now. Over to you!

They limited the duration of the Rob story by giving him a strictly limited life expectancy back on 14th July. The doctor then said that she would expect them to be talking months. "Around three, perhaps a little longer."

So probably he will be dead by the end of October; before Johnny gets back from sea having missed the entire drama at his place of work, anyway.

I’m assuming Rob will make some last desperate attempt to see Jack - perhaps leading to another fall from the Eiffel Tower. But him being dedded is ok because he was dying anyway

I thought you meant she’d said she wanted an end to hunting, @Minimammoth - I imagine the opposite is closer to the truth!!

Thanks @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime I haven't missed an episode recently, but that conversation had passed me by, or maybe it was so dull I subconsciously blotted it out. I hadn't realised that Josh had already told David he had something sorted.

No death pigs with us, although I'll ask my Mum (farmer's daughter) whether it happened back in the day. But it is expected that you will bring a dish of food when you go to the wake. Either a one-pot supper that can be reheated or a fruit tart. We ran out of space in the freezer when Granny died, we were eating other people's casseroles and lasagnes for weeks.

@WitcheryDivine i see what you mean but I think surely more effective creative writing is conjuring up a new phrase, not conflating ones that already exist (don’t rock the boat, does it float your boat, did I rock your world). I assumed with this example that the sw either got the phrase wrong or wanted it to sound that Toby got it wrong.

Going by who is the writer this week I would suggest that it wasn't the character being cunningly portrayed as speaking English in a strange way.

Making up a new phrase works too. But it’s absolutely impossible that no one who read that script would notice and correct if it were a mistake. And it’s not like we didn’t know exactly what he meant.

I find it jarring tbh

Ok it’s not “impossible” - this is the Archers! But I think people are making unsavoury assumptions based on who the writer is.

Who is the writer? Is it one writer or a team?

first the abattoir and now more farm animal death discussion - educational or just heavy handed?

I can’t help feeling Jim took it all a bit seriously? I can’t help thinking the piano entertainment would have been a bit shit

interesting George convo - wonder where this is leading the character. Maybe we aren’t getting a slow burn Andrew tate sl

but thank goodness no pip tonight!!

Ok. Not as shit as the lark rise read along 🙄

(Having heard the Front Row feature last night inc extracts from Larkrise to Ambridge):

This is Just Too Meta, am actually feeling confused about what century we're in!

Or what century Chelsea et al are in, anyway.

@WitcheryDivine im afraid I don’t know who the writer is so there’s definitely no unsavoury assumption going on with me. I can only aspire to a level of archers knowledge that includes the quirks of different writers !

I just noticed it and found it jarring! I agree with the general point that to be realistic, you have to write “imperfect” dialogue to reflect different characters. I know enough people in rl who use slightly wrong version of phrases “it’s no skin off my back” “I have a stinky cold” “the proof is in the pudding” etc. I suppose variety is the spice of life, after all!

Bruisername
Who is the writer? Is it one writer or a team?

As a rule, each week's scripts are the work of one of a team of about twelve writers.

This year so far we have had one week split between Keri Davies and Tim Stimpson. The rest, alphabetical by surname, have been
Naylah Ahmed, 4 weeks
Paul Brodrick, 1 week
Keri Davies, 2 weeks
Caroline Harrington. 2 weeks
Sarah Hehir, 4 weeks
Katie Hims, 4 weeks
Caroline Jester, 1 week
Liz John, 4 weeks
Sarah McDonald Hughes, 3 weeks
Tim Stimpson, 7 weeks
Daniel Thurman, 3 weeks
Nick Warburton, 3 weeks

Several of these writers have entirely recognisable tricks, ways of writing, knowledge of their subject. One, for instance, tends to melodramatics and shoutiness. Another seems to have no idea where things in the village are relative to other things, as it might be The Bull and the Village Shop. One doesn't seem to know or care about what characters have done in the past or what their stated views on things have been. And so on. And sorry, but I recognise these things in these writers and am not at all surprised to observe them; hence my comment upthread that I would have guessed who wrote this week by that phrase alone. I don't see that as in any way judgemental; it's simply a statement.

Fair enough!

oh god there’s more lark rise stuff? I think the idea that a whole village is suddenly have a craze for a century old novel is… yeah.

Did anyone hear a programme called something like “How to Win a Campaign”? The presenter is a political campaigner but she sounded EXACTLY like Pip. Honestly!

Pip could write a book called How to Lose Friends and Influence People Against You.

@WitcheryDivine , I heard some of it but had to switch off as there was some fore background music that was annoying me.
Lynda's mispronunciations don't grate, it's expected. IRL people often get phrases mixed up.

Flowers are not a good token of sympathy. They need putting in a vase and they stink and die. Cards are OK but not displayed and should at least have a note in them.

So did I! I was astonished.

100%. It's as though the scriptwriters are just ticking boxes and dumping storylines in rather than subtly weaving the stories together.

You've just articulated the thoughts that sprang to mind when reading the "floated your boat" comments yesterday.

Additionally, messing with turns of phrase is true to life - not everyone uses them accurately - I like to hear little slips of the tongue in radio/TV drama, rather than fine tuned/unrealistic perfection.

Sounds like the Friends Ross/Carole/Susan storyline!

So glad Jim gave Josh a mouthful and made him talk to KiKi, he should be embarrassed.
Eddie buying 2 rounds in the Bull WHATTTTT!
All the worry over Will is a bit ominous Im thinking.
Bloody Lark Rise at least it will be over after Friday.
This had made me think what is the next classic will everyone in Ambridge will be reading? My vote is Lady Chatterley's Lover tee hee, or that other classic 50 Shades of Grey. Whould they dare!!!

Why should Josh be ‘embarrassed’ when it’s entirely David’s cock-up? And why is Paul (who has a voice one would never tire of punching) sticking his beak in so vigorously? If there’s one thing I can’t abide*, it’s a self-appointed Entertainments Officer. And Ambridge already has one of those.

*there isn’t just the one thing, obviously

Do you think they are lining Paul up as Lynda’s replacement in the long term