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!

I presumed the open mic session is what is going to be served up to us as “Lark Rise to Candleford”.

would have preferred them to go for the John Moore books which at least are set in the right place.

what I did find ridiculous was R4 Front Row with two TA actors talking seriously about fictional characters’ reactions to another work of semi-fiction

The cast are reading Lark Rise on Sunday 3pm. I've just heard at trailer on R4.

I'm not sure whether this is a one-off or whether the book is being serialised.

I wonder what fresh hell they have planned for Christmas.

I confess, and I appreciate I may be asked to leave the thread after this, that I LOVED the Blythe Spirit and the spooky Halloween short stories they did...

BUT I am sick to the back teeth of the references to larkrise being shoehorned into the episodes. It's tedious beyond endure.

Peaks and troughs. We're currently in a trough. I wonder how the listening figures are holding up.

@Madcats , it's a two parter.
Lark Rise to Ambridge (bbc.com) might contain spoilers

@harriethoyle I didn't listen to Blithe Spirit or the spooky Halloween stories, but had no objection in principle.

Why do they do it, though? Is it a way to tap into another budget (to compensate the Ambridge actors for low pay/fewer lines or days of work?)

If it inspires the Mia actress to tone down her (yokel, even though I lived in a town) accent in Ambridge I suppose it has its merits.

Maybe they want to use it as a gateway drug to other audio drama for the many people who just listen to the Archers and not any of the other drama stuff on R4?

Doesn’t Mia have a brother?

Other than the lark rise plug I thought that was a nicely written episode. I hope George proves us all wrong!!

There’s a brother Jake I think though I’ve never heard him. And George is her stepbrother.

Yes I was thinking if jake. Has he just disappeared?

He doesn't live in Ambridge or visit regularly, therefore no-one on TA cares where he is or what he's doing, or even if he's still alive, until he's needed for some plotline or other. Life can be precarious if you're not an Archer. Or even if you are: Shula, the Aldridge children, Lilian, even Jill's only been mentioned and not heard, unless I missed her ...

The Mere actor is scillonian and maybe she has a fairly strong accent anyway

Not really surprising not to have heard Jake; Jake Grundy, played by Rob Redwood, has been in only seven episodes:

13th April, 2018
29th April, 2018
1st May, 2018
13th May, 2018
3rd June, 2018
in the aftermath of Nic's death, and his decision not to have any more to do with Will

7th February, 2022
8th February, 2022
when he went out with Chelsea on a single occasion, and Chelsea having ditched him was the cause of Mia attacking her at the Orangery.

Why does he have grundy as his surname?

I assume he lives with his dad then. Bit odd he’s never mentioned as he is still Poppy’s half brother?

Like another poster, I loved Lark Rise as a teenager, and it's very benign and engaging, but it's not everyone's cup of tea and impossible to imagine it inflaming a whole village. Also speaking of shoe horning items into place, are they currently sponsored by a butcher's shop? First the Practical Guide to Your Friendly Local Abattoir, then Chelsea is instructed in modern pig- slaughter and invited to pay an educational visit to Berrow.

Wow- that’s 15 mins of my life I will never get back. Very dull and turgid writing this week.

I’ll be v disappointed if the deliciously long, slow build-up to George being a wrong ‘un leads nowhere and he turns into a nice lad who keeps an eye on his Dad for his grandma…

Bruisername
Why does he have grundy as his surname?

When his mother married Will she took Will's surname, and her children chose to do the same. Clarrie was very touched.

Honestly they’re driving me mad with this Lark Rise bollocks.

I know quite a few Scillonians and none sound a bit like Mia!!

If it inspires the Mia actress to tone down her (yokel, even though I lived in a town) accent in Ambridge I suppose it has its merits.

You get regional accents in towns too.

I assume he lives with his dad then. Bit odd he’s never mentioned as he is still Poppy’s half brother?

Jake was mentioned tonight, when Will was saying to Mia he hoped she'd come and stay, and even bring Jake. Yes, he does live with his Dad (Andrew?)

I obviously heard the name in my subconscious and that’s why I thought of him!!

I thought last night's episode was good, I like Will, he's a really rounded character and shows more emotional intelligence and wisdom than the rest of his family put together. I thought it was interesting how Emma expressed that she thought she'd messed up with George and it was just swept under the table rather than taken as an opportunity to actually discuss George. Will is the one who can see that George really needs help. I also think his relationship with Mia is nice - again I think this is because Mia also has some wisdom and maturity in in her, (although is annoyingly teenage about it all often).
And a whole episode without Piella and their utterly turgid romance!

His character is doing a bit of a roller coaster ride, isn’t it? Firstly the veer into a thoroughly wrong’un, now a veer in the opposite direction to a nice lad that loves his family.