Archers thread #159: Sad news as 2023 draws to a close - RIP Ian Pepperell (Roy Tucker). 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 like more of Gagriculture, 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.)

We start this thread with the very sad news that Ian Pepperell, who played Roy Tucker from 1995 without a break, has died at the age of 53. There's a lovely tribute to him in this article from Jeremy Howe, the current Editor. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/23/the-archers-actor-ian-pepperell-dies-aged-53-roy-archer-eastenders

Graham Blockey, who played Robert Snell, died just over a year ago, also far too young (66). https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/much-loved-surrey-gp-archers-25524449 As yet, Robert survives in Ambridge.

I do hope they don't re-cast Robert, but it might work for Roy, I suppose, after a suitable interval. They've re-cast Tony, Tom, Kate, Pip, Clarrie and Emma, mostly successfully. I still wish Tom and Pip hadn't been re-cast. New Tom is a good actor but so was Old Tom.

Meanwhile, several very elderly members of the cast survive, and long may that continue, although not necessarily on air. I think most of us would say that the time has come for Jill to become a silent character, following the precedent of Peggy and Christine.

So! Christmas next week - will it be the best Christmas ever at either Brookfield or The Stables, or both? Then it's 2024. What does the New Year hold for The Archers? Over to you!

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime said

Lily did rather give the appearance of coming on to him with all that stuff about how ... fit ... he was, and comments on his sweet smile, and trying to get him in a car alone with her so she could try to ... persuade ... him to change his mind about leaving Lower Loxley. If I'd'a bin Brad I would have run a mile, as indeed he did, rain or no rain

Brad thinks he wouldn't be fanciable to anyone except Mia. He certainly wouldn't think Lily would fancy him in normal circumstances. But as a good scientist (and naive ND person?) he takes into account the evidence, provided by Lily, as listed by Asking (above). Lily has ticked lots of "she fancies me" boxes, and so Brad has come to the wrong conclusion.

And as Asking says, he ran! In this case, unlike Adil, it was definitely the right thing to do

The whole point about Brad and Lily - and why he confided in Adil - is to thwart the inevitably of Adil and Lily getting together, in a series of amusing misunderstandings that will have us all rolling in the aisles. Mia getting all upset when Brad tells her about it is just part of that, but after them being mutually miserable for a while, they'll realise the error of their ways and make up.

Except of course, we won't be rolling in the aisles. We'll all being shouting FFS at the radio instead.

I get that he has stability issues when his mental health causes problems, but I don’t think that would make him randomly unprofessional regarding advising someone in relation to potential sexual harassment? He came across aa oddly naïve and with no idea about what would be expected in a professional environment regarding that.

So, what was the point of having Denise temporarily leave her marital home and move into The Stables with her son and his housemates?

Nothing came of it.

Was it purely to introduce her to listeners in a domestic / familial context? Because it’s not a terribly usual situation and was pointlessly distracting. There are far more straightforward ways of communicating difficulties in her marriage. In reality such a situation would have been excruciatingly embarrassing for all concerned, and I doubt Paul would ever have forgiven her.

For the SWs to pretend it was all perfectly fine and normal and no harm done … Puzzling.

I’ve noticed The Archers often don’t follow the expected arcs of storytelling which can be unsatisfying at times. Story threads which go nowhere or build and then disappear for a year. Characters going awol, big mysteries never solved. Breadcrumb trails abandoned!

It’s a bit like that game where you draw the head and fold over the piece of paper and pass it to the next person to draw the body etc and end up with totally disconnected pieces of a character.

Was it Lily that adil duetted with at the carol concert?

I listened to yesterday's ep. Fallon being silly talking to a complete stranger about stuff, Emma was good there though. And Natasha played a blinder. I actually liked her

Yes, Natasha did well there. I like to be confounded sometimes.

New thread under construction as we speak ...

... and here it is. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here

The whole point about Brad and Lily - and why he confided in Adil - is to thwart the inevitably of Adil and Lily getting together, in a series of amusing misunderstandings that will have us all rolling in the aisles this my thought. I think that's confirmed that Lily's surprise/disappointment when Oliver told her Adil was leaving was because she fancies him. Adil now has Lily marked as a sexual predator.
Last night felt like the remodelling of the tearoom is a metaphor for the remodelling of TA - the wisteria arch and the unfamiliar music standing in for the the disfigurement and disappearance of various familiar landmarks (and characters!). The paid for publicity to "talk up" the changes and Natasha's acceptance that the staff (or the listeners) would grumble - but that's OK too.

I'm not suggesting that it does make him randomly unprofessional. Only that he is good at getting things done when on form, good at thanks through deeds (the GG rewards party), but naive when it comes to how to handle a problem like Brad's. I doubt that Adil has had much training to handle such problems, and probably no previous real life experiences of having to do so.

The naivety is all his own. It makes him quite sweet, and vulnerable.

What was Adil calling Azra?It sounded like 'barj'.

I am told that "barichi" means "big sister" in Pashto.

A bit like calling your sister 'Sis' then, I guess. Azra called Adil shazada, which someone said meant prince.

Why is Azra mentioning again that Adil is so much younger than her?
Is she really his mother?

Maybe she's being lined up as an OW or Love Interest. I think Adil won't go away and will end up with Kirsty or Lily.

I'm a little puzzled about what the SWs' intentions are with Natasha. Sometimes she charges ahead with whatever ahe wants whilst being deaf to all the arguments against it - e.g. the café, the twins modelling - at other times she's ultra sensible and empathetic - like last night, or when she went off with Kirsty to look for the horses. Is it meant to have soething to do with being bipolar like her father?

@@@@@@@@aNew thread everyone@@@@@@@@

... and here it is. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here

... and here it is. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here

... and here it is. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here

There's a new thread

There's a new thread

There's a new thread

What, you mean the one at https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here
?

That's the one
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4987023-archers-thread-160-ram-a-lamb-a-ding-dong-to-rate-the-mass-wisteria-in-ambridge-tap-the-feedback-tablet-here
?