Archers thread #162: ‘This is like talking to Lassie’ – how right you are, Fallon! 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 think cowhide-covered walls are a great idea for a cafe with vegan and vegetarian customers, 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.)

Title comes from one of the better scripted conversations of recent weeks, when Fallon said ”Harrison, this is like talking to Lassie! Just TELL ME”. So true of so many conversations on TA where you just want to shake them and yell 'Just TELL US, and quickly, so you don't get interrupted before you can say the important bit', but of course they rarely do and days pass before the conversation resumes. @TheBell suggested putting it in the title, so thanks for that.

@OverArmour had a great if more obscure idea, paying tribute to a Peter Greenaway film: The Policeman, The Drunk, The Vet and his Lover. That will do very well as a starting point for the new thread. Will Alistair leave? Will Denise tell John she's leaving him? Will Paul learn to be less noisy? Do any of us care?

I do care a little about Harrison and Fallon. I want Harrison to get a grip and realise he needs a paying job more than the captaincy of the cricket team. I don't care at all about Harry but I think he's been brought in purely as a plot device so with any luck we can all forget about him very soon.

Over to you!

My 👂 🤮

I cannot imagine Justin going camping - at least not since his pony club/school CCF days. And if he did go as an adult, I only picture it like Robert Redford as Denys Finch-Hatton in Out of Africa, replete with all the staff to carry everything and put it up. I just can't imagine him and Miranda crawling into a two-person Vango (nor Lilian) - it was the flakiest of excuses to go round Miranda's. And if that is how he behaves, then I think Miranda is well-rid of him (have never really liked him anyway, to be fair, but this has not endeared me in the slightest.)

As for Brian - I am sure he is thinking he is fully in control, and having fun - I should think I would be in similar circumstances, and winding up Justin (who has probably been pissing him off over things like Stella and the board membership) would just be an added bonus. I would not be at all inclined to give up time in bed with someone fun (or even with my family) to go golfing with someone who just tantrums around, and as this is an early alliance, they have not yet got to the point where they are pissing each other off, and Brian might see why (other than his own wife's sister) Justin would have split with Miranda (they are as bad as each other in that sense.)

In any case, Justin, who is sometimes portrayed as a high-powered businessman - you'd think he'd be more capable of putting together a decent argument to sell an idea to someone rather more convincingly, whether it's about buying a piece of land, investing in someone's business, or not spending time with someone's ex-wife - instead of just going on about, "she's bad, she's bad! You're meant to be on my side, coming out to play with meeee! 'snot fair!" with Violet-Elizabeth style foot-stamping and pouting. (Might have slightly paraphrased there.)

Even Miranda seemed sceptical that Justin and Lillian wanted to go camping abd saud 'rather you than me' which begs the question why did they ever own a tent?

Autocorrect changes Miranda to Piranha BTW - is this a sign?

@Agapornis Now there’s a thought. That would be very serious indeed, and I can imagine George doing it.

A few people have commented on the heavy signalling generally used in TA and I can’t help but feel that the writers’ portrayal of George’s villainy is similarly heavy-handed. This makes me want to shout at the radio as they might as well have him going around with a ‘Bad Lad’ sign on his head, or introduce a menacing little jingle that signals he’s about to speak. I feel like shouting “He’s behind you!” whenever he’s up to no good and other characters don’t seem to notice.

@LillianGish Image of Robert as Poirot made me LOL.

Am finding Jolene’s reticence to report this, especially after Emma and Robert’s support, really hard to listen to. Perhaps it’s a realistic portrait of someone who’s really terrified, but I can’t help feeling this may foreshadow something even more sinister.

Haven't watched any TV soaps for decades, and never really did follow any. I'd be very sad to lose TA from my life, but I do care about it less than I did.

If Miranda is going to hang around, I hope it doesn't mean Brian will make a rash decision to marry her, neglect to make a new will and then die of over-exertion on the honeymoon, thus precipitating an inheritance struggle when Miranda inherits a substantial sum as his widow. Brian is the single best character in the programme, in respect of both characterisation and acting. If he were to be treated like Nigel for the sake of a short-term ratings boost, that would probably be the end for me.

I like Leonard a lot, but (a) Paul Copley is a busy working actor (deservedly) and (b) Patricia Greene is clearly very frail now and not able to appear much, so plausible reasons to feature Leonard are likely to be fewer.

This might be better in Pedants' Corner, but it's a recent change in English that has left me very confused, and it's in that Guardian article quoted above.

It’s not a Netflix crime series or Line of Duty. They’ve substituted character and heart for endless drama, and sometimes it feels like issue on top of issue, written and produced by people who have never watched Coronation Street before.

Don't they mean they've substituted endless drama for character and heart? If you re-write it as 'they've replaced character and heart with endless drama' it's clearer. I see this all the time now in comments on recipes. I actually avoid using the verb 'substitute' now as I doubt myself to get it right.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please just report Markie and let's get this tedious ridiculous storyline over and done with.

Not quite as catchy as the original, perhaps, but just as heartfelt.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , it's not incorrect but it lacks clarity. 'Character and heart have been sacrificed for the sake of endless drama' is how I'd reword it.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm beggin' of you, please report this man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Don't keep quiet just because you can

Your accent is beyond compare
You sounds just like a bad corsair
Ooh are me hearties, yo ho ho ho
You sound just like a screeching cat
But Markie seemed to like your act
I can't believe it's real, Jolene.

@LikeTalkingToLassie Bloody brilliant! But I’ll be humming that all night now

I feel like the SWs are abandoning plotlines and throwing in characters just because they haven’t popped up for a while. And if that means adding in new characters with no background then so be it. Like Sykesy for example. And Harry by the looks of it.

When you add this to their constant need for “light relief” it just adds up to a haphazard mix of short scenes that irritate those of us who were in it for the long haul.

Thank you. I don't think Ms Parton needs to worry.

I know a blabby policeman, he's always on our street
A blabby, jolly, hunky man, he really is a treat
He's too nice for a policeman, he's never known to frown
And everybody says he's the only cop in town

He stalked Fallon on duty, he found her in a skip
He snooped Harry's records and then he let it slip
He leaked the gen on Philip Moss, and got some grief from his boss
But this time was so truly bad his job was almost lost.

As someone who works on a police team and has had to deal with the PSU multiple times.. that was the EXACT right outcome .. we absolutely do not want to get rid of good police officers without good reason and the 'victim' provided the good reason not to (albeit for his own ends - I'm no idiot to story lines) ...

Forgot to listen! So what happened? Did Harry turn up?

Harry turned up trumps.

Oh no. Do we have to like him now?

It's not compulsory but he'll probably not vanish.

Darn it

Yes, seconded.

Listening to TA is the price we pay for being able to enjoy these threads..

I wish everything didn't have to be so heavily signalled That ridiculous sotto voce “That’s what I’m afraid of” from Jolene when Robert had expressed his intention to find out who was responsible. An insult to the intelligence.

I’m with you @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . Language is changing in ways that don’t seem to make sense (eg 4 times bigger). Substitute is one of the victims.

Wonderful x 2, @LikeTalkingToLassie

Yy @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g re substitute.

Why has Chris not told Alice or anyone yet about Harry turning up at his house that time? That is still unexplained. Will it just be forgotten?

Oo thanks for the insight into PSU @newwidowtobe.

Gnomic, Mere, but pretty much how I feel at present!

Move over, Hal David, you've got competition from @LikeTalkingToLassie!

If only.

Tree branches keep falling on our heads
What's it all about Alf Grundy?
Gotta Get a Girl (George Grundy)
What's New Pussycat (Hilda Ogden)

If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where it's really dull
Drinking in the Bull
Boiler suits or spangled gowns
There's room for you it's never full
Drinking in the Bull

Dressed up like a Borsetshire trouper
Trying hard to not look such a loser (super duper)
Come, let's mix where Justin Elliott, Brine
And Miranda have millions in their mitts
Drinking in the Bull

Did anyone else keep thinking the defense at Harrison's tribunal sounded just like Chris? Was listening and driving though, so perhaps need to listen again, but found it v confusing. (Not sure if defense is the correct term in police disciplinary proceedings).

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g & co - as a long term lurker and occasional poster, find your perspective on evolving language fascinating in general, even when I disagree. Echo the posts earlier about how great this space is ❤️ thank you.

One thing I def agree with is the weird lean towards a 'tell don't show' attitude with the Archers lately - tonight I found Alice and Fallon's whisperings in the court and some of the dialogue afterwards so irritating - it was pure exposition and not needed for regular listeners. Having set up a police disciplinary episode, it would have been so much more interesting to hear more of the ins and outs of it and had more of both Harrison and Harry on the stand without the constant reminder of what we already know via A&F. Also thanks @newwidowtobe for the professional insight!