Archers thread #163: Too much aggro, not enough agri! 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, 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.)

Thanks to @LikeTalkingToLassie for the thread title idea! She and @LillianGish had fun with this theme on the last thread:

More farmer, less drama
More ploughing, less rowing
There's mileage in silage.
More sheds, fewer beds.

All good points. Fair to say nobody on the last thread was delighted to see the return of Harry. I think we all agree that Alice is a blithering idiot to get involved with him again. Most of us also think that Miranda is up to no good. Other storylines in play at the moment:

Alistair and Denise, with the massive complication of John and Paul
Ed and Emma - another doomed Grundy enterprise? Does Will still have the will to wang them some wonga?
Whither George - YouTube sensation or Borchester Magistrates' Court?
Will Markie cause mayhem at The Bull?
Will Harrison haul him in to Borchester nick?
Will Hannah get off with Chris?
Will we ever get used to the new Robert?
Will there ever be a new Roy?
Why do we hear so little from Brookfield now? (Although if we never heard Pip again, I for one would be delighted)
Will Stella dump Pip?

There are probably others I've missed. Over to you!

It's a job for Debbie, firm, reasonable and authoritative, but have the BBC got the budget for Tamzin Greig to do a few episodes?

The US avoids the issue by using "server" for both sexes, which sadly seems to be spreading over here. (Yes, sadly - I freely admit to finding many American usages annoying.)

OK, here we go. I've got a new thread ready to go as soon as we need it.

but have the BBC got the budget for Tamzin Greig to do a few episodes?

Aren't all the actors on TA paid the same rate?

Brian, that really wasn't wise.

I feel a bit sick listening to this

Oh God, somebody's in the Am!

I wasn’t expecting that!

My God - they could hardly have packed more into that!

Awful …

Sounded like Alice opened her door as they were going over the bridge and she fell into the river. George was speaking at the end, I think.

I feel bad for George - he was trying to do the right thing. What are the legal consequences? Or will he put Alice back in the drivers seat and run off?

how big is the am? I’ve always imagined quite small!!

I heard it as the car coming in the opposite direction went over the bridge. Alice going in the am isn’t so bad in a way!

That was weird, had it not been for the trailers I wouldn't have got that there'd been a serious accident from that (although would have been v confused by G's whimpering).

How much time had elapsed between her buying the vodka and that end scene? Surely Brian and Chris would have been looking for her, and probably checked the shop?

Joy could have refused to serve her, couldn't she? Alistair could have hung round to help rather than leaving Joy to it.

George was coming back from a party and in the phone message asked Will not to double lock the door, so presumably very late. Alice had been sitting in her car necking a whole large bottle of vodka. George commented that she'd drunk the whole bottle and we heard her buying it not long after 6pm, as Brian commented that Chris must have been wondering why she was sitting on the stairs in her pyjamas at 6 in the evening.

It might depend on how much he'd had to drink himself. His message to Will said that he'd 'only had a cider', but we don't know how big or strong it was. He could well have been over the limit himself.

We also don't know exactly what happened. It sounded like the car went off the bridge with Alice in it while George was trying to get her not to get out of a moving car, and there was a vehicle coming up behind them or approaching from the other way. But we don't know the details.

It could have been Alice, it could have been the other car. We won't know for nearly 24 hours. I am not noted for my patience. Harrumph.

That sound of the car hanging over the edge and finally falling …

<Shudders>

Some cider is pretty strong, depending on what time he drank it George probably was over the limit - which could explain why he thought driving an extremely drunk passenger was a good idea. If he dived into the river to rescue Alice we might be rid of them both.

Yes that’s how I heard it totters and George was saying’ no no no’ as it was teetering

this is the best cliffhanger I think I’ve heard on the archers!

Joy should have refused. And yes, Alistair should have helped. It sounded like he was rushing to get away for his night at the hotel with Denise (kept emphasising unconvincingly that he was staying in alone). He’s so obsessed with the woman he can’t think straight.

Oh dear George. I think he’ll be breathalysed and arrested for drink driving. If there’s a fatality he’s realistically looking at prison. Emma is going to skin Alice alive once they drag her out of the Am.

What if it was Brian looking for Alice?

I hope it wasn't Joy returning from her concert who got smashed into and ended up in the river.

The 🔮 has declared "Chappaquiddick!"

Not that anyone will answer this now, but I was preparing to comment on the waitress issue: I find it interesting that the changes in society in the English-speaking world have led to an erosion of gender-specific job titles in favour of gender-neutral terms whereas in France it's the opposite - feminists are pushing to have feminine versions of job titles for women rather than just assuming that the masculine word will do for both. It's the same movements in society (more recognition of women's work, more visibilty for women in the workplace) with the opposite solution. It may be only me who finds this interesting!

quite a crash if he managed to put a car over this parapet! https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00w47v9/p00w1ssz

BBC has put up a bit of audio of what happened. It has actor pictures. https://twitter.com/i/status/1787186896302395671