Archers thread #168: Near to the Maddening Crowd? 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 to hear more of Harrison's strange little moaning noises, 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 @OverArmour for the title suggestion!

Over to you.

Poor little rich girl Alice: "Apart from my (gorgeous and miraculously unharmed by my drinking) little girl Martha, The Stables ( a seemingly perennially successful business when all's said and done, and a dream job for any horsey woman), I have nothing!"

boo hoo.....

It made me laugh how bright and optimistic Emma sounded, given our previous comments, but soon realised it was a device to make George feel even worse.

Does Justin have ownership or any official capacity in the stables.

1. If not that was totally inappropriate and very sly
2. If so I don’t think an employment tribunal would consider his behaviour appropriate regardless of Alice’s length of employment. Harassment.

I heartily agree, @DeanElderberry. As I have just posted else-forum, I am very much hoping for a scene like this, but with a chainsaw:

ah. I see you!

ive just listened to the last three episodes in a row and have a few observations:

Harry pronounces the ends of some of his words in a sinister way like Rob did. He is a very unbelievable character.

Harrison & Chris seem to lose IQ points when they get together.

I could not care less about Paul or Etienne. I love Josh for his directness but he is being very nice to Paul. I would have expected him to point out that Paul is behaving like a nutcase. I can’t possibly imagine that anyone could find Paul attractive after hearing that drivel about not wanting to ghost Etienne and I’ll think less of Josh (one of my very favourite characters) if it turns out he’s keen on him. Though tbh I agree with pp who said they don’t think Josh is keen on men or women - I get that vibe from him.

Haven’t we heard Josh trying it on with women? Wasn’t there a band he was particularly keen on because he liked one of the women in the band?

Haven’t listened to tonight yet - but Josh has had girlfriends in the past (at least one has stayed over at Brookfield and bade an impression on his family) and the writers have established that he’s ‘securely’ straight. (For the purposes of writing a character, I mean.) I think it’s unlikely they’ll have him follow in his sister’s footsteps.

@Sussurations Harrison & Chris seem to lose IQ points when they get together.

Well, Chris does. I'm not convinced that Harrison ever had any to lose.

Yes, didn't Josh have a thing for the fiddle-player in a band? I'm not sure that anything every came of it, or even that she ever spoke.

I’d completely forgotten that. Yes, he did. To be honest I could live without the love lives of all the Brookfield kids, so long may Josh remain single.

I suspect that Josh being undramatically single and mostly silent may be the reasons I don't dislike him. Because let's face it, his sister's love life an personality are tedious in the extreme and the Ben/Chelsea drunken sex+pregnancy business was just awful. And it looks as though the SWs are trying to resurrect the latter - run, Chelsea, run!

I've been listening for a few years and don't really have a hugely strongly idea of the difference between Ben and and Josh. I know they're different people of course, but the storylines blur into one a bit.

I'd also add Johnny into that when he was around - I had so little awareness of him I just had to look up his name by googling "the archers character yacht trip".

I was a bit surprised that Justin took action too. Didn't know he had a position at the Stables. That apart, his saying Alice had SSP "for the foreseeable future" is silly, rather vague. And he never said he'd send the paperwork through. Though no doubt he would.

He and Lilian invested in the Stables business- are they part owners? Nonetheless, he is being sly and Lilian will be pissed off if she find out just how the conversation went - it should have been discussed and agreed in a formal meeting with all of them (and should probably include input from Shula.) I realise Alice is probably not willing to attend a meeting currently, but they should have tried. The way he did it was manipulative and he is deliberately aching unilaterally because he knows Lilian wouldn't approve of all of it.

It does make sense to be realistic about salary/sick pay, time expectations, etc, but as joint discussion and decisions with all the business owner, and then dealt with openly with Alice. But I admit i would be quite happy for Justin to become a silent character o'r to be dedded. He's underhand and not trustworthy.

Ben is selfish prat who got Chelsea pregnant while mourning the loss of his relationship with abattoir moguls's daughter. Older brother Josh is selfish eggman. (David's chldren)

Cousin Johnny is sweet-hearted unknown long-lost son of sainted John (Tony's oldest who died in a tractor accident) and less self-evidently selfish but away on a yacht, because The Archers. (Tony's grandson)

Why is Josh selfish?

I like him as I feel sorry for him given the way his family treat him. He’s standing on his own two feet

Who drinks alcohol because they need it (apart from alcoholics)? He might well drink it purely because he wanted to and he paid for it.

I’ve known a few teenagers in my time who think they need it 🤣

he only bought it because he wanted booze at the party - his budget stretched to soft drinks so it being alcoholic was important to him

he thought it was rank - I can’t imagine walking home and taking swigs of something I find unpleasant!!

Josh had a girlfriend who stayed over at Brookfield and came across Jill in the kitchen while she was wearing very little (the gf, not Jill). Her name was Liberty. I wish I didn’t remember things like that.

Oh, I'm glad you remember the name - my head was going, "I know it's not Jezebel..."

Oh, PLEASE tell me her surname was Bodice!

I've been listening for a few years and don't really have a hugely strongly idea of the difference between Ben and and Josh. I know they're different people of course, but the storylines blur into one a bit I was about to post similar @DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace. I find Josh particularly ill-defined. For years Ben was locked in the cereal cupboard - emerging occasionally to watch musicals with Jill while his brother busied himself with the egg business. Then Ben got his big storyline - serious relationship with Vince's daughter, getting Chelsea pregnant, mental breakdown before starting training to be a nurse. And in the meantime it feels like Josh has just faded into the background, cut adrift from Brookfield, an indistinct voice among other young voices. I couldn't tell you much about him except that he's the middle one who used to be into hens. Johnny (now seemingly vanished off the face of the earth) is a different kettle of fish entirely - distinctively northern and very much putting down roots at Bridge Farm (until he wasn't anymore). Ask me about Johnny and I could talk about him for ages - where he comes from, why he's significant, what he's like. Josh much less so - even though Johnny is long gone and Josh is still very much around.

Didn’t Josh have a one night stand with Johnny’s girlfriend at one point?

I'm not sure if she was actually his girlfriend o'r just that Johnny was really keen.

Josh is still into hens. Lily was complaining about his stinky chicken overalls at breakfast a few weeks back.

I can't help thinking that Josh should be recast if the actor is too busy....acting.

I don't think I can cope with Pip and Fat Rosie being the future of Brookfield.

I do have a hazy recollection of a one night stand and didn't he try to chat up Beth?

Agree - characters shouldn’t be influenced by availability. They don’t have to do much as it is for a lot of them

but atm I don’t think Josh needs much more developing. I do hope he ends up doing better than Pip!!