Archers thread #170: The scriptwriters have cast a Paul on proceedings! 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 Drunk Alistair, 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/radioaddicts/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/radioaddicts/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. I was tempted to try some sort of complex riff on chocolate names, given @PedantScorner's lightbulb moment - Paul's sister is Cara Mack! - and all the nonsense in last night's episode about coffee creams, but I couldn't be bothered, beyond thinking we must all be Cadbury's Fruit and Nutcases for listening at the moment. Let's hope the SWs take a walk along Quality Street or we'll have to put a Bounty on their heads!

And over to you ...

It's a simple fact: listening to TA rots the brain. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.)

I would like to offer Denise a word of advice: when faced with a choice between two rather dreary, late-middle-aged men, always go for the one with the more attractive voice.

There speaks the ear of experience? (I’d tend to agree)

Yet another episode full of clichés. I think the SWs going to a special college where they learn all the clichés. Those working on The Archers have a competition on who can shoehorn the most clichés into an episode.

Alistair and John literally mending fences…

Not true. It was a gate, and an unhinged one at that.
the word literally makes me feel unhinged

Hang on - when John said ‘let’s fix this’ was he alluding to a ménage a trois

He was probably referring to the gate.

Yes I agree with all the above.
Also the way they both were talking about Paul you would think he was 12,(though he is acting like it).

If Denise is as irresistible as she seems she should ditch both of them and find one with a large heated swimming pool of his own. Well away from Ambridge so we don't have to listen to his voice.

Ali and John can abandon their previous jobs and set up as independent gate repair contractors and relationship counsellors.

I just found the whole ‘of you don’t really love her I can fight for her’ nonsense as if her fate can be agreed by the two men. John should be respecting her decision

and yes - Paul is being treated like an infant

and as for how John got home - this continually puzzles me in ambridge how they get anywhere after drinking (although would one short of whiskey put you over the limit?)

@TottersBlanklyIntoThePhysicGarden - excellent name adjustment!
Delighted to hear Fallon talking properly about taking a unit at the charging station, even if Harrison was less than enthusiastic. Interesting potential fall out from that - Natasha doesn't have time to run a tea room and Emma, who would once have been perfectly placed to take over, has now moved on to chainsaws. Natasha and Tom are about to find out that Fallon IS the tearoom and no amount of Skandi decor and trimmings are worth anything without cake. So much more interesting than dreary Denistaire - I wish the SWs would just put that plot out of its misery. Is anyone at all interested? Last night was a low point - such a non-event and an unbelievable one at that.

🙏 @LillianGish !

Yes @LillianGish i strongly agree.

and I also agree with @Gonners that John has a lovely voice. I’m a sucker for a bit of deep gravel..! One of the first things that attracted me to Mr Hoyle 😻

The whole point of a gate is that it is hinged. So by becoming unhinged it became a fence

I just found the whole ‘of you don’t really love her I can fight for her’ nonsense as if her fate can be agreed by the two men. John should be respecting her decision I think fight in the sense of persuading her to change her mind.

No reason why she shouldn’t do that of her own accord anyway. Have they actually dtd yet?

@Bruisername I just found the whole ‘of you don’t really love her I can fight for her’ nonsense as if her fate can be agreed by the two men. John should be respecting her decision

I'm not impressed by Alistair either - or Denise for that matter. I think it's generally "good form" to split up with one partner before moving on to the next, rather than shop around looking for a better offer as though you were test-driving a new car.

I used to chatter away to my father in his last months - mostly he neither knew who I was or what I was saying, but he seemed to like hearing a friendly voice.

But once I narrated the way the wood pigeons in the tree outside his window were carrying on. Two males strutting and gurgling and puffing and rattling their wings at one female - first one to the fore then the other. Eventually the female got fed up and flew away, leaving the silly lads, after some delay, bereft of love and hope.

And that got a reminiscent rueful. been there done that, understand the pigeon blokes, chuckle. John, Alistair, don't be silly pigeons.

Well it seemed like a scene where the two men were pretty much deciding what was happening

agree Denise was Lily livered by deferring the dumping

What I wonder is whether Denise is going to stop weeping all over Alistair all the time now she has finally told both the men who were previously in her life that she is shagging her boss, or whether she'll find other excuses to sob and prevaricate.

Did we know what all the rubbish scattered around, that Harrison was picking up, was about?

I don’t know if I missed something obvious, or if it was dear John throwing someone’s rubbish about, in his unhinging, lovelorn anguish.

I don't think he actually picked any up, he just went on about doing so and used fetching rubbish sacks to put it in as an excuse to remove himself from Alice's unhallowed presence.

Good grief, what have I just been listening to, and why do I bother with such dross? Merely in the hope of hearing some proper drama like Friday's? That can't have been the same SW, surely. Do they get someone experienced (Nick Warburton?) to do the big scenes, the way the old masters painted the faces and got the rest of the studio to do the background?

Haha I think so!

Noooooooooooooooo …

Bring the next episode Right. Now.

(Billion BOOPS for that cliffhanger.)