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 ...

There was always a strong suggestion that Mandy Beesborough was a special friend, possibly even a vague curiosity as to India's true parentage.

It lasted a surprisingly short time, and they spent surprisingly few episodes or part of episodes together. Yet we all remember it vividly. I think it was a classic example of Less Is More.

Of course, if she hadn't found out that she was pregnant, Brian was already trying to cool it all down by about two months after it had started; that bit was interesting.

That latter bit was on this board. She was the third case of my three: he was at the races with her at a corporate "do" while Jennifer was giving birth to Alice. Jennifer seemed to have no trouble seeing her off, though only on suspicion (unlike Caroline or Siobhán), so maybe either Brian was not actually having an affair or she got cold feet.

I was specifically thinking of JennyDarling and the did-they-didn't-they with John Tregorran. Because I think she did have a second go at Wossname Travers-Macy. Roger? That would be an appropriate name! 😆

That’s what made it all the better!

Well, yes. That I definitely agree with.

If Siobhán had managed to snare Greg Turner, as she tried to do just before he got together with Helen, Brian would have been spared a great deal of trouble!

Brian would have been spared a great deal of trouble ... and we would have been spared the Ruairi/Julianne business.

Some of the recent sl have been such shite

Do we think they're actually being written by AI, to save money on writers? That would explain why they're so bad.

Just to clarify, I wrote this before the post I was quoting was edited, so it said al rather than sl, which is what made me think of AI.

Ha ha! Sorry - it autocorrected sl to al

but I think you have something with the AI

in another place it has just been pointed out that now Caroline Harrington, whose first script appeared in 1990, seems to have stopped writing for TA, Keri Davies (1992) and Tim Stimpson (2003) are the only writers left who have been in the team since earlier than 2017.

Emma was quite brave turning her uncle in for burning the barn back in my 2012 catchup timeline. Turning her boy in could be a different kettle of fish.

In fact aside from being a bit mean to sweet Nic (out of jealousy) she was quite sweet herself in an insecure way. George got lots of love back then.

I think Emma will steer George to counselling, he'll be relieved that at last he can talk to someone, the counsellor will give him the spiel about having to break confidence if a serious crime is revealed, he'll freak out and refuse to say a word

Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it might be. Poor Emma. Nasty shock coming there (I hope - if this SL remains unresolved I won't be answerable for my actions). David and Ruth were good (for a wonder).

OMG, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - I hope you're not contemplating <gasp!> The Off Switch!

They spent a lot on this episode actor wise - pip, Stella, Emma, Fallon, Chelsea, Ruth, David - anyone else?

plus we’ve had Alice, Chris, Brian and the terrible vet sl characters in the last few days

so with all those actors on site - could we be getting a bumper episode soon with George announcing it to a pub full of those characters?

(v pleased that we haven’t heard Harrison for a long time)

I can't see it happening, but it would be very funny, in a schadenfreude kind of way, if Emma gave George a big speech about how he can always talk to her about anything, there'll be no judgment, she'll always love him no matter what ... expecting that he might be upset that he fancies Tilly but isn't sure if she likes him back, or that he has mild PTSD from his night of being a hero, and instead he confesses the truth about the accident. It would be priceless.

I'm rather hoping Harrison has been pecked to death by a reed-warbler. It's what he would have wanted.

I don't think it would be possible for me to use the off switch, sadly. 40+ years an addict. Doomed.

When George’s doings do become wider public knowledge (I suspect the Grundys won’t frogmarch him straight to Borchester nick so it could take a while) bloody Joy’s going to be all tolerant and understanding, at great length, and it will be HORRIBLE. Still, maybe I’ll be dead by then: that would be nice. And if I’m not, then pretty please can Ed’n’Em also be done for Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of the Am Justice?

Is it just me that thinks there are enough characters already?

Ali stare is cringeworthy talking about his girlfriend. It's like they wanted a storyline with no slow burn. It's the fastest marriage breakdown ever.

I remember that. She was all geared up to tell Pat about what had happened, but Pat steamed right in with how wonderful Rob was and Helen stayed silent. It still makes me shudder now.

@AlexCabot

"Grundy tree of doom" is perfect!
There is a long list...

I've been listening to TA off and on all my life (Aunt Laura, anyone?) but can't remember it as dire as it has been lately. There have been many periods when I've switched off: the lack of imagination during lockdown was one of them. And lately I would have switched off were it not for having to keep up with the entertainment on here.
The signals now seem to be that we are getting Serious Messages about Young Men's Mental Health (again), which is good, if they can make it interesting. (There was a time when George seemed to be going through an Andrew Tate phase - maybe I switched off briefly before that was magically resolved.) Though I have a horrible suspicion that most many of the listeners are not parents but grandparents.

Quite, @Hercisback