Archers thread #172: Come on, Clive! Spill the beans and put us all out of our misery. 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 Clive sounds deeply misunderstood, 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/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.)

Fete over, cricket season over - can the Flower and Produce show be far behind? I don't think I've heard a mention of it this year. Have I not been paying attention?

In any real village, preparations for the Christmas show would already be under way, but not in Ambridge, of course. I am probably in a minority of one in regretting this.

With any luck, though, by Christmas this incredibly protracted tale of Alice, George and the crash will be behind us at last. Do we think Clive's really gone? I don't believe it. We won't be rid of him that easily. Will he go to the police himself? Will he attempt to blackmail his family or extort money from the Aldridges in return for information that would secure Alice's acquittal? Do we care? I find I don't really, unfortunately. I did enjoy hearing Clive for those few brief exchanges but I've had enough now. Unrelieved nastiness is not really what I want from TA.

Over to you!

my wish is that at the flower and produce show they call everyone around to explain how conception and development works when there is a coil

Harrison is already on the verge of thinking Fallon was pregnant with the only child ever, the miracle baby to top them all, the Lord's gift to Ambridge. It would only take a small step for him to reason that normal human biology & medical science don't apply to his special beybe. However the coil works in general, it will be of no interest to Harrison because beybe Burns was the chosen one; no mere misfortune could have touched him/her, only the evil machinations of a foul murderer could get in the way of the pinnacle of creation.

I agree. It's a massive step for her.

I now wonder what will happen if George goes on to speak of her trying to get out of the moving car. It's true, but he's told such an overwhelming whopper who would believe him?

I expected him to confront George, I didn’t think he’d deliberately hunt him down and threaten him like that. Especially since he’s on a final warning with the police.

I’m thinking back now to that stilted, lovey-dovey scene between Fallon and Harrison in which he revealed he’d wondered if their marriage could survive and in doing so appeared to sow seeds if doubt in Fallon’s mind - driving out all thoughts of booking a romantic holiday together. I think her storming out today was the beginning of the end for her and Harrison and Alice and Harrison’s hug may have signaled the start of a connection between the two of them - I’m remembering Alice’s previous drunken snog with Harrison and also her pulling away from Chris yesterday. Perhaps the loss of Harrison’s beybe, having forced him the face up to how much he really wants to become a father, will eventually result in him fathering a brother or sister for Martha.

Oh I did.

What made you think that? Can’t be that he’s emotionally incontinent, intellectually adequate and professionally incompetent, after all

Im not surprised Harrison went after George, he has been angry for ages and now he knows the truth and guilt towards Alice also has played a part.
Wonder if that sunflower that Jazzer has cut down was Rosies?
Glad Robert is doing something about poo bags, some dirty bastard let their dog do its business right out side my gate and of course I stepped into it. It must have been the size of an elephant the mess it made. Soooo disgusting.

Tallest sunflowers are usually measured in situ aren’t they? You usually take the measurements and send a photo of yourself standing next to it. Did Jazzer actually pick the flower - it wasn’t clear? I’m expecting him to be disqualified on a technicality again.

I don't think he cut it down, I think he somehow "hid" it, though goodness knows how you hide a growing sunflower.

I thought when Jazzer was talking that he had cut it down and left it on the kitchen table, but he was talking about his lunch🤷‍♀️.
How he is going to claim it as his own I do not know.

I think I was touting this idea last winter - that eventually the two of them will end up together and he can be dad to Marthyrrr or possibly even another baby - Alice is still in her thirties I think

Just to add, Fallon must be some kind of saint with what she’s put up with from Alice. I’m a bit worried the scriptwriters are making a slightly younger Kirsty - suffers but keeps putting up with the Archers.

You are not. I'm with the others who share an awful suspicion that this is a harbinger for Harrison and Alice getting together. And not forgetting Alice's drunken grabbing of H in the car. (What is it with Alice and cars?) Fallon's endless patience with her. But I bet this time the unhinged Harrison is the pursuer.

I'm not sure I could bear listening to more whingeing or passion from Sgt Burns, or the hurt from Fallon and Christopher, or Susan saying that she knew Alice would always be bad news, trailing chaos and misery behind her wherever she goes, etc etc ad nauseam.

Eeeewww!

The very idea of Alice and Harrison is just 🥴🥴🥴

If Harrison does get chucked out of the force, what will he do? My best guess before recent events was that he and Fallon would take over the pub, but obviously that won't happen if he and Fallon split up, and for very obvious reasons Alice can't take over The Bull and probably wouldn't want to be in a relationship with a pub landlord. On the other hand, Alan must be coming up to retirement age and Harrison has taken an interest in the church. New vicar, after lengthy part-time training?

Will the church take Harrison on if he gets sacked from the police especially if he gets the sack for his bad temper and having a go at George.
Perhaps they will turn the other cheek, but will Fallen what to be married to a vicar?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c33nymxg8g2o Interesting idea here. Radio soaps must have a far lower budget, but the BBC is making cuts. Who would you cull?

Pip
Iain
Helen (though she is quiet at the moment)
Paul

If Fallon and Harrison split then please let him just sulk off to wherever he came from! He’s so irritating to listen to!

if he and Alice have an affair I’m not sure I can bear the noises we will be subjected to

Goodness, the Hollyoaks solution will take a lot of mental processing in the context of TA!

It does already look as if the Grundys might be culled and replaced by the Horrobins. Although I’m really enjoying, and very appreciative of, the careful plotting that has put Emma and Chris right at the centre of the whole Ambridge story - Carter-Horrobins deeply embedded in both House Grundy and House Aldridge.

Right now the people who seem otiose and marginal are the Brookfield Archers …

Phlemgny and Fagash can go.

Yes, it's good the way they have decentred the Archer family, and have almost entirely eliminated the 'working class = comic' stereotype that dominated in the past (Walter, Joe, Bert, Eddie, Clarrie - to some extent, though they have given her more depth in recent years). Joy was in danger of being one such at first, but there's clearly more to her. I don't get her relationship with Mick at all, particularly as he is apparently such a mucky scruff.

I'd happily lose Pip, Mia, Ben and Josh. The Pargeter twins are a PIA too. We need foils for the real characters like Susan. I can't see how the Ed and Emma story is likely to pan out. A chainsaw may well feature. I hope Alistair and Denise get posted to Hexham or Penzance.

One of TA's abiding strengths has been the non-speaking characters. I was surprised when Martin Gibson materialised, ditto James of Lovell James.

TBH I'm slightly surprised TA has lasted this long. Public information is disseminated differently nowadays. Desperate appeals to a younger audience won't work, will they. I think it's only lasted as long as it has because it's a record breaking thing - though obviously there have been some really cracking episodes - and I wouldn't be astounded if they pull the plug.

Right now the people who seem otiose and marginal are the Brookfield Archers - they are completely out of the picture and what is especially noticeable to me is that there has been no strong character development of the younger generation. Ben and Josh remain pretty indistinguishable (Ben's a nurse and Josh has some hens?) and Pip has failed to properly establish herself despite hours of airtime - Pope of farming, single mother, World's First Lesbian, she never rings quite true. Ask yourself what would Emma Grundy do in any situation and you you could write an essay, ask the same question about Pip and you'd be casting around for the bones of an idea.

Masterful last sentence in your post @LillianGish !