Archers thread #176: In which Ian puts the I in PTA. 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 from Wesley the ashtray collector, 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.)

Thanks to @DeanElderberry for the pithy phrase in the thread title and @CaptainMyCaptain for suggesting it should go in there. At least we've got the spooky disco out of the way for now. Plenty of wooden dialogue in the last few episodes that could go on the village bonfire next week. It's all been too dispiriting to discuss in greater depth. I'll just say that I don't hold out any great hopes that the production team will make a good job of reflecting concern in the farming community about the changes announced in the Budget to inheritance tax for farms. So often they get an expert to talk them through stuff like this but instead of ending up with a realistic storyline they pick out the bits they like the sound of and cobble them together in a totally unrealistic way. Maybe I'll be proved wrong this time. I hope so.

Over to you!

Justin-come-lately
😂

It's going to replace Linda's Christmas production, isn't it? Justin-come-lately is going to have a fever or knock on the head and experience hallucinations where characters show him the Error of his Ways and by Christmas he will be a Reformed Character.

We'll all be begging for a return of the panto.

Yes I mean it’s not as if Lilian will have recruited Miranda to tell Justin off for what he did about the rewilding project, is it! So how on earth did she find out?

Is Justin dead or dying?????

We can hope. The Christmas Scrooge line would be just about bearable if this was the outcome.

MP security is a massive issue which made the Grundy ambush even more unlikely. Given the level of violence and bullying in prisons today, I’m afraid I doubt whether there will be a very strong case for moving George. They may need to wait until he has been beaten unconscious.

Or until George has tried to kill himself

Good grief. Have just caught up with Sunday's episode and was groaning throughout. Miranda came right out with the Scrooge word for those at the back.

Indeed, how did she know he'd he there? And @Godesstobe is right about the skeleton staff at GG. (Hallowe'en, IKR.) The hospitality industry is on its knees but that whole set-up is unbelievable. As unbelievable in its way as the vegan charging station café. So many unbelievable things lately: Kirsty and Rex 'overlooking' the lease renewal date (SWs overlooking it, more like), Justin getting Brad to shoot a publicity vid he has no intention of using or even looking at, etc etc.

Yes @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g, it does seem like deliberate sabotage. I'm trying to work out when the rot set in. Was it the great bridge disaster? Or has it been decaying for decades? It's really noticeable too, how they're skinflinting on characters - there are people we haven't heard from for weeks.

It wouldn't be amazing if Simon Williams wanted to retire Justin but the Justin story line is symptomatic of a deeper problem: SWs who don't seem to care about consistency, details, or even basic research into things like prisons and MPs' schedules. The utter contempt for the audience is palpable, nor is it confined to TA on R4. I wouldn't be surprised if it came from the DG himself.

Meanwhile, yes Brad is doing well. His next meeting with George is going to be painful.

I haven’t bothered listening lately

I often find BBC drama writers think they are far cleverer than they actually are. The very first episode of Sherlock is always my example!!

as an organisation I think they do hold their audience in contempt and that’s really unfortunate

When is Brad finding the time for his studies???

Among other things, we are being asked to believe that the supposedly luxury Grey Gables has only one waiter and that Brad is able to take on this role without any training and combine it seamlessly with his work as the hotel's only porter - this was my immediate thought. And at the same time he's running George's drone business and making videos for both the rewilding project and Justin while also embarking on a maths degree and his prison visiting! It's almost comical that he's involved in every scene and every plot. Last night's episode felt so far removed from what The Archers used to be - it has become so theatrical. The Scrooge analogy is too much and if the prison story is meant to be another PSA then Will and Ed literally chasing down their local MP was surely a step too far.

Amazing they have enough kitchen, housekeeping and spa staff but need Brad and mick to do all front of house

the entire GG story line has been utter tripe from the advent of the secret new investors.

Bloody hell, just caught up with the past week of episodes. It's really going downhill fast now isn't it 😔

God the christmas carol references were TOO MUCH....Humbugs, litteral humbugs fgs in the glove compartment...

Muranda mooning over how he was such a sweet man before money and power corrupted him...

I dont think I can cope with this till Christmas!

I'd actually prefer some real drama! Not rehash of one of the oldest record stories... may as well have done birth of christ 🙄

They found out the MP would be there from her website or social media or something, so it was a public “thing” anyway - I bet MPs are often quite scared at these things by random blokes coming up to them. It comes with the territory though and certainly the vast majority of MPs go round without any security at all. Most likely they’d have told the local Bobby they were going to be there and a PC or PCSO might have dropped by if it was a big event.

Being an MP is all about being out there and available for people to talk to. Highly likely in these circs though that she’d have recommended they put all the details in an email as the chances of her remembering the relevant details among the dozens of other people she’s spoken to that day are pretty slim. Maybe she’s newly elected and very keen!

I’d like to point out that FOR ONCE they’ve got the Grundy men doing something sensible though. Not eg trying to tunnel in.

And I doubt the editor is trying to run it down - not exactly awash with other jobs at the moment.

The idea that 18 year old Brad is meant to be starting a maths degree, working part time at GG, trying to run George's business (can't imagine video editing is a quick job either) and finding time to for ad hoc tutoring sessions for Henry is just ludicrous.

Justin is becoming more and more Disney villain by the day. Are we about to see some sudden Christmas Carol style day of reckoning and he becomes the local philanthropist? Maybe stepping into Peggy's shoes as the bottomless source of money for the village?
(Not that she does a lot with it lately, does she still refuse to give the church any money?)

The pub kitten naming being of any interest whatsoever to the local teens. Give me strength!

Yeah it's a drama but at least the characters and storylines used to be somewhat believable.

Yes @WitcheryDivine Grundy men actually using their brains and doing something sensible for a change! Although could argue is that good writing either as completely out of character 😆

When is Brad finding the time for his studies??

It’s turning into the Brad Horribin show. He is in almost every scene these days. Nice for members of the Brad Fan Club. Less great for non-members…

Brad's sudden elevation to waiter from porter seemed...bizarre. Surely an establishment like GG would have properly trained silver service waiting staff and it wouldn't be a case of using the porter as a stand in?

It made GG seem like Fawlty Towers with Brad scuttling round like Manuel. I was half expecting Justin to see a rat only for Brad to insist it was actually a Siberian Hamster while Oliver could be heard outside hitting a car with a branch.

Brad used to do waitering at the Orangery, along with everything else. He took a demotion to be a porter at GG (because the pay was better? or possibly just because the travel was easier). So in theory he should be able to handle it fine, even if he were used to doing it in a more relaxed environment. In theory ...

Well just listening to you and yours and a lady saying she felt discriminated against because Greggs asked her to take her dog out. So perhaps fact is sometimes as ridiculous as fiction

@Bruisername heard that as well. She must have been a paid actor surely. There's just no hope is there 🤦‍♀️😆

I’m a big fan of dogs but that woman’s so entitled!!

perhaps we will have a dog in shop sl at fallons vegan cafe (most miserable place on earth for a doggo)

Oh same, owners like that are just an embarrassment aren't they😩

Yep Fallon can pull in the vegan dog owners with their vegan dogs and bake them some vegan dog biscuits.

That's another sl bugging me, Fallon surely knows this is not a viable business plan. She knows her stuff so why are they making her seem so clueless?!

Yes it’s very bizarre that she has this sudden urge towards vegan. It doesn’t seem like she’s been pushing that particularly. Is she vegan?

I think it isn't strictly speaking vegan anyway, because Fallon's only said she's decided on no meat and no dairy because she read up about how bad those are for the planet. And she previously gave up using plastic for the same reason, though I don't know if she stuck to that, and would Tom and Natasha have done so after they stole her shop from her?