Archers thread #180: Burgeoning backstories! Continuity, what’s that? 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 think it's a great idea for Helen and the boys to lodge with Tom, Natasha, Seren and Dippity*, 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/5244480-the-archers-spoilers-thread-10-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.)

*Can't remember who coined this, but it's genius.

I was strongly tempted to use one or both of the posts suggested for the title of this thread on the last thread, but went for something a bit briefer. However, they're brilliant and will kickstart this thread very nicely, so here they are:

@Sidebeforeself: Beavers, bridge, bunny boilers and busybodies - it's all a load of bollocks!

(I couldn't agree more!)

@DeanElderberry: I don't usually speculate much on the appearance of characters, but do wonder what it is about Miranda that is bringing out the chest-thumping silverback in Brian and Justin? One little bridge game and the course of Ambridge rewilding is set. The face that launched a thousand beavers.

Over to you!

I liked hearing the Brookfield siblings all being together and can’t remember a time when we’ve had that in the past.

I’d be happy for a move towards that kind of “nothing chat” over the ridiculous drama we’ve seen recently.

I’m amazed there are any pantomimes still going by now. They are very much not my thing, but I know a lot of people who go to our local one, regardless of their kid status.

Ben fancies Zainab? Can he not find an age appropriate girlfriend? He's early 20s isn't he - I thought there was an age gap with Chelsea and as Zainab is dropping out of college she must be 17/18 surely.

ETA google says he was born in 2002 so turning 23 this year. Gross.

The sw do seem to take the girls grow up a lot quicker than the boys

it is pretty gross tbh

I did wonder about that. Agree, it's creepy.

As ever, I’m catching up, but what struck me was how juvenile the Brokefield 3 sounded together. They’re all over 20 and Pip's over 30 now, but they still squabble like children arguing over toys. I know the aim is to portray them as young and lighthearted but the SWs seem to think that must mean the dreaded 'banter' , ie constant sniping. Pip in particular just seems determined to needle, and never passes up a chance to chip away at Josh.

Meanwhile, the device of having Ben yawn when collecting the takeaway from Zainab was just embarrassingly bad and didn’t work on any level.

Ben is 22 ... 23 in in March (mentally 14 going on 15). I got the impression Zainab had done A levels and her mother was nagging her to go to university but she took a break, so she'd be 18 or 19. When she's not winding up her mother, she sounds a good deal less immature than Ben.

I enjoyed the Brookfield kids having dinner together- I agree I can’t think of a time those three have ever hung out alone before. Obviously pip is awful but she came across as awful so that was ok. I never really thought before but Josh is a bit similar to younger Tom isn’t he? Except minus the eco girlfriend.

incredibly I also enjoyed Pip and Stella at home plus Brian. It was understated and quite sweet. Brian and Stella are very good, P is less good of course but the scene worked.

When she's not winding up her mother, she sounds a good deal less immature than Ben.

She and her ghastly brother sound about 13 to me.

The last thing that would bother me about a Ben/ Zainab relationship is the age gap ( which might be what, five years max?). But this is Mumsnet, albeit a relatively sane corner of it, where legal adults under 25 are still just children really and an age gap of > 6 months is a red flag for grooming and ‘paedophilia’…
Things that would bother me are:
a) hearing more of Nursy frodding Ben;
b) hearing more of Zainab and her bloody mother;
c) the implication that Ben might at some stage get a second dip in the gene pool.

When I was 18 my first serious boyfriend was 25.

Yeah - the age gap is fine.

Josh. Are the SWs ever going to give him a decent storyline (I don't count the unconvincing second hand tractor fiasco)? He's annoying, but I feel quite warm towards him because his parents treat him with open contempt.

How old was Chelsea when she had the abortion?

ben is a really pathetic character

I think the kids either need to be actively involved in the farm (sets up a bit of competition for inheritance à la Home Farm or Bridge Farm) or actively doing something else - they managed that to a certain extent with Ben and his nursing, but I’m still not entirely clear what Josh does. He doesn’t have a properly defined role that you can picture him doing even if you can’t hear him (they should have given him the sheepdog do he could be sheep to Pip’s cows). David never had any competition - Shula worked for Rodway and Watson, Kenton was at sea, Elizabeth never had any farming input always felt like the baby of the family, but I always felt as if I knew what she was doing and how she fitted in (various relationships with Nigel always v much on the scene, waiting in the wings). Similarly with Debbie, Adam, Kate and Alice or with Tom and Helen (and John before them) - they all had distinct personalities and roles.

Is Josh still doing eggs?

I think it was Ben that did the egg fertilizing.... 😉

I agree. The previous Brookfield generation were much more full characters, this lot seem so lacklustre and drippy. Pip is dreadful and so immature and such a moaning minnie, it's hard to believe she's a parent and about 30. They still all sound so teenage. What a pity it seems as though Ben will get together with Zainab who isn't coming across as a likeable or interesting character either. The age gap is fine especially as Ben's persona seems so young anyway.

I don't have the slightest difficulty telling the difference between Josh and Ben, but that is probably because as I have mentioned far too many times before Angus Imrie (Josh) was in my son's year at school and I saw him in some school plays years and years before he was in TA. I've never spoken to him (or his parents), just worked hard not to gawp at them at Parents' Evenings. However, I notice his rare appearances on the TA cast list. His voice is lighter than Ben's, and not as deep.

I wonder how we'd all be feeling about Pip if the role hadn't been re-cast. Old Pip was awful but I felt that was by design. When I hear New Pip I picture a young woman standing behind a mike in the Mailbox holding a script. It doesn't help.

People are very weird about age gaps these days. There's six years between Mr Gasp and me. I was 19 when we met, nearly 45 years ago. It didn't seem like a huge deal back then.

I think 19 year olds these days are very immature

but 19 and 23 doesn’t seem bad - I think the issue with Ben and zainab is that they are both pretty boring

just like his sister is TWFL he seems to go on about being a nurse as if he should be getting his sainthood soon

i have a soft spot for Josh because his family are so nasty to him. Pretty obvious he will fall in love easily with people who don’t feel the same way

Josh is a bit of a dick and I like that about him. Shades of his uncle Kenton called David Dave.

i like Ben too - he has a defined career path and personality. Pip is just hard working and self centred.

I like Josh, not least because he can make it sound as if he isn't stood reading from a script. That said, if Angus can't commit to more than a couple of hours a year they need to replace the actor. The character deserves more prominence. He runs a free range chicken farm/egg business just up the road from Slimbridge

Zainab and Ben are terrible. I would rather not hear from them tbh. He’s just so wet.

vince and lizzie are tiresome too

since when are Joy and lizzie besties?

I really wish Joy had been under that beam

So both Neil and Vince on the Non-Pantomime Alternative Coach Trip Mass Dedding List?

Oh FFS. What have I been listening to?

Not sure why Liz and Joy wren having cup of tea together anyway. Do they even know each other?

The ring. Bleaurrghh.

As for Joy. Yet another character being bent out of shape to suit some weird SL. I'd rather warmed to Joy over the years, but this is rdidcuous. She's not like that. Hang on, is this compare and contrast with the nervous breakdown by Ben and Joy heading the same way?

Really? The reason the old age pension was set at 65 for men and 60 for women was so that wives could retire with their husbands, with a 5 year age gap seen as the norm.