Archers thread #181: Panto Week's behind you! Was that the nadir? 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 enjoy playing badminton with Derek Fletcher, 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.)

Will it be onwards and upwards for TA now, or do we fear even more of these special weeks (Martin and a Christmas Carol, Scam Week, Panto Week) and sudden reinventions of long-established characters (Neil)? I for one have had enough of all that. I want a quiet period of change counting in the village shop, farming talk with suitable sound effects and village gossip over coffee at Terum or a pint in The Bull. Slowly developing storylines featuring the full cast, not a subset for a few weeks with no mention of the others, and all behaving in character. Not holding my breath we'll get any of that, though!

Over to you.

I just had a thought - I wonder if Brian will join Pat at the barricades? If I'd been fined zillions for polluting water, I'd want to see equal treatment for big water companies.

Good thought! Brian the activist.

Why is Joy so overwhelmed at the robot vaccuum? Those have been around for nearly 30 years, and relatively cheap brands have been available for quite a few years. If she can afford a mortgage, then a cheap robot vaccuum shouldn't be out of her reach, and she's bound to have seen SM videos of cats riding around on them...Induction stoves are also hardly new, although I appreciate that they only now seem to be catching on more generally in the UK. I don't like them personally, because they can make really high-pitched sounds that drive me insane: I used ear plugs if I had to use the big burner on my mum's. I don't want to use ear plugs when cooking!

I hope Florence is ok.

I like Joy but they've given her a personality transplant. Old Joy would have assumed guests weren't possible.

Old Joy would have sorted out the insurers and accomodation too.

Florence?

The lizard.

Elderly bearded dragons can have problems with constipation and may require daily warm baths. I'd still rather hear daily Florence the beardie updates than Mick whining about what isn't allowed.

Also Joy's reaction to Florence was ridiculously OTT for an animal that is a) in a tank b) not dangerous.

Some people are afraid of anything they perceive as lizard-like, even a stick insect.

Thank you, I had a senior moment there, and was confused because Florence is a central character in Death in Paradise, which was on last night. (There's a lizard called Harry, too.)

BOOP for Fallon joining The Bull. I like the idea of her taking business from the terum by doing afternoon teas. I love Natasha but the BF Archers treated Fallon badly.

I have always wanted a chameleon, love thier little toes.
They better not kill the lizard. I'm fed up listening about Mick and Joy the liar.
Hope joy trips over the vac, she is easily scared.(,rubbish).

Natasha is an unpleasant idiot. Gluttony contests are vile. I'd actively avoid any establishment which held them.

Insurance companies are getting a hard and implausible time in this story line.

Oh and did you know the Malik family is Muslim?

Lynda's enthusiasm for "joining in" the fasting during Ramadan seemed bizarre, even by her standards.

And - unrelated to the content - I listen online with headphones and there was something very bizarre going on in the scene between Emma and Natasha, where I was hearing Emma through my left ear and Natasha through my right. No stereo at all - it was almost as though they were in different rooms, or as though they'd recorded separately and some techie had screwed up.

God, Natasha's horrible. Are the SWs prepping us for the inevitable clash with Helen: Godzilla v. the Smog Monster?

I wonder if it's physically possible for the pair of them to simultaneously throttle each other to death? On air, please.

I thought Lynda wanting to get involved with Ramadan was entirely in character. Is the gluttony contest at the Terum intended as a compare and contrast? Actually with Fallon organising pancake day at The Bull we are already seeing the competition ramping up?

He’s quite similar to Eddie; embarrassing, freeloading and recently morally censorious with no leg to stand on.

Oh and did you know the Malik family is Muslim?

And let us carefully explain Ramadan to you as though you’ve never heard of it.

I’m not Muslim but surely if a non Muslim suggested fasting for Ramadan it would just be… weird? I’d have expected Azra to have politely said no thanks.

To be fair probably quite a few people don’t know about it or just have a faint idea.

Oh probably I suppose. It’s just a bit patronising and expositional when there’s little time for actual plots. But it’s always been that way I guess. I think it’s just very ‘a Muslim family has arrived and we are going to show racism and explain Ramadan to you’ vs just letting them be Muslim residents of Ambridge with whole lives and stories vs MUSLIM RESIDENTS OF AMBRIDGE.

I’m not suggesting for a moment there isn’t racism of course, more just a shame they’re having that drive the storylines about them. And that Ramadan can’t just be rolled into the storylines vs being the storyline.

Did it sound to anyone else as if Natasha and Tom are maybe having second thoughts about the house purchase?

Radio 4 listeners? Radio 4 listeners who listen to the Archers?

I have been wondering if Mick and Joy are being groomed to become the new Eddie and Clarrie. Mick has the same level of stupidity and idiotic ideas as Eddie

If that means the death of Eddie and Clarrie, I’m for it. Removal by other means (almshouses, seaside towns in East Anglia) also acceptable.