Archers thread #182: The Shit hits the Am! 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 be delighted to oblige your employer by cleaning up sewage spills without proper training or equipment in place of your normal duties, 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.)

Credit for the title goes to @echt. Can't think of anything much to say about current storylines. Credulity is strained to its limit on many fronts, unfortunately, but there are a few nuggets in the slurry. I did enjoy hearing Natasha's outrage that Fallon is doing obvious, sensible things at The Bull even though it might hit Terum. I thought Natasha was supposed to be an entrepreneur!

Over to you!

That's the problem lately isn't it? The focus on new characters is making it feel like we are listening to a different programme sometimes. for a while it was Denise and her dreary son, can't even think of his name atm. The Joy and Mick show. Now the Malik's. Will the Gills take over when they return from skiing or where ever it is they've gone?

I understand that they have to introduce new characters but they way they all seem to know the entire village and be involved in everything in 5 minutes is just not realistic.

Pancake eating competition was painful but perhaps intentionally? Natasha is starting to unravel a bit I think.

I like the Maliks and am prepared to see them as potentially dynastically important. (I dislike the cut out and keep way they’re being presented, obviously, but as individuals and collectively they’re fun.) I agree with @TottersBlithely. We need a few new characters to top up the departures and the Maliks feel like a natural fit. They have a genuine reason to have moved to Ambridge - moving down (or possibly up) the road from Solihull so Azra can work as the village doctor, choosing the village because her brother had been based there, it's all entirely believable and realistic. Bringing two ready grown youngsters is also a bonus so we don't have to wait years for them to break their silence and they can can immediately inject a bit of variety into the mix. It's good for Henry to have a friend his own age so he can finally be brought into play after years of saying "Awight" - we might finally hear what he has to say about the various traumas that have been inflicted on him in his short life. The Maliks feel like free-moving pieces for the SWs to play with - they can go anywhere except the The Bull apparently. I like the way they already feel like a real family. I'm looking forward to hearing more about Pa Malik and remain convinced that he is going to turn out to be a demon cricketer (no stereotypes there obviously!) Now it's been established beyond doubt that they are practising Muslims (Lynda has done all the culturally sensitive prying necessary - and it was entirely in character for her to do so, I'm waiting for her attempts at authentic pronunciation in the way she does with French and Italian words) I hope the SWs will be able to let the matter lie and get back to business as usual. We know Usha is a Hindu, we don't need to be reminded of it with every subsequent mention and reference.

A genuine fit? They've been shoe horned in with crow bar if that's not mixing metaphors (or similes)

The Maliks are boring and whiny. I don't understand why the Gills were never voiced. The Maliks seem completely fake for educational purposes.

Adil on the other hand was a wonderful character. I'd happily have him back.

What was ‘wonderful’ about Ardle? Admittedly, him not knowing whether it was his fiancée or his wife who had been squished was hilarious, but otherwise, meh.
An incomer that didn’t get sucked in by the effing Snell woman would be nice.

I think he’s busy in darkest Peru 😀

I listened to the pancake episode in 6 minutes as I kept skipping forward to see if it had improved.

I too miss hearing from lots of different families. It must be budget cuts.

That was dire. Wish I hadn't bothered listening.

hope the SWs don't visit FAS on Marthur although it wouldn't be unrealistic for Alice to worry about it.

I actually can't see a way that they can't do this.

her attempts at authentic pronunciation in the way she does with French and Italian word Attempts being the operative word. @LillianGish

@OverArmourer , Denise and her dreary son, can't even think of his name atm Paul.
I think he’s busy in darkest Peru 😀 Pakistan, allegedly, but always good to start with a smile.

@muddyford , it's not compulsory.

I don’t think it can be budget cuts as they’ve had a lot of guest stars lately

The problem with Zainab is the dialogue she's lumbered with. She doesn't sound like a 19 year old. More like a smart arsed 40 something.

Pa Malik has potential and yes, it would be great if he becomes the star player in the cricket team.

What type of people go to a farm cafe to watch randoms gorge themselves on pancakes? Natasha said they weren't regulars.

It's interesting the production team and/or the actor have decided that Akram should sound as if he grew up in Pakistan rather than the UK. The actor himself (Asif Khan) grew up in Bradford, studied at RADA and now lives in South London. So it's a conscious choice, not his own accent, surely.

Have not yet inflicted last night's episode on myself. I'll probably get it over with while considering whether to defrost the freezer. It's a non-stop round of excitement here!

The traditional places for characters to meet and chat were the village shop, The Bull, the Village Green (mostly taking young children to the playground and the duckpond), the Village Hall, the Bridge Farm shop, the tearoom, the Stables, the vet's, the doctor's surgery, Grey Gables (restaurant, bar or health club) and St Stephen's. The Maliks have no reason to visit at least five of those at present, unless Khalil gets a work experience placement at the vet's or starts volunteering at the Stables. Maybe teenagers hang around on the Green in the evenings. We should be hearing people meeting at the charging station but I doubt we will.

It wouldn't be unrealistic for Martha to be affected. It almost certainly won't happen.

Interesting observation, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - and probably explains why we’ve heard them either visiting other people’s homes or people visiting them at home.

But I do welcome the GP surgery as a conversation venue. Not so sure about the hide. I imagine if Khalil and Henry continue to be friends we’ll hear them on the school bus and wherever Helen ends up living.

We already know Khalil’s interests - it would be good if they could provide Zainab with a Bechdel test passing hobby or interest that takes her into new Ambridge places.

And thanks for the info on Asif Khan.

I don’t know on Zainab - I think there’s a lot of pressure on young people to know what they want to do and to have a passion and for some they don’t know and finding out can be hard

Rare to see a deletion on this thread, btw. What did I miss, or is it best we don't talk about it?

I've also stopped listening, and check in here every now and again to see what I'm missing.
I've been listening for decades, and have stuck with it through a lot of recent rubbish... I'm wondering how listener numbers are doing. It's just been rubbish now for a long time.
However, if I come here and see that Natasha and Tome and Helen have finally all moved in together, I'll tune in again!

The Maliks can't go to the Bull yet Adil could manage a hotel. Snell was rude and impatient with Adil to begin with but has been fawning over the Maliks.

Oliver, Ian, Adam, Denise, Paul, Alastair (apart from that very brief scene in the tea room) have disappeared. Why wasn't Adam at Bridge Farm? Why wasn't the usually saintly Oliver not offering cut price accommodation at GG?

I think the tone sounded lslamophobic. Probably wasn't intentional.

I agree. Not knowing what you want to do and therefore not jumping into any old random degree is more common and actually quite sensible in view of tuition fees. It’s not unrealistic and it keeps her in Ambridge for SW purposes. I suspect she’ll end up going to Felpersham and living at home.

Or maybe she won’t go to uni. When I look at the options for young people today it doesn’t look like the traditional routes are going to pay off as they did in my youth

I honestly despair when I look at the hoop jumping education system we have

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , There's a deletion on the first page by the same user.

Perhaps it’s the Beaver Liberation Front who feel they were being mocked

oh good point, maybe the next PSA (going into exam season) is Dire Warnings About Energy Drinks.

That ep was shit. Natasha is too stupid to run a business.

First thing she should have done was very loudly: sorry competitor is incapacitated, anyone want to step in? before giving away free pancakes, FGS.