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!

Poor boys - both so shadowed by death. All of Bridge Farm is shaped by John’s loss, as noted above. (Has Henry consciously made himself ‘sensible’ so as to avoid John’s fate and causing his family pain?) And I don’t even want to imagine what the Malik parents must have suffered over Khalil. It must put them so at odds, generationally - he wanting to cram in as much life as possible, because he’s afraid, and his parents wanting to wrap him up at home, because they’re afraid …

Has Henry consciously made himself ‘sensible’ so as to avoid John’s fate and causing his family pain? Yes I think so. And that’s not the half of it. He’s had to come to terms with not having a father only for Knob to turn up and as good as adopt him before attempting to pack him off to boarding school when Myson arrived. He’s then had to witness his mother going to prison, been forced to live with Knob’s excreble parents, seen Gideon get a big inheritance from Knob while he got nothing and then form a strong attachment to another father figure in Lee only to see him leave for SF. Henry’s instinct has always been to protect his mother - it’s good to see him going out into the world as a person in his own right so hopefully we can see how the weight of his past has affected him.

The idea of parachuting in Adil as a project manager during the renovation was a perfectly sensible one. Of course there should have been an experienced project manager there. Adil started off really well. He was an interesting and likeable character- always pleasant but there was a sense of a steeliness underneath.

Unfortunately "project manager" turned out be yet another aspect of ordinary life about which the SWs were clueless. For no plausible reason they turned him into a quivering, useless jellyfish who ran away.

The Maliks have been parachuted in for no reason yet the Gills having bought the most important house in Ambridge were never given a voice. Oliver and Grey Gables have been forgotten about. Ian and Adam have disappeared too. Have Ed and Will been heard recently? The Helen/Kirsty/ Tom 'n' Gnasher housing disaster is being sidelined as has George's story.

Oliver and GG were mentioned in the last week by Lily.

We haven't heard from Oliver for ages and other than the Miranda and Justin incident nothing has happened there.

Adam’s silence during the sewage crisis at Bridge Farm, where he works has been quite incredible. If I ran R4 there would be sackings over it.

And yet again silence from Brookfield throughout another major Ambridge disaster - this time involving actual Archers. The whole point of TA used to be that when anything happened in the village, the Brookfield Archers would turn up and show leadership. That’s what they were the First Family for. People looked to them the way they looked to royalty; for guidance and succour and hospital visits. (I know Ben assisted on the day - but really, he hardly counts as an authoritative voice.)

The other day I heard (long lost) Ruth saying something like Wot, because of the sewage? - like it was nothing to do with her at all and concerned an entirely different village not full of her marital family and wider clan. It’s honestly astonishing.

January 2025 they’ll be renaming the show The Horvilles - mark my words …

I have absolutely no objection to the show being called the Archers because it's about the Bridge Farm Archers and their assorted cousins. None at all. Anything but Pip.

I still think they missed a trick when the Home Farm bunch didn't all change their names to Archer in solidarity with Jenny during the Siobhán affair, but that ship sailed long ago.

God, so many stumbles in my last post!

Obviously Alice was involved in the Bridge of Doom - so I should have said again involving actual Archers.

And of course I meant January 2026.

(Still too early for coffee …)

Hello you two! I’ve just caught up on almost 3 weeks worth of episodes and posts 😮‍💨. My money is on Kirsty refusing TomTasha’s lower offer, they swoop in and offer on Willow, telling Brenda that Kirsty won’t be able to sell Beechwood. Then they won’t be able to get a mortgage. The Maliks will buy Kirsty’s house and she will buy Willow and TomTasha will be fewmin.

That would be good.

otoh, Helen coming to her senses and buying Beechwood would mean Khalil and Henry would be neighbours, which after last evening suddenly has excellent potential. I really want Tom and Tash to suffer, and wouldn't actually mind Helen suffering, but Henry deserves a break. And we really need a likeable next-generation Archer, which we won't get from Rosie unless she's a genetic freak.

I have previously loathed the Henry parts - but last nights episode saw him develop I think. And yes to the parallel of the teens feeling over protected.

@DeanElderberry I'm not sure being a likeable character is genetic but that really made me laugh

The whole parallel SL stuff is a bit too creative writing 101 for me

Sometimes it's clunky but I think the Khalil/ Henry comparison is a bit more subtle and you'd need some understanding of the back story.

The Lillian scrimping on the Hoover compared to (I can't remember who's) misfortune that they had to cough up for the other week was pants

if you shoot into the sea you’ll hit a fish eventually

the compare and contrast seems to be all they can do so even if there’s a good one it just feels so repetitive

must say though that Henry or Jack having a non fatal accident would be good. Bit like in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe

I like the parallel - the fact they both have something to kick back against increases the likelihood of them kicking back imo. I’m so happy they are finally doing something with Henry (and I look forward to Jack being brought into play too). These youngsters need to be given some personality - I feel like that never really happened with Josh, Ben or even Pip (who has had hours of airtime, but still feels ill-defined) and that is why Brookfield seems to be taking such a backseat. Jill is on her way out and it feels like Brookfield is going with her.

Agree on the Brookfield kids - I do feel pip is let down by poor acting though which takes her beyond irritating to unlistenable

also we have the Grundy daughters who are similar age to Henry so that is promising for the future. Maybe Rosie will surprise us and be the total opposite (like Saffy to Edina)

I look forward to Jack being brought into play too

Nooooooooooooooo. I’m already scared of whoever he’ll turn out to be. Ruairi and George will be walking around with actual halos once poor little Spawn of Satan is released into the world.

I'm hoping for some variation on the Cain and Abel storyline for Henry and Jack.

The John / Henry storyline is touching, thanks LillianGish.

There may have been a sparkly something in the conversation between Kirsty and Pa Malik.

The SWs seem to have stopped trying to clumsily imply Brad is 'on the spectrum' (or 'on the sphere' as heard with much eye-rolling on the latest not very good series of Unforgotten), which is good, but they seem to have taken Tracey's usual support away.

I don't think kids not already at the privileged end of the class system can only 'get out' via university or that they all need to 'get out' but Brad needs back-up.

Why does everyone assume sixty-something (?) Clarrie is fine coming home from a day's work and 'running up' a couple of costumes with no notice? Maybe some rescued cardboard packaging with old white sheets wound round it? Brown sauce?

Wow, we suddenly get to hear from Ruth, Clarrie, Eddie and Lily.
When did we last hear from Will and Ed?
I've finally accepted TA is no longer as good as it used to be but still listen out of love and familiarity.

@Gonners , I'm not. Will'n'Ed all over again.

@BinaryDot , Clarrie was born on 12 May 1954

@Bruisername , Fat Rosie will be even worse than Pip

@PassivAggressivHaus I'm not. Will'n'Ed all over again.

Yeah, but with added fratricide, please! Starring Henry as Cain and GiddyJack as Abel: motive ...Jack's land!

Aye but that be Grundy land by rights.
I'd prefer any murder of sibling to be at Brookfield.

For goodness’ sake! So Brad has been putting in all that effort for nothing!? Thank the Lord it’s over now. I hope not too late.

And epic ‘moving on’ at Bridge Farm.

Helen's only just now got round to reading the insurance policy??!!

Has someone on the team been reading this thread?