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Discuss your favourite podcast, radio show or The Archers episode.

Archers thread #184: It’s a shambles! And we don’t mean Casey Meats. Discuss The Archers here.

992 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 14/04/2025 12:03

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

Archers 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're looking forward to Morris dancing on the radio, or other unusual views. Grin

Archers 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!

Archers 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.)

Right, to business. I can't say I'm delighted that the focus is on Rochelle and Casey Meats at the moment, because I'm not. All far too peripheral to Ambridge and too new. As I say ad nauseam, more farming storylines please, and where are all the long-standing members of the cast? The discussion about inheritance tax in The Bull the other night was a bit clunky, but what a refreshing change to hear two familiar voices, both farmers, talking about farming-related stuff, even if BBC balance meant they had to be challenged by two non-farmers, and even if it is months after the Budget introduced these changes. Ah well.

I was tempted to put one of my Dad's terrible jokes into the thread title as an oblique reference to George's coffin-making idea, but it wouldn't have made sense to anyone else. He loved referring to the cemetery as the Dead Centre of the island, so I was pondering something about Grange Farm becoming the Dead Centre of Ambridge. It could happen yet. Emma and Ed could provide willow branches and Clarrie could sit in the kitchen weaving them. Surely it must be similar to knitting?

Finally, if the SWs are lurking and looking for new storylines, it's been very dry recently and there have been lots of wildfires in rural areas. There was a bad one on Gaspmother Island a few days ago. Many farmers are very worried about this at the moment, as reported on Farming Today last week. But what am I thinking! This is a story that only works in a rural setting, so in the current incarnation of TA, it's not soapy enough. Hmm

Over to you!

OP posts:
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AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 18:49

Jim has often been shown to have the emotional intelligence of an egg-whisk, and so has Robert.

TottersBlithely · 28/04/2025 19:04

Already! 😂😂😂

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 19:16

Oh what a surprise - the cricket is turning into a disaster with Lilly and Freddie 🙄

Helen is very thick skinned isn’t she!!

why do Helen and tash care about Rochelle’s elbow

And when did Rochelle collect her stuff?

wonder why Lynda didn’t ask Fallon. There’s not going to be any money for the teas because it’s all going to Rex I assume? Although he shouldn’t be paid for the match where he ran off for his last love 🙄

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 28/04/2025 19:45

Did anyone place a bet on Gnasher's vase getting broken? It was inevitable but I didn't count on that quickly.

Gnasher has no emotional intelligence at all. It was obvious Joy didn't want to discuss Rochelle and it's not as if Gnasher could actually care tuppence.

Not putting Helen's vase up somewhere safe away from the stellar twins is just nasty.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 19:46

Nasty or imbecilic, take your pick!

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 28/04/2025 20:00

I enjoyed that episode, even with La Snell. Lynda is much more bearable when she's being bossy and overbearing.

Gnasher is truly awful. Faites vos jeux now on how

  1. long the house share will last?
  2. Whose side will Pat 'n' Tone take?
  3. Will Helen move in with Joy?
  4. Will there be blood?
AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 20:04

If it had been before the fancy vase got broken I'd have gone for 4, and Helen being blamed for the brat having cut herself.

DeanElderberry · 28/04/2025 20:21

If I had not wanted to get snuggly with a bloke in the middle of the week, and then, four days later, he brutally bludgeoned me on the elbow with a cricket bat (or any other weapon come to that) it would not make me rush to move in with him in his isolated narrowboat.

Am I being weird?

Don't all rush.

Yardbird · 28/04/2025 20:23

i missed the omnibus this weekend so just went to catch up on some of the episodes from later last week - despite prior warning I attempted to listen to the Rex/Rochelle stuff and actually had to turn it off. Soapy and ridiculous but also borderline covert abusive behaviour from both of them.

would anyone be interested in a group complaint to the BBC? Im kind of joking but also not - I’m a vaguely-active member of this thread plus I look at other forums across other social media platforms now and again and I genuinely think there are enough people who might co sign a heartfelt note to the SW/ed team that might be more effective than independent complaints. I’m one of the late 30s crew and recognise a certain amount of nostalgia for my grandmothers generation in my listening habits, so would be so sad if TA failed for that reason in itself - but I also genuinely enjoy(ed) it! Surely this thread in itself is enough of a proof that all listeners across age and demographics are losing the will to live with it?

Unless that’s the point - and we’re just watching a calculated decline until it can be retired with ‘cause’ - but then why do this V Day adjunct piece?

Do they know their audience at all?

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 20:24

DeanElderberry · 28/04/2025 20:21

If I had not wanted to get snuggly with a bloke in the middle of the week, and then, four days later, he brutally bludgeoned me on the elbow with a cricket bat (or any other weapon come to that) it would not make me rush to move in with him in his isolated narrowboat.

Am I being weird?

Don't all rush.

It’s the caveman fantasy. Get knocked over the head with a club and dragged back to his cave by your hair. What modern woman wouldn’t be pleased

Yardbird · 28/04/2025 20:25

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 28/04/2025 08:48

Ordinary people just doing, well, implausible stuff. I don't need to be interested in every storyline but as most of us have said many times over the years when it's not in character and even worse not in line with reality, it breaks the fourth wall and we remember we're listening to a radio drama, not actually eavesdropping in The Bull or the tearoom or standing behind David and Ruth in the milking parlour. The Archers at its best builds a plausible and engrossing storyline over years and years, involving various characters all behaving in character, said characters having been established and developed over years and in some cases decades. It can't be easy to do this, but it's felt in recent years as if they're not trying all that hard to do that any more. New people dominating storylines for weeks on end. Limited number of characters speaking, which I suppose is understandable if budgets have been cut, but they don't even mention the other characters, so we lose touch with what's going on across the village. Very little of the rural and agricultural background that made TA so distinctive. Soapy stories that could be happening anywhere. Disappointing.

Hear hear @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Gonners · 28/04/2025 20:25

@IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle ... I'd go for:

(1) Not beyond the end of May, which is half way through a two week school holiday.

(2) Either both or neither. It makes no difference to them, especially if Helen is so Brave, Beautiful and Fiercely Independent that she guilt-trips Kirsty into letting her and the boys move into her newly purchased house and effectively take over.

(3) Not if Mick has any say in the matter. Also Joy will want to keep rooms free for Rochelle and the kiddies.

(4) I am optimistic.

DeanElderberry · 28/04/2025 20:33

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 20:24

It’s the caveman fantasy. Get knocked over the head with a club and dragged back to his cave by your hair. What modern woman wouldn’t be pleased

ah so, not weird, just ancient feminist.

How does the narrowboat sanitation work? Some kind of chemical toilet that has to be taken and emptied somewhere? Midnight trips to a nearby hedgerow, with or without a spade? Actual flush loo venting into the river? Love is a many-splendoured thing.

Also, did I hear someone dissing bomber command? Odd timing.

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 20:33

It’s the famous BBC balance

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 28/04/2025 20:46

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 20:33

It’s the famous BBC balance

Not terribly relevant but I was irritated that when Dr Who was shown on Sundays during Jodie Whittaker's tenure one episode fell on 11th November 2018 they chose an episode set in the Punjab dealing with the partition of India.

It was actually a very good episode but really? They have a Time Machine and they ignored the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, which also happened to be a Sunday?

Madcats · 28/04/2025 21:01

I’m a bit behind, but just reminded myself that it was terribly easy to get Chat GPT to “humanise/not humanise/Studio Ghiblise” my cats in various costumes/scenes within a minute or two.

I just needed to upload a couple of photos (no photoshop reqd).

Yogaandchocolate · 28/04/2025 21:08

Is it just me who finds Chelsea’s sudden enthusiasm for military history a bit unbelievable?

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 28/04/2025 21:17

Yogaandchocolate · 28/04/2025 21:08

Is it just me who finds Chelsea’s sudden enthusiasm for military history a bit unbelievable?

Well in normal circumstances yes, but in the scale of impossible things we've been asked to believe before breakfast recently, then, no.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 21:27

Wasn't it Chelsea who went to town over the previous celebration of WWII? Doing hair-styling and so on?

Gonners · 28/04/2025 21:28

Chelsea seems to have gone from well-written "wot-evva!" teenage behaviour (combined with excellent social skills in the hairdressing/"beauty" field) to some sort of parody character. I fully expect her to have a PhD in 20th Century History by the end of the week.

JanFebAndOnwards · 28/04/2025 21:36

Chelsea’s intellectual ascent started with the moving (!) Larkrise to Ambridge didn’t it?

CaptainMyCaptain · 28/04/2025 21:44

DeanElderberry · 28/04/2025 20:33

ah so, not weird, just ancient feminist.

How does the narrowboat sanitation work? Some kind of chemical toilet that has to be taken and emptied somewhere? Midnight trips to a nearby hedgerow, with or without a spade? Actual flush loo venting into the river? Love is a many-splendoured thing.

Also, did I hear someone dissing bomber command? Odd timing.

I have known a couple of people who lived on narrowboats but they moored at places with chemical toilet disposal facilities. I picture Rex as being moored in solitary splendour so he'd have to take the boat to a disposal place. It is possible to have a toilet that can be pumped out but you'd need a place that does this. It would be very, very illegal to empty it into the waterway.

Bruisername · 28/04/2025 21:55

CaptainMyCaptain · 28/04/2025 21:44

I have known a couple of people who lived on narrowboats but they moored at places with chemical toilet disposal facilities. I picture Rex as being moored in solitary splendour so he'd have to take the boat to a disposal place. It is possible to have a toilet that can be pumped out but you'd need a place that does this. It would be very, very illegal to empty it into the waterway.

That explains Denise’s illness post crash doesn’t it?

she spent the least time in the water though

echt · 28/04/2025 22:05

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 18:49

Jim has often been shown to have the emotional intelligence of an egg-whisk, and so has Robert.

Edited

Not Jim. A hard disagree there.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 28/04/2025 22:07

echt · 28/04/2025 22:05

Not Jim. A hard disagree there.

I cba at this time of night to go through finding all the examples of Jim totally misreading emotion, but there are plenty available if I looked.

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