Archers thread #185: Some farming would be nice. 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, 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.)

Over to you!

The dating app storyline isn't funny or interesting.
I loved it, and was chuckling as I listened.

If you ever mention you’re online dating someone (usually someone in a steady relationship who slightly misremembers how much fun being single is) is always very keen...
These are usually married or partnered to a useless (possibly violent drunk) oaf, but they can't understand how you can exist without a man.

unless they've both set their search criteria to no more than 5 miles.
Why on earth would they have set it to more than 5 miles?

Bit of ageism from Lily too. Of course.

Just please get rid of so many random newbies! And not so random ones. Looking at you Rochelle.

<makes note>

The problem with setting it to 5 miles when you live rurally is that you must either know or be related to everyone in that area!

Would be funny if Henry saw her chatting to Martyn

@Bruisername , but they can bring in a new character....Aaaargh!

Who in Ambridge other than TomTash, The Snells and the Maliks have paired off with somebody from miles away?

Martyn Gibson met Pam on a dating TV show, right? Jazzer found it on YouTube iirc. Blind Date ran 1985-2003. So it must have been at least a 22 year marriage, which could make him mid 40s, but I suspect the average bridge player is quite a bit older. The actor is 72. In any case, it's been a while since Helen had an age gap relationship...

Bruisername
But you know what - I don’t mind martyn being made a speaking character and being brought in more.

Martyn Gibson has been a speaking character, played by John Glover, since t least September 2010.

KnittedFerret
Who in Ambridge other than TomTash, The Snells and the Maliks have paired off with somebody from miles away?

Neither Snell was a local and they married elsewhere then moved to Ambridge. Ditto the Maliks.

Tom was just following a family tradition going back for three or more generations.

Ben Archer. Frank Archer. Phil Archer. Jack Archer. Christine Archer (twice). Lilian Archer (twice). Jennifer Archer (twice). Tony Archer. Shula Archer (twice). Kenton Archer. David Archer. John Archer. Helen Archer (repeatedly). Pip Archer (twice).

In fact the Archers who haven't don't seem to be paired up yet: Josh and Ben.

I randomly wonder if they get these new and unknown actors in because they are cheaper than the established ones, and are happy to do it more cheaply in order to enhance their CVs. Cynical or what…..

Good point. Are actors from the North East very cheap indeed?

I’m not sure when Borchester Land came into the Archers; 15+ years ago? 20?

Martyn has always struck me as being “able to retire at any point”, so I would be surprised if he was less than 55-60 now.

Brian treats him as an equal, rather than a junior.

It is County Fair season down here; I wonder whether Ed is going to show his Texels this year?

Borchester Land was founded in 1998 to buy up the Estate when Lilian sold it. I think that it was Matt Crawford and Brian Aldridge's project to start with. Jerry Morton and Martyn Gibson were mentioned as directors without speaking quite early on, but I don't have cast lists for the critical period 2002-2010 so can't swear neither spoke during that time. (That's why I said "at least" September 2010: he may have been in it before then but I don't know this for a fact.)

As far as I know actors in TA are all paid the same rate regardless, until they have been working on the program for many years (possibly thirty?) and get a slight increase per episode.

I meant someone they met miles away from Ambridge.
Ben met Beth at Brookfield, Helen met Lee at The Elms, etc. All fairly localish. (OK maybe not quite within 5 miles, but not from a different county/country)

As soon as Oliver said the candidates were young women, I knew Zainab would be one of them. Thankfully giz-a-job Clarrie hadn't put herself forward.

Dane sounds how I imagine Harrison would sound if he wasn't hamming up his Northerness.

The Harrison actor has a broad Lancashire accent. Dane's accent was more north midlands.

If Ed managed to land the tree on David and kill him there would be a sense of intergenerational justice.

Was it Helen who had a date with some bloke who ate, or collected, or grew, or was otherwise emotionally attached to, cucumbers? or am imagining things?

She stalked someone the board at the time christened "Cucumber Man" because he came into Ambridge Organics' Borchester shop to buy a cucumber. I think he was the one who lasted for two dates and then tried to get rid of her until in the end, when he discovered she was hanging around outside his flat and upsetting his flatmates, he had to tell her brutally that she was too old for him and they had nothing in common.

Thank you. God, I wish we'd heard his reaction to the knife attack.

😮

I didn’t hear any of that - was that before Henry?

This is clearly dating knowledge week...

An entire episode of lecture?

The whole episode???

Speaking of Harrison ... I wonder how he's getting on undercover in Yorkshire. Do he and Fallon see each other? I know we don't know and I find that annoying.

David makes a decision with far reaching consequences - I mean hardly. It was resolved in the end

so we actually hear an unknown customer ordering in the bull - and she asks for Angela 🙄 as a PSA. It feels very soapbox

I feel like they write the bull as if it’s in a town rather than a small village

I'm glad they are showing Lillian’s grief. I will be disappointed if this is cover for a horrible diagnosis

we've been spoilt with a large array of characters recently though

If Darren comes back to firebomb the bull as the far reaching consequence I will definitely have to turn off