Archers thread #188: New Order, please! 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 love to spend time with Martyn Gibson, 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.)

In some haste as we are going out for the day. I was asked weeks ago to put I've Killed the Vicar in as the new title but I agree with more recent comments that Peggy's funeral feels like old news now. Great line, though. Sorry not to have used Markie Malarkey, though. I've settled on something that will only make sense to people who were also youngish in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Here's a clue. If a certain person appears in tomorrow's episode the title will be relevant.

Over to you!

Are Justyn & Martyn supposed to be a comedy double act? The Morecambe and Wise of the Archers? Laurel & Hardy? Ant & Dec?

I think Amber's more than a match for George and will turn nasty at the drop of a hat. It would be insane of the SWs to let this marriage actually take place, though, so I expect they will.

The BBC appears to me to be shooting itself in the foot by making it so difficult for people outside the UK to hear its radio output. If they can't afford to go on with the current arrangement, why not charge? If I were in that position, I'd pay. This. I don't understand why they can't charge people abroad the equivalent of the licence fee to subscribe - I'm sure many would. You don't need to spend long outside the UK looking at what other countries produce to see what excellent value it is.
I feel like I've missed something with Amber and George - I can see why he's fixated on her, but I can't understand how she came to be so fixated on him. Did she know him (off air obviously) before he went to prison?

I think she fancied him from afar at school because she was a 'geek' and he was a 'cool kid'. Although not long ago he was bewailing how unhappy and bullied he was at school because of his family uncle/Dad situation.

Did we ever know Ivy, I’m not sure whether she was ever voiced?
I think they’re just emphasising how close Susan was to her mum/ matriarch… and how Susan has her own vulnerabilities. Which is where her desperation to appease George and see him happily married spring from.

He was absolutely not a cool kid at school - anymore than Neil was a foundling.

Marry in haste repent at leisure. Looking forward to George’s despair when it all goes wrong. He is brilliantly acted. Everything about him is vile. He represents everything I dislike in a man. It shows how a mother can still love the most unlovable person for sure.

I am thankful I have no one like that in my life.

Looking forward to Emma finding out …

I hate, hate, hate when they do the Tracy & Jazzer comedy act thing. Tracy’s an adult, and she’s faced all sorts of grown up difficulties. There’s no way she would be throwing a strop over the prospect of Martyn Gibson attending her party. She’d probably feel sorry for his newly separated state, and be giggling with Jazzer over how drunk he might get and whether he’d end up singing in the mobile sauna.

When I think how much she tries to understand things outside her orbit - like Brad’s uni studies - I find it hard to comprehend why the SWs continue to demean her like this.

That's a good point about Tracy. I like her so much more without Jazzer.

Although it's the mobile sauna that woud have me running for the hills, not Martyn Gibson.

JanFebAndOnwards
Did we ever know Ivy, I’m not sure whether she was ever voiced?

Ivy Horrobin was played by Cynthia Cherry in 1989. She had a right go at Christine Barford for do-gooding at her.

Did we hear much from her? I don’t remember her although was only an occasional listener at that point.

My memory of this ring business is non-existent very hazy, but I imagine that for Susan the ring means a lot not just because it was Ivy's but also because she got it back from Clive, the brother whose actions led to her own time in prison when Emma and Christopher were still at school. She must be very worried that George is taking after that side of the family.

Excellent point, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g. When one’s looking forward to the birth of a new member of the extended family you anticipate and imagine them having all the nicer qualities of your relatives. It can be pretty grim to gradually see them evolve and take on the very traits you’ve spent maybe most of your life avoiding in your family members.

(What, me - speaking from bitter experience? Never!)

Thinking about the BBC turning off access to overseas listeners, the World Service broadcasts to every rag-tag and bobtail on earth, but can't let English speakers keep up with TA.

One episode. It was a good one, though.

the BBC always claims territory rights issues if you ask about overseas subscriptions, so it is an absolute non-starter.

But for things like The Archers, In Our Time, The Infinite Monkey Cage etc etc you can get them where you get your other podcasts. PP mentioned Apple, i use Spotify. AFAIK for Spotify (I am one hour ahead of UK) it comes up in the evening after the last ep has been broadcast.

Susan gets on my bloody nerves - it is her voice/accent that REALLY rubs me up the wrong way - but her whole put-upon martyr act is so annoying. There was NO reason for her to tell Emma what Amber said, when Neil especially asked her not to. He had the right idea, IMO, in just killing it all dead by not reacting. (I have my, still living, mum's engagement ring. You will be prizing that out of my cold dead hands)

Tracy - agree with pp. She would find the whole Martyn Gibson thing hilarious. But, if she didn't want him, normal Tracy would just tell him (the whole invitation thing was so idiotic i was shouting at the radio)

the Justin Martyn thing. No. Just. Make. It. Stop.

I think she likes him because they’re both grifters and she recognised a kindred spirit.

actually quite liked Tracey just matter of factly saying that if sleazy patronising newly single Martyn oozes in to her sauna, expecting everyone to behave and be nice to him because he’s the boss, she will be sodding straight off out.

@WitcheryDivine ... With luck, "sleazy patronising newly single Martyn" - you missed out tedious and dull-witted there, but I realise there isn't room on MN for all the adjectives one needs - will fall under the spell of Amber's phosphorescent turquoise contact lenses and propose on the spot. Martyn has a house, a well-paid job and a selection of floral shirts and is frankly a better prospect, come the inevitable divorce.

I love ' a selection of floral shirts'; made me giggle, along with the contact lenses!

apparently in forrin you can use the bbc app.
it's a right mess though and I can never find my stuff in the audio section.

I think George and Amber are similar characters to each other, so far. Fragile egos. Look for validation of their looks and worthiness online. Not scared of a bit of hard physical work. Family issues where they’ll quickly cut off people unless they’re useful. Mercurial. Fleeting glimpses of goodness. Manipulative.

I fear the Martyn/sauna combination is heading to a Komedy Kapers scene where Martyn loses his tight fitting jeans and floral shirt in embarrassing circumstances to much forced hilarity all round.

I don't honestly understand George's inconsistencies. When he pleaded guilty, he fully acknowledged that he was guilty and deserved what was coming, and from time to time he still acknowledges that. Yet he's clearly allowed Amber to think he's a wronged innocent despite, presumably, being aware that she could discover the truth at any time. Is this just down to different SWs, or what?

At what point is one officially an ex-listener I wonder. I haven’t listened for weeks and sadly cant see myself going back at this rate.