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!

It does in my Archers recipe book illustration! If so you think they’d have mentioned it last night.
I made the mistake of listening as I tried to get to sleep last night.
Bad move!!

So sorry to hear re your DC, must be awful as mum(/dad). 😞

Do we remember the origin of the Marky SL? The obsessed Jolene fan? From memory, the origins were the thinnest plot ever. Jolene played a gig in Wolverhampton about 20 years ago, a fight broke out at the venue involving Marky who Jolene apparently looked at the wrong way or something. Then years later when Marky and his mates turned up in The Bull for no apparent reason (apparently he'd been following her on social media or something) they recognised each other. After the dog attack, Jolene enlisted Vince's help (presumably because he's the only other character with a Brummie/Black Country accent) and Vince identified him as Marky. Marky then went on to mastermind the meat stealing operation from the abattoir - uncovered by Freddie and Vince - and was sent to prison to prison. I'm sure @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime will have the full chapter and verse, but I'm pretty sure the details are even more spurious. That's my problem with this entire storyline - it has such weak foundations and it came out of nowhere.
Sorry to hear about your DC @stilldumdedumming.

JanFebAndOnwards

It does in my Archers recipe book illustration!

And mine!
I got it at the BBC Good Food show and Angela Piper/Jennifer signed it. She also did a demo of cooking Doughy Hood's (I think - haven't the book to hand) Baker’s Floor cake.

I agree. It's a horrible storyline.

Although the story has spurious origins at least it's an actual serious, realistic storyline with potential for good drama.
I'd far rather listen to something like that than the ridiculous Amber or who's organising the fete stories.

True, but I don't want Kenton, Jolene or Tortoise hurt.

True, but I don't want Kenton, Jolene or Tortoise hurt.

Me neither.

Especially not Tortoise.

There's so much violence and wretchedness in the world, I'm happy to skip realistic drama for 13 minutes a day. Especially, if it involves cats and illegally traded dogs and the intimidation of two perfectly pleasant people who are just trying to make a living.

The dog collar on the floor was quite chilling.

When Markie and his mates kicked off at Jolene's gig in Wolverhampton, Jolene and the band hid in the dressing-room. Then a couple of weeks later the venue went up in flames. She knew nothing at all about Markie except that he had been a member of the audience at a gig.

But then Markie was in The Bull with some mates, showing off and spending large, and realised that Jolene had recognised him. So in spite of the fact that all she knew about him was he'd been in a fight in Wolverhampton twenty years or more earlier, he followed her into a tea-shop or supermarket cafe or whatever, and threatened her in a rather weird way, warning her against something unspecified. Thus imprinting himself indelibly on her memory.

He then (incredibly stupidly, and for no discernible reason) parked up after closing time in the car-park behind The Bull, about the only pub in Borsetshire where someone was likely to recognise him, in order to do something or other to do with dangerous dogs, one of which savaged Kenton. Personally if I were a villain and had been recognised somewhere outside my usual turf, I would simply go elsewhere thereafter, but not Markie: he's the world's least bright crim and deserves to be copped for sheer stupidity.

On the other hand I'd prefer realistic to saccharine. Unfortunately in real life horrible things do happen to good people( and animals) and I'd rather have a decent story about that than hear Joy cooing away inanely.
But it does show that we all listen for different reasons.

I must admit I'm concerned for the welfare of Tortoise and would like to see him safely rehomed asap. Kenton and Jolene ... nah ... not so much.

Buxusmortus
I'd rather have a decent story about that than hear Joy cooing away inanely.

Wouldn't we all? But unfortunately, the former doesn't seem to be an option (given what complete rubbish the whole Markie Malarky is).

I like The Archers to relax to. I can't any more.

If I wanted serious crime etc etc I'd watch EastEnders.

I'd much rather listen to Pip & Rosie's mobile phone nonsense, and the Village Fair, and Tracey's party, and even George and Amber than threats and menaces at The Bull.

Did you stop listening when the Helen and Rob story was running? That was one of the best stories The Archers have done. Also what about the harrowing Usha racist attacks story( depends how old you are if you were listening)? The Kathy rape, various untimely awful deaths including suicides, domestic violence, did you switch off when all those things came on? There have been plenty of very serious events over the years.

Starting with the teenage unmarried mother story during the sixties, I suppose. Or perhaps the death of a poacher in the mid-fifties, and a trial for manslaughter. Or of course someone dying in the ambulance on the way to hospital, after a fire.

Helen and Rob yes I did stop listening.
The earlier stuff I did listen to.

The Helen and Rob storyline coincided with a period of great stress in my life and I think since then my general stress has been higher and my resilience lower.

I care about the residents of Ambridge. I don't like hearing violent things happening to them.

I’ve said this before but sometimes I can deflect reactions to stress in my own life onto huge events in Ambridge. I recall during a difficult relationship break up I found myself weeping buckets, across weeks, over Mark’s death and the consequences not just for Shula but Caroline too. In a way, I’ve found it helpful.

That was, probably unintentionally, hilarious. [I'm referring to the Home Farm crisis meeting]

Where was Akram supposed to be? Why did he randomly pop up beside David, Ruth and Kirsty?

Blinkin’ football. I can’t stop watching or they’ll lose. (Fact.) So haven’t heard tonight’s episode yet.

🏆

Well done Lionesses.

I enjoyed tonight too, especially the idea that Grey Gables has enough male personal trainers working in the gym to form a tug-of-war team.

The Home Farm meeting was hilarious, particularly (allegedly) super-eco-friendly Adam getting so het up about the potential loss of income from a business he was sacked from quite a while ago.

Gonners
The Home Farm meeting was hilarious, particularly (allegedly) super-eco-friendly Adam getting so het up about the potential loss of income from a business he was sacked from quite a while ago.

Ah no no no, he wasn't sacked! He should have been, but the reason he left was that after Brian caught him having stolen five thousand pounds from one of the farm bank accounts, and forced him to pay it back (which he did very reluctantly), Brian didn't then apologise to Adam for... well, I'm not sure what Adam thought Brian ought to apologise for, but clearly Brian was unreasonable not to grovel, so Adam issued him an ultimatum about leaving if he didn't, and to Adam's astonishment instead of begging him to stay Brian called his bluff and said "if that's how you feel you'd better go, then". So Adam had to leave in a snit.

Home Farm as a business provides income for the children as shareholders, doesn't it?

A two- or a four-horse snit? (This carriage enjoyed a brief popularity. Mainly in my imagination.)