Archers thread #190: Carry on, Cleo! Best new character for ages. 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 have your wedding reception across the lawn from the local Flower & Produce Show, 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.)

Charlotte Smith must have been delighted to get back to Countryfile and Farming Today. What a pile of piffle tonight. Ah well.

When is George expected back? It can't be long now, surely. It occurs to me that I can't recall whether he's ever spoken on air to Ruairi. As their actors are currently the best (IMO) amongst the younger members of the cast, I hope they will cross swords in some way.

And finally, I can't mention Carry on Cleo without squeezing in one of the best lines ever written (Denis Norden and Frank Muir have the credit): Infamy, infamy! They've all got it in for me! Currently, Lily probably feels this way.

https://youtube.com/shorts/eRnd48yTC5A?si=N05njp3uLfpSjAmI

Over to you!

Am I being a bit thick? Don't we have two male Archers who could get on with breeding in due course, Ben and Josh.

Well there’s also Henry and Jack and Rosie (or does she have her dads name?) and the twins in the longer term

xander? Martha?Kate's many kids? Not archers but archer adjacent

I also think it's inevitable that sooner or later we will have a trans story arc. Possibly they'll need to introduce a new character for that?
They already have? Amber?

But Ruairi already has sufficient, unarguable Archer-proximity - so I don’t agree he needs an actual Archer spouse. (To me that would seem a bit incestuous.)
He isn't related to any Archers other than as a half-sibling on the Aldridge side.

The female Archer would not need to marry him, Pip gave Fat Rosie her surname.
Maybe Phoeble with call the baby Aldridge.

There were those women in the estate who were immune to Jazzer's charms when he was their milkman. It was strongly suggested they were lesbians (why else would a woman say 'no' to Jazzer, or any other man?). And Anna Tregorran.

Maybe we see things differently, @Bruisername - but to me any blood relative / offspring of Jenny’s is an Archer. (Archers are forced to procreate with humans who are not Archers, but the resulting progeny, for centuries to come, will still be Archers.)

Of course. But there seems to be no signs of any relationships developing. Josh did have some mystery woman but she's never been heard of since.
I really wish the SW would get them a girlfriend, let the relationship develop over years then eventually marry and have children. But I bet it will all happen in a flurry, they'll produce some woman from nowhere and there'll be a wedding in six months.

I loathe Paul but am desperate to know what's going on in Beechwood!

@TheCrasher Have I missed something? What makes you think Amber is trans? There's no indication of that, not least by her voice. Trans women have men's voices ( because they're men) and Amber doesn't have a deep voice, especially with all the high pitched squealing she does.

I really hope they don't do a trans storyline. There is such a visual aspect of being trans eg transmen cutting off their breasts and growing beards, and trans women having long hair and prancing round in high heels and skirts, it would be difficult to convey. Fortunately it seems to be somewhat going out of fashion especially with the Supreme Court ruling and most sports governing bodies bringing some sense back. Depends if there are any trans activists within the Archers team and how influential they are I suppose, but I dread the day.

I agree they are archers but I guess if we are looking long term we need to have the archer name somewhere or it makes it a pointless name to the program!

All of us who've been listening for decades will think that, but new young potential audience members won't. I'm still cross that Jenny's sprogs didn't all adopt the name Archer to express solidarity when the Siobhán affair was first revealed. It would have been so easy and obvious.

@CarlaH , no sane woman would want Pip as a SIL
Ben is only 23, and Josh is 28, so there's plenty of time. Josh is largely silent, but IIRC has a girlfriend. Any development with Josh and Nina(?) will be off-air unless the actor becomes unexpectedly available.

@TottersBlandly , I see differently. I identify as my surname not my mother's maiden name. Probably because I am the sole remaining Crasher.
I don't see my sister's DC as Crashers (but I do see them as my sister's MIL's maiden name). I don't see DF's sister's DC as Crashers either.

I don't like Paul either. He was annoying and too camp when they introduced him. He's less loathsome than he was.

@Buxusmortus , Nobody remembers her at school, the high-pitched squeaks sound fake ... (I just made it up, but it would be just deserts if Geowurge found that Amber had a bit more than he'd bargained for).

I hope they don't do a trans SL too.

This thread is as thought provoking as ever. I don’t care how many characters are gay or bi etc but I did think if the proposed Adam/Ruairi/Stella partnership had ended up running Home Farm it would surely be one of very few run by an LGB alliance.

I know a family where all three siblings are gay and another where one is gay and the other bi (and their mum is gay) so I don’t find it that weird though I realise Adam and Ruairi aren’t related.

Agree that Ruairi is going to be a ruthless shagger and businessman Chip off the old block and jolly good too. Is Paul an appropriate Jenny? Does he cook? 😂

I think it's Pip and Stella's "elocution lesson" accents that drive me the most mad.

Amen to all of that. I also think, and have probably said more than once before, that as far as I understand these things it would be totally unacceptable to trans activists if The Archers cast a woman to play character who is biologically male but identifies as female. I understand this was done many years ago in Coronation Street, but times have changed, and trans-identified actors apparently expect to be cast as the sex they identify with, and also expect all trans characters to be played by trans actors.The actor playing Amber is indisputably female.

I understand this was done many years ago in Coronation Street, but times have changed, It wasn't acceptable then.

Well, no, but what I meant was that activists accepted that then. They wouldn't now.

Paul is certainly irritating enough for a Jennifer equivalent.

@RegimentalSturgeon , Paul is nowhere near Jennifer's league. The woman was almost a saint.

She really was. Elizabeth David cookbooks and silk scarves.

Could Paul cook a haunch of venison?

Maybe Ruairi will employ his stepbrother-in-law to do that stuff.

I don't see Paul's mother as someone who would threaten Ruairi with horsewhipping if he is unfaithful to Paul. (i see that as regrettable, should there be any doubt.)

It would be a bit hypocritical if she did.

Absolutely. She had fortitude and resilience. And she was a hostess extraordinaire. I can't imagine Paul calmly schmoozing and charming the great and good of Borsetshire whilst cooking a superlative meal and not batting an eyelid. He'd be flipping and flapping all over the place and dissolve in a heap in the corner, absolutely useless.

If they do become an established couple, I don't think Paul would put up with any nonsense from Ruairi and tolerate the behavior Jenny accepted during her marriage to Brian. He made it very clear the last time they almost got together that he was not looking for a casual relationship with someone who was going to play the field.

Jenny had her own reasons for sticking with Brian. Paul is in a very different situation.