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!

Though I suppose, if it was Chelsea, she might be quite Junoesque.

I have always imagined both Tracy and Chelsea to be heifers, more or less. Denise is chunky but toned, thanks to all that desperate Dancercise, or whatever it is. She could crush Alistair like a grape, and probably will.

Feeling a bit sick listening to all the fuss about George coming out. It's as if they're celebrating him achieving something brilliant, instead of him leaving prison with a criminal record which will impact his future. Emma talking about it to all and sundry, including those who were harmed by his actions, is repellant.

Surely, whilst being glad your son was being released, you'd feel a deep shame about what he did, you'd keep quiet about his release and let him come out and encourage him to keep a low profile, you wouldn't be organising a huge party and gabbing away about how great it was.

The Grundys, apart from Ed talking to Adam, seems to have forgotten how many people were impacted by George's crime and who won't be quite so delighted to see him.

Do criminals' families usually throw big parties for them on release?

I also can't stand how they're all welcoming Amber into the family and treating her as if she and George have had a normal relationship. I hope something goes wrong for him because at the moment it all seems to be hunky dory. Maybe he won't be able to " do the deed", maybe he won't fancy her when she takes off all her make up or maybe she's "au naturel" and having consumed a lot of porn and not much reality he'll faint like John Ruskin apparently did at the sight of Effie Grey's pubes.

I'm sure Ambers pubes will be thoroughly gardened, possibly to the point of complete depilation ... unless she's been reading Vogue, which recently boldly announced that The Bush Is Back. 😂

Obviously R4 won't be able to tell us any of this at 7:03 in the evening!

yes I think the George/Amber relationship is doomed
not because of ED necessarily, I think Amber would see that as a project and even post about it 😮
but I think the reality of a face to face relationship, vs the romance of having a boyfriend in prison will be a real shock and George will fail to deliver on many fronts. Complicated by the fact that she clearly longs for the warmth of a proper family. I actually felt sorry for her tonight.

the bush is back?
at last I am avant garde

Why.. what did we do wrong to be subjected to the promise of GeOrGe GrUnTy rutting sound effects this week?!

Is portentous the word I’m looking for (sorry my education was tragic!). I mean surely something will befall George between now and Thursday seeing as the plan to frame him failed. Oh! Or maybe there will be some retribution on the outside?!

I fear you may be right. The Grundys were too happy.

Yes, far too much love and happiness and anticipation for George to have a chance of coming home on Thursday.

Yes, no way is he coming home.

I was half expecting George to tell the family on speaker phone that he had had time added to his sentence so they could all witness the edifying spectacle of Amber sinking to the floor and going into full "But what about MEEEEEEE!!??" mode.

First off: if ANY of you ever send out the Mick signal again, I WILL find you.

But urgh. That was awful. I hope the SW call our bluff and George does get out and have a happy end. In all senses of the expression

I think George will get out because the next part of this story is surely where fantasy and reality meet and George comes home to find Amber installed in his - what must surely be quite small - room, bearing in mind he didn't want Keira and Poppy to have touched a thing. Also Amber will have to live with the reality of George, who she may be fondly imagining is a more handsome version of shy, sweet Brad. Whatever happens I will be happy to have all the action properly back in Ambridge - nothing that happens off-piste is ever very satisfactory.

Did someone say Kenton is going away? Surely George getting out of prison and Jolene being alone is a recipe for a burnt down bull and redemption arc for George?

Yes, Kenton has conveniently gone to spend two weeks with his twin in the uncharted hinterlands of the North.

Neither he nor Jolene arranged any replacement staff - so being overworked and understaffed will be her entire song for the next two weeks. Dunno about added drama, Jolene moaning and Lilian Bellamy being a drudge will be quite bad enough.

... or the less-then-tragic deaths of both.

It’s very wrong of you to get people’s hopes up like that, @Gonners

I would love it if Jonny returned from his travels with a pregnant girlfriend/partner. They are short of money and the baby will arrive soon. So, Pat and Tony ask them to move into Bridge Farm farmhouse. They all get along splendidly, Pat and Tony adore their new great grand baby and Jonny and family are left the farmhouse in the wills because it is their home and they are already living there.

A pregnant wife from a Welsh-speaking Patagonian farming family would be ideal.

@Gonners , She could conspire with the Efeilliaid Serol and Natasha, and piss Helen off.

I have a horrible feeling Amber is here to stay and Will & Emma will be grandparents in approximately 9 - 12 months.

George and Amber have barely been face to face and now they'll be sharing a room? Did she visit him in prison? If so it must have been off air.

Didn't George propose to her on air?

Now you mention it I think he did.