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!

Well I like Amber. She's bonkers but trying to please (that's her influencing style, isn't it? People pleasing on a grand scale).

But blimey. Thr neon flashing signposts to the Brad/Amber thing had better be fake ones because I'm not having it

Well, maybe a cuckolded George will beat Brad to a bloody pulp and end up back inside for murder, and Emmur, with supreme hypocrisy, will tar and feather Amber before the massed clans of Grundys and McCreary-Horrobins run her out of Ambridge for good.
That solves several problems and the thought has quite cheered me up.

I’ve been banging that Amber and Brad drum for ages - I think the SW will think it’s a clever echo of history repeating the story of George’s conception. George saying Brad was like a brother to him was the most obvious pointer yet.

What I’d hope is that Brad would realise having the hots for his cousin’s fiancée is stupid and he needs to get away, and that would be the prod he needs to leave Ambridge and make a success of himself. But I doubt the programme would want to lose such a good actor.

Oh and I doubt George gave a toss about his room, he’s always had his mum running round sorting everything for him now it’s Amber.

Agree about influencer appeal of wedding baby etc. versus harsh reality of useless sexist George.

Once the novelty of having lost his virginity has worn off, George will revert to his misogynistic type. Amber will have got on his nerves and she will seek solace in Brad.

I think you're all being Very Mean Indeed about poor Brad, when there are so many other male characters to despise. I'm thinking of ... well, pretty much all of them apart from Jakob.

Amber has grown on me but that’s because the SWs have completely changed her personality since the ‘boomer’ encounter with Emma.

I can’t work out if that’s incompetence on their part or part of her character… she constantly changes to fit in? She’s now reinventing herself as a ‘Grundy Gal’ as she puts it.

The love triangle had better not mean Brad goes off to live in halls in Felpersham i.e. the crappy uni he talked himself into because he wanted to live at home thus turning down what was obviously supposed to be Durham.

Brad and Chelsea are some of my favourite characters. Although, I’ve never been ashamed to admit I don’t get the George hate some have. I think the actor is good so he will carry off an ‘it’s hard adjusting to life outside prison SL’

@Sidebeforeselfthere are still hard working people in the criminal justice system who really do believe in rehabilitation, just like your Dad. ❤️

Prisons are under funded and they are awful, awful places but that isn’t down to the staff who work there. I have encountered many POs through my work who really try and do what they can.

I’m happy to say I prefer George to Brad. Both good actors but Brad is so inconsistent. Sensitive boyfriend who knows what to say one minute to ND guy who can help the shy kid at the kids club thing to bumbling Porter to being convinced that Lily being nice to him means she wants a shag to being so weird with the Paul shadowing

my worst case is that Amber runs off with goody two shoes Brad and that becomes George’s villain backstory

I much prefer George as someone who makes the wrong choices but deep down wants to do well

and if he ends up with an adhd diagnosis I’m going to be really annoyed

I think they are setting George up to get an ADHD diagnosis. The whole conversation with Emma about how he was so clever but couldn't stay still and concentrate...

That would be bad news for people who have an ADHD diagnosis, I feel.

However, I think only the blind eyes of motherhood would perceive George as clever, except in the matter of playing off one of his parents against another.

Yep. My daughter has bad adhd - clever but struggles with education. But it is a stereotype - there are a lot of adhd kids who aren’t clever and get on in education!

also the stereotype of them ending up in trouble with the law. George only blamed it on Alice as an impulsive decision right? George being a vile mysogynist - meh, that was just dopamine seeking behaviour.

if they want an adhd/autism sl it would be much better to pick one of the younger kids.

I have AuDHD - I'm cross about them heavily signposting Brad for Autism then forgetting it, I'm most definitely livid about this sudden out of nowhere ADHD signposting on George. He wasn't distracted at school, I bet he was a bully and pretty damn thick.

I keep remembering the pheasants/turkeys mix up - it did not signal much intelligence in someone who had grown up in a place where both were reared every year (hence the mirth and mockery with which the mistake was greeted).

Angus Stobie was a good guest on Emma Freud’s podcast. Thankfully she has toned her sickly delivery down a bit and I can just about bear to listen now. Sally Wainwright is always excellent so it was actually quite a good programme this time.

Had a conversation about the Freuds with DS yesterday - Emma epitomises to me that level of nepo baby where they have been brought up to think they have a god given right to a platform and that their opinions are somehow worthy and original enough that the general public will be impressed by them

xref Giles coren

I like EF in the podcast, but it took a few listens.
When I first heard as to how she'd done well from being the script editor on 4W&AF, I thought it was only by dint of being the partner of RC, but that was just envy on my part.

For a moment I thought you were talking about Emma Grundy and was trying to work out how she could possibly be described as a nepo baby. Where does Amber work - I can’t for life if me remember- I thought she was an influencer of sorts?

She works at a farm suppliers stori in Borchester.

Hang on! Kenton and his Pirate should be going to the awards event. They're the ones who put in the hard graft day in day out.

I'm really quite cross about Lillian going to "network."

Why can't Lilian pay for her ticket and let the pub staff fight it out for the pair? Like everyone else I presumed it would be Kenton and Pirate going.

A polite request - if you are posting about the podcast would you translate initials, please? I can just about work out EF... And perhaps put the character name in brackets if a real-life name is used? Thank you!

Yes how do you " Network" a pub. You either go to the pub and have a drink and a meal. Maybe the pub might have a website to show the restaurant and theme nights etc. Who is Lillian going to network to. Also the Pirate and Kenton should go as they have worked all year round to keep the pub going not to mention the dog attack and all the threats.
Lillian just props the bar up now and again.
I don't think George has ADHD I think he is just a nasty piece of work and will get back to his nasty self once he has found his feet again, and Amber will be off totally disillusioned and all the Grundys will just say oh well prison hasn't harmed George.

I think the podcast (which I have never listened to) is presented by Emma Freud.

Thank you; that's the one I COULD work out!