The Archers spoilers thread #11: Can't wait for 7.02pm? Join us here!

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Spoilers thread for The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. All Archers listeners are welcome here, whether you post on our main Archers thread or not. There's just one rule: please keep all spoiler-related discussion in this thread and do not spill the beans on the main Archers thread.

We usually add the BBC teasers and cast lists for forthcoming episodes as they become available, plus the Radio Times and Daily Mail previews when possible. Feel free to add anything else you come across, e.g. cast news, scriptwriter tweets!

Well … I can well imagine, if they’d anticipated a busy working day in the pub, after an exhausting advent period, they might prefer a day of slobbing about at home to A Big Family Lunch.

On the BBC Sounds app write-up for Friday there is no precis but there is a cast list that includes Chris. I'm now thinking George is found with a gunshot wound, leading to the bedside vigil etc and no one is ritually sacrificed for the anniversary, just a lot of hand-wringing and An Inspector Calls.

Hasn’t Chris been in the cast already this week? (Explaining his inclusion in the weekly cast list?)

@Madcats ... If The Archers has succeeded in attracted new listeners ....

I don't think there's a font big enough for that "if".

Yes I agree. Of course it will cause Examination of the whole Grundy Past (including why the horse - name escapes me - had to die whilst G was still inside. Cos that was when Amber first felt the spark with Brad!).

Although we've already had that too. Hmm.

Am I the only one who likes Amber? Oh maybe she'll be the subject of the vigil and we'll meet one of both of her parents (kept from cast lists as They do)? Yup that's where am putting my money. That's why we're getting her leaving George's side so we see her as an independent character. There's obviously a load more to learn about her. If sure if turn out to be preg but loses the baby that would mirror Fallon's experience.

*did turn out

(Was agreeing re no one actually dying)

I quite like the idea of a "who shot George not fatally?" playing out this week.

George hasn't said "If I can't have you, nobody else will...." yet

He could shoot Amber/ whomever by accident / whilst aiming at someone else of course.

Would karma mean it's his granddad

Realising I’ve been anticipating the across the day inserts to be genteel ruminations akin to the lockdown monologues. What if, instead, they’re distraught wailing and keening?

Which one?

I think they’ll just be individuals summarising/ ruminating in their relationship to date with Mr G Grundy. or why they’d be happy to see him nay more. (Pace mr mccreary - who doesn’t feature iirc?)

One of them (or maybe someone completely different!) aims at George in anger; Amber leaps in the way (bc is basically a good person). She’s the subject of the vigil, which G may or may not be excluded from by dint of injury/ being in a police cell for who knows what / social opprobrium / his own safety. He really gets to sit and review his life choices - understatement.

Amber recovers but her face, “her fortune”, is hugely disfigured. Maybe a limb lost too (two bullets).

Will she become a champion of disabled rights in the Twittersphere??

Will Brad nurse her and love her forever, whilst also becoming a professor at MIT and thence a tech bro??

Will Joy organise a GoFundMe which reaps sufficient funds to give Amber and Brad the dream, if less obviously photogenic, wedding which Amber had always wanted???

….and surplus to allow the Horrobins to buy somewhere substantial and rent a wing to the newly reunited Chris and Alice, thence to produce a baby brother or sister for Marfurr.

I’m done!

Grandad Eddie Grundy. The most unctuous about the primacy of faaaaamily being undone by the same warped morality that sees George accidentally pop him in some negotiation type thing

Sad day indeed if we lost Eddie Grundy. Akin to losing Nigel.
I don’t think so.

The only thing that points to Amber as vigil subject, to me, is the so far pointlessly sort-of-famous actor playing her dad. Not that I want to hear more cod-cockney, but perhaps an overnight in Felpersham General is what he’s for?

(It’s not my favourite option.)

Who was he played by again?
Absolutely bolsters my theory, thanks!

The Girl Powered prospect of Amber, Chelsea and Tracey in one dynasty is awesome.

Much as Clive is as wrong as a wrong’un can be, I can’t see him having a gun. Far more likely to be a farmer’s shotgun that hasn’t been locked away or maybe even a high-powered air rifle. I did think about Will’s gun, but I think he gave up his gun licence after Eddie thought he was going to kill himself.

Does the 🔮 have an opinion on these matters or is it on a festive hiatus?

I have a hunch that the sheep farmers in Ambridge have shotguns. David certainly got into trouble for shooting a badger many years ago and I have a vague memory that somebody threatened to shoot a dog for sheep bothering fairly recently (was it Ed)?

I don’t think the editor would choose a shooting.

Brains work in mysterious ways, mine doubly so, but I suddenly thought about Shaffer’s Equus play. Blinding half of the liveried horses might be a tad extreme, even for Ambridge.

I’m now wondering about a knifepoint siege at The Stables? It would be plausible for Lillian, Alice & Martha, Shula(?) to be there, perhaps Brian and Chris too?

Hats off to those who resisted the urge to examine the spoilers and cast lists.

I’m now wondering about a knifepoint siege at The Stables? It would be plausible for Lillian, Alice to be there, perhaps Lily, Paul and Denise too?

Josh would be helping Esme. Alistair and Jakob would be out on calls.
Lilian and Alice would survive, but Lily would be so traumatised that she became a pleasant person.

Hasn't Lily gone to Australia for a (sadly now short) trip? I'm hoping she'll be eaten by a shark.

On one of Clive's last visits to Ambridge he was slashing horses at the Stables, before setting fire to the Police House which at the time belonged to George and Christine Barford. George was not there at the time but Christine and Jill were inside. They got out unscathed (physically) but Clive went to prison for a long time.

IIRC, George Grundy was named after George Barford, who was William's mentor. Rather ironic now that Clive is the only member of the family with any time for George Grundy. Clive hated George Barford, who was an ex-policeman and instrumental in getting him sent to prison for one of his many crimes.