Archers thread #193: Christmas in Ambridge! Don't expect any wise men (or women). 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 a couple of acquaintances to clean and tidy your house without your permission, 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/5457344-the-archers-spoilers-thread-11-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.)

What do we think - best Christmas ever followed by a nice quiet New Year? No, me neither. We have the tractor run to look forward to , and then whatever they've got lined up for the 75th anniversary of the first ever episode - New Year's Day 1951. I can't imagine that anybody involved with the programme then expected it would still be on the air 75 years later. I wonder what they would make of the current direction. The lack of farming content would be a surprise, given that was the whole reason for devising the programme in the first place.

Over to you!

I just really hope they don’t try to SATTC over Christmas, and that the writers have tried to remember that this is not Eastenders. The George storyline has played out over years so far, and hasn’t felt rushed.

Weird no mention of Johnnie but the whole cow-loving lad leaves his beloved cows to work on a boat for years was weird.

Oh wait - do you think he's going to come home on a surprise visit that coincides with John's 50th?

SATTC?

Now wouldn’t that be lovely, @BeatriceBatchelor?

Interested to hear about the research process,@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - I don’t receive emails from MNHQ (unless I report something) so have only seen that photo on another thread. But I’m more worried about what they intend to do with the fruits of their research.

Which is partly why, having written a long post about living with grief over decades, I decided I don’t really want to share my memories with Reddit and thread farms or wherever and whatever, and deleted it. I do hope MN isn’t planning to sell this thread to some other host …

Shake Ambridge to the Core. Vanessa Whitburn, former Editor, coined this phrase to hype us all up before she threw Nigel to his death from the roof of Lower Loxley, some miles away from Ambridge. I have neither forgiven nor forgotten this.

A Previous Editor some years ago decided on a completely unnecessary high drama just because it was New Year, To Shake Ambridge to the Core. Except it didn’t. And we lost a really good character for no discernible reason.

Sadly you have a very good point there, Gasp0de. But we have not even heard of him making the first tentative steps (after Ed's unsuccessful attempt to intervene and get him an appointment, when Azra pointed out George would have to do this himself). Just another example of George's whole attitude.

Oh wait - do you think he's going to come home on a surprise visit that coincides with John's 50th?

@BeatriceBatchelor - that would be a great development re Johnny!

especially since there are so many inheritance storylines going on - Johnny sliding in on the Helen/Tom inheritance may be a good one that a lot of people didn't see coming.

My husband still isn’t listening in protest! 😁

Dearie, husbands never listen.

Not officially; but they somehow seem to know all about what is going on, all the same.

I’m just to relieved there doesn’t seem to be a “hilarious” panto this year or much other cod humour for that matter. Marvellous!

He might at least be referred for counselling. Experience with the prison chaplain suggests that could be helpful.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/5463141-my-adopted-teenage-son-has-fasd-ama?reply=149325513

I thought this week was great - was it Sarah Hehir? Felt like old style Archers. Traditions. Susan and Emma having a coffee together which was so nice. People we know. And a few new characters judiciously sprinkled.

Last week was indeed written by Sarah Hehir, according to the BBC website credits. The cast-list is still up rather than a synopsis of the episode, at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002nl2p and click on "show more".

Also I can’t believe Poppy is 12! They talk about her like she’s 5. IRL they would probably both be messaging each other every day and be a valuable backchannel.

Gosh. I thought it was going to get really nasty there with George and Fallon, either sexual assault or a bottle of Vodka thrown at her.

The tension is really ramping up.

And let that be a lesson to Fallon to mind her own business. She already knew George had the hots for her previously, and also that she'd put the boot in during his court appearance; why on earth did she go looking for trouble? Literally looking: the children's playground is behind the village hall, and you can only see into it if you actively go in and look. And she was aware he had bought himself a bottle of the cheapest spirits available and was likely not to be sober, as well as being a surly git at the best of times.

It was a very silly thing to do.

That was a pointless episode, except for the Fallon/George interaction. I had a mega sinking of the heart when the continuity announcer mentioned J%y. And clutched my pearls at "...Mick and me..."

Could have been worse. She might have said (as I recently heard), "Him and me are going shopping later."

I missed that horror!