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!

Wonder if Joy's daughter would have been tempted to come back to pay her a visit over the festive season. Does she drive?

I was 1/4 listening to Woman’s Hour and I think they mentioned that the six stand alone episodes are taken from the 45 minute programme at 7.15 tonight.

Good call.

Someone upthread mentioned it getting more like EastEnders. It'll only give the BBC ideas. They're already mad about cross promotions.

Corriedale has already happened in ITV

"online discussion forums are littered with people sneering that they stopped tuning in when the storylines became too sensational, silly or depressing … yet somehow they’re still there, moaning about the show."

Turns out it was occasionally just as unrealistic in 1953:
3. In 1953, Irishman Mike Daly, who claimed to be holed up in Blossom Hill Cottage writing thrillers, confessed he was a secret agent who had escaped from Dachau. Sadly he was called away from the excitement of village life by the mysterious Baroness Czorva.

I have concerns that the SRs might have drawn inspiration from the ‘Who Shot JR’ phenomenon and we may have to endure weeks of gradual exposure to how and why various people had means and motive.

@Brainworm if this means that we'll have Nigel stepping out of the shower by Easter, I can put up with a few tedious weeks! They really do need to get Freddie lined up to run LL.

Good news about the 5 minute snippets getting an omnibus; I doubt the family will tolerate wall to wall R4 today.

That’s the thing - I feel a bit tied to Radio 4 today because it might be too effortful to piece everything together if I miss anything.

🤣 I’d actually forgotten who actually shot JR and that Bobby re-alived!

I’ve just read in today’s Guardian article (75 things about TA) that Helen also ran someone over … So if thats what has happened (another deeding by car) that is really silly

Here it is. Scroll down a bit and click on the clip.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/radio-4-archers-celebrates-75th-anniversary

Right. I've now heard the re-enacted first ever scene, the puff piece on Today and the whole of Woman's Hour. Many thanks for all links and the gift link to the Telegraph. Will look at the Guardian piece shortly. What else have I missed?

When the Bobby Ewing shower comment got made by Starmer during the end days of the Sunak government, I had to explain to work mates
A) what Dallas was
B) that people once only had 4 TV channels so tended to be familiar with things everyone else watched
C) who Bobby Ewing was
D) the shower thing 🪾 ☠️ 💀

I get the feeling that The Times and Daily Mail sometimes comment on The Archers, but found this on first google:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1XF7vDctpwMndlDWM3Wp5Jc/why-you-should-listen-to-the-archers-in-2026

Off to watch a Mummers play, thence to a pub so I’ll try looking later.

Does anybody know what happened to Nancy Banks Smith? I used to love her summaries and, if she is still alive, it would be good for somebody on the radio to acknowledge how funny they were.

I remember there being an item on the news about it and people wearing ‘Who shot JR’ T-shirts.

I reckon it was Joy wot dunnit. She will probably confess to having spent some time training to be a ninja martial arts expert in the past

It’s Rochelle.

Wikipedia thinks she's still alive. There's no obituary in The Guardian, and surely there would be, so this is probably accurate. 97 this year. Goodness me.

Rather like the R4 Extra days. I’m a bit disappointed to be honest - it’s all accelerated a bit too quickly for me after a realistic build up. I actually love the conflict of interest for Ed and Emma now silent Keira has been drawn into the plot - that would have been a great character driven twist for me without the silly everyone-has-a-motive whodunnit. Apart from anything else I had to re-listen three times to try and work out what had happened and I’m still not entirely sure. I’m also wondering why they had ‘George goes on the rampage’ as a teaser when that’s not what happened at all. All in all it feels like a big set piece for people who don’t usually listen to The Archers - which only leads me to question why I bother listening so assiduously! Actually I know the answer to that - it’s because I love this thread and all the regulars on it, so on that note happy New Year to one and all and especially @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g for keeping it all running.

Hang on - so there is the usual ep at 1903 tonight but then a ‘special drama’?! Does that carry on where the episode left off and if you miss the drama do you lose out - or is it additional content, which does not move the story forward and is not essential listening?

I’ll have a revolt on my hands if TA goes a second over its usual allotted time . It baffles/annoys/irritates other family members.

Is everyone sure that it was George who was hurt and not George doing the hitting? I wondered if he then realised it was Kiera or Ed and started saying’sorry Mum’

I am probably barking up the wrong tree though

Ive just listened. I think the car was a red herring and designed to make us imagine George swaying in the road. He staggers off and then someone creeps up on him and whacks him on the head.

I am saying in advance Emmur will be unbearable if he’s dead.

We used to have DadDadDad maintaining all kinds of spreadsheets on here in the early days of these threads. Perhaps they helped out The Grauniad's with the top 75.

I just hope if George is seriously hurt or dead that Alice doesn't spiral as she'll feel that she should have insisted on driving him or getting someone else to.

I am fairly sure it is a stand alone episode, sort of a side story so no problem if you miss it. The thought of you having an Archers based revolt on your hands did make me smile though

Someone on here posted a few weeks ago with a suggestion that the George stuff would be like An Inspector Calls. I think they are exactly right. So many people with so many motives.

Agree. On both counts.