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 missed Brad! Was that before the one about the theme tune?

I am increasingly inclined to think she is a Priestleyesque inspector as it is impossible that the police could have pulled together all this background in such a short time

I very much like that idea. Radio 4 listeners are probably expected to understand the device, as might all those ‘young people’ who have studied An Inspector Calls for GCSE English Lit.

It was immediately after This Week in History. The next one is 4pm, just before Ramblings.

@Choccyp1g - WATO? The World At One?

That's it.

I missed the Brad one after This Week in History, it's not available on Sounds, so like others I shall presume it's going to be broadcast again tonight (and available after!).

Not sure how I feel about the superfan summary of George's life through the medium of interviews.

What has? Please do enlighten me.

I hope so because I won't get the chance to listen to any of it today. I want to be able to catch up with all of it include the short interviews.

Presume that refers to the announcer explaining in some detail what happened last night with no ambiguity.

Middle paragraph of this excellent summary, @LillianGish!

The thing is although George has been awful to many people ,has he done anything bad enough to warrant someone hiding/following to whack him and possibly leave him for dead? That’s rather premeditated and I dont recall him doing anything to warrant that.

Where are the mini clips, I can't find them on sounds.

The only hope of getting them on Sounds if if they're incorporated into the programme either just before or just after, but as I said above I think they will all be collated in tonight's play.

We've just had Hannah. Next one is at 5pm just before PM.

Just listened to last night’s ep again and agree, the speeding car is a red herring, it sounded like an empty bottle and the feeble ‘mum, I’m sorry mum’ was George answering the question he was asking himself just before he was brained (ie ‘what do I say to them when I get home’).

my money is still on Harrison.

I am furious that they’re not on Sounds esp as they sound to be integral to the plot!
why oh why didn’t R4 explain the structure of this 24 hrs to us months ago so serious fans could potentially schedule activities with this in mind?!

There could have been “Listen Parties”, all sorts, like there was for The Traitors final. Would have helped raise TA interest!

This has just made me realise that I did not know Sounds is not the same as the “real” radio even though it says Listen Live.

Shula by Lichfield.

Photo of Shula by society photographer Lord Lichfield on her wedding day. Get her!

MN will hopefully approve.

I donned headphones using Sounds from the radio 4 schedule for Hannah. That might work if they haven’t edited the previous programme properly. Otherwise you will have to wait until the “omnibus” tonight.

Hannah’s interview was unremarkable (but I’d forgotten that George had made Will evict her so that George, Poppy and Will could live as a proper family).

I can see that most of the villagers would happily escort George out of the village, but I don’t think that would be enough for any to plan a pre-meditated attack/murder (even if they’d had a belly full of fighting juice).

I am afraid my suspects are now Markie (or somebody else from his prison days) or Keira (but that seems unlikely because of the comparative fitness levels and strength/size).

I get the feeling that we are being led down the garden path ATM. If he survives, George might not remember a thing…..perhaps until an argument in 10 years’ time.

I agree on that point, @Madcats. Fearful that the perpetrator will be a damp squib - perhaps literally, if David made a hash of setting up the fireworks display?

@Madcats Agree completely. A cold blooded murder attempt just doesn’t make sense

The idea of George getting carried away and seriously hurting someone else made more sense and seemed like what we were building up to.

... or not. Gone straight into PM.

Perhaps because of the awful NYE news from Switzerland? Maybe they needed the extra three minutes.

Dyes this is the first one I’ve been home for and ….. nothing?!😤