Returning to The Archers after years away and have various questions!

[FourSeasonsTotalLandscaping]

I used to be a regular listener but I haven’t listened for YEARS. The ongoing threads are brilliant but I can’t possibly catch up with everything. Would anyone mind answering my random questions? Here are few for starters:

• I know the actor who played Roy Tucker sadly passed away a few years ago - what happened to the character?
• Where has Harrison Burns been? “Up North” I believe, but why? Did he have some kind of breakdown after the infamous accident involving Fallon and George?
• Who is Miranda? Is she in a relationship with Brian? Are they moving back in to the farmhouse that Jenny Darling and Brine had to sell when he had all those environmental fines to pay?
• Who the hell is Joy? Is she the new Lynda Snell? Wither Lynda?
• Who is Vince - is he now Mr Elizabeth?

I am sure I will have many more questions and moments of bafflement but these are the few that have come to mind whilst listening to the last few episodes.

Ooooh, I’m in a similar boat.

I listened religiously until about 2 years ago so need a ‘previously’ on TA

When Ian Pepperrell died they wrote a happily ever after ending for Roy where he moved to Bulgaria to be with Lexi.

Harrison did almost have a breakdown involving a rather ridiculous storyline where he was convinced the accident caused by George resulted in Fallon having a miscarriage and therefore taking away his only chance at being a father. Conveniently ignoring the fact that Fallon had been very clear in not wanting children and if they had had an accidental pregnancy she would have most likely wanted a termination. He was unbearable to listen to and we were all relieved when he got offered some work opportunity that meant he had to move away. Not sure where they are going from here with him and Fallon, they seem happy despite everything.

Miranda is Justin's ex wife. Yes her and Brian very much a couple. She's mentioned an interest in buying the farmhouse (as an investment) but I'm not sure if it has progressed any further or if the plan would be to live together.

Yes, Joy seems to be intended as the next Lynda. Outrageous. She's highly irritating. But still nowhere near as irritating as her daughter was who thankfully has disappeared again.

Vince Casey owns the large local abattoir. I really can't recall how he and and Elizabeth got together. They are the most unlikely couple. Ben was dating his daughter Beth for a while but then had a one night stand with Chelsea when they split. Vince was very threatening towards Ben and Elizabeth really questioned her relationship with him but seems he must be quite the charmer. He's since given Freddie a management role, which he would never have achieved given his poor academic achievement and prison sentence. Nepotism at it's finest. A stark contrast to George Grundy who has come out of prison to all doors slamming shut in his face. Although it's nothing less than he deserves in my opinion!

They did a special podcast recently for new or out of touch listeners where they did an overview of Ambridge and the main characters. Worth a listen but if you used to listen regularly then probably not much in it you don't know already!

When Roy "left" they worked in a tribute to the actor where two of the characters said how much they were missing "Roy" and what a lovely guy he had been. Made me tear up!

I was glad Roy hot a happy ending.
Has Kirsty bought his house now? I must have missed the handing over of the keys. And would like another visit from Brenda.

Joy is a bloody nightmare. Totally irritating. Needs a tragic end in the slurry.

And why is brilliant Lillian with Justin the misery? He drags her down.

Another returning listener here, 2 questions

• who is Esme?
• what happened with Rob? (And how are Helen and Tom still as annoying and unself aware as ever?)

Esme lives on a farm near to Brookfield, and recently returned after her dad died. Brookfield have been helping her out

Rob died. He tried to use his illness as a method to see the boys and Helen. He has a brother who seems very controlling.

Rob disappeared to America I think, and when he returned he was dying. He eventually did die, with much drama on the way, including his brother Miles turning up and buying land nearby. Also tried to see Henry - George helped this to happen, which made lots of people v angry with him

And how are Helen and Tom still as annoying and unself aware as ever?
I don't know how but they definitely are.

Rob died, having done his best to reel Helen back in, and passed his abusers baton to his brother.

Rob came back and turned out to have cancer and died, only after persuading Helen to be with him for a kind of last night of earth vigil during which he said more abusive and horrid things to her. But she stood up to him and left.

He has left Jack Myson some land.

I stopped listening probably a bit longer ago - before Jenny Darling died, for sure. And now there seem to have been all sorts of new melodramas, something going on at the moment with extra bits outside the normal times eg Brian being interviewed by a policewoman … I’ve just retired and intend to listen to the radio more and it’s annoying having to turn off when TA is on because I don’t know wtf is going on. But don’t know if it’s worth catching up or not….

What was the podcast?

The weird extra bits, the police interviews, weren't 'real'. Nobody knows what they were meant to be, George's hallucinations while unconscious possibly. The best explanation is that it was a sort of An Inspector Calls type thing showing every other character's connections to George. It's not actually part of the ongoing 'real' Archers and is not essential listening. I hope that helps 🤔.

Thanks all - really helpful! I’m so pleased to hear Roy got a fictional happy ending. I think the last time I was listening Lexi was embroiled in a surrogacy thing with Ian and Adam but I don’t remember how it turned out.

@ErrolTheDragon I also stopped listening before Jenny Darling died (I think!), although I was vaguely aware it had happened. To be honest I can’t even remember when I did stop listening properly regularly. Before Covid, I think? Ages ago anyway. I’ve dipped in and out once or twice.

It's a regular podcast available on BBC sounds called The Archers Podcast. This particular episode was called Previously on The Archers.

I’ve been listening on and off for the last 50 years, as it was always listened to when I was a child, I still don’t know who anyone is, how they are related, or what is going on.

I did note some wittering the other day about beavers. “Ahhh” I thought “I bet they’ve been going on and on about this in great detail for months, if not years”.

Not quite, but on and off last year. Kirsty and Rex, who run the Ambridge rewilding project, which somehow involves Justin these days as well, had a rush of blood to the head and thought of just releasing beavers into the Am without official sanction, but wisely in the end went through the interminable paperwork and officially released two beavers into a stoutly fenced enclosure. They are called Justin Beaver and Sigourney Beaver, which made me smile. All is not lost yet when we get little touches like this.

Joy is a mystery, and not in an interesting way. She turned up in Ambridge living in a brand new executive home next door to Helen some years ago. She had no job and no obvious reason for being there. Nowadays she works in The Bull and volunteers in the shop. She has a daughter called Rochelle who is awaiting trial for ecoterrorism in the abattoir. Rochelle has two children she hardly sees and a very difficult relationship with Joy for reasons that are so tedious I've largely wiped them from my mind. There was a period last year when it felt as if The Archers should be renamed The Joy Horville Show.

A teacher relative of mine had 'Roy' as a pupil - said he was genuinely lovely even as a teenager (not a species usually known for their loveliness!). Much loved and missed by his local community too.

That's lovely to hear.

I stopped listening ages ago - at a time when David shooting a badger was the most high-octane storyline you were likely to encounter.

I would like to get into it again now, but every little snippet I have heard for the last weeks and weeks seems to involve everyone shouting at each other about a car crash.

It all seems a bit sensational and Eastendery. I just want people drinking tea while chatting about yoghurt labels and the yield in the lower field.

Um…well, not really, as that’s the only bit I’d heard, and it’s rather put me off bothering to find out what’s going on!😂
but thank you.
(I used to be sufficiently an Archers addict that when I see your username I think not of a poem but of Jack Woolley’s little dog.)

No,but they did give quite a good overview of some major storylines from the past few years, so it could be useful as a catch-up.