Archers thread #200: Trouble in Ambridge! (All 200 threads could have had this title.) 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 to be Brian's child or stepchild, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-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.)

Over to you!

Hear hear!!!!!

Good call.

I hope not. Surely Lynda has been there too long to not know where her dog is at all times...?

I heard that too, was wondering if he will get dedded...

I’m sure Lynda would notice if her dog came home covered in blood and exhausted.

It was an interesting obituary, a very interesting life lived.

I liked the detail of her Mum occasionally sending her money in a card despite her Dad stating her wouldn’t support her becoming an actress.

I heard the comment and thought it was signposting Monty.

If it is it'll be explained away by Lynda having been away on holiday and a not very attentive dog sitter looking after him or some other rubbish in that vein.

I sort of agree and with @Trivium4all, but it seemed like an unnecessary bit of scripting for Lynda to need to specify that he was a softie when Fallon must surely know Monty. It felt a bit pointed in view of the fact we know DNA testing is going on to find the culprit - a bit like the canine version of the George bottle attack. And on that subject, I love the fact that having paid George off, Brian may now need to pay Adam/Ian off and perhaps the truth will put anyway since it appears to be fairly common knowledge by now.

I’ve always loved Brian because he’s charming and funny, even when he’s being a bit of a scoundrel, but he’s lost all his charm recently. Didn’t like him referring to Ed as ‘one of my farm hands’!

He'll be back but I hope he'll have upduffed someone up north and will be sent packing. If that happens, Chris and Fallon fling?

Monty was flagged as the culprit.

Just checked the cast list - Carol/Mia Soteriou is in it too! Was listening to a different old R4 crime play (can't remember which) and it had Charles Collingwood in a minor role sounding less posh than usual, also the Pallisers (2004) with Tony/David Troughton as the narrator, sounding far more cheerful, like Tony talking about his trains or toy tractors.

I've not been reading along here much recently, but I really appreciate TA actually having storylines about farming and the rural year recently. Almost as if the writers actually listened to the critical feedback! It still comes across a bit public service announcement (dog attack) at times, but it's good to have the Borchester Show - on a Thursday though?! I've not been to many, but they've all been on the weekend?

All the talk about Monty….

it surprises me that we don’t hear more about the dogs of Ambridge. I would expect most farming families to have at least one. I can barely name them….

Stella - Chloe
Lynda - Monty
Lilian - Ruby
Ben has a working dog.
Does David?
Wil?
George?

Stella - Cleo
Lynda - Monty
Lilian - Ruby
Ben - Bess
George - Holly

@Darker

Remarkably few. Where are the poodoodles, the dachshunds and the brachycephalic ones.

Bring back Marjorie Antrobus and her Afghans, I say.

There are cats, Hilda Ogden, Ena Sharples and Fat Rosie's kitten, which I think came from Grange Farm.

Didn't she say it because the dog was jumping on someone? Meaning it's not as well behaved as she thinks - although she'd probably know if it was missing.

Thanks @Nos4r2 , @Darker and @Merlin23 for the comments about Ian. I thought it was just me and I was being baaaaad saying at the end of the episode "good for you!"
Although somehow I don't think Adam would actually approve of what his partner is doing.

Does Brian know that Ruairi has already told George who the culprit was? It struck me that, if he did, that would be the perfect response to Ian's threat.

Good for Iain.
He was only asking for what Adam is legally due from the partnership.

Is Adam actually due anything? Legally?

It's fine to ask but not to blackmail when your demands aren't met. I hope it backfires on Ian.

I think he is, I may be wrong.
As part of the partnership? And redundancy?
What was the point of it if Brian could just take his ball home in a fit of pique?

Well, if they dissolve the partnership he'll be due his share of that, but as they pay the income out in the form of annual dividends (or, in Adam's case, "borrow" from it without telling anyone when he needs money) I don't suppose it's worth much more than the second-hand value of any equipment.

If Ruairi gets to hear of this threat, he'll probably dob himself in. That would be worth it, just to hear Ian's indignant rage.

I'll be sorry if it's Lynda's dog who attacker the sheep ( obviously I am more sorry for the sheep), because didn't her dog Scruff die horribly in the flood? Presumably a sheep killer has to be put down too? Or can it be rehoused in a city?

No, Scruff survived the flood and eventually came home, but subsequently died.

it's good to have the Borchester Show - on a Thursday though?! I've not been to many, but they've all been on the weekend?

Melplash (by Bridport) is always the last Thursday in August. But August, so school hols.

Lynda has always struck me as the type to take dog training seriously. I'd be less surprised if it was Ruby.

I've no idea what sort of dog Ruby is, but I've always imagined her smallish and yappy (like her owner).