Lucy brings her usual understated brilliance to the initial monologue again this week. Roifield is so impressed that he makes it clear that his contribution to the podcast is minor and unimportant, a mere appendix to Lucy’s greatness. Then he delivers his view of what Friday’s episode should have been about – Peggy reviewing 75 years of her life in the village rather than setting in train division and angst and soap tropes for the next six months.
We know it was the date of June Spencer’s birthday (it has been extensively advertised and rightly so – I hope I have as many marbles when I am 100) and in Roifield’s view the episode could so easily have given us all a lump in our throats as she recalled her two Jacks, Jenny’s illegitimate son (and his later kidnapping), the development of organics at Bridge Farm, John’s passing, the impact of farming and the seasons and much much more. June could have delighted in delivering a near monologue.
Instead we get a spurious competition for which rules and timescale are unclear; Tony upset again; infighting (even within Bridge Farm); lots of questions about where Peggy got £500k to give away; Lucy laughing at the programme in disbelief and so much adverse social comment.
This is NOT how to engage your audience. This is NOT how to get the programme talked about at the water cooler. This is making it plot driven without reason or explanation (apart from Hoover wanting to save the planet). The programme should be character driven and as Lilian has said Peggy has not discussed it with the family. After the saga of the will Peggy would have learned from her mistakes and would NOT have left the family out of her consultations.
Kosmo in high dudgeon.
@Kosmo100
Lots of calls from lots of listeners!
