- This topic has 5 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Great podcast. They’re always good and brighten up my Tuesday evenings when they appear on my phone, but the latest one was an especially bonzer one.
Apologies for starting a new topic as this covers stuff in quite a few existing threads but it’s all vaguely related to the stuff mentioned in DTD91 so I thought I’d lazily shove it all in the same place.
I totally agree with Scott the theatre critic chap. I don’t remember last year’s performance – did it make it to the podcast stream? Calendar Girls would have been much better had it been done as a live performance. The tickets would have gone in no time! Actually how about an Archers’ Panto! Probably not Lynda Snell’s style but it would be hilarious.
When Ruth came back I initially wondered if it was nu-Ruuuth and they’d used a quick break in the land of the long white cloud to introduce a new actor. She sounded much more like Heatherpet than she did before she went to NZ. But a few minutes in and it was clear I was wrong and it was old Ruth. I’ve grown to like her despite finding her tediously annoying in her “Noooooo! Doooiiiiivid!” days a decade ago and would have been disappointed had she left to shag a sheep shearer or something.
I like the farming. Sorry Roifield, 47. I have to admit living down under I missed out on the publicity drive so had no idea it was the 65th anniversary episode and therefore I wasn’t expecting a huge story. The way they tied it back to Dan and the roots of Brookfield was pleasantly reassuring after so much eastendery. But I guess I grew up in the English countryside so I like the rural sort of thing.
Ruth’s idea makes total sense, going back to a pasture only milk production. They need to start selling their milk to Helen to make cheese with, but I guess Helen gets her milk from her parents’ farm (although why do we never hear anything about their milk production?). But why did David sound so down about it? He’d been plotting to exit the milk thing entirely and sell the herd ending generations of dairy at Brookfield. Now Ruth has an idea that will stop them losing money and will make more money presumably than shutting down – and David sounds peeved.
Berrow Farm confuses me. Despite being in the village more or less it’s had buggerall affect on the local economy apart from a few shillings binged Adam’s way at the beginning. In reality shutting down a farm like that would be devastating to the local economy, all those customers gone who would otherwise be admiring Susan’s tabard. And surely any decision by David and Ruth would take the closure into account.
But anyway I am pleased it’s closing. I liked Charlie but I’m pleased he’s not leading Adam astray which seemed a bit un-Adam really. I’ve always found Adam to be a bit of an enigma though and am more of an Ian man so am pleased he won’t be hurt by any Adam’nCharlie shenanigans. More importantly I’m pleased that Nasty Wob won’t be taking over Charlie’s job as I initially feared.
Presumably there will now be a glut of real estate in Ambridge as all the Berrow workers move away. Handy for the Grundys and any other returning characters without a convenient house going spare in their parents’ farmyard. And what happens to the farm land? Giant geese production facility from the fairweatherbrotherbrethren? Adam lays a huge plantation of herbal lays? Joe and Eddy has somewhere to raise a few pigs? I remember there used to be a map of Ambridge on the Archer’s website many years ago. Is it still there? Must be tough for the script writers to keep tabs on 65yrs of continuity!
In 2016 I’d like to see a tidy resolution to the Wob’nhelen thing. I’m hoping some of the younger characters eg Brenda, Kirsty, Tom, Christopher (does he still exist?), Alice, Jazzer etc take more of a centre stage and help Helen overcome the evil Wob. Also more Lilian please. Maybe a Lilian and Justin fling.
Happy New Year and keep up the great work Roifield and Lucy!
I, too, had a reflection on this weeks DTD so I’ll tag onto here if that’s OK.
Roifield’s disquiet about the 65th anniversary episode gave rise to a wild theory to explain what I think has made my “Archers” experience less than satisfactory in the last year or so, and it’s this:
Listeners relate to Characters whilst the writers have been prioritising Plot.
When Caller-Inerers voice their opinions, it’s nearly always about the characters we love (or love-to-hate). The intimacy of radio turns these fictional characters into close aquaintances, and the longevity of the show means we have had a very prolonged period in which to get to know them.
We care about how Linda runs the Christmas show each year, or the effect of Roy & Elizabeth’s affair on Hayley or about Jim & Jazzer sharing a home because we know all these characters really well and we care what happens to them. The medium of the show allows the listener an unnaturally voyeuristic 360 degree view of all sides of the story so we can’t help but see all of the repercussions.
Was the storyline of the 60th Anniversary episode memorable because someone died, or because it was lovable, foolish, optimistic Nigel who died all too soon? Would we have cared, would we even still remember the episode if it had been, say, Martin Gibson who had died five years ago? I’d argue that it was our emotional response to the character that lends the event it’s significance.
We’ve found it hard to warm to new characters like the Fairbrethern or nu-Tom not only because they sound alike, but because they’re beige, with few defining characteristics. We gradually grew to like Charlie because he eventually managed to break out of his initial blandness with some actual defining features.However in the last year or so, the writers have chosen to prioritise their storylines, relegating our beloved characters to being subserviant to the needs of the plot. Need jolly jester Kenton to become a depressive alcoholic for three months without explanation? No Problem! Would threatening David & Ruth’s marriage add dramatic tension? Why not just sprinkle over some manufactured stress and artificially imposed deadlines to seemingly raise the stakes!
Here’s the problem; I don’t think the listeners care about storylines as much as we do about the personalities, and writers who ride roughshod over the characters we love, making them behave in atypical ways and ignoring years of carefully laid-down continuity and personal history feels little short of a betrayal.
There would be a saving grace if the recent & current plots had been gripping, era-defining stories. But the mixture of Route B, floods, domestic abuse and Brookfield upheavals have been depressing and disorienting. The plots that have been prioritised over the character development of our friends in Ambridge haven’t – to be frank – been that enjoyable.
So my Archers wish for 2016 is for consistent characters over ponderous plots. (Please).
“Listeners relate to Characters whilst the writers have been prioritising Plot”
Great point, you’re 110% right. Especially when you begin to suspect you’ve been listening to the Archers for longer than the writers have, you really notice when someone does something out of character to assist a plot line.
Chris – agree wholeheartedly. Paddy Green (Jill) on her desert island discs said she will pick up the SW if they try and make her do something incidental out of character (e.g. take a sweet not dry sherry) however she can’t interfere in story arcs.
LG – couple of answers to your questions:
Blithe Spirit wasn’t on the Archers podcast stream unlike CG, though I believe they were both R4 drama of the week so might still be available
Bridge Farm sold their cows in 2014 and but buy their milk from an organic herd so Brookers couldn’t sell to them without more far reaching changes
Part of the Berrow Farm development included refitting old buildings as accommodation for the workers so yes, there will be some coming to the market, though I would imagine it is shared living areas with separate bedrooms and maybe shared bathrooms, so in reality how much will it bring to the market? The bit about the Berrow closure that doesn’t make sense to me is it was supposed to be about more than milk. There is a huge anaerobic digester to feed too and also a load of solar arrays deeding into the same grid entry point….maybe the electric market is softening too in sympathy to the oil price, but I thought most early adopters had guaranteed pricing fixed to encourage investment.
Do I take it you emigrated to NZ on a more permanent basis than Ruth? My brother moved down 9 years ago and loves it.Like you, I enjoyed the agricultural focus and going full circle to Dan/Doris
Thanks for the nice comments both.
I just realised that – probably due to a WiFi-free Christmas – my phone completely failed to download DTD90, in which almost all of my above arguments were made a whole week before I wrote my post!
So – they’re still good ideas… just a week after Lucy, Roifield and Yokelbear already expounded on them.
Better Late Than Never, eh! ;o)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.