Archer-y - Jane Reynolds

Category Archives: Archer-y

The Archers is one of the world's longest-running family dramas. It's on BBC Radio 4 daily, or there's the Sunday Omnibus Edition.

Archer-y 22nd January 2012

Written on 20/01/2012 by Jane in Archer-y, The Complete Blog

It's been a while since I've done an 'Archer-y' post (I'd got rather irritated by some of the writing and the poor acting by a couple of the younger cast members), but it hasn't stopped me listening, and I couldn't let this week go by without talking about the exciting new range of Tom Archer Ready Meals.

Brenda cooked him 'Pork-based' Ready Meals for dinner every night last week, and when it got to the Spicy Meatballs in a Red Pepper Sauce with spaghetti ("Sprinkle a bit of parsley on the top" Tom said), I thought "Yep, I'd definitely buy those!"

It got me thinking: there has to be an Archers Addict out there who works for one of the major Supermarket chains and has got the nouse to spot this great opportunity to get the Tom Archer brand out there on the shelves.

With a weekly 'reach' of five million listeners apparently (BBC figures), that's a lot of Ready Meals someone could be selling. There were the meatballs, Pork Chilli Con Carne (go easy on the chilli though), and Goulash – for starters – and I'm sure that (along with the sausages and pies), they'd be a good seller!

Changing the subject: I can see both sides over Brian's proposed 'mega dairy', but thought Tom's worries about the cows being on sand was a bit spurious. Don't cows stay indoors in the Winter here, and – in other 'less-grassy' countries than ours – walk about on sand/scrubland etc? I'm sure Brian's cows won't realise they're not grass if they've never actually been on grass …

Tony's feeling 'a bit weary' and said, "I'm sure things are on the up," this week. Well, you know what that means, don't you? Yep. Something bad's going to happen …

PS Henry (the cleverest baby in the world), is walking. Yay. Only walking? Not taking his GCSEs yet? Maybe next year.

(I listen to the Omnibus the Wednesday after it's broadcast, so this post is based on the Omnibus from the 8th January.)

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Archer-y 29th May

Written on 29/05/2011 by Jane in Archer-y, The Complete Blog

As I write this, I've just realised something. Because I don't listen to the Sunday Omnibus until a Wednesday (and this blog doesn't come out until a Sunday afternoon), by the time you read this you'll have already listened to the whole of this week's Episodes or this week's Omnibus, which makes my reviews a week out of date. Durr, daft as a brush, me!

As I'm actually writing my blog while the Sunday Omnibus is on, I'm going to have to rethink my whole strategy here aren't I? I guess I'm going to have to start listening to it every day, as that's the only way I be able to do it. Ok, I'll do that from now on! Right, down to business.

You always know something bad's going to happen in a Soap when someone starts saying things like "Things are really looking up for us," or "We've really turned a corner," etc.

As I started on the ironing pile at 3.00 at work (as I always do on a Wednesday), my first thought was that David sounded far too cheerful and that something bad was obviously about to happen. How right I was! Ooh, I'm really torn on this one. Who'd really want Elderflower cordial ("You finish it David,") with a lovely picnic like that? You'd have Rosé, surely?

No: seriously; I'm really torn. I can see how he felt he needed to tell Lizzie the truth, but I can't work out whether she was right to react like she did, or whether she should have just had a good old cry and told him not to blame himself, as it really wasn't his fault that after spending New Year's Eve drinking, he urged Nigel to go up onto an icy roof to take down a banner, and from where he accidently lost his footing on an icy roof in the pitch black; freezing cold, wind, snow, rain, hail #"And Uncle Tom Cobbley and all", before plunging to his death.

Anyone who's ever had an accident will know that it's those two little words, "If only," that can ruin the rest of your life if you let it. If we were all sensible all the time, none of us would ever have an accident or make a mistake of any kind, but that's life, and Elizabeth should maybe have just cut him some slack.

I guess it'll divide the family for weeks/months, until the big tear-jerking reunion (possibly New Year's Eve this year?), and that'll be that. As for divided families; Kate's doing her usual trick of causing trouble wherever she goes. Just thinking that she can take Pheebs off to live in South Africa on a whim is daft, but in Kate's world it seems like a perfectly reasonable proposition.

I'd be more worried about the kids I'd left behind if I was her – and her husband. She'll get back to find he's moved another woman in and then she'll know what it feels like. Mmm. "Think on," that's what I say …

One other thing: 'Nut and Rosehip' bread. What's that all about? Does anyone have the answer to my question from last week: is it really Plantain they're growing up at Brookfield? http://bbc.in/lLKg5J

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Archer-y 22nd May

Written on 22/05/2011 by Jane in Archer-y, The Complete Blog

After a couple of weeks where less than nothing happened, it was great to get back to normal this week, with lots of things to keep us entertained. I was wondering as to why the last couple of weeks had been so dull, and I realised that there was a lot less actually happening – less scenes, and with less characters – which was what made it seem so boring (for me, anyway).

I was overjoyed to hear that David's Plantain and Chicory were already well-established. (Did I hear that right: Plantain? That banana thing that I thought only grew in hot countries?) Maybe he was on about something else, but I've been puzzled about it all week, and if anyone knows what he actually meant, I'd love to know!

Isn't Wiww-yum being sneaky, calling George 'son' every two minutes. He's SO insecure. George knows he's his daddy, so stop it please Will, it's starting to annoy me! Notice how nobody ever says 'daughter'? "Come 'ere daughter," doesn't sound quite right, does it, so why is "Come 'ere son," ok? Strange, isn't it!

I loved the tips for an eco-wedding: throw birdseed instead of confetti, and paint initials on pebbles instead of name tags. How about a wedding ring fashioned from a bit of spare chicken wire? There's a lot you could do if you put your mind to it. If Pip's new beau is as perfect as he sounds, David and Ruth might be having to plan a wedding of their own before too long, and every penny counts these days, so it's certainly worth a thought! http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/the-archers

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Archer-y 8th May 2011

Written on 10/05/2011 by Jane in Archer-y, The Complete Blog

It was a full two minutes in before we got a mention of … you've guessed it, Gardener's Question Time! "Here we go again," I thought, but it was a false alarm thankfully.

Oh, I wanted to be in Monte Carlo (or was it Monarco?) drinking fizz on a balcony like Kenton and Jolene, instead of ploughing through a mountain of ironing, although I did have a good view.*

Have you noticed how soap 'baddies' always call their mum 'Ma'? That James is a wrong 'un, but I didn't expect Leonie to be his surprise for Lillian this time. Knowing him though, there'll be more to this than meets the eye. Oh, yes.

Still don't know who I want to metaphorically 'smack' more: Cathy or Jamie. Both need to learn a lesson. Her – how to not come across as so desperate and needy (I speak as an expert in this field!), and him – how to grow up and realise that the world doesn't revolve around him. Ok, he's a teenager, but that's no excuse, and what's Wiww-yum's?

At least Jamie's got hormones on his side. Wiww-yum's just a big baby. No wonder Nic wasn't over the moon at his suggestion to have a baby together. He's no more than a sulky, overgrown teenager himself. I'd be running like the clappers towards Lakey Hill and over the other side if I was her. http://bbc.in/lLKg5J

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