Who would be people's choices for most and least favourite character in The Archers?

Mine would be:

Favourites - Brian Aldridge and Lilian Bellamy (with Linda Snell in third place)

Least - Susan Carter, Shula Hebdon-Lloyd, Lizzie Pargeter

I like Ruth (pause for breath) David, and Linda. I dislike pip, Helen, and detest Nigel.

I like:
Jennifer (mainly because I think Angela Piper plays her so well, especially when given a meaty script.)
David, Ruth, Adam, Roy, Hayley, Tom, Harry.
I dislike:
Vicky, Kathy, Usha, Matt
I dislike intensely:
Helen, Pip

Ooh, I forgot about Pip - she is very annoying as is Helen and, come to think of it, Kate

I still miss Sid

Oooh yea Avalon.  Kate. I forgot her. Don't like her at all.

Afternoon Archers fansAre we all ready for tonight's episode? I like Jill, Ruth, Linda,  Jazzer, Clarrie,  and Joe... I dislike Helen, Kathy, Will,  and Susan. Oh and I forgot Kate too!!!

I think most Archers fans may know this already, but I thought I would mention it.
The actor who playes Jazzer - Ryan Kelly - is blind.
He was born without eyes. He won the part of Jazzer when he competed against 8 sighted actors.
Because of his disability he says he prefers to learn his lines in advance (rather than read them by braille I presume.)  He has a dog, and he plays the accordian. He is married with a child.

I like Fallon, Harry, the Grundys (except for Will and Nic), Debbie sometimes, Usha, Vicky, Linda, Chris, Alice, Pat, Bert and Nigel. Dislike especially Jazzer, Kate, Helen, Shularghhh, Jennifer and Brine.

No idea OP.  I do occasionally listen to the Archers but mainly because the radio is left on.  That said, each episode seems like a stand alone episode and even when I listen to a lot of shows during a week I never seem to be able to follow the plot lines.

I probably won't listen to tonight's, waiting instead until the omnibus. So hope you all enjoy it!

I can't say I'm looking forward to it Joe.  I will be feeling a little anxious. 

That was a thread flounce from me btw. I daren't return until I hear it for fear of spoilers!

I usually listen a few days behind myself. I like to download the podcasts and listen while I'm cooking dinner. So I'll probably avoid this thread for a few days myself, unless I can't stand waiting and have a little orgy of Archers catch-up in my kitchen.

I've never listened to The Archers in my life...and even I wanna know what's gonna happen


Keep me updated Archer Allies!

Do you want an LF-style "update"

Yes please.

Who's gonna LUT it for me??? 

Don't think I can... my Archers hiatus might hinder me from identifying the correct character. But I'll do my best

Nuffink's happened yet.

I sense a Waterloo Road-style birth.

C section

Wots one of them?

When one of the girls gives birth in the middle of the lesson or something like that

On another note, Helen sounds less than a tw@t than I remember.

Ooooh Nigel

Well, very sad for Nigel.  But I don't see where the 'event that will shake Ambridge to the core' comes into it.  Unless Nigel was massively overweight

What happened to Nigel????

Who's Nigel?

He fell off an icy roof while trying to get a banner down. No one knows if he's still alive. He's a farmer

But.... but....they said on the news it's effects would be felt for ten years...... surely there must be more to it than slipping off a roof?

Was the banner important?

Their only making plans for Nigel  

Having had half an hour to think about it, I think the hype was a bit overdone.
One good thing, though, is that we are not going to prolong the Tony/Helen strained ralationship.
Even I could have told them it was not a good idea to go up on the roof in windy, icy, dark weather.

If he fell off the roof of Lower Loxley I would think that he was a goner, but they could have him surviving the fall and confined to a wheelchair, I suppose.  Bit of an anticlimax, in my opinion, but Champagne Joe will be pleased!

Well,  it was pretty obvious from the first *David will you come up on the roof* what at least one storyline was going to be Having said that I quite liked Nigel.... a bit dopey, but with a kind heart As for the Helen storyline.... like Brisket says, at least we have got rid of the *poor me* storyline.... well for the time being at least Like others though, I can't see that this will be any more earth shattering than the death of Sid or Phil....

I feel so guilty. We did listen to it. I disliked Nigel's character but I didn't want him to fall off the roof. Very well signposted though, it was obvious what would happen earlier on.

I have reached the age of 45 and never heard a single episode of The Archers. Will I burn in hell?

(ex Ken Bruce) I was discussing Nigel with my chiropodist this morning. He said it was the worst case of fallen arches he'd ever heard of!

Perhaps the ramifications (?) of the accident will cause a major rift in the Archer family with Elizabeth blaming David for Nigel's death (If, indeed, he is dead).  Maybe that's when the 'shaking Ambridge to the core' prediction will come to pass.

I think the production team ands writers showed poor judgment here.
I think it stretches credibility too far. I was unconvinced by this story and the dialogue.

Nigel's actually dead

Fans of BBC Radio 4's The Archers were left underwhelmed yesterday after a double-length episode of the drama serial failed to deliver its promised shocking cliffhanger.

The Archers celebrated its 60th anniversary on Sunday with a storyline that producers claimed would shake the fictional village of Ambridge "to its core".

The episode concluded with the character Nigel Pargetter, owner of Lower Loxley Hall, being blown off a rooftop after slipping while trying to remove a New Year banner. Earlier in the show, cheesemaker Helen Archer gave birth to a baby via emergency caesarean section after being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.

After the episode, many listeners used message boards on the programme's website to register their disappointment with the alleged 'shocking' storyline.

One person wrote: "I thought it was supposed to 'shake Ambridge to the very core'? I have to say I am truly disappointed. It was obvious it was going to be either Lizzy or Nigel who got hurt for days now...and once Nigel started prancing around on the roof like a goon I stopped listening. I've been waiting for that episode for ages, and I am desperately gutted!"

The episode also stirred up a considerable debate on Twitter, with Peter Hellyer tweeting: "BBC may have broken Trade Descriptions Act over Archers. Safe baby delivery & minor character falling off roof is not cataclysmic!"

Fellow member Gavin Drake added: "Congratulations to the BBC spin doctors - so much hype, so little real drama, so what!"

Vanessa Whitburn, editor of The Archers, urged listeners to stick with the programme, maintaining that the episode due to air today will truly change Ambridge forever.

Despite refusing to reveal whether Nigel lives or dies, Whitburn told PA: "All will be revealed in (today's) episode, when events will have a profound impact on Ambridge and central characters and it will go on affecting them in 10 years' time."

I found tonight's episode  bit sad