Stop listening to “The Archers”

Yup – I have given up The Archers!  I did wean myself off gradually, but it didn’t take long – less than a week, I think.

So what has made me stop listening to The Archers?  I suspect it is the new editor.  The characters seem to have all changed and be acting in ways that doesn’t fit with their personality.  The plot lines also seem to have gone over the top.

It started before the new editor, I think, with the new Tony Archer and I didn’t like his voice.  Then it was Peggy Archer’s will.  She had always been a fair and sensible person and her will was totally out of character – I am sure she would have given shares to all her children and grandchildren, whatever their present circumstances.  It was just a way of leading to plots about Tony’s supposed inferiority (that is a new one) and about Helen and Rob, with Rob just wanting her for her future house – possibly.

Then there was the bit about Tony and Tom falling out about Tony’s new cows and about not consulting each other over anything.  Yes, Tom might have wanted to take over a bit, but he and his father always talked about what they were going to do, before they did it, even if they disagreed.

The sudden take over of  “the estate” by a hedge-fund, so putting Brian on the back foot and with a new manager to oversee the farming, putting Adam in a difficult position, seemed a plot-line too far.  The ins and outs of Jennifer’s new kitchen also seemed a bit over the top.  I also think it would be out of character for Jennifer to offer her old kitchen to Susan Carter.  She might be a bit of a snob, but not insensitive to others, as that would imply.

The last straw was Tom leaving Kirsty “at the alter”, so to speak.  They were obviously spending too much, which I thought would lead to future problems, but the sudden intervention of a late reaction to John’s death and Tom backing out was totally unrealistic.  And Kirsty’s wail was not like her at all – it was just not the way she would react!

So I stopped listening!  For a few days I listened to the first few minutes but it seemed to be getting worse, not improving, so now “The Archers” gets turned off!

So is giving up “the Archers” a good thing?  Well, I don’t miss it, except as something to listen to when making or eating my meal.  I won’t be able to join in the conversations about it at choir, but I think I will survive the loss of the Archers!

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