The Archers

Writer: David Payne Director: Pip Swallow Editor: Jeremy Howe

4th - 9th January

Helen Archer.... Louiza Patikas Henry Archer.... Blayke Darby Jolene Archer.... Buffy Davis Tony Archer.... David Troughton Brian Aldridge.... Charles Collingwood Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman Neil Carter.... Brian Hewlett Amber Gordon.... Olivia Bernstone Clarrie Grundy.... Heather Bell Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond Eddie Grundy.... Trevor Harrison Emma Grundy.... Emerald O'Hanrahan Will Grundy.... Philip Molloy Joy Horville.... Jackie Lye Akram Malik.... Asif Khan Jazzer McCreary.... Ryan Kelly Fallon Rogers.... Joanna Van Kampen

Akram has time on his hands due to a cancelled job. When Tony mentions a predicament with a ripped polytunnel, hoping Helen can attend to the repair while Tom’s out on deliveries, Akram’s happy to offer his help. Later he’s enjoying the sensation of being back on a farm and working outside. But as he tapes up the tear he slips, making the rip in the plastic even bigger. He’s mortified, but Tony assures him that as long as he isn’t hurt, it’s fine. It was kind of Akram to help; they shouldn’t have let him...

Emma makes a decision, and Jazzer is surprisingly unwilling.

Henry’s a reluctant assistant at Bridge Farm as Helen and Tony work on plans to rejuvenate the garden areas. Henry continues to campaign for giving George work. Whilst Helen agrees no-one deserves to be assaulted, she reiterates there’s too much bad feeling for them to consider rehiring George. Henry goes to see Keira. When his mum calls him later, she discovers he’s at the hospital visiting George. Helen’s not happy. She asks if Henry is mates with George. Henry supposes he is. He feels sorry for George – the family are going through a hard time. Tony ackno...

Tony’s after some help at Bridge Farm and wonders whether Brian might be interested. Alice explains her dad’s angina has been a concern recently. Brian overhears, declaring he feels mollycoddled and patronised by his children. Tony tentatively suggests Brian must have a lot on with his house move. Brian’s defensive, responding testily that Miranda’s house sale has fallen through. Later he apologises to Alice for his attitude. Alice understands. It would be her mum’s birthday this week so it’s a difficult time. She wonders if now is the right time to be thinking about moving...

As George struggles with concussion, worried Amber wants him to tell the police what he remembers about the attack. She’s convinced Markie’s mates were responsible. George isn’t sure, and he’s scared of what might happen to the family if he grasses. He insists he can’t remember much about that night. However he does recall something about Amber and Brad, and apologises for his paranoia over his two closest allies. He’d understand if Amber wants to call it a day. Amber insists that won’t happen; she loves George and wants to put the past behind th...

Eddie and Amber arrive outside the hospital, Amber blaming herself for what’s happened. Inside, Susan and Emma struggle to try and work out who would have attacked George. It could be members of Markie’s gang, but equally might be almost anyone in the village. Emma then tells Amber that George is alive, but has a fractured skull. Amber breaks down in Susan’s arms, full of remorse for how badly she’s treated Susan. She declares her love for George, terrified he may not pull through. Eddie reckons they’ve got to put the past behind them and pull t...

As the New Year begins Emma and Will desperately search for Keira, unable to contact Ed or Eddie, while drawing a blank with Keira’s friends. Will reassures Emma, who believes that somehow it’s all her fault. Lilian finds Fallon treating a cut to her hand, downplaying any effect George’s appearance earlier might have had on her. Meanwhile, Neil and Tracy meet up on the Green, joined by Jazzer, then Will and Emma, the strain beginning to tell on all of them. Jazzer and Neil head off to check a bridle path, while Emma blames herself again, before...

Emma and Ed are about to go The Bull for New Year’s Eve when they realise Keira’s not there. They find a note saying she can’t stay there any longer and wishing George was back in prison. Fearing the worst, Ed blames George for tearing the family apart. Lilian and Tracy have been distributing free bottles of wine they were given after winning the Best Local Pub award, before George bursts in through the door, drunkenly demanding to be served and then mocking Kenton’s fear of dogs. Alice tries to reason with George before Brian takes ho...

At the Rewilding, Alice is hoping for a photo as Rex points out the beavers handy work, before wondering how Alice really feels about Chris looking for a new partner. She admits it’s difficult, the idea of Chris moving on, then realises that’s what she needs to do and work out what she really wants, which might include having another child. Before going to work Jazzer tells Brad to take care of Amber. Amber didn’t sleep well, due to George texting constantly, and asks Brad what she should do. He offers to be with her as a frie...

Emma confers with Will over what Brad said about George and Ed, with Will admitting he’s thought sometimes that George might hit him too. Emma reckons they have to do something to stop it getting worse, but what? Then Eddie asks them what’s going on. George tells Amber he’s been referred for counselling over his temper. He later interrupts Amber making a video, pushing her to have sex, before Will calls him downstairs, where Emma and Eddie are waiting too. They insist George tell the truth about what’s been going on, which he does very reluctan...

George is helping Ed with some tree surgery at Grange Farm, but accidentally hits Ed in the face with a branch. Later, when Brad comes over to Little Grange, Emma notices blood on a door handle. When Emma and Brad see the cut to Ed’s eyebrow they wince at how deep it is. George explains what happened, before Brad remarks on the same thing happening the other day. George insists last time was different and he never meant to hit Ed. George and Ed cover that both incidents were accidents, but Brad isn’t convinced. Emma patches Ed up...

George cycles up to Bridge Farm, asking Pat if they’ve got any work going. She puts him off, saying she’ll let him know if they need someone. Tony then joins Pat, ready to take some winter bedding over to Meadow Farm. On his way back George has a barbed exchange with Hannah, swapping insults over who has the sadder life, before Hannah gets upset and goes. Later at The Bull, Hannah talks through with Fallon what just happened. Hannah knows she shouldn’t have risen to George’s bait, but Fallon reckons it’s like George is on a missi...

Jolene and Kenton start early on some cleaning jobs before Fallon arrives and gives them the present of Christmas Day off while Harrison and her take over for the day. Later, Harrison broaches the subject of George, but Fallon warns him off. Harrison though is grateful to Kenton for trying to protect him from hearing about what happened, even at the cost of being traumatised again. Fallon insists, no more George, not on Christmas Day. Trying a different tack later, Harrison tells Fallon he’s been working on his anger management – and it paid off when Kenton got scared by G...

Hannah and Jazzer are driving their tractor to the start of the Run when Tony calls saying there’s a problem with his Fordson. He offers Hannah his place at the head of the line. Hannah thinks it’s a ploy for Tony to nab her position at the back, but Jazzer believes Tony and persuades her to agree. Hannah makes it clear how serious she is about winning the race to collect most money. Everyone then loves it as Hannah and turkey Jazzer lead the Run with angelic Eddie not far behind. Fresh from his motorbike stint, wise man...

Joy has called a final meeting of the Tractor Run entrants, with Tony and Hannah amongst them, bickering over the running order: Tony is in first place, Hannah, representing Berrow Farm, is fourteenth. Hannah proposes swapping places, throwing Tony’s justifications back at him, but to no avail. Joy then goes through some housekeeping rules, before Tony and Hannah approach to argue over the running order. Joy nips their complaints in the bud by justifying her decision and making clear it’s final. As everyone disperses Hannah asks Joy to change her position to last, before heading off with Jazz...

Jolene’s looking forward to Christmas dinner at Lower Loxley, but Joy’s stressed about the Tractor Run. Jolene doesn’t understand why Joy isn’t more relaxed, but Joy outlines the struggle she’s had just getting all the farmers on the same page about the rules, plus there’s the health and safety. She dreads thinking what would happen if anything goes wrong and she has to sort it out. They both laugh at the thought of Eddie dressed as an angel in a bedsheet and thermals, though. With Alan and Akram riding motorbikes, plus Zainab on her moped, J...

Fallon tells Joy she’s just taken Martha to an uplifting advent service at St Stephens, before Alan headed off to a multi-faith prayer for peace at Felpersham Cathedral. George then comes into the shop, buying crisps and a big bottle of vodka, telling them pointedly he’s not going to New Year’s Eve at The Bull, seeing as he’s barred. Fallon follows George to the playground, where he’s demolishing the vodka, and mentions a job she’s seen that he could go for. George is negative and self-pitying, telling Fallon that Amber’s left and isn’t coming b...

Emma and Susan share the hope that Chris might meet someone he can settle down with soon. Emma reports Keira’s mood swings. Susan reckons it’s normal for a teenager. Emma wonders if her mum will have time to come up to Grange Farm on Christmas Day when they have Martha. Susan observes they’ve come a long way as a family since last year. Emma wonders which is worse, Christmas without your mum, or your son. Susan observes the tough ones make the good ones even more precious. Emma agrees, but George is struggling so much without Amber...

As Susan and Joy prepare for tonight’s big celebration of the shop re-opening, Joy hopes plenty of customers turn up. The marquee provided by Justin looks magical. Martyn comes in to help carry provisions and admires the newly refurbished shop. Ed and Emma arrive with Susan’s surprise celebration cake, and Joy declares it perfect. Emma receives a text from Keira wondering when they’ll be home. She tells Ed she’ll call Keira; she and George had another row this afternoon. She’s worried about both of them. When there’s no reply Ed nips home. He reports that...

David has concerns for a loved one, and Jazzer finds himself the subject of ridicule.

Whilst packing vegetables Tom gives disgruntled Tony the bad news that he can’t drive Tony’s vintage Fordson in the tractor run as he’ll be setting off for Wales with Natasha and the twins early on Christmas Eve. When Helen arrives Tom wonders who’s in the worse mood, Pat or Tony. Then Tony takes Tom to task for letting him down at such short notice, backed up by Helen. Tom gets very defensive, blaming anyone but himself. When Pat walks in she too can’t believe Tom didn’t realise he wouldn’t be available, but offers to driv...

Eddie drops in on Jazzer and Tracy to flog one of his turkeys, but they tell him they can’t afford it, even with a family discount. Eddie then details how he’s cobbling together a turkey outfit for the Christmas market, but what he really needs is an assistant to help drum up sales. So, in return for a Grundy turkey, Tracy nominates Jazzer to give up his day off on Wednesday to be Eddie’s assistant. When Susan and Chris step inside the Village Shop for the first time since the repairs have been completed they can’t believ...

David catches up with Esme at Meadow Farm, pleased to hear she’s settling into Ambridge life, having watched the Christmas lights switch-on and been introduced to half the village by Akram. Esme’s getting to grips with looking after her cows too, but with finances still tight she’s keen to get David’s advice on sourcing extra silage. Later, Ben and David look forward to Shula joining the family for Christmas, before Esme phones and David has an idea to help raise money for the silage: getting Josh to sell some old farm machinery that’s lying in one of...

Josh and Lily nurse a recovering Paul, updating him that Josh’s girlfriend Nina did not turn up on Thursday. Josh admits that he finds her captivating on stage, but that he deserves more than he’s getting in the relationship. Lily reveals that she’s not going to travel with Mason in Australia but is just going to spend a short time in Perth. They no longer need to look for a new housemate. Lily will speak to Dane about the wedding planner job. Now that she’s staying around, she’s motivated to get the house clean before Shu...

Josh and Lily attempt to eat plain rice as their first meal after their illness, now confirmed as norovirus. They do not feel up to tidying the house ahead of Shula’s inspection. Instead of looking forward to Australia, Lily admits that she’s rethinking her trip plans. She’d still like to see her university friend in Perth, but doesn’t want to travel for a year. She wonders if her plans had been motivated by feelings of rejection at Lower Loxley. She is also not sure about her co-traveller Mason as she doesn’t know him very well. Jos...