From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working. Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become pregnant
after effectively one night stands? (Which I always thought an odd
concept as they were presumably lying down?).
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought an odd
concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought
an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought
an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

john
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22.1.26 13:55, john ashby wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always
thought an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki
[2] was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

I had already deduced that they were not using the pill as a form of contraception as my understanding that it takes time for the normal body
cycle to happen - so they decided to try and voila it all worked.
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?a (Which I always thought >>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22.1.26 16:57, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Nick

I suggest that the Highland Games should replace tossing the caber with tossing the haybales.
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought
an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Back in the days when it was a proper everyday story of country folk,
that sort of 'facts of life' would have been evident to even young kids.
--
Sam Plusnet
"I'm taking this cow to be serviced by the bull."
"Good heavens child! Can't your father do that?"
"No sir, it has to be the bull."
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 16:57, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Heaving woodpigeons?
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 16:57, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is
that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2]
was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Nick

You know me too well.

john
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:18:31 +0000, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 22/01/2026 16:57, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?a (Which I always thought >>>>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since >>>>> George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised >>>>> that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did >>>>> they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is >>>> that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1]
stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2] >>>> was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Heaving woodpigeons?

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 16:59, Kosmo wrote:

<snipped>

I suggest that the Highland Games should replace tossing the caber with tossing the haybales.

Well, Tess tossed her own.

Hay bales, Kirsty Wark on the wild side.
--
Cheers
Clive

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:17:21 +0000, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?a (Which I always thought
an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Back in the days when it was a proper everyday story of country folk,
that sort of 'facts of life' would have been evident to even young kids.

I've been thinking about this Amber/Chelsea story and wondering if we
aren't being set up for an "Ambridge Cuckoos" story?

Think about it: Ambridge is a sealed community: nobody from the real
world can get in or out. A+C get pregnant at more-or-less the same
time and who knows if there are even more pregnancies we just don't
know about yet? Keep a watchful eye open for startlingly blonde babies
with piercing blue eyes in about nine months time......

Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22.1.26 23:46, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:17:21 +0000, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Back in the days when it was a proper everyday story of country folk,
that sort of 'facts of life' would have been evident to even young kids.

I've been thinking about this Amber/Chelsea story and wondering if we
aren't being set up for an "Ambridge Cuckoos" story?

Think about it: Ambridge is a sealed community: nobody from the real
world can get in or out. A+C get pregnant at more-or-less the same
time and who knows if there are even more pregnancies we just don't
know about yet? Keep a watchful eye open for startlingly blonde babies
with piercing blue eyes in about nine months time......

Nick

Chelsea has given up on men for the moment, Zainab does not do dating
(and appears to have vanished), Helen - is Dane on or off?, Keira
possibly, Lily will have an Australian, the mysterious Naomi I suppose,
Esme, R'Rochelle (also vanished and surely she has been sentenced by
now?), Alice, Pip so plenty of room for immaculate conceptions.
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:18:31 +0000, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 22/01/2026 16:57, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:04 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:28, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>>>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since >>>>>> George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised >>>>>> that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did >>>>>> they imagine might happen?

Having now listened to last night's epi, what Kosmo is referring to is >>>>> that Amber stopped contraception and immediately fell pregnant.

Full disclosure: this is pretty much what happened to us - waife [1] >>>>> stopped pill about 3 months before our planned wedding and BrratSki [2] >>>>> was born 7 months after it.

[1] Then aged 30.
[2] Her [3] first child
[3] And mine afaik.

That give waife at least a month for the hormones to was out of her
system whereas Amber was away for a fortnight(?). Clearly tossing
haybales does wonders for one's potency.

Or something happened while she was away that she's not telling us.

Or George, but she's not telling George anything much.

If tossing haybales isn't a euphemism for something or other then it
bloomin' well ought to be.

Heaving woodpigeons?

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

I do. It was every bit as bad. I was the subject of many a comment as
a young woman, well into my thirties after I was married and bereaved.

These days I don't suffer fools, gladly or otherwise. I speak out. It doesn't make me popular but it's the right thing to do.
--
Jane
The Amethyst Artist
BTME

http://www.clothandclay.co.uk/umra/cookbook.htm - Umrats' recipes








--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 22:28, Clive Arthur wrote:

On 22/01/2026 16:59, Kosmo wrote:

<snipped>

I suggest that the Highland Games should replace tossing the caber
with tossing the haybales.

Well, Tess tossed her own.

Hay bales, Kirsty Wark on the wild side.

:)))))
--
Jane
The Amethyst Artist
BTME

http://www.clothandclay.co.uk/umra/cookbook.htm - Umrats' recipes








--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ? "first story, inside and out" I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we made some
wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:


Why politically incorrect Life on Mars baffled the BBC
Twenty years on from the time-slip drama, hererCOs how this
obscenity-filled cop show became one of TVrCOs most enduring cult hits

Tom Fordy 09 January 2026 1:00pm GMT

ItrCOs 20 years since the debut of time travel police drama Life on Mars,
a show that hit TV screens like a Ford Cortina smashing through a stack
of cardboard boxes and screeched into the metaphysical non-reality (or
is it?) of 1973. All to the sound of belting 1970s tunes and couldnrCOt-say-that-now obscenities.

But it took eight years to arrive. At a time when high concepts were considered a radical departure for serious British drama, TV bosses
couldnrCOt get their heads around the premise: clean-cut copper Sam Tyler (John Simm) is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973, not knowing if herCOs dead, in a coma or really back in time. rCLNow people say, rCyIt was such a cool idea rCo they must have been biting your hands off,rCOrCY says Ashley Pharoah, who co-created and wrote Life on Mars with Matthew
Graham and Tony Jordan. rCLIt was the opposite! Everyone turned it down at least once.rCY

rCLI remember one guy at the BBC who kept looking at his watch like, rCyGet
me the hell out of this meeting as quickly as possible!rCOrCY says Graham, laughing.

Amusingly, Sam Tyler would bellow similar words: rCLGet me out of here!rCY Stuck in 1973, herCOs forced to work as a DI in the Manchester police with
DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), a self-styled sheriff and a model of no-nonsense machismo. Or as Tyler describes him, an rCLoverweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding.rCY

rCLYou make that sound like a bad thing,rCY replies Hunt.

The characters personify the showrCOs central conflict. With his knowledge
of modern police procedures, protocols and PC sensitivities, Sam is by
the book; Gene, however, is more likely to use the book to wallop a
suspect, force a confession and have a heavy session at the Railway Arms.

Indeed, Life on Mars is a plane of existence where both existential
angst and giving some toerag a good shoeing are all part of the job. The surface level pleasure is, of course, 1970s nostalgia. rCLThe music was fantastic, the clothes were great,rCY says Pharoah. Not to mention
Lucozade bottles in orange cellophane, Watneys Party Seven Bitter, and,
well, white dog muck. rCLThat takes me back,rCY says Sam as the brutish DS
Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) prepares to mash a villainrCOs face into a
chalky pile of the stuff.

Beneath that, Life on Mars is one of the smartest genre shows of the
last 20 years. ItrCOs not just about dropping a modern-day copper into the 1970s, but within the established boundaries of a bullish 1970s cop show.

rCLStarsky and Hutch have a lot to answer for,rCY says Sam as Gene races recklessly through the streets in his Cortina.

rCLWho?rCY barks Gene.

John Simm (left) and Philip Glenister as Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt in Life
on Mars
An rCyoverweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complexrCO rCo Sam TylerrCOs first impression of Gene Hunt Credit: BBC/Kerry Brown

Named for the David Bowie song, playing on SamrCOs now outdated
mid-Noughties iPod, Life on Mars is built on two interlocking narratives
that operate in different genres. While Tyler and Hunt investigate their
crime of the week rCo a closed-book story resolved by the combo of SamrCOs protocol and GenerCOs instincts rCo thererCOs the open-ended question of whatrCOs really going on, a science-fiction mystery that bleeds through
the boundaries of the series. Warnings and messages come from the future
via cultural staples of yesteryear: Morecambe and Wise, Open University
and the BBC Test Card Girl. One of the most inspired ideas is a
recreation of Camberwick Green with a puppet of Gene Hunt rCLkicking in a noncerCY.

The Life on Mars concept came from a 1998 jaunt to Blackpool, where
Pharoah, Graham and Jordan spent a few days coming up with ideas for production company Kudos. rCLWe agreed that all the fun had gone out of
police dramas,rCY says Graham. rCLWe said, rCyCan we do something like The Sweeney?rCOrCY

But realising the dodgy copper antics of The Sweeney might be
unpalatable for modern audiences (rCLGet your trousers on, yourCOre nicked!rCY), the trio came up with the time traveller-in-a-coma idea.

rCLWhat if you take a decent cop who does everything by the book and
believes in red tape and thrust him into this world?rCY says Graham. rCLIt
was more of a comedy at first rCo it was called Ford Granada [after one of
the cars driven by John Thaw in The Sweeney] and was written as a
vehicle for someone like Neil Morrissey. It was designed to be
knockabout fun rCo probably even pre-watershed.rCY

rCyOh, shut up you noncey-a---d fairyrCO: The line that summed up HuntrCOs political incorrectness Credit: BBC/Kerry Brown
The show was turned down by the BBC before Channel 4 picked it up,
developed it, then suddenly backed out. rCLI remember Channel 4 saying, rCyThis will end careers if we make it,rCOrCY says Pharoah. rCLThe risk was that
it was silly. No executive wants to be the person who greenlit a massive failure.rCY

Enough time had passed, however, that they could go back to the BBC.
rCLAll the people that didnrCOt get it had moved on or gone on to new things,rCY says Graham. Both he and Pharoah credit Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner rCo then the respective heads of BBC drama and BBC Wales rCo for
their confidence in the script. There was, however, hesitation within
the BBC about the ambiguity. As Sam says in the title sequence, rCLAm I
mad? In a coma? Or back in time?rCY The BBC wanted to show Tyler in a coma
at the start of each episode to make it clearer. The writers argued
against it.

rCLThatrCOs what makes the show,rCY says Pharoah. rCLIs he dead? Is he dreaming?
ThatrCOs the entire dramatic hook.rCY

Graham recalls that even star John Simm was rCLcompletely baffledrCY by the script. rCLI remember him saying to me, rCyWhat the f--- is this?rCOrCY says Graham. Simm said that when Tyler woke in 1973, he wondered if some
pages were missing.

In classic time travel fashion, SimmrCOs Sam Tyler sets about righting
wrongs in the past rCo like a Mancunian Quantum Leap rCo while also bumping into his parents and inventing chicken in a basket. The intellectual
meat of Life on Mars, though, is in its layers of dramatic irony rCo
things that Sam and audience understand but the 1970s characters donrCOt.
It deals with issues of the day, and the consequences of poor policing
and social unrest in subsequent years: racism, the IRA, police
corruption and transparency, drugs, strikes and the loss of industry,
football hooliganism and rCo yes rCo political correctness.

Ironically, the show was also ahead of its time in its treatment of what werCOd soon call everyday sexism rCo see the casual bum-pinching, derogatory treatment of WPC Annie Cartwright (Liz White), SamrCOs only true confidant
in 1973 and a much better copper than the prejudiced DS Ray Carling or
the dippy DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster). And while Gene Hunt
stands a totemic example of political incorrectness, the character
emerged as a British cultural touchstone. In white slip-on loafers and a camel-hair coat, no less, asking to have rCLa word in your shell-likerCY.

He was also an unexpected hit with women. rCLLiberal female fans loved
him,rCY says Pharoah, who admits to having a strange relationship with
Gene. rCLWe thought werCOd created a monster.rCY Pharoah laughs looking back at a newspaper headline about Gene Hunt that read, rCLWe need this man to
fix Britain.rCY

Philip Glenister, who took inspiration from 1970s football managers rCo
the likes of Brian Clough and Tommy Docherty rCo is remarkable in the
role, embodying a sense of outdated but oddly satisfying British
masculinity.

With an arsenal of zingers worthy of The Sweeney rCo rCLDonrCOt move, yourCOre surrounded by armed b-------!rCY rCo Gene Hunt is the kind of a man who can have a punch-up without dropping the cigarette from his lips, and whose solution to every conflict is rCLpubrCY (a statement, not a question). That no-nonsense machismo is all part of the joy of Life on Mars, as
suggested by GenerCOs parting line to Sam: rCLOh, shut up you noncey-a---d fairy.rCY

Gene was initially conceived as more racist, but the lines landed uncomfortably in a script readthrough and were dropped. rCLWe were
criticised by some people who said in the 1970s Gene Hunt would have
been out-and-out racist,rCY says Pharoah. rCLBut if people hated that character, it wouldnrCOt work.rCY

Life on Mars debuted on January 9, 2006 and ran for two series. The
finale sees Sam awake from his coma in 2006 but it leaves bigger
questions hanging in the cosmos when Sam throws himself from a building
and returns to 1973.

The sequel series, Ashes to Ashes, with DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes)
joining GenerCOs team in the 1980s, revealed the full story: GenerCOs world
is a sort-of purgatory for the souls of troubled coppers, and Gene is a foul-mouthed, scotch-soaked angel who guides them to the afterlife.
(Which is actually the Railway Arms boozer. rCLA comforting thought to us all,rCY says Pharoah.)

Did the writers have that explanation in mind when making Life on Mars
or was it thought up retrospectively? Graham recalls an inkling of the
idea, which they would have dealt with in a planned third series of Life
on Mars. rCLIt was half in our heads,rCY he says. rCLThis idea of a metaphysical sorting house for police with problems, and Gene as this
fallen angel guide.rCY But it was shelved when Simm decided to hang up the flares after the second series.

After winning an international Emmy, Life on Mars was remade in America
in 2008 with Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt. Pharoah attended a table read
at which Keitel took him aside and asked, rCLAre we f------ this up?rCY It
was axed during the first series and delivered an abysmal twist ending
with the characters on a spaceship to, ahem, Mars.

There were plans for a third iteration of the UK original called
Lazarus, which would have teamed Sam and Gene with a Bergerac-like
detective in Canterbury, but it never happened. Both Pharoah and Graham
wonder if Life on Mars could be made now. Pharoah points to a scene in
which Gene fires off homophobic slurs. rCLI donrCOt think I could write
those words any more!rCY he says.

They are currently working on a stage adaptation of Life on Mars. rCLA
version of the original story,rCY says Graham. rCLWe have high hopes.rCY

ItrCOs a testament to the enduring popularity of Life on Mars, which
remains a perennial streaming favourite. But Pharoah remembers that even
at its peak there was some industry snootiness. rCLWe never won a Bafta,rCY
he says. rCLI heard from someone in the judging room that they were
resistant to something like Life on Mars because it was a little bit
silly.rCY But Pharoah writes it off with Gene Hunt-like panache. rCLThe audience couldnrCOt give a toss. They loved it.rCY

Life On Mars is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 10:34, Jane Vernon wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

I do.-a It was every bit as bad.

It was worse imo. Much more racist than in the show as the writer
explained in the article I just posted....

I was the subject of many a comment as

a young woman, well into my thirties after I was married and bereaved.

Not that this was excusable.

These days I don't suffer fools, gladly or otherwise.-a I speak out.-a It doesn't make me popular but it's the right thing to do.

Really ? We hadn't noticed ;)

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

Idly watching the first episode of a TV crime drama series recently, I
found myself in a slightly troubled frame of mind. We were already 35
minutes in and no probable villain had shown their face. We had seen
black people, Chinese people, lesbians, the disabled, the impoverished
and powerless, Muslims, the young and idealisticrCa yikes, I thought to myself, it simply canrCOt be any of them, can it? Surely not. And then, as
if the scriptwriter had heard my private worries, for lo, a very rich, marble-mouthed white woman emerged and was shown being beastly to some
young and idealistic people and I thought: bingo! We have our villain.
There is no need to watch the remaining five episodes. She did it, the
rich cow. The only slight surprise is that it was a woman rather than a
bloke.

You may have had a similar experience lately, if you watch television. I
watch quite a lot these days because for a while IrCOm doing the TV review
for the Sunday Times. It is sometimes like being sandblasted by
freeze-dried pellets of rhino excrement. Anyway, you will have found
that if you are watching a drama, especially a crime drama, almost all
of the following will occur.

You will be introduced to a world which bears no resemblance whatsoever
to the real world

First, the principal character, the good person, the star, will not be a
white male. It will almost certainly be a woman and quite probably a
woman who is also a person of colour. And more than likely batting for
the other side, if you will excuse my rather dated allusion to
homosexuality. Further, you will probably find she has a boss who is
also female and probably a person of colour, too. And then, when you
look around at the rest of the cast, you will find that the head of MI5
is a black woman, the prime minister is an Asian woman and the president
of the USA is either a black man or a black woman. If the pope was in
this show that role would almost certainly go to a woman and quite
possibly one who was at the very least bi-curious and with cerebral
palsy. You will also note that when it comes to a fight, the female star
is far stronger and quicker than the men who assail her.

For sure, in this show you have begun to watch you will see some
straight white men. But they are probably utter dunderheads, forever
being shown up by junior employees who are female or of colour or more
likely both. Either that or they are agents of limitless malevolence.
Keep your eye on them, because they will almost certainly turn out to
have committed the crime, whatever it is.

The other certainty is that if there is a Muslim character, and there
almost certainly will be a Muslim character, they will be the most
peaceable human being who ever walked this Earth, bearing nothing but
glad tidings and benevolence to those with whom he or she comes into
contact, inshallah.

Of course there will be other straight white folk milling around rCo but
if they are poor and put-upon you can bet your life that at most they
may play a minor role in crime, having been forced to do so by the
exigencies of the capitalist system and the predatory white males who
make their lives a living hell. They are, then, morally not guilty.

In short, you will be introduced to a world which in every aspect bears
no resemblance whatsoever to the real world, the one in which you live.
A world in which women are physically stronger than men and better at everything, in which people of colour are always much nicer than white
folks, and rCyqueerrCO people of colour exponentially nicer. A world in
which all crime is committed by the rich people. Frankly, if the show
depicted a central London phone-snatch theft it would almost certainly
be carried out by a middle-aged, middle-class white bloke called Oliver
or Jacob riding a Brompton. rCyHey, old chap, IrCOm afraid IrCOm going to have to take your bally smartphone!rCO And the victim would be a 16-year-old
lad of Somalian extraction.

Now, all this might irritate you, much as it irritates me. But it is not
the crucial point. The crucial point is that as a consequence you will
know exactly who has committed whatever crime it is that constitutes the fulcrum for this show. You will know them by the colour of their skin,
their sexual preferences, their sex and their affluence. And this, to
me, rather negates the point of a crime mystery drama. There is no
mystery. It is all a little like that ITV series Liar in which the
audience was enjoined to judge who was telling the truth, a woman
alleging rape or the man who had denied the crime. And then the stupid
TV producers declared that it couldnrCOt possibly be the woman who was
lying, they couldnrCOt show that.

The actress Sophie Turner recently addressed this whole issue, but
seemed very happy with it. All the villains in films these days were
rCyrich peoplerCO, she said, and this was better because it was rCyless racistrCO. She did not mean this ironically, sadly.

Our scriptwriters and producers almost exclusively adhere to a
post-Marxist view of the world in which the oppressor, and therefore the guilty party, is someone like you. Either that or they are terrified to portray anything which diverges from this template for fear of being cancelled. I donrCOt really care that this makes their programmes
unrealistic and at times patently absurd rCo TV is like that; it is a cretinrCOs medium. But I do care that they make the programmes unwatchable because we know in advance exactly what will happen.

Rod Liddle


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

But as Johnny Speight learnt no matter how ridiculous the opinions and behaviours you hold up to ridicule there will be people who say "That's
my tribe". Your DT article says that Gene Hunt became an object of
desire for (some) women, and it's almost certain that (sme) men saw him
as a role model.

Ans yes, I do say that like it's a Bad Thing.

john

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of the
program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we made
some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas]

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

john
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 2026/1/23 13:13:22, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

I think I do, and I was in a privileged bubble; I think it was easily
that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of the
program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we made some
wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

But as Johnny Speight learnt no matter how ridiculous the opinions and behaviours you hold up to ridicule there will be people who say "That's
my tribe". Your DT article says that Gene Hunt became an object of
desire for (some) women, and it's almost certain that (sme) men saw him
as a role model.

Yes, I saw the Alf Garnett parallel too; (a lot of) people didn't
_realize_ he was meant to be hateful, but aligned with him instead :-(.

Ans yes, I do say that like it's a Bad Thing.

Indeed.

john

John
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"...told me to connect with the electorate, and I did!" John Prescott
on having punched the man who threw an egg at him (Top Gear, 2011-2-28)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ? "first story, inside and out" I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham
'48/33 M B+ G++ A L(-) I S-- CH0(--)(p) Ar- T+ H0 ?Q
chris@cdixon.me.uk @ChrisJDixon1
Plant amazing Acers.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ? "first story, inside and out" I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and within.

john
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and
within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ? NotIME
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and
within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural engineering. DAMHIKT.

john

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 16:35, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first >>>>>> story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and
within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

Not in my circle in the early 60's.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural engineering. DAMHIKT.

Perhaps, but liberty bodices and their like weren't corsets, which are
an entirely different kettle of errm, fish.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 13:15, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of
the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we
made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas]

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

The Eye take on Mr Liddle was amusing. It said that his TV reviews were almost entirely of programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, suggesting that
he was unable to figure out how to watch any of the streaming networks
unless his wife was around to press the buttons for him.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 13:15, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of
the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we
made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas]

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

The Eye take on Mr Liddle was amusing. It said that his TV reviews were almost entirely of programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, suggesting that
he was unable to figure out how to watch any of the streaming networks
unless his wife was around to press the buttons for him.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 22/01/2026 23:46, Nick Odell wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:17:21 +0000, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 22/01/2026 13:08, John Finlay wrote:

On 22/01/2026 10:31, Kosmo wrote:

On 22.1.26 09:32, Kosmo wrote:

Has it died?

(testing after numerous error messages).

Hmm seems to be working.-a Have I missed anything important?

Is it not amazing that both Amber and Chelsea managed to become
pregnant after effectively one night stands?-a (Which I always thought >>>> an odd concept as they were presumably lying down?).

As Amber and George have been sleeping (not sleeping) together since
George came out, it's hardly a one-night stand, though I am surprised
that none of them thought to take any precautions - I mean, what did
they imagine might happen?

Back in the days when it was a proper everyday story of country folk,
that sort of 'facts of life' would have been evident to even young kids.

I've been thinking about this Amber/Chelsea story and wondering if we
aren't being set up for an "Ambridge Cuckoos" story?

Think about it: Ambridge is a sealed community: nobody from the real
world can get in or out. A+C get pregnant at more-or-less the same
time and who knows if there are even more pregnancies we just don't
know about yet? Keep a watchful eye open for startlingly blonde babies
with piercing blue eyes in about nine months time......

But we would never know that.
Remember when Kate's South African (was he boyfriend, fiance or husband
at the time?) visited Ambridge?
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 13:15, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of
the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we
made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas]

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

The Eye take on Mr Liddle was amusing. It said that his TV reviews were almost entirely of programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, suggesting that
he was unable to figure out how to watch any of the streaming networks
unless his wife was around to press the buttons for him.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 2026/1/23 18:7:19, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 16:35, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first >>>>>>> story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and
within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

I think JA was just being discreet.

Not in my circle in the early 60's.

Mine not in the 70s either - though it being (then) an all-boys school
didn't help.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural
engineering. DAMHIKT.

Perhaps, but liberty bodices and their like weren't corsets, which are
an entirely different kettle of errm, fish.

I don't think "whalebone" corsets were actually ... though the
misapprehension was quite widespread, in that royalty (or whoever) were
given first dibs on any whales beached around the Cinque Ports, or
something like that. (And yes, I know whales aren't fish either.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

What good is a smart phone with a dumb user?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 21:35, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/23 18:7:19, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 16:35, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first >>>>>>>> story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and >>>>> within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

I think JA was just being discreet.

Not in my circle in the early 60's.

Mine not in the 70s either - though it being (then) an all-boys school
didn't help.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural
engineering. DAMHIKT.

Perhaps, but liberty bodices and their like weren't corsets, which are
an entirely different kettle of errm, fish.

I don't think "whalebone" corsets were actually ... though the misapprehension was quite widespread, in that royalty (or whoever) were
given first dibs on any whales beached around the Cinque Ports, or
something like that. (And yes, I know whales aren't fish either.)

'Whalebone' corsets were indeed made using the stiff keratinous baleen
filter from baleen whales. It's flexible and supportive. These days
'boning' for corsets (used widely in the theatre, of course, as well as
in couture) is usually either thin steel or a kind of plastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen

THBAPSA
--
Kate B
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 2026/1/23 22:15:0, Kate B wrote:

On 23/01/2026 21:35, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

[]

I don't think "whalebone" corsets were actually ... though the
misapprehension was quite widespread, in that royalty (or whoever) were
given first dibs on any whales beached around the Cinque Ports, or
something like that. (And yes, I know whales aren't fish either.)

'Whalebone' corsets were indeed made using the stiff keratinous baleen filter from baleen whales. It's flexible and supportive. These days
'boning' for corsets (used widely in the theatre, of course, as well as
in couture) is usually either thin steel or a kind of plastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen

THBAPSA

Ah. I remember reading somewhere that the prudish Victorians (or
similar) gave royalty the right to such whales, being unaware that such
corsets were not actually made from whales. It would appear that I only
picked up half the story - that though they weren't actually made from
whale *bone*, the material _did_ actually come from (a particular kind
of) whale, being a sort of filter/net in the whale's mouth, made from
the same substance that in us makes hair and nails. So though
"whalebone" is a misnomer, it wasn't as much as I had thought. )As you
say, those corsets still being made now use metal or synthetic materials
- I imagine from requirements for consistency, and maybe hygiene, rather
than any squeamishness.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Eve had an Apple, Adam had a Wang...
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 21:29, Sam Plusnet wrote:

On 23/01/2026 13:15, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of
the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we
made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas]

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

The Eye take on Mr Liddle was amusing.-a It said that his TV reviews were almost entirely of programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, suggesting that
he was unable to figure out how to watch any of the streaming networks unless his wife was around to press the buttons for him.

Sorry about the repeats. My internet connection was doing strange
things and it convinced Thunderbird it hadn't posted my post.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 22:15, Kate B wrote:

On 23/01/2026 21:35, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/23 18:7:19, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 16:35, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first >>>>>>>>> story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't >>>>>>>>> recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a >>>>>> tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and >>>>>> within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

I think JA was just being discreet.

Not in my circle in the early 60's.

Mine not in the 70s either - though it being (then) an all-boys school
didn't help.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural >>>> engineering. DAMHIKT.

Perhaps, but liberty bodices and their like weren't corsets, which are
an entirely different kettle of errm, fish.

I don't think "whalebone" corsets were actually ... though the
misapprehension was quite widespread, in that royalty (or whoever) were
given first dibs on any whales beached around the Cinque Ports, or
something like that. (And yes, I know whales aren't fish either.)

'Whalebone' corsets were indeed made using the stiff keratinous baleen filter from baleen whales. It's flexible and supportive. These days
'boning' for corsets (used widely in the theatre, of course, as well as
in couture) is usually either thin steel or a kind of plastic.

I do worry that the use of thin strips of spring steel, held under
tension, could give rise to some terrible injury - to the wearer or
perhaps to bystanders.

P.S. It would be hard to get through airport security.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 23/01/2026 12:36, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 10:34, Jane Vernon wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

I do.-a It was every bit as bad.

It was worse imo. Much more racist than in the show as the writer
explained in the article I just posted....

I was the subject of many a comment as

a young woman, well into my thirties after I was married and bereaved.

Not that this was excusable.

These days I don't suffer fools, gladly or otherwise.-a I speak out.
It doesn't make me popular but it's the right thing to do.

Really ?-a We hadn't noticed-a ;)

<innocent look> Oh, really?
--
Jane
The Amethyst Artist
BTME

http://www.clothandclay.co.uk/umra/cookbook.htm - Umrats' recipes








--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 24/01/2026 01:51, Sam Plusnet wrote:

On 23/01/2026 22:15, Kate B wrote:

On 23/01/2026 21:35, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/23 18:7:19, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 16:35, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:38, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:30, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include >>>>>>>>>> first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't >>>>>>>>>> recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>>>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the >>>>>>>> parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a >>>>>>> tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and >>>>>>> within.

Wow, you have a very active imagination.

No, I remember what it was like being a schoolboy in the (early)
seventies. Did you not have a points system?

I think JA was just being discreet.

Not in my circle in the early 60's.

Mine not in the 70s either - though it being (then) an all-boys school
didn't help.

Were corsets commonly worn in Gene Hunt's time ?-a NotIME

While some were (not, see the GUardian letters column re Call The
Midwife) burning their bras, such items were still feats of structural >>>>> engineering. DAMHIKT.

Perhaps, but liberty bodices and their like weren't corsets, which are >>>> an entirely different kettle of errm, fish.

I don't think "whalebone" corsets were actually ... though the
misapprehension was quite widespread, in that royalty (or whoever) were
given first dibs on any whales beached around the Cinque Ports, or
something like that. (And yes, I know whales aren't fish either.)

'Whalebone' corsets were indeed made using the stiff keratinous baleen
filter from baleen whales. It's flexible and supportive. These days
'boning' for corsets (used widely in the theatre, of course, as well
as in couture) is usually either thin steel or a kind of plastic.

I do worry that the use of thin strips of spring steel, held under
tension, could give rise to some terrible injury - to the wearer or
perhaps to bystanders.

P.S. It would be hard to get through airport security.

They are firmly sewn into cloth channels, so rarely escape. However,
those of us who have suffered with underwired bras will know the
problem. I suspect vanishingly few people would ever want to travel on a
plane dressed in a boned corset.
--
Kate B
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 24.1.26 01:48, Sam Plusnet wrote:

On 23/01/2026 21:29, Sam Plusnet wrote:

On 23/01/2026 13:15, john ashby wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:44, BrritSki wrote:

On 23/01/2026 12:34, BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first >>>>>> story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall >>>>>> it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ?-a "first story, inside and out"-a I don't >>>>> recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

Of course the attitudes were terrible, that was the whole point of
the program, to show how we've moved on and illustrate also how we
made some wrong moves into what were the beginnings of woke.

There was a good article on it in the DT earlier this month:
<snip copyright material to make room for more>

And then serendipitously I read this in the Speccie:

The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators

[snip puerile hyberbolic pretend deconstruction of moder police dramas] >>>>

Rod Liddle

I should have guessed.

The Eye take on Mr Liddle was amusing.-a It said that his TV reviews
were almost entirely of programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 4,
suggesting that he was unable to figure out how to watch any of the
streaming networks unless his wife was around to press the buttons for
him.

Sorry about the repeats.-a My internet connection was doing strange
things and it convinced Thunderbird it hadn't posted my post.

We are used to a lot of repeats on television so it did not seem unusual.
--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:30:39 +0000, john ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 23/01/2026 15:15, Chris J Dixon wrote:

BrritSki wrote:

On 22/01/2026 21:29, vicky.ayech@gmail.com wrote:

We're re-watching Life on Mars. The terms used there include first
story, inside and out, and the attitudes are terrible. I don't recall
it being that bad.

What do those terms mean ? "first story, inside and out" I don't
recall them at all either at the time or in the program.

I thought it was just me not remembering or keeping up with the
parlance.

Chris

I suspect it might make more sense spelled "storey" and refer to a
tactile experience of mammaries both outside their corsetry case and within.

john

That is right
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2