The heating breaks down at the village hall, giving Alan a new disaster and another headache at panto rehearsals to cope with. Where can he find new premises? His biggest headache of course is Lynda, who insists on changing her lines and hogging the limelight. Can Alan be a man and actually stand up to her? Would that mean having to succeed where everyone else has failed?!
Pip breaks the news to Toby that he’s successfully fertlilised an Archer. He seems to be not so thrilled at this monumental achievement and thinks she’s made a mistake.
There’s even more shocking news from Lilian for the villagers to absorb. And as yet more bombshells are dropped, Lilian’s chance of happiness could be in the balance.
Justin and Harrison cross swords, and a mysterious email causes problems.
After Freddie’s actions on their birthday night at the Bull, Lily is worried about him and she recruits Nolly to talk some sense into him before he does something he’ll regret.
Celebrations come before Christmas at Bridge Farm as the land sale goes through.
Peggy learns that Christine is out to prove she doesn’t need anyone’s help.
The Echo name Brian ‘Businessman of the Year’.
Joe is in the doghouse after his offer to take in a guest over Christmas.
Oliver is planning a trip to New York.
An amalgamation of two radio/TV guides paraphrased by Toffee from Peet’s
So Pip defies advice, reason, logic and simple common sense and decides to tell ToeBee. Which means she plans to keep it … as “I’m pregnant … it’s yours … and I’m not keeping it” aren’t 3 statements which fit together. We can’t have another miscarriage story so soon, unless it’s to show that she does them so much better than Kirsty.
… more to reveal from Lillian ? What ?? Is SHE pregnant too ???
Defective Constable Harrison continues to chase Justin. I hope he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Freddie misbehaves … surprised ? No.
Lily cares … surprised ? Yes.
Nolly is chosen to be the sensible one … surprised ? Flabbergasted.
Joe dumps on the family … in so many senses I guess. Misery and put-downs of Clarrie at Christmas. Hilariously I assume.
Brian is businessman of the year. Really. Has Helen not turned enough cheese this year ? What about Hugo Melling … surely he made more money ?
They’re a gutless lot, the production team. They should have confronted abortion with the Vickoi pregnancy instead of going down the ‘everything’s going to be lovely’ route. I do hope they look at abortion with Pip.
Can you imagine the howls of outrage at abortion featuring as a ‘Christmas’ storyline, Marjorie? No, I very much fear the Bleating Tart will change what passes for her mind. And we will of course all be delighted. The possible benefits of a ‘wurst Christmas evah!’ for the Dopeys when they find out their Anointed One is in pig to Toby will be far outweighed by the long-term narrative consequences. Gah!
I think it’s reasonable that they only do early terminations in TA just as they have already done with Elizabeth and Annette. With Vicky, they made doubly sure it would be extra late because she was so slow to catch on that she was pregnant. If she’d opted for an abortion at 19 or 20 weeks, which is what she was, if I recall, it would have been just too grim for the airwaves, I think. I wouldn’t have wanted to hear it, anyhow. I wouldn’t have minded Vicky having an early abortion, deciding that she was a bit too old and it was risky and Mike was a lot too old and it wouldn’t be fair to him … but the awful thing about testing for Down’s is that it is done quite late in the pregnancy though that might have changed by now. Anyhow, only so much grimness I can take from TA.
I do hope Pip isn’t going to change her mind, but everyone’s fears may be justified, looking at the one-liners and Pip being ‘torn’ (sadly, not to pieces by jackals) and Toby’s life changing forever.
I thought the Annette story was good. She made up her mind, stuck to it in spite of Helen’s creepy would-be brainwashing, had the abortion and moved on, literally.