A small Archers quiz for you - not necessarily everyday questions about country folk

[The Stationmaster]

This week see's a major anniversary for 'The Archers' including a quiz on R4 tomorrow evening.  So as a prelude to that quiz here are a few questions which extend beyond the more usual ones we might get because these are solely about people.  I'll start with the easy one and graduually get a bit harder.

 

1.  Who are the father and son who play a father and son in The Archers? (Either the name of the characters or of the actors will do - there is a Dr Who link in there somewhere.)

 

2. Who might be considered to have socially gone a long way down market from the first role they played in The Archers to the one they play now? (again the acting person's name or those of the two characters will do).

 

3.  Links to 'Dr Who' can be found in a number of places in 'The Archers' but just to be different who is the The Archers linked with a character created in fiction by Phillip Pullman? (again either name may be used).

 

The answers are out there should you need to look

Edited December 31, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

I was expecting rivets!

 

Mike.

[chrisf]

I can answer Q.1.  Tony Archer is now played by David Troughton, son of Patrick who was the second Doctor Who in succession to Willam Hartnell.  Tom Archer is now played by William Troughton, son of David.

 

Chris

[TheSignalEngineer]

Taking me back a long way here, haven't listened to The Archers for years, but in the days when my mother was secretary to a group of doctors about 60 years ago several of the cast lived nearby and were on the books. 

Later the daughter of my old geography teacher became one of the writing and production team. He would sit in on recordings often performing customer background noises for scenes set in The Bull.

[phil_sutters]

In the 40+ year gap between railway modelling phases, I painted wargames figures, so my take is a bit different!

To be on topic, my parents used to listen to The Archers religiously at 6.45 every weekday evening - well Dad was a parson.

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by phil_sutters
missing word

[DLT]

Not sure if this is relevant to the quiz, but another Dr Who link is actor Terry Malloy; he played Mike Tucker in The Archers, and Davros in Dr Who.  Phillip Malloy plays Will Grundy, but I don't know if they are related.

[BokStein]

I find it both amazing and amusing how quickly a 'sensibly-intentioned' thread can all too quickly develop into so many diverse and, although related to the main theme, disappear off in as many differing directions like tree roots! Such is the distraction of social media!

 

I submit this merely as an observation worthy of so many threads on this forum but dipped into this one sheerly out of idle curiosity. Whilst I am aware of "The Archers", I can lay claim to never having listened to an episode of their trials and tribulations!

[TheSignalEngineer]

26 minutes ago, DLT said:

Not sure if this is relevant to the quiz, but another Dr Who link is actor Terry Malloy; he played Mike Tucker in The Archers, and Davros in Dr Who.  Phillip Malloy plays Will Grundy, but I don't know if they are related.

They probably are being everyday country folk.

[The Stationmaster]

2 hours ago, DLT said:

Not sure if this is relevant to the quiz, but another Dr Who link is actor Terry Malloy; he played Mike Tucker in The Archers, and Davros in Dr Who.  Phillip Malloy plays Will Grundy, but I don't know if they are related.

They are father and son in real life I believe.  Chrsf got the correct answer to Question 1.

 

Questions 2 and 3 are rather more difficult but as a clue in both cases the actors/Archers characters they play (and in one case played in the past) are all female.

 Which rules out one potential answer although that didn't involve a big move on the social scale in Ambridge, more something of a sideways move, and back again several times, a good while in the past. 

[Steamport Southport]

Ah!, The Archers!

 

The programme you accidentally listen to whilst trying to find the remote control after you've listened to the comedy on Radio Four.... 

 

 

I don't think I've ever listened to a full episode. The only actor that I know was in it who was famous in other spheres was Edward Kelsey AKA Baron Greenback in Danger Mouse  as well as being in Doctor Who and a whole smorgasbord of cult TV programmes such as The Avengers.

 

Apparently he played Joe Grundy.

[phil_sutters]

3 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

In the 40+ year gap between railway modelling phases, I painted wargames figures, so my take is a bit different!

To be on topic, my parents used to listen to The Archers religiously at 6.45 every weekday evening - well Dad was a parson.

 

28mm and Essex Miniatures are I think the right answers, but it must be at least 30 years since I painted them, for Bill Brewer's Rye Stamp & Hobby shop in Peckham.

[Harlequin]

2: Kate Archer => Tracy Horobin (still on collision course with Oliver so maybe about to go up in the world again?)

 

Edit: Although she has now lured Jazzer into a trap and snogged him, which complicates things.

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Harlequin

[The Stationmaster]

On 01/01/2021 at 01:53, Harlequin said:

2: Kate Archer => Tracy Horobin (still on collision course with Oliver so maybe about to go up in the world again?)

 

Edit: Although she has now lured Jazzer into a trap and snogged him, which complicates things.

 

Excellent  answer and absolutely spot on - Susie Riddell is the actress concerned.  I do wonder about the Jazzer event but at least she won't be off to another continent if she gets involved with him (probably).

 

So who is going to get No.3 - again involving a female character who has - another clue - been in the programme played by the same person for a long time. 

[Harlequin]

Argh! Should have been "Kate Aldridge", of course... But she has Archer genes.

 

[The Stationmaster]

7 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Argh! Should have been "Kate Aldridge", of course... But she has Archer genes.

 

Yes but you still got the right connection Phil so no worres about a typographical error (well that was how I read it  ).

 

No.3 is still unanswered although admittedly it is by far the most obtuse of the three questions but 'female Archers character' and 'Phillip Pullman' might perhaps give a lead in the right direction?

 

I could of course just get totally daft with a quiz like this as having just had another look at the website I've found another personal link with 'The Archers'. I've long known that mother taught Brian Hewlett, who plays Neil Carter, back in his early school days and just looking through the website I've now discovered that I used to know the chap who plays the very occasionally heard Bert Horrobin.  

 

Now there lurks an even more obtuse question as i know of something else he's done during his acting career but as it isn't even mentioned anywhere on the 'net I can't ask which Archers character has an association with the deep sea fishing?  Yes he's played Bert Horrobin and Captain Birdseye.

Edited January 3, 2021 by The Stationmaster

[Welchester]

No. 3. Is it Elizabeth Pargetter?

[DLT]

On 31/12/2020 at 23:09, Steamport Southport said:

Edward Kelsey AKA Baron Greenback in Danger Mouse  as well as being in Doctor Who and a whole smorgasbord of cult TV programmes such as The Avengers.

Apparently he played Joe Grundy.

 And Mr. Growbag in Wallace & Gromit, Curse of The Were-Rabbit

[chrisf]

I recall ever so vaguely that June Spencer has not always played Peggy.  She left the cast to have a family so Peggy was played by another actress.  When June returned she played another part or parts for a while but eventually took back the part of Peggy.

 

It may also be of interest that an early portrayer of Kate was Kellie Bright, who is now Linda Carter in EastEnders.

 

Chris

[The Stationmaster]

4 hours ago, Welchester said:

No. 3. Is it Elizabeth Pargetter?

Well done sir.  It is indeed Alison Dowling (aka Elizabeth Pargetter) who read the part of Mrs Coulter in three audio versions of Phillip Pullman's books including 'The Golden Compass'.

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by The Stationmaster

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, chrisf said:

I recall ever so vaguely that June Spencer has not always played Peggy.  She left the cast to have a family so Peggy was played by another actress.  When June returned she played another part or parts for a while but eventually took back the part of Peggy.

 

It may also be of interest that an early portrayer of Kate was Kellie Bright, who is now Linda Carter in EastEnders.

 

Chris

 

Wow, Wonder Woman is on East Enders?

 

Mike.

(I know, I know, but who's to a letter?)