Alice and her drink problem The Archers

I wish the scriptwriters would give the women of Ambridge a break.

Helen, Kirsty, Nic, Emma, Lynda and now Alice.

Not forgetting Lizzie Pargetter's depression and Jenny losing Home farmhouse.

I think it’s mainly Alice who can’t face reality. This storyline has been building for a long time. It isn’t easy to listen to but It has been extremely well written. Hopefully it could help other people who have the same problems, whether it’s the alcoholic or their partner. The next step must be for them to tell their families so that she is not tempted due to fact that neither family has any idea. I wonder how Susan would react?

I haven't listened for years. It sounds like things have deteriorated down on the farm. I remember when Jack Wooley was an authority figure and the Grundys knew their place!

Alice is my granddaughter. She is eight and doesn’t have a drink problem.

(Sorry, but it would help if the thread title explained which Alice.)

Merlotgran, good point. The women of Ambridge have suffered considerably. That could be a conference topic for the Archers Academical group.

That said, all those story lines have been well researched and written. The Helen-Rob storyline ensured coercive control was well publicised.

The Alice alcohol story line has been classic Archers - written in real time. The signs that Alice has a drink problem have been clear for a long time. As in RL, relatives and loved ones Have ignored or missed, other than Emma of course.

Like Mouseybrown60, I hope the story line helps addicts and their loved ones. I hope Martha is indeed unscathed by foetal alcohol syndrome. I hope Alice sobers up but she will havEva drink problem to manage throughout her life ?

Sorry Grandma 70 I should have included The Archers but assumed posting in tv radio would do. Apologies

I’ve asked gransnet if it’s possible to add the archers to the OP

I thought it was another variation on the dreadful Finding Alice, who I wished remained Lost.

I used to like the " old " Archers. Not keen on things being brought up to date it gets depressing. There's enough going on in the world without reminders written into scripts as well.

Alice and Chris need to tell people. She will be always tempted if people don’t know the truth. It is harrowing to listen to, but it has been coming for a long time.
The Archers is good at these true to time storylines, like Helen and the coercive control story, also hard to listen to.

Sorry, I’ve just realised I’ve repeated what others have said. It really is a troubling storyline.

To widen the discussion a bit (I don't listen to the Archers, but I think that this is an interesting thread), Peter Barlow in Coronation Street is also suffering - maybe dying - from alcoholism. I think the story has been handled well so far. He has always been a heavy drinker, and was diagnosed with cirrhosis after hitting the bottle again. He managed to stay sober for a long time, but difficulties in his relationship led to more binges, and he is now on the transplant list for a new liver, despite having been 'on the wagon' for six months or so.

When other soaps have dealt with the topic, the sufferers often reached peak alcoholism very quickly (usually over months rather than years) then either get a new liver, like Phil on Eastenders, and recover pretty much immediately, which is not realistic at all, or they go to a couple of AA meetings, like Linda (also Eastenders) and the plot lines move on as though nothing had happened.

I don't know what the outcome of the Corrie storyline will be, but either Peter will get a transplant or die waiting, so is already shaping up to be more true to life than usual.

I know it is entertainment, but I think it is better that viewers are shown the reality of drug and alcohol abuse, rather than see characters drinking until they need a new liver, get on immediately and then carry on as normal.

Enjoying is the wrong word but I think it's a good storyline. I like the fact that they talked about imposter syndrome, even if they didnt use the words, I think that's an issue for many women. Also acknowledging in a roundabout way that her marriage is a disaster. I was quite moved when she talked about her dreams and ambitions, and for that to end in ambridge with Chris well I would be drinking as well.

Iam64

I’ve asked gransnet if it’s possible to add the archers to the OP

Thank you! That’s clear now.

There have been Archer's men with problems. Sexual abuse, alcoholism (more than one), drugs, homelessness and suicide to name but a few...
Not just women.

My word, Fallon has taken the moral high ground hasn't she! Not a word of sympathy or empathy, just condemnation - and she's supposed to be such a lovely person. Whilst I don't like Alice as a character, this is all being very well handled and I feel so sorry for her and what she's going through. I know how it is to be close to someone who is in the grip of addiction and it's tough for all concerned.

They dont like women with ambition though, that's usually punished in the archers.

Actually, they hate nurses in The Archers. I think there might have been a district nurse about briefly in the 60s. Amy has disappeared since she became a midwife - even though Alice might have found her helpful.
So determined were the scriptwriters to avoid nurses and midwives that they gave one midwife a clunky few minutes on Zoom - then Alice managed to be in a rehab centre with no nurses; give birth with Jim & Jazzer; have doctors undertake nursing & midwifery tasks, and arrange discharge with no follow-up.
So although I agree with OP, I am wondering what plot twists & turns the scriptwriters will come up so that no mental health nurses or health visitors come anywhere near the family.

If I was Fallon I would be pretty annoyed that Alice made a pass to my husband gulligranny!

Thanks gransnet for adding The Archers tag.

I missed last night’s episode but saw on the various groups that Fallon reacted unsympathetically. Was Wayne, Fallon’s father a big drinker? If so, the two characters with direct knowledge of the damage caused to those who love a problem drinker have responded from pain and experience.

Thanks for the Peter Barlow update Doodledog. I stopped watching Corrie several years ago because I felt it had lost its ability to run pathos/serious story lines alongside humour. Good to see realistic portrayal. Alcoholism, addictions of any kind are life long issues.

Nana rose, your Archers anti nurse post made me smile. Social workers fit in the same category, they never appear, even when mummy stabs daddy.

Yes if ever a child would need a social worker or other intervention its Henry. They dont like quite a few professions really, no teachers as far as I can remember, no one who works in the public sector, well Lee I suppose.

Yes, Galaxy, I’d been wondering when we ever had a public servant in TH. wasn’t Cathy Perks a teacher at one stage. We had a private facility for Alice’s detox. Lee is I think self employed but does some nhs work.
Henry and the unborn baby would have been the subject of a child protection conference anywhere but Ambridge. Henry would have been referred to CAMHS for appropriate therapy.
Martha definitely needs input from health, children’s services and so does her mum.

The only public servants allowed are doctors (Locke & Poole) and policemen (Harrison & George Barford). Yes Cathy was a teacher, but was only allowed to stay in TA if she gave it up and went to work at the Health Club. And Amy was axed soon after she qualified as a midwife.
Lee's physio practice does seem a bit elastic, encompassing whatever fits the plotline this week!
Jim is clerk of the Parish Council, but Ambridge functions with no other council employees to collect bins or any other maintenance. There is an occasional reference to environmental health or a building inspector, but no-one in Ambridge does those jobs.
It occurs to me that over the years, Ambridge has had more alcoholics (Jack Archer, George Barford & Alice) than nurses, teachers & social workers.

Oh I hadnt realised Lee was self employed, I deal with a lot of physios but they are all NHS so I tend to forget the other options.
Lillian is also a problematic drinker I would say.