The Archers BBC Radio 4

One resident makes a horrifying discovery, and Tracy is on a mission to bring the community together.

Writer: Naylah Ahmed
Director: Kim Greengrass & Mel Ward
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Alan Franks…. John Telfer
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Will Grundy…. Philip Malloy
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Paul Mack…. Joshua Riley
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Kate Madikane…. Perdita Avery
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Denise Metcalf…. Clare Perkins
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Mick…. Martin Barrass
Dr Ghanam…. Philip Arditti

Alistair, Mick and Jazzer are having a pint when Paul joins them. He says Denise has a bug she picked up from the river Am. When Mick takes Paul to the bar, Jazzer points out it wasn’t a coincidence that Alistair and Denise were together that night. He commiserates when Alistair says they didn’t make it to the hotel. Mick confides he’s experiencing flashbacks and that George seems overwhelmed too. Paul queries the ‘late call out’ Denise said they were on when they spotted the crash. Mick comes to the rescue with a story about an injured sheep. Alistair, grateful for the intervention, embroiders it. But Paul won’t let it go, despite assurances that it’ll be dealt with at HQ. When Paul goes to get another round, Mick promises Alistair mum’s the word.
Chris and Alice are watching Martha in the playground. Adam gave Alice a lift with several bags so she could avoid being seen at Chris’s place – the rumour mill has already started. Alice insists Martha must stay with him for the foreseeable future: she can’t deal with her drinking and looking after Martha. Later Chris suggests they all go and get dinner together, but Alice just wants to leave, without even saying goodbye to her daughter. She’s resigned herself to ending up in prison after emptying the vodka, and even fruit cider, bottles found in her car. Three people ended up in the Am and Fallon nearly died. Later, Chris tells Jazzer the situation doesn’t fit with the Alice he knows - but it’s like she’s already given up.

Will is sticking sequins to Poppy’s party T-shirt as George teases him about his handiwork. Will tells him rice has failed to revive his waterlogged phone. He complains about the messages backed up on his voicemail - panic-stricken, George remembers that Will has the message he left when he found Alice. Mick arrives with thank-you goodies and, as Will goes to answer the door, George tries frantically to access Will’s voicemail. Tense after failing do so and embarrassed by their praise, George rushes off to his room. Mick says Alice deserves what’s coming to her. George returns, still out of sorts, apologising and saying the situation is a bit full on. He persuades Will to leave his phone when he has to dash out. With a sigh of relief, George deletes the voicemail he left.
The atmosphere is awkward between Fallon and Harrison and she becomes frosty when he mentions ‘her condition’. They are interrupted by Alan who is collecting items for charity. Fallon is eager to send Harrison over with donations. Later, at the church, Harrison spots a tiny babygrow and can’t resist telling Alan that Fallon is pregnant. He has been given a double miracle – she survived the crash and he’s going to be a dad. At the hospital, however, he is devastated when the scan shows the foetus has no heartbeat: Fallon will miscarry naturally once her coil is removed. She asks if the accident is responsible. The doctor says it’s difficult to say for sure. But Harrison is adamant it cost them their baby.

Brian, Adam and Kate are at the police station – they want to get Alice through this with the least possible trauma. She was arrested as soon as the doctor said she was well enough. Brian is kicking himself about his harsh words to Alice. But Kate thinks people have every right to be furious with her. For now Alice is free to go, while her blood alcohol is being tested.
During the drive home she wants to go to the hospital to find out how the others are. Kate is derisive – if the shoe were on the other foot, they wouldn’t want ‘the offender’ visiting. Alice struggles to remember what happened – she recalls George but little else. When they get home Alice tells Brian it’s not the first time she has parked up and got drunk but she’s never driven drunk before. After putting her to bed, Brian tells Kate and Adam they have to do something – he doesn’t know how Alice will get out of this mess.
Fallon is impatient to leave the hospital with Harrison. Mick arrives, unscathed apart from a sprained wrist although Joy has a broken collar bone. They’ve all had a lucky escape - they all agree George is one brave kid. The doctor arrives and gives Fallon the all clear to leave, but first wants a word with Fallon and Harrison in private. He tells them one of the hospital’s routine tests has come back positive – Fallon is pregnant. She’s shocked - she has a coil and they’ve been careful. She must return for an ultrasound tomorrow.

Alistair and Denise are driving to a hotel after an enjoyable dinner together. Nervous, they chat about the evening to come. They screech to a halt as Alistair spots headlights in the water – a car has gone off the bridge into the Am. George, frantic, is on the scene. They hear Mick shouting and George helps Denise pull him out of the water, Alistair goes to help Joy. He and George drag her to the shore but she’s unconscious having hit her head. To their relief she’s breathing and has a pulse. But then Mick tries to wade back in – Fallon is still in the car. Desperate, she screams for help, trapped as it fills up with water. George dives in again and Denise tries to follow. Alistair begs her not to even as Fallon reaches the surface. The back door was jammed on rocks on the river bed so George got her out of the driver’s side. Shortly afterward he makes it back to the surface too. They’re all alive! Denise praises George and Fallon thanks him.
Then he hears sirens and dashes off.
Alistair goes after George. Meanwhile he is busy shifting Alice into the driver’s seat of her car. He apologises to her but what else can he do? When Alistair arrives George tells him she has necked a whole bottle of vodka. Alistair remembers bitterly that he saw her buy it at the shop earlier that evening. As the emergency services arrive to speak to George, Alistair is distraught. Thumping the car he says: ‘Oh Alice, what have you done?'