Bright Eyes

I finally got around to binge watching every season last year. I found every year to be better than the last, until season 7. Thank God for Katya!

Nursing homes will be hopping tonight.

Always great to have another Shorty fan posting with us. I started in August 2012 at NZ pace, so you're watching a period slightly before my time. Bella is a favourite of mine as well. A truly great heroine character, that never gets too dumb, or preachy, or saccharine. A rare feat. I hope you soak up as much Brooke (my favourite character) as you can. I miss her so much.

Thank you for affirming what I've been saying, ILWS! 2015 was a pretty solid year, all things considered. It may be manic, but I enjoy it more than I do Corrie and EastEnders.

Not shocked at all. I figured they'd bring her back seeing as she's the original. I hope she just pops in, cries a few, and then pops back out. Nothing long-term. DTC himself has said Westbrook's return is only for a few episodes.

Frank Kelly, who played Declan and Megan Macey's father, Dermot Macey, has passed away. He was most famous for being on sitcom, Father Ted. From what I remember, he was shockingly horrible on the show. Still, I wonder if they'll input this into story at all.

Don Diamont is probably the earliest soap debuting actor that I fancy. Of course, that's only after the point that he survived the 80's/early 90's looks. YRBB, I'd love to know what you type in the search engine. "Pictures for thirsty thots..." Am I close?

Do you know if Murray's exit today was a permanent one? The shows official twitter account made it seem that way. The long lost brother thing was an odd thing to create if they weren't going to do anything with it. Murray never really did much for me so I can't say I'll miss him much, though I liked him more than Wendy. Though Evan and, especially Bella, are all I truly cared about, it is said to see the Cooper family disintegrate. I had an inkling when the Hannah's were brought on that it probably meant they'd be ushered out. Strange to watch one era of the show eclipse another before my very eyes. What truly upsets is that we may be losing Jimmy, too. What a shame if that's the case. He brought such fresh flair and fun to the show. He's quickly became one of my favourite male characters on the show since I started watching. At least with Murray and Wendy, their ousters felt like the right time. I still feel Jimmy could have a strong place on the show if they chose to write him. Like I said before, it would be a great idea to pair him with Margaret once she returns and her marriage ultimately crumbles. She needs a man like him who isn't judgemental, made mistakes himself, and could lighten up her life in a heartbeat.

I didn't fact check. You're probably right.

I have retrieved my list! However, other than the top two, the rankings were literally as they came into my head. If I would have properly shuffled them around, Carol would probably have been number 3, amidst other changes I was too lazy at the time to think about. 1. David Wicks2. Janine Butcher3. Pat Butcher4. Pauline Fowler5. Den Watts6. Angie Watts7. Sharon Watts8. Michelle Fowler9. Ethel Skinner10. Simon Wicks11. Carol Jackson12. Sue Osman13. Frank Butcher14. Denise Fox15. Donna Ludlow16. Kathy Beale17. Colin Russell18. Mark Fowler19. Arthur Fowler20. Mandy Salter21. Cindy Beale22. Chrissie Watts23. Lofty Holloway24. Bianca Jackson25. Robbie JacksonLeast Favourite - Shirley Carter

He didn't like it in Spain. The end.

Sarah ended up miscarrying, I'm assuming? That certainly would have been interesting to touch upon in later years. Was Cord and Tina's daughter named after Sarah Gordon, or is no connection at all?

As for Ben, they should have had Vincent seduce him during his rivalry with Phil. Maybe he could have genuinely helped Ben in the end somehow, or maybe Ben gets too infatuated with him. Either way, any excuse to not have this Abi story, and any chance to get Richard Blackwood's kit off.

I think Jamie Borthwick is too scrawny to make it in the US, especially while he still has such a baby face. Jacqeline Jossa has the full package to make it in the US if the stars align correctly, but she doesn't seem to have the drive. I would guess after seeing Lacey Turner, who couldn't get more praise, return to the show after such a short amount of time away doesn't help them believe otherwise. DRW50, I participated in the top 50 poll, too. Some of the choices for both the EE and Emmerdale poll are mind boggling, but with things like this you have no choice but to take the bad with good. What was your list for EastEnders, if you don't mind me asking? I've already, unfortunately, deleted my list from my inbox on that site, but could try to muster it up from memory, just not in order.

It'll certainly be interesting to see how Sean O'Conner handles all of the characters that came after he left. Like I said, the only characters that I desperately need to (realistically) see the back door of are Claudette and Babe. Everyone else I can take a wait and see approach once he comes aboard. Like most, I am right there with you regarding Jay. It would have been so sweet to see him break off from the Mitchells after the horrible Lola exit. And the one thing I want Sean O'Conner to change is to let characters actually succeed in life. What he did to Lauren, Abi, and Whitney, throwing away their promising careers/futures for no reason grated on me big time.

I wouldn't mind Abi going either. I'm actually dreading the returns of Lauren, unnecessarily breaking up her and Peter (presumably), Max, who was circling the drain even before DTC, and Cora, whose presence was a mere afterthought once her use with the Carters ended and it left her irrelevant.

Damn, I would have been grinning like an idiot if Lindsey framed Tegan for the killings. Her being single scares me. Hopefully she won't corrupt anyone I like. It hurts me so much to see what they've done to Cameron. I don't understand how writers can ruin their own creations. Jade and Alfie are an extremely bright light at the moment, however. They are Hollyoaks at it's best.

Jacob is adorable. He's going to be a heart breaker. Leyla going on about how Jacob would be married before her was amusing. If Liv and/or Sandra are regulars (I'm truly not aware either or) Liv giving Gabi a run for her money should be entertaining. Though, it's an odd decision to call her Liv, when her Dad's last name is Livesy. I know she probably ever won't be using that last name, but it's still strange. David showing the fools at Home Farm what it actually means to be a good parent made me so proud. The writing for Lachlan, especially, continues to make me completely uncomfortable.

Babe is the worst. I want nothing more than to slap those dentures out of her bitter hag mouth. There has even been articles on dailymail and other places about her being the worst character ever. Regarding this Ben/Abi story, no matter how much I hate it, I did find the potential for the future interesting. Lee and Abi strangely interested me, and maybe with the new producer, this could be just the thing to rid us of Whitney.

Unpopular opinion, but on episodes like today, when he isn't bulging his eyes out, I actually really enjoy Vincent. He could be a good character if they toned the hardman stuff down and got rid of insufferable Claudette.

I saw that on TVLine today. So happy about his success. One of the great things about watching soaps is being able to say you knew actors before they were stars. I have high hopes he'll go far. He has everything going for him.

Jon Rollason, who played Dave Robbins, a recurring colleague/friend of Ken's throughout the 60's, has passed away. http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2016/02/jon-rollason-1932-2016.html

I love when they have Chris do comedy. One of my favourite episodes is when he and Rachel have to clean the hospital. "Cleaning? But that means things are dirty." I still remember and crack up thinking about that line to this very day. Hilarious. By the same token, Nicole's reaction to Leanne being psychic was perfect. Sally Martin is one of the best at reacting. I'll always remember the look on her face when the doctor told Kylie she didn't have cancer, but did have chlamydia. This recent cancer story reminded me of that glorious moment. I'm surprised they haven't brought it up at all. If I was Arlo Gibson, I would be ecstatic at getting my first talking down from Rachel. It's a fantastic right of passage at this point.

Has anything ever been said about Todd's dad at all?

Yes, the Doug / Leyla bit made me happy to see. So did Priya exclaiming that Leyla was her best friend and her glee that they would be sisters. I wish there could be more. I, too, thought Leyla's close friendship with Gennie should have been mentioned more. Leyla is one of those characters that I just want to see the most out of. They should have had Chas bond more with Vanessa/Leyla when Katie died. Especially considering Chas no longer has any true friends. I wish they'd also have something between Leyla and Laurel in regards to Doug.