DRW50

Yeah the show didn't exactly bother to hide that. Not sure why.

Karin Wolfe was a writer later on (or was that Garin)?

Were there any particular actresses playing Mary Anderson you liked or didn't like? At the time did these characters seem like new blood? It's tough for me to say because we know now most of them were gone within a few years, but some of them seem very generic to me. I think I have a Days with the Hayes where they also help introduce the new characters, but can't find it at the moment.

Thanks for reading. I don't know very much about Leslie (I don't think Josh Taylor mentioned her when he mentioned his leading ladies as Chris) or about Cassie Burns. Was Cassie a minor character? I imagine people at the time must have felt a little patronized if they'd read this, especially since most of the new characters didn't seem to work out. But Mrs. Corday seems to be less condescending than most of today's soap producers. That's sad about Stephen Brooks. I didn't know he'd passed away. I was hoping they might have brought Jean Bruce Scott back when Nick was on the show. I didn't know Liz was a villain when she started out.

The rumor was the role was created for Judi and they were waiting for her to leave DAYS. Whether that's true or not I'm not sure.

Pilon seems to lack charisma, which basically made Alan what he was. I don't think Alan ever had that again after Bernau passed away. I read on Youtube today that Beverlee tried to get them to hire Daniel Davis (who had played her crazy husband Eliot Carrington on Texas - later to be Niles the butler on The Nanny) as Alan after Bernau passed on. How do you think that would have been? I saw Pilon from some soft-core Canadian anthology show, Bliss, around 2002, in some episode about swinging couples. He didn't show anything, but it was still kind of odd when I remembered he played Alan and then he was...doing that. I love this clip. The comedy between Alex and Harley is fine but the best part is when Harley accidentally rips Alex's wedding dress to Eric, and Alex begins to talk about her lost love and how she had never felt that way again. Beverlee played that wistfulness so beautifully. Marj had her moments but generally she either didn't have those chances or didn't use them.

Since when does that stop Hollyoaks I think they should keep her in a supporting role for now. I would build up a toxic relationship with Cindy, love/hate perhaps some of that movie Joan Crawford won an Oscar for (I'm blanking). It looks like one of HO's best actresses is still keeping active after being fired.

The Wylde story fell apart last year and perhaps the show resents the actors in the family for leaving, but how sad to see this once fascinating bunch each given such a poor exit, first Natasha, then that crap with Nathan, now Maisie moping her way out of town, not even having goodbyes with anyone she used to be friendly with. I guess Declan is so busy with his annoying family that the show couldn't be bothered to even have him say goodbye to her or notice she was gone. I still wonder why, if they're having a clearout, they've done such a poor job with the new characters they've brought in.

I think they should just write Finn and Diane out. Have Sinead move in with, I don't know, Frankie? Don't really care. Finn seems to be lifeless and Diane is a bore.

I like Judi Evans, although it's still a tough adjustment for me when I see her in the earlier episodes - she's a bit tough, and the vulnerability isn't quite as on the surface - but there's something so ethereal about Cali's work as Paulina, so fragile, yet tough too, when she has to be. At the time you were watching these did you think they were pairing up Pauline/Jamie? I did wonder when they had Jamie worrying so much about Paulina, holding her in her room on her wedding day, then didn't Marley become convinced they were involved? Do you think the show should have gone there? I know I mentioned this a while back but I found that Digest with Tom Eplin and Ellen Wheeler on the cover, I'll try to scan some of it soon.

Some fun moments here with Alex and her attitude towards Blake, Harley ("Meals on Wheels waitress"), and her trying to keep Alan in line while looking out for Sonni. Great writing for Alex, and I love Bev's sarcasm and cool looks. Poor Elizabeth Denehy - did Kids in the Hall get their inspiration for the Chicken Lady from her?

I've been too annoyed by their hostility towards vets and their misery-for-the-sake-of-misery stories and horrible new characters to get into the show recently.

It's very disappointing, because the people who aren't satisfied will never be satisfied, and the people who were drawn into this story will now have less interest. The show loses both ways.

That's not a good way to go about it! I am waiting and seeing with Barbara Windsor because while she is never going back, I'm still not sure she'd say all that stuff to a reporter. Have you seen today's show yet? I haven't but I read that they cut out a lot of the funeral and grieving scenes and put in random comedy scenes with Jodie and a friend. How sad if that's the only way Jodie can get on the show. Is this friend supposed to stay around? It's a shame they cut out a lot of the scenes with Kat people had wanted to see. Jessie Wallace is such a good dramatic actress and the people who went on and on and on and on and on about how this story wasn't properly portraying grieving mothers have caused Eastenders to cut scenes of a grieving mother.

I think they will try to pair Tina up with Chris Fountain's character. The problem is that, like most of the women on Corrie now, Tina is defined only by men. All the talk of "feisty" Tina just means she's rude to people. She is extremely pointless and Michelle Keegan, talented as she is, can't compensate for writing that makes Tina irrelevant. Of course on Corrie, the more irrelevant you are, the more likely they are to keep you around. They just care these days about stretching out stories to fill time. That's why John Stape's story goes on forever because what else is there? Further ruination of Kevin/Sally, or the crap with Steve/Becky/Tracy. No wonder they want to hold onto Stape. I would too.

From what some on Digital Spy are saying, it looks like the energy drain known as Rob O'Connor has GONE. If so, good riddance! Now if they could just get rid of Heidi, Seth, Riley, and Diane, we will be getting somewhere! The O'Connors, like the Sharpes and the Costellos, have been textbook examples of how not to introduce new families to a soap, and for all the hype of Hollyoaks and their rejuvenation, it's not much of a rejuvenation if you have to keep abruptly writing people out. It looks like

She's not saying anything awful (although her experience as a mother isn't the experience of all mothers), but I'm not sure why Natalie Cassidy is joining with the pile-on against the show, especially since they seem to one of the few employing her as an actress. http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a297165/natalie-cassidy-criticises-eastenders.html

That was a fascinating interview. He led quite a full life even up to RH. His daughter went on to also appear on DS9.

From the August 19, 1980 Digest (SOD Publishing Inc).

That's terrible. I don't know how Jada got through something like that. Perhaps the heavy work schedule helped her.

Apparently this person likes to make up threads, or so some said at DS, so hopefully it isn't true.

That would be so awful I know that Pam hasn't had the best health in recent years, but she's such an integral part of Eastenders. I might not have said that in the last few years when all Pat did was babysit children and drink with Peggy and go on holiday, but she really came alive this past year, showing again why she's so important to Eastenders.

I think I am mixing her up with Sam from GH with their baby woes. Since Sam is now magically able to possibly conceive I assumed Jane might too. All the baby rabies stories blend together...