DRW50

Macdonald Carey interview from 1989.

Susan Hubley cable access interview from, I guess, the '80s, with a host who seems to know absolutely nothing.

What a terrible line. Marg Helgenberger getting through it shows what a star she already was.

I was looking around on Youtube and saw a fan opening that had Jessica Tuck as Sierra. Oh what might have been...

Probably not. It was based on a very popular Australian show.

Thanks. I didn't THINK it was her, but I wasn't 100% because I thought it sounded a bit like her.

I can't really get past anything post-1996. I think because I had high hopes for FMB and she really let me down. I watched some of that vile Sheffer (I wish I hadn't) and I watched the last year (which I don't regret, even if it was a mediocre/poor ending), and that's about it for me. I don't rewatch anything from 96 on.

The ones who won't be put in camps, yes. Possibly.

Yes. That was the start of him leaving and then returning again while looking for primetime work, I guess. I think he was in and out of Facts of Life in this period.

Sadly so much of that era is difficult to find. It's just scattered clips. You'd have to watch day-to-day episodes to see the different sides of the character. My favorite of her stories was when she aborted her husband Lofty's baby because she couldn't take care of another child (and she didn't love him). Again most of it isn't around.

I don't think there's anything bad about her. I think she's missing the spark that Michelle always had, but I'm willing to give her a chance.

That's DTC for you - he wanted to make everything his own. MAB with more talent. He turned against her at the trial (after she'd already turned against him) and then disowned her, and refused to come calling when she decided to forgive him. Really she's just a bitch.

That was for Redwater, not for Eastenders.

They left once and came back once. I don't think the departure for Redwater was their choice.

Thanks for trying on these. I always love their scenes in the Bryce and Hubbard era. They had such a layered relationship - the type of thing that many insist soaps never had because viewers wouldn't "get it." It's only when the execs started really believing that the soaps died.

He and Jessie Wallace were written out in mid-2015, with the announcement they would be on a new primetime spinoff called Redwater (another show I believe they said would be a Twin Peaks homage). It's been delayed and delayed, and they returned briefly to the show this past January. I think the show is supposed to air in spring 2017 now.

I think it's too late to say he has an American accent. They may as well stick with what DTC started. I do wish UK soaps recast more but I also feel wary of it becoming too common, as it was overused on US soaps for many years. I'm waiting and seeing about Michelle, as I'm not quite sure the fire is there. I'm hoping we'll see it at the right time.

This was the only part of the story I actually liked. Grant was badly screwed up and was very abusive to Sharon, but he was someone who did grow and change. The show's claims in his return that he was some headcase compared to good and kind Phil was bewildering. He seemed to do his best for Courtney (other than giving her money to his worthless brother), so I could believe that after his initial rant and rave, he would change his mind to do what was best for his son. Mark deciding to stay with the family he knew also made sense to me as a way to end the story. Now that Michelle is back it does seem more odd though. There are rumors that Grant is going to make another brief return for this plot. I guess we'll see.

I agree, although I'm glad they didn't overdo Ashley's recovery on Christmas. I do wish we'd seen more, especially more of the family's struggles. We got a bit with Gabby, and it was heartwarming, but I wanted more. I thought it was a little flat but I was glad to get a break from "drama" on Christmas. It reminded me a lot more of the pre-Gavin Blyth Christmas episodes. The Dingles were also pre-Blyth, in that they were allowed to be more fun and less miserable all the time. I know some were upset about the snow and they're so tired of snow in Christmas episodes, and so on, but it didn't bother me (and some of it actually was real snow). I enjoyed seeing the various families. I could have done without the montage (although it was poignant to hear "Last Christmas"). Denise Black really is such a wonderful actress - she has made so much of this twaddle with Zak much more than it would have been otherwise. I'm glad the show let her have some dignity in realizing Zak doesn't love her and that she made the decision. Zak is just an idiot and it's difficult to care about him at this point, outside of residual fondness. Steve Halliwell also seems fed up with the character: http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/25/emmerdale-spoilers-star-reveals-the-end-of-zak-and-joanie-and-his-sadness-at-his-characters-direction-6323699/

Vicky was 9 when she left the UK so that didn't really bother me as much - the problem was they hired an actress who couldn't do an accent. And then to make it worse they randomly had her go back to her real accent. Mark Jr was ridiculous, for many, many reasons. I still don't understand why they had him perving over his 15-year old cousin and saying that was what they do in America. Whoever came up with that must hate America. Chris Parker is out of acting. With Alfie off the show and likely not returning anytime soon (if ever), I doubt it.

She lives in New Zealand or somewhere with Alfie's brother Spencer. There's speculation she will return based on some of the tweets from the woman who played her a decade ago. Based on the attempts Michelle made to call him I think we'll be seeing Mark at some point.

Max - charisma, a compelling anti-hero (in spite of a decade of poor scripts). That ass. Jack came back mostly because Scott Maslen likely wanted the paycheck and the show likely wanted to rehab Ronnie after 2015 destroyed her character. There's a lot of spec he will leave once Ronnie and Roxy are gone. I have to admit I've grown to like the Carters a lot more this year. I think my anger is too focused on the Mitchells to spread it out.

Did you watch the special? I haven't yet.