DRW50

Not that he was ever really a soap star (although I did like him), but Jonathan Bennett (JR on AMC before Andrew Ridings, better known for Mean Girls) is the host of Cake Wars on the Food Network. I kept thinking he looked familiar, but he was doing a bad imitation of the Cupcake Wars host so I thought maybe that guy had just put on some weight.

I thought Ryan Hawley was great, especially when Robert had no dialogue and he went through various reactions (shock, panic, concern for Aaron, rage at Aaron). He and to a lesser degree Danny Miller are holding this mess of a story together. I wonder who is writing today's episodes. Jane Pearson, one of their better writers, did Wednesday.

Thanks. I thought it was Victoria but wasn't sure. I thought that was the guys too. I couldn't remember how long Adam was around. I've never understood why the character had such a big intro when they did nothing with him. Did they have an issue with the actor? I guess the bisexual guy Bernice and Tricia dated was gone by this time. I wish Bernice could mention him if she starts dating Lawrence. Which cast members weren't in the promo? Terry, Kathy...trying to remember the others.

Have you seen any of Denise's Emmerdale work? She had some good scenes a few weeks back.

I think Denise Black was too, but not as much as Eva. Corrie really should have rolled out the money trucks to try to keep Eva on the show. She was dynamite. Her scenes with Des in the last episode I uploaded (my channel is Steph Stokes if you want to see it), smoking and smoking while sitting around with her hair a mess and wearing her dressing gown, are more like Elsie Tanner than anything Michelle or Liz or whoever else gets that moniker could ever be. Speaking of Denise, someone said she was on This Morning recently to talk about Emmerdale and they spent the whole time asking her about Corrie. That's pretty disrespectful, but I do hope Corrie may bring her back once her ED stint is over (I have a feeling she's dying on there in a few weeks).

This is a very well done promo for Emmerdale when it expanded to 5 days a week. As you can see, the show had a very disparate cast at this point (not even including new characters like Edna, or old characters oddly missing, like Kathy), but the promo does a good job of grouping based on families, couples, isolated characters, and Cain with the two groups he would wreak the most havoc on - the teens and the Reynolds family. I have no idea who the little girl with Andy/Joseph/Robert/Donna is, and I’m not 100% on the two guys with Scott, but otherwise, I know everyone, which is...kind of sad, really. The two sides of Sarah is incredibly striking, the most striking part of the promo. I pity viewers who tuned into the show for that sequence and saw her burn alive a month later.

Thanks. What do you think of Jo Weil on AWZ? Will you miss Nele?

Watching more of 1994 I realize how similar Denise Black and Eva Pope sound, and even look. It's too bad the show didn't have Tanya and Denise related. Can you imagine? At what point did Bill Waddington become known for barely remembering his lines? He's still pretty good at this point (April 1994).

One of the most desperate things I've ever seen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/07/21/rand-paul-wants-you-to-know-hes-still-running-for-president-so-he-brought-a-chainsaw/

The scenes with Laurel, Doug/Diane, and even Laurel/Marlon were so superb yesterday. I wish this was the show Emmerdale could be, instead of 30% character 70% plot.

What idiocy. It's that "slappin dan" fiasco all over again. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a659247/eastenders-spoilers-bobby-beale-turns-nasty-again-by-threatening-phil-mitchell.html#~pj5xDswACyUEfM

Lily was such a central role I think Marland felt he almost had to recast her, although he ended up decentralizing her heavily after the "bitch Lily" narrative he tried out didn't go over very well. She then mostly became someone's wife and daughter.

videos gone

This must be hard to sing.

They will likely be pointless, like most Connors. I still wish they'd bring back Tom.

If I quit Emmerdale again, as I very well may be if what I think is happening soon happens, I'll watch it. I've tried a few times, just never really got into it firmly. Anyway, since today is goodbye time for Hilary, what better time to watch her first episode. You can see how much Laurel has changed over the years, for better or for worse. The show as a whole has changed quite a bit. There are so many storylines criss-crossing in this episode - some better than others (the Tom murder stuff drags and Perdy and Grayson are just dull as hell, as is Linda Lusardi and Louise's boyfriend I had totally forgotten about until now [do you think the show ever remembers Louise?]). And there's Sharon, another forgotten character. I think Paul did mention her when he visited though.

GL was hollowed out years before 2004. It may have been the end for her but as a fan, I'd already left for good until the last year.

Nice caps. Why do people keep giving Cynthia CIdre shows?

Steph is coming back. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s14/neighbours/news/a659103/neighbours-star-carla-bonner-is-returning-as-steph-scully.html

Libby will be back for a few episodes. (when will we see Chelsea?) http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a659062/eastenders-libby-fox-will-be-returning-to-albert-square-this-summer.html

I'm never sure what they're doing with Emma. I do feel like every time she starts to try to control her actions, James starts enabling and giving mixed signals again. I'd love to know what their original plans for the character were, as she just seems like an aimless plot device lately, and she has no relationship with her sons (especially Pete). It's odd. I do think Gillian Kearney is a great actress and I hope they find a way to keep her around. She also looked very pretty in that ugly dress.

What did fans think of that Ailsa story? It seems so stark for an Australian soap. The part where she learns her mother died from the damage done by the beatings and that she'd gone to jail for nothing...yikes. The person who uploaded the clips said in the comments section that he interviewed Judy Nunn, who didn't seem all that bothered about not getting to play that story, but did say it was classic and soapy. He said she was, however, very unhappy with Ailsa's death and exit storyline.