Skylover

Thanks for posting that scene, Y&RWorldTurner. I'm glad you like the videos, Carl.

I'm tempted to get hold of the beginning years of EastEnders, as many fans really think they were brilliant seasons. And it wouldn't even take that long to get through them seeing as there were only two episodes per week! That was a lovely scene between Pauline and Paul, did they share a lot of scenes in the early years? As I'm too young to remember that era, I only recall the 2000s onwards and those characters had nothing to do with each other.

What's the story between Wendy Richard and the BBC? Why was there bad blood between them? I heard somewhere that Pauline tured into a grouch because the writers intended her to turn into her mother but I think they went too far and just made her nasty. For me Ian represents the basis of the entire show at the moment, and not just because he's an original cast member.

I downloaded some early 2007/6 episodes from when Pauline died, but it was all dominated by Sonia thinking she'd killed her

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I fancy Jake Wood

I got a fan card from Shane Withington a few weeks ago. He plasys John Palmer. My collection is going strong, there's only a few from the current cast I don't have, including Gina, Leah, Roo and I think that might be it.

Is the theme tune for that video real? If so, I never realised how awful Emmerdale's theme tune used to be. It's like something a high school student is playing on a keyboard.

It appears that the Kapoor family are the new regulars in Ramsay Street. As confirmed on the official site: Ajay, Priya and Rani are regulars from 2012. As well as new character Vanessa Villante...

I never liked Dennis all that much.

I'm watching this video. Have you seen it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9SrJQbqDCQ

I think I'm gonna watch some Dot and Ethel two-handers soon as well

ETA: I've just read Lou Beale's entry on Wikipedia. It's worth reading just for the shoddy continuity of her children. It's quite funny. Over the course of the show, the following kids have been mentioned: Pauline, Pete, Keith, Paul, Norma, Kenny, Harry, Ronnie, Dora, Maggie and Maureen.

Thanks Carl, that is a nice little video to get us in the Xmas mood!

Derek Branning has turned out to be as predictably cartoonish as everyone expected. I just knew from the second they announced that he was joining the cast he would be a stereotypical character to make me stop watching. Everyone's like 'do you know who he is', and he's already ruining Rainie's character.

What are your opinions on the Millers?

Thanks for the link. I like it when they bring up the past. I've heard that that was one of the main criticisms of Louise Berridge's era, however. Apparently characters would make references to the past at the expense of the advancing of current storylines. TheFrank/Phil/car lot stuff was good.

I just watched a clip of Deano's return and a fight he had with Sean Slater. liked Deano, but Sean was a truly terrible character. One of the worst things about 2005-2008 was Sean frickin Slater. Watching him made me really appreciate the current show.

There's nothing worse than a panto character who doesn't ring true. I guess Michael is the modern day equivalent of Sean.

I don't really like Ben's story, as he's a pretty unlikeable character, and he's written in such a messy way that I don't feel sorry for him, or anything really. He lurches from one nasty act to another, with some nice scenes thrown in for good measure, trying to show us that he's not all bad. There's never any consequences to his actions, or development of his character; it's just the same 'ol same 'ol story rehashed. And the Christian "twist" is the worst so far - it's so unnecessary. I'm sick of seeing Christian's character victimised by violence b/c he's gay (Qadim's thugs and now the aftermath of Ben's lie, and I'm sure he was gay-bashed a couple of years ago), not to forget that they've been here before with Steven Beale. On a side note: I've always thought it should have been Syed who got beat up by Qadim's thugs instead of Christian - that would have made more sense, as Qadim would have gone after him to avenge his daughter.

The continuity in the Yusef story is terrible. They brought back Amira, and suddenly she's lost her brain after one meeting with Yusef. They actually had a good set-up with Christian/Syed/Amira, as you can see all the sides to the story as no-one is truly in the wrong, but by involving Dr. Evil, it has tainted that triangle and turned it into something it didn't need to be. The Yusef story could have been awesome, but due to the shoddy plotting, pacing and continuity with character's personalities, that has let it down. It's still entertaining for the most part, but a lot of the time it's difficult to suspend one's disbelief.

Not feeling the moronic Moons and the Jodie/Poopy stuff; I don't get why they never got rid of Jodie when they axed Vanessa and Darren, instead of axing her a couple of months later. Not much to say about Tanya's story, as it doesn't get played much. I am enjoying the show without Alfie & Kat, who had become especially annoying before they left for their Spanish vacation.

I've been meaning to reply to this post for a while.

I can definitely see why people wouldn't like Ben but I still find him a good character and think there's untapped potential with him. I do wonder how people would have reacted to him had he not been re-cast from Charlie Jones. I do agree that he's written in a messy way, but I think you can empathise with the character because his father is Phil Mitchell. He's had such a dysfunctional upbringing and relationship to his dad, constantly feeling that's not good enough and doesn't fit in, which has caused him to become so conflicted and kind of lost. I actually blame the writing more than Josh Pascoe for the reason Ben has gone down badly as a character. I think Josh is great - he comes across with this awkwardness which I think really rings true in the circumstances.As for there being no consequences to his actions, isn't that part of being a Mitchell? The Christian twist is stupid, but there you are, I guess you can't expect a great story consistently from the writers these days.

A lot of things are such a mess. The Masoods are ruined almost beyond repair. I much prefer your scenario where Amira was not involved with Yusef. n fact I don't see why they couldn't have brought back Amira further down the line once the Yusef plot had tied up. They're rushing all the stories at once. The Yusef plot had potential, but was stuffed up pretty fast. Everyone's acting out of character, irationally and everyone's become dislikeable.

I really enjoyed tonight's episode though. The Brannings/Crosses are great, even if Tanya is driving me insane by refusing treatment. My favourite thing at the moment is Lauren the Slag™. I think it's a good route to go down considering her parents actions. It may be predictable but it has loads of potential for future storylines. Abi is such a weak character though.

I think you're right there, Carl. It is nice to see some backing for them.

I voted for 'Jade's crush on Kyle'. Easily blows everything else out of the water for me. 'Summer and Paul Erinsborough News scholarship'

I bet the only difference between this and the Gangster Era is that the characters have families. It will probably be the similar crap, Derek and Phil at war because Derek stepped on his foot or something.

Thanks for the link to the interview.

It sounds like Max is going to be a long-termer seeing as Jake says he'll stay at EE for as long as they want him. That's good news as Jake is a great actor and I love Max when he's not going round in circles, story-wise.

And I sigh deeply at the thought of Derek and Phil. The only thing that's keeping me interested in Phil's character is Ben at the moment, and even that there's problems there. If they're not going to do the character justice then they should cut their losses. You'd think they'd learnt from the failure of the gangster years mid-noughties but they're rehashing it all again.

Anything rather than the atrocious Max/Tanya pairing. I've still no idea why they went down that road again!

P.s. That video made me realise how much I love the current cast! Who was missing?: Tanya, Janine, Phil, Ben...?

Thanks for posting those credit sequences, Huntress.

I way prefer te second version of the credits, because it's got my favourites in them: Vince, Emily(?) and Zak(?) I have since watched Unter Uns but I haven't attempted Alles Was Zaehlt yet. UU comes across as quite cheesey but not in a good way. AWZ opening is quite harsh, I'm drawn to GZSZ which I didn't think would happen. I love the opening titles and the theme song. Plus the stories and characters are very engaging, I can see why it's the most popular soap.

GZSZ <3 It makes me laugh to read in the credits that it was created from an idea by Reg Watson, considering my love for his other show Neighbours.

Thanks for the video, YRWorldTurner. I can't say I'm overly looking forward to 'Branning week'. It looks like they're setting Derek up in competition with Phil, which instantly puts me off the storyline. The Branning brothers are a farce. Sperminator Jack should have been axed long ago yet they kep him in the show, he's just awful and serves no purpose.

And Derek looks like the sort of character the show really does not need right now. At the moment we have the awful Michael Moon, Janine, who's a great villain but being misused at the moment, Yusef, et al...

I was glad when I heard that they were bringing back Derek, I just think it's a shame he's this gangster type. Carol is brilliant, and Lynsey Coulson deserves more from the show than this.

I'm glad to hear that Lucy's finally been re-cast. I think the Lauren and Ben re-casts have worked well.

Thanks for posting that interview, Ben. The more I hear about Bryan Kirkwood, the more annoyed I get. It seems like he's really into characterisation over plot, but at the same time it seems like he doesn't really understand characterisation. It seems like he thinks couples can't work if they're happy, they always need to have problems.

The fact he he calls Max and Tanya one of the show's classic couples, the way he harps on about Danielle Harold's 'Lola' as if she's some sort of star... get a grip.

And I'd take Sharon over Kat and Alfie any day of the week. I can no longer stand Kat and Alfie to the point that watching them makes me want to stick pins in my eyes.

Thanks for all the info, Huntress. I thought something had happened to Philip because he keeps having flashbacks (obviously to Verena) so it's good to find out what did happen. I really like Vince, the actor was pretty convincing in the emotional scenes. Jascha Rust is my favourite cast member - but he doesn't seem to feature all that much? I read that he came to Berlin as an exchange student from America, but his German is perfect? Poor Lilly being sick all over him when she was drunk!

I really feel sorry for Thune<sp> after the way he was treated by that girl for his size and looks. I thought it was particularl effective when he was sitting on the pavement looking at the billboard for erotic underwear! I really love Tanja, she's one of my favourites so far.

I have also noticed that the opening titles don't feature the same cast members for every episode. I've seen two versions so far. That's quite unuual, I've never known a soap to do that before!

I've just updated my avatar to reflect my new-found love for Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. Not only does it feature the hot boy from my avatar, but it's got some really intriguing stories going on. I think I might start watching it full-time.

Do you know th backstory for Vince and his family (Is the dad called Leon?) They've had some really emotional scenes which has been great for me improving my German. I had to laugh at the party scenes with the teens, purely because the girl got so sick after having 5 alcopops. In England, our binge-drinking nation, we'd have had 7 or 8 ciders by the time we got like that

Loving this show, gonna keep up with it. I am also going to take up Alles was Zahlt.

Do you think perhaps that Sandy Winton chose to leave? I think it's a bizarre decision if so, and I also think it's silly not to keep Emilia on. They could create a little family out of Lucas/Tash and Emilia. It would be goo if Michael was killed off and Tash had to adjust to living with her aunt.

I am going to be furious if Tash ends up at the Kennedys. Mainly because it's getting beyond a joke how many randoms they take in, but also because she has barely ever interacted with them at all in the past. It makes the show lack substance and ruins the overall story arc when they mess with the foundations like that.

Rene Zandveld's Twitter has confirmed that Michael's on his way out. Tash is staying, and Emilia won't be kept past her 6 month stint at this stage.

Right, gonna reply to your post now, Ben.

I am enjoying parts of the show at the moment but for me, the latter half of the year has really suffered in comparison to the frst half of the year. There's no doubt in my mind that Sonya being forefront of the show is probably what made those early months so rivetting, but since then there have been on and off moments. I think, as you say, what is lacking is a decent story to get people talking, a big story. The K story was good to begin with, very good actually, but then was quickly ruined and left Susan looking like a total b*tch. I was extremely unhappy with the Ks splitting up off-screen; we didn't get any decent scenes with them actually talking about what had happened. The audience deserved to see the characters resolve things and reflect on what had happened with Jim but we were cheated. What we were left with was Susan Bower's poor planning; Karl moping about the house for episodes, trying to call Susan etc etc, then going to vsit her and they come back, having decided to split. Now at this point in the characters' journey I don't think it is realistic that they would split up, nor do I think it is a good idea by the writers. The scenes which actually aired yesterday with Karl and Susan explaining to Malcolm why they had decided to split, were very poorly-written. I would go as far as to say that they were offensive to viewers, as well as an insult to what talented actors Alan and Jackie are. After everything they've been through, Karl's dying patient, Sarah, Izzy, Alex, the kids etc they decide to split over this. I don't think it would happen. A break would be feasible but not this. I'm not entirely sure why this route was decided for the characters. Part of me thinks it was because the makers know how popular Karl and Susan's story with Izzy was, and they're trying to emulate that success, but part of me thinks they just don't have a clue. I think it's a combination of both. But yes, we have been cheated by this story. We need to have some decent dialogue between Karl and Susan just to know what they're both thinking. As for Malcolm's comment "After 30 years of marriage"

I am a fan of Jade and Malcolm. I think they've got good chemistry although I do find Benji's acting quite stiff and unnatural a lot of the time. I think he's doing a good job in Libby's absence and I wouldn't mind seeing him stick around long-term. I think he's got really great chemistry with Alan and they make a fantastic father/son, but I really want Libby to come back. I am missing her badly, I think Kym is an amazing actress and I don't think the show can afford to lose her. I wish Kym all the best but I'm going to be devastated if she doesn't return. On the other hand, is it a good thing as perhaps it will avoid the writers ruining her? Jade is a highlight of the show for me. To me Sonya and Jade are easily the best characters and actors by far. Both of them are natural with whichever characters they're paired up with and they are srong characters in their own right with clearly defined personalities. I find it a shame that Toadie has changed a lot as a character. I no longer enjoy watching his scenes and he was a favourite for a long time. I accept that it is natural for the character to evolve as he ages, but he's lost that spark. I have nothing against him maturing but I think he seems lost at the moment and the development story is dragging him down a lot. Sonya is his only salvation. Callum is also a damaged character, he serves little purpose other than to prop up Sonya and Toadie, plus I find his characterization quite poor these days. He was a wonderful quirky character but that has been sacrificed for his constant quips about technology and computers, phones, how much of a new-age contemporary kid he is shoved in our faces all day long. There was a scene where Susan, Sonya and Kate started a book club, and Callum said something along the lines of 'why don't you just get a computer, you can get e-books', Susan's reply was that she liked the feel of turning the pages etc and that she was old-fashioned. Are there no other ways of illustrating the differences between generations other than shoving technology in our faces all the time? Actually, it makes me quite irate and while typing this post I can feel my frustration towards the writers surfacing. Obviously it's Bower's continued obsession with the show being contemporary that continues to stifle it. I can't bear the text appearing on the screen, it makes the show look tacky and I think it is alienating for the older viewers. I'm hoping that once Hardy and Jasek take over, these will be gone.

Going back to Jade, I find her completely fascinating. The writers have really done well there. She is very relatable, her fear of relationships is great, and I love how she sleeps around as you don't get many girls like that on Neighbours. She clearly can't deal with her emotions and puts on this hard exterior but is very vulnerable underneath. I think Gemma is amazing when Jade lashes out, and the relationship/frenemy thing she's got going with Rhys is wonderful. I hope Jade isn't ruined when she inevitably is paired off with Kyle. And I have to admit, I haven't particularly missed Kyle while he's been gone. I love Dane, and hope the producers decide to keep him on. He's a great comedic character played by an awesome actor though I didn't take to him in his first few eppies (I'm a harsh critic ) Plus he's good looking at N is seriously lacking in eye candy department of late.

A big problem for me now is, that while many characters/actors are extremely strong, there are others who really fall flat. I've got a new-found love for Summer, I think Jordy is great in the dramatic scenes, she's a wonderful young actress. And Sonya/Jade, I really want to see Jade cry, something we have yet to experience! I think Andrew, Michael and Natasha are in dire straits at the moment. I was loving Tash a few months ago but recently I've begun to notice how patchy the actress can be, and Michael's been annoying me a hell of a lot. The stock shots of Miachel surfing/looking out to sea, fill me with rage. Emilia is a good character/actress but for me she's highlighted how poor Michael/Tash are. Natasha is a good character, but Valentina falls flat in the dramatic scenes. She just found out at Aus pace that her mother drowned (she got the death certificate via email ) and I wasn't impressed by those emotional scenes. I didn't feel touched by the revelation, it was an anti-climax and just left me feeling underwhelmed. Meanwhile, although Kate has a tendency to annoy the audience, which I'm beginning to understand as she is written with self-importance, I think Ashleigh is a wonderful actress. I do wonder whether Ashleigh dslikes the way Kate is written. I could have done without the Noah/Sophie playing guitar stuff, and Orpheus is a terrible actor, but Kate's breakdown is inetresting to watch. As for Andrew, I don't know what they can do to improve him. I find it incredibly annoying that the actor's accent comes through so much, I know Andrew supposedly spent part of his childhood in Scotland but it just highlights what a poor actor Jordan is, basically playing himself. I know they won't get rid of him because he's a Robinson. They need to build up his relationship with Paul. In comparison to Elle and Paul, Andrew really lacks that connection. I don't think it would be a bad idea to bring in Amy at this point to build up a bit of family in the household. I also pitched the idea that Hilary could return to bolster that household.

I really hope the show improves under the new producers as I do think it's suffering. More characters are needed because at the moment the cast is so small that so many characters are having scenes alone just looking at their phones etc. Another thing I have noticed is that interaction between the cast has become a lot more forced this year. They have no idea what to do with Paul or Lou; Paul just seems to annoy people in Charlie's or Harold's for no particular reason, while Lou just seems to be nosey and interfering so that he can get a few lines in. Karl and Susan have also become victims of this and I hate it. Perhaps they think it makes the show feel like a community but to me it just seems like a shambles. I am just getting bored of the show these days. I'm annoyed at the attempts to make it contemporary. I don't mind the slow-pacing but they have to make the downtime interesting. The development story is awful. They've only gone with it because it's the only way they can involve the cast as a whole, but it's not going to draw any viewers in or keep the current viewers entertained. And that's forgetting the fact that it was all done...5 years ago!

I'm really enjoying the Ben story, and all the stuff with Amira/Syed/Christian.

I thought Ben'c oming out scene to Phil was extremely powerful and I can't wait to see wht happens when Phil returns. I think Josh has been doing a good job and I'm glad that the writers decided to focus on Ben's sexuality rather than trying to create another gay love story. The only thing that has let it down is Ben having feelings for Christian. I think that's wrong and I don't like how it portrays young gay people as needing a father figure. However, I was glad that in no uncertain terms Christian told Ben how inappropriate it all was.

I HATED Christian's ultimatum of 'it's me or the baby' - it's so wrong. Syed is the father and does have rights. Therefore I see no reason why Christian should have no access to the child at all considering his and Syed's relationship. I still findte Yusefplot totally unbelievable. Why can't anybody see how evl Yusef is? Everyone is blind too it, it's like they're all stupid. Even Christian.

Thanks for all the info, Huntress. Very interesting to read. Do you know how Marienhof rated for its final week of episodes. I wonder what Simon-Paul Wagner is up to these days, he was the hottest eye candy known to German soap, although I have to admit, the Germans do like to cast people on their looks. Some really attractive actors in those soaps.

I'm going to start watching GZSZ. It's the only one I can get access to, and I really need to improve my German. Although I would prefer to watch either Unter Uns or Alles Was Zaehlt.

I sent you a private message by the way, Huntress!

Thanks for all the info, Huntress. It sounds like Unter Uns is the soap to watch in Germany. Are the soaps there experiencing a massive decline, Huntress? What kins of ratings do they get? I've noticed that GZSZ seems to be the only one doing well at the moment or am I wrong there?

I miss Marienhof

Ben, no worries that you took a long time to reply, I totally understand. I'm just glad you're ok! I will reply to your post soon.

In the meantime, I just have to say I can't believe that Susan's leaving. Agog would be an understatement. I never thought I'd see the day. However, I am cautiously optimistic. Mainly because I enjoy the show these days even though there are major improvements to be made, but you just never know what the new guys are going to be like. Previous experience (although Jasek who has been appointed mainly has experience in directing so it seems strange that he would be appointed boss) suggests they will do well. But if Bryan Kirkwood has taught me anything, it's not to judge people on past experience.

I think I'll have to wait for an interview with Jasek and/or Hardy before I make my judgement. As I said on NFans, however, Alan Hardy who is th new producer, is th father of Marieke Hardy, and she has been one of the strongest writers for the show over the years, particularly in regard to humour and comedy. So I hope Marieke helps Alan shape the direction of the show.