Skylover

I hadn't watched Emmerdale for a long while but tuned in cos Alex(?) is shirtless, well I can't believe how badly they've ruined the opening sequence, theme song and title card font!

I love how 'angelic' the child appears to be, I guess they're playing up to the fact he has his father's DNA. I imagine the child will get annoying quickly though. Peopl on DS have been saying a low-key return would have been better and I think I'm inclined to agree. They always make returns sensationalist, remember Janine marrying a 90 year old man and Pat crashing the wedding? And obviously Kat and Alfie too. I loved the Ben scenes last night, such a sinister and mixed up character. Seriously dreading his departure although I know there's no way around it now. I can't wait for Sharon's scenes with Ian and I'm hoping she will interact with Kat now due to Zoe.

How did people find Sharon's return?

Haha it's not so much the fact of talking about boys or girls, but just the amount I talk about them lol I'm worried people are going to judge me as I'm always gushing about guys on the forums. They aired the 1995 episodes today, there was a shot of Jack and Curtis (never seen it before lol) Couldn't get a better screencap than this: They are like my dream threesome. Haha Your passion for Home and Away really has drained, hasn't it Ben ETA: Here's a better photo of Curtis.

Did I scare everyone off with my boy talk?

Lol, I really wasn't expecting that. I agree though, Sid is hot for an older guy. I've been watching the older episodes from the reruns in the UK and Australia, and I'm startled by the sheer number of male characters I'm attracted to. I know that Home and Away has a habit of hiring actors based on their looks but I think loads of them are gorgeous (maybe just a high libido? lol) There's Blake, Haydn, Ben, Simon, Nick, Shane, Geoff, Ric, Nick (a different one) and my favourites after today's re-run Jack and Curtis. I'm new to a lot of these characters as I was a child when these episodes went to air but wow. Jack is like a young, dark prince and Curtis a blonde haired, brown eyed angel. I wish I could find some good pictures to show you. Perhaps I should take some screencaps. Ironically I don't find many of the current cast that appealing except Casey and on the odd occasion Brax. I think it's because the younger cast weren't so sexualised back in the day so they seem more alluring whereas now the guys are constantly sexualised and parade around shirtless. Right, I've got that off my chest so I'll move on...I think Indi has just had to put up with a lot of sh*t from Romeo so it's no wonder she's a bit apprehensive about starting things up with him again. I'm pretty sure her and Liam would make a great couple as he seems quite straightforward. I don't really ship Heath/Bianca that much as Bianca is a shadow of the character she used to be for me. I don't dislike her though, I just don't have a huge fondness for these characters. Casey's one of the best characters (maybe I'm just biased again because I think he's hot lol) but I'd like to see him in an actual lasting relationship. He and Sasha don't have chemistry though so I hope they're not paired up. ETA: Add Tug and Damian to that list. And to reiterate I meant Jack Wilson (from my avatar) and not the hideous Jack character from the 00s era Jack Holden who ended up with that monstrosity Martha Stewart. Lol.

Why?!!

Apart from perhaps bringing back onw of Irene's children, what would you do to improve the show, Ben? Do you think the Braxtons have a place in the show? What else do you think could be done to mine the show's history? And what do you think in regard to Summer Bay House? I'm intwo minds about that one - in a way it seems like there's a problem with the structure of the show having Alf, Roo and Marilyn there. If you look back, it was always a 'family' house and at the centre of the entire show, and the set-up seemed faily uncomplicated. Now it's difficult to see any long-term plan for the household - will Marilyn be living there for the forseeable future as a lone character or will she get a love interest? Are they setting up Roo and Harvey as the main residents of the house once Ray Meagher decides to leave? In one way I like that Alf is there as he deserves to be being such an iconic character but it seems like a predictable thing to do. For me getting Summer Bay House right is the most important thing for the show as, like I said, it is the centre of the show really. The heart and soul of it lies with SBH because that's where the taking in of waifs and strays began which is what the show is all about. I seem to recall someone saying (don't know if it was you, Ben) that Leah should have moved in there (with Miles presumably) and they could begin fostering. Obviously Miles is now gone but I don't think Leah is a strong enough character to run that household neither does she seem to have any maternal characteristics. If they did decide to bring back Sophie to run the house and presumably take in a load of foster kids, or Carly and Ben (recast) for that matter, where does that leave Alf, Roo and Marilyn? I agree about getting rid of John and Gina. I actually really like John but I don't think he works with Gina as they lack chemistry and I don't think it's worth keeping him on if Gina leaves as he'd just be another older character floating round like the rest. John and Gina just seem SO separate from the community though, watching them it's like they live in a totally different place, they seem to have no friends or connections in the Bay, it would be quite easy to get rid of them. I love Jett though, don't know if you've seen much of him but he seems like a promising young actor and seems to have that star quality, you know you can't quite put your finger on it but he's got it! Part of me thinks it would be a good idea to kill of John and Gina in some accident so that Jett could be taken in by another family, maybe Roo and Harvey, but is that too mordbig for a child whose father doesn't want him and mother died of a drug overdose? If you don't mind me asking Ben, how are you watching the 5* repeats if you live in the USA? I'm loving the reruns, just watched the 1993 selection today (Lynne McGranger's first ep as Irene, Dale's cot death and Bobby's funeral). It was interesting seeing Morag return for the funeral after 4 years away and it seemed like everything had changed in just that short space of time. I'm watching the 1991 season from the 7Two rerun and the new Pippa's been there for over 100 episodes now and I'm STILL struggling to accept her as Pippa. It seems other viewers have embraced her but she certainly doesn't feel like Pippa to me by early 1991 - she does in the 92/93 episodes I've seen so I guess it just took time for her to get into the role. I think the whole Michael thing makes it harder to accept: if Vanessa was still playing the role I don't think the writers could have married Pippa off so quickly, there certainly would have been a backlash. What's your opinion on the two Pippas? I want them to recast Duncan and get him together with Marilyn. I know he'd only be about 24 but would be interesting; we know that Marilyn isn't against age gap relationships and she seems to be lonely and vulnerable at the moment (hence her involvement with Danny Braxton) but to be fair they're not really having a romance, they haven't even kissed, they just seem to be spending a bit of time together and I hope it isn't any more than that by the time he leaves. I love Indigo Walker. She's about to embark on a romance with Liam it seems and they have great chemistry (just been revealed the actors are dating off-screen). Indi is the best character in the show currently.

Sorry Ben, I feel like my POV re Chris has pissed you off. I don't mean to lay so much hate on Chris but I guess I just don't like him. I suppose it's one of those weird things in soap land where sometimes you just can't put your finger on why you do/don't like a character. I'm aware my opinion is in the minority. Personally though, I don't feel like Kate has done any more than Chris to be hated <controversial opinion> maybe I just don't concentrate on the show enough or have a weird view on what's right/wrong cos I do find myself saying/typing things that others disagree with. I think there is stuff with Chris earlier on in his story that made me dislike him a bit although I can't remember the exact details. Something to do with when that homophobic customer was at the garage. I seem to remember he made homophobic comments and Lucas ignored it and Chris got angry. Some people pointed out to me at the time that it may be Chris' naivete that drove his behaviour but I totally sided with Lucas on the situation as surely business comes first? It's not like Lucas was agreeing with the customer but just chose to forget his ignorance for the sake of the business. It felt like Chris took it far too seriously and I'm pretty sure there are other times when his attitude towards his sexuality has pissed me off. My point didn't come across well in regard to saying it's strange I don't identify with him because he's gay but I think it's different to straight viewers identifiying with straight characters. There is no denying that being gay is a huge thing you have to cope with your whole life and as such the gay characters in soaps tend to go through similar experiences to me so therefore I think it's natual I would identify with them a lot of the time. I don't have a lot of love for Sean in Corrie and not too bothered about Marcus (although, actually I barely watch Corrie) but I do love Syed and to an extent Christian. What sets Chris apart from these characters for me is his age so his experiences more closely reflect the stage in my life in comparison to the other characters you mentioned. I don't watch HO all that much either but from what I've seen I love Ste, Doug and Brendan. I take your point that people seem to like Chris for reasons other than his sexuality but maybe my personal feelings clouded my judgement on that one. I think his relationship with Aidan was make or break for me and has a lot to do with why I don't rate the character. I don't see how the writers were sending out a decent social message to the public by portraying the gay relationship as different to the hetero relationships. Andrew and Summer got a hell of a lot of screentime and Chris and Aidan didn't - it was like the writers didn't want to to focus on them too much because they're gay characters and didn't want to 'force' them on the public. The way they did it it wouldn't have satisfied anyone. There's no doubt in my mind the people most interested in the story would be the gay community and by sidelining the relationship it wouldn't have appealed to them so the whole story seemed pointless. Having said all that though, Richard Jasek has announced that Aidan's returning so maybe they realised viewers weren't satisfied and have brought Aidan back to milk the story some more. In regard to the stunt, I'm sure it will be good it's just the fact that Bridget died in 09 and Ringo in 2010 from car accidents so three teen car accidents in a number of years. Home and Away is apparently having a car accident on the same night too. How are you feeling about other areas of the show? I like the Kapoors and although Priya came off quite unliekable in most of the plots she had to begin with, Rani has been great from the start and we're now getting to see Aus pace that Priya's earlier behaviour is part of a larger story arc for her and we've seen the family is quite developed. I'm still annoyed by the ridiculously gentle entrance of certain characters, the Kapoors and Sheila to name a few. Have you heard about Toadie's cousin 'Georgia Brookes' joining? Must be one of Angie's siblings children. That will be hell for continuity purposes! ETA: Oh and wanted to say, yes, I can identify with Ben from EE. My fave all time soap character after Sally Fletcher. Please don't judge me Ben, I know I'm an unconventional viewer. I will apologise for liking Kate though!

Celia's returning!!! Excited.com

The thing is with Chris, it's not just that he pissed me off for a few weeks but I just rarely like him. I think the fact there has been little criticism of the character is probably because he's a gay character and in the eyes of many fans we're lucky to have a gay character at all. I know he's a well-crafted character but I don't really like the portrayal for me - he just comes across as whiney and unlikeable - and considering I am gay I think it's strange that I can't identify with him. I think the crap writing for hsi love story pissed me off and if it had been written better I might have felt something for the character. What makes you think he's an asset to the show? I don't think he's indespensible (is that the right word? lol) The only decent thing about his character is being gay. Aidan came across as far less annoying and that's why I'd be happy for him to stay on as a regular. Vanessa may display some annoying traits as a character but IMO she is waaaay more likeable than Chris is every way. I think it's James' acting. I think the problem with the teens is that the writing simply isn't strong enough for them. Like you say they do get quite a bit of light material but IMO it doesn't come off well. Either the lighter material isn't funny enough or the actors just don't carry it off as well. For the last few months in Home and Away the younger characters have had a lot of lighter/comedic material and they carry it off with ease and/or the comedic material is much stronger. Sasha is a gem IMO. Even if she's in the background of a scene she can make it funny. You're right, they do have a lot more adult material for the teens but I mean in the day to day dialogue they seem more like 'teens' whereas I still think the Neighbours teens/young adults come across as cliched. I doubt viewers of that age can easily identify with those characters. I'm not bothered about the crash personally. Well - I'll be annoyed if Ed dies because I want him and Tash to be together but I think it's just gonna be a cheap stunt. These shows do way too many car crashes; it's like, get another stunt! Meanwhile, by the way, the Kapoors are finally coming into their own at Aus pace!!

Marilyn's friendship with Irene was pretty much forgotten when she was introduced back into the series in 20120 which was pretty offensive considering how close they were in the 90s. She came back solely to see Alf which I guess kind of makes sense as they were very close obviously having both worked together in Alf's store for a while. Recently there has been more interaction between Irene and Marilyn though it's mainly as they're both working at the Diner which is a shame. The YouTube channel is called 'CBBCOnChoice' and the most recent episode is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpqJ-6BN7CA&feature=plcp I think in regard to John and Gina that I just don't see the connection or chemistry they're supposed to have with Jett. There have been some touching moments in Jett's story but Gina doesn't really come across as a maternal kind of character. As much as I sort of hate to admit it, the Braxtons have become fantastic characters. They are a big reason why 2011 failed but 2012 has seen some much needed character development for all of them and like I said killing Charlie off was the best thing for them. I agree with you about Natalie, does being a psychologist make you an expert on everything? She seems to think so Thanks for your advice on Days Will and Ben, I may give it a go. What do you mean by the days of Sami Brady being over? Last I watched she was still there or has she changed a lot or something? That Will is HOT! His acting sucks but we all need a resident hottie Ben - I do think they're not using Marilyn properly at the moment. I guess you're not watching so don't know what's going on, but her and Roo both work in the Diner now with Irene and Leah, they tend to just chat in the background about the kids or whatever, I think they need to give Marilyn a love interest with some spark. I don't get why neither Roo nor Marilyn worked with Sid because I really like him as a stand alone character and as the patriarch of the Walker clan who are my favourite family, but for some reason his relationships haven't worked. I don't get how characters can work on their own but not in a relationship? Anyway, I wish they'd get rid of John/Gina/Jett to make way for Sophie Simpson to return. Rebekah Elmaloglou has basically said she's interested in returning so I don't get why they haven't snapped her up, especially when they've just lost one of their 'stalwarts' in Colleen. Plus they need someone from the original Fletcher family (well close enough) to be back in Summer Bay House. It doesn't sit quite right with me having Alf, Roo and Marilyn in there.

I love Ed and Tash. But I really just don't care for the rest. And I've grown to HATE Chris with a passion. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when he (don't know if this has happened yet UK pace) printed the story in the newspaper about Lucas' situation and when confronted he said something along the lines of 'don't take it out on me, your the one whose life is messed up'. Ugh. I find him incredibly judgemental and patronising though judgemental seems to be a trait a lot of Neighbours characters suffer from, some more than others. The Karl/Tash relationship annoys me because Tash shouldn't be living there, and Karl shouldn't be interacting soley with Tash and Summer as some sort of agony uncle. I don't mind Summer and Andrew as much as Chris but on the whole the teens need more light material although I'm not sure they would be able to carry off the comedy as well as others. It's part of the reason why I'm ejoying H&A more at the moment - the teens are way more likeable. It's difficult to compare but the teens in H&A somehow just seem more age-appropriate in terms of dialogue. Tash is such a cliche and seems like a teen from 2005. Their dialogue is dumbed down and I guess it makes me hard to relate to them. And the sooner they get rid of Chris the better. The only good reason to keep him is because he's a gay character but if they kept on Aidan I'd be quite happy for them to get rid of Chris. The 'romance' was appalling anyway. They barely got any screentime and we didn't see the relationship build, however Aidan is returning so I look forward to seeing what they do with him next. I agree with you about the app storyline though, it doesn't seem forced and is totally the sort of thing Andrew would do.

I know he's pretty much universally hated on here but I'm gonna be really sad when Ben goes. There's so much they can still do with the character but I understand that he has to go - he hasn't worked for the majority of viewers. I just wanted to see him fall in love but I gues there's always potential for that in years to come.

Oh my goodness I hope Ben doesn't now venture into the thread, he absolutely loves Marilyn. Btw it's great to talk to someone about the show, this thread's been dead for such a long time! Actually, I appreciate getting a perspective on Marilyn from someone who is not a long term viewer. Sometimes I wonder whether my judgement is clouded in regard to soak veterans because I tend to love characters who have been in a soap for a long time ~ is it typical of soap viewers to love veteran characters even if their characterisation is no longer very good? I'd be interested to see your reaction to Marilyn from the earlier episodes- are you interested in seeing the first 700 eps that are available? IMO the earlier episodes are vastly superior but 2012 has seen a massive improvement IMO. If you thought Marilyn seemed like a a cartoon, did you catch any of Colleen Smart before she departed? I disliked her for the same reason you disliked Marilyn- in fact I would say she was a lot worse. The Braxtons have seen some great character development this year, getting rid of Charlie has been a God send for them. I'm not sure what I think of the Jett storyline, I like him as a stand alone character but I think Gina and John's relationship with him comes across as quite creepy. I know that sounds harsh but still. I'd like to see some stronger love relationships between the older cast as John and Gina are ok but not great and Roo and Harvey are a joke of a couple IMO. I'm finding Neighbours quite boring ATM (not that I'm trying to put you off) but if you like Hone and Away I find it difficult to think you'll like Neighbours as much. It's pretty much always been the case that viewers prefer the style of either one and don't love them equally, they are very different. If you see in the Neighbours thread though, I am passionate about it but certainly not in the same way as Home an Away ATM. Which Us soaps do you watch? Is it worth watching Days and is Will Horton's story any good?

I don't know much about the US soaps. I only really know a little bit about Days and even then my knowledge is limited, though I LOVE Sami Brady. I think Romeo and Indi are meant to be about 20. I guess it's a bit of a stretch that they're already divorced but their marriage didn't even last a year. For me the Romeo/Indi relationship is one of the best on the show because I think they have great chemistry and their love story is quite romantic and based on love and you got to see them doing normal things like a normal couple. A problem with most relationships on H&A is that they seem based on sex which makes them lost credibility. I guess you've noticed that the teens seem quite happy to jump into bed with someone new as you mention that they seem to have more adult stories than the US soaps. Back in the day the ages of the teens remained fairly consistent but in the last 4 years it's anyone's guess how old they're meant to be. They tend to change to fit the plot. I definitely don't think anyone could regret getting into non-US soaps. I don't mean this comment to be offensive, but I get the impression that US soaps don't care as much for their audience as UK/Aussie soaps or maybe that's an unfair judgement. I think the realistic approachj the UK/Aus soaps take in regard to ages/sorasing is good and I don't like the sensationalist approach the US soaps can take. Having said that, I love Days and would like to get into it full-time. I'd like to see that love story with Will Horton (even though he's a terrible actor). What do you think of the older cast? Marilyn is such a great character, I wish they'd give her more to do. And are you aware that a channel in Australia is playing the show from the beginning? Every episode from 1-701 is now on YouTube in good quality. Do you watch Neighbours?

Ben (or anyone lol) - what do you think about Connor returning? It hasn't been confirmed but Ryan Moloney said the returnee was Irish so I think it's fairly certain. I think it's great - Toadie has become way too serious in the last couple of years and I fundamental flaw in his character is his current lack of friends; the chemistry between Connor and Toadie was great so I'm looking forward to seeing some fun in Toadie's life again.

Aww I'm glad someone is watching and enjoying it. I'm surprised you've found it quite easy to figure out who's related to who as there are quite a lot of random characters with no links (i.e. Marilyn living with Alf and Roo) and Leah, Liam, Ruby and Romeo. I love the dynamic the Walker family bring to the show, are you a fan of them Matt? Indi is my favourite current character as I think she's stayed true to her character throughout her time on the show. The actress wasn't great at first but in the last few months she's really become a favourite of mine. Dex is great too and April seems much more likeable now she's with him again. I'd really like the writers to focus more on the older characters again though. I would love one of Irene's children to be brought back.

Is anyone watching Home and Away at the moment?

This makes me worried that they're going to ruin Sharon now, too. I really hope they remember the connection between Kat and Sharon but I doubt they will. It might give Kat some depth once again. I think I might watch a few old eps to see what's been going on. I think it doesn't help in termf of me liking Lola that I really dislike Billy too. He, along with Jack, are the two characters I hate most in soap land. I've never ever been able to see the point in him. I guess Lola has finally given him a point but I don't have any interest in this pairing. Maybe if I was watching I would change my mind. I personally think that if Peggy was still there the Mitchells wouldn't be such a problem. A lot of the time she was the person who could get Phil to stop acting like an idiot and now he has noone to control his tempers and he just comes off as an !@#$%^&*]. If she was still there they'd still be in the Vic too. I think it would be worthwhile to let the relationship between Phil and Roxy develop instead of making him resent her all the time. I still think they should bring Kim Medcalf's Sam back. Thanks for the description of the Masood story. I agree with everything else that you've said, but what has Lauren been upto? Has she recovered from her alcohol abuse? I really love this character and I can't wait to see what they've got in store for her in the future. As for Neighbours, I don't know if this is the appropriate palce but nevermind. I am enjoying it, but not as much as Home and Away. My major problem with it at the moment is the forced interaction between certain characters, which I think I've mentioned before. I don't like the fact that Karl is living with Tash and Summer, the Susan/Summer relationship annoys me as does the Susan/Paul relationship. There don't seem to be any natural interactions. Neighbours problem at the moment seems to be the opposite of Home and Away's - only the older characters in Neighbours seem to work (I'm thinking Lucas, Rhys, Vanessa, Paul etc) Summer, Chris, Andrew and Tash fail miserably. In contrast, Ruby, Indi, Romeo, Dex, April etc work extremely well in Home and Away, but the adults have become extremely vacuous which is a shame (Alf, Roo, Irene, Marilyn).

Sorry to be a downer once again, but even reading those moments you mentioned makes me realise I'm glad I haven't tuned in. I literally feel no emotion whatsoever for those characters, especially Lola and Jay. I don't know why it's just not drawing me in at the moment. I think it might be a structural problem to the show which seems to affect a lot of the soaps at some point or another. There are no strong family units. As mentioned previously, the Mitchells are lost without Peggy, I don't think the Masoods work unless Syed interacts with them (speaking of which, has he had much to do with them recently? And have Syed and Christian featured much?) So many of the characters have become parodies of themselves and therefore no longer work as characters. I'm thinking Shirley, Kat, Michael, Derek. It's almost as if they're they're to fulfill one purpose and can't function as characters in their own right (Michael as the antagonist, likewise Derek the antagonist with a human side). I'm not sure what Phil and Kat are upto anymore but they no longer get decent writing in the day-to-day episodes and seem to only be there for their legacy. And Jack. JACK. The character I hate the most in soap land. If they pair him up with Sharon I will never forgive the writers. I like the Brannings but having them as such a huge unit (including Derek, Jack et al.) seems unnecessary and detracts from the chemistry the original lot have as a unit. I find Cora to be a cliche as well. Sigh. It's a good job I'm enjoying Home and Away at the moment cos Neighbours ain't great either, but not as bad as EE atm IMO. Has Joey had a topless scene yet? Haha

I've basically stopped watching the show now. I didn't want to because I've loved EastEnders for years but I realised I didn't even like a single character other than Ben. The whole show seems to be based around random characters talking to each other about unimportant things these days. The Michael/Jean thing was atrocious, Michael has ruined Janine for me (I don't think I can watch while they're still together) and Kat's back and stilla a mess. Sharon will get me tuning in but I can't even be bothered to watch for the Ben stuff at the moment because it's lost in the mess of everything else. Even Derek's hot son isn't enough of a draw.

Glad you like the video. The Milco storyline was pretty much universally liked if memory serves me correctly, it was a brilliant storyline executed so well. I don't think at the time in 1988/89 the writers ever envisaged Milco to turn out to be a real person, especially 20 years later. Sally's whole story makes sense bar a few slight inconsistencies. Such a brilliant character and Kate Ritchie is/was fantastic, even when she was young!

If you guys have 20 minutes on your hands I've made a video of Sally's time on Home and Away. She is my favourite soap character of all time, the writing for her character is so consistent and authentic, it's difficult not to love her and I don't think any soap character comes close to her... Unfortunately some pivotal moments are missed out (mainly the 90s and her relationship with Flynn).

It would be great if Izzy came back but I think it's out of the question. The actress who played her is now very famous in Australia and earns far more than here the pittance Neighbours could pay her I imagine.