I Am A Swede

^^

Someone actually compared Anne Frank (and others) hiding from the nazis to the Covid-vaccine??!!

There is that worry, yes. I'm sure there are some who think that I'm too hard on the Dingles, but frankly that's their problem..... I have to concede that there have been times when I have actually (almost) liked some of them, although it pains me to admit that now. Chas was sort of likeable for a while, and Marlon was kind of tolerable when he was with Tricia and with Donna. I also liked Lisa in the beginning. But all that was long ago, and now I can't stand the sight of any of them. I disliked the family right from the start. I mean, there was nothing even remotely appealing about them from the beginning. The pathetic feud with the McAllister family, they destroyed Luke's life and practically drove him to his death, Tina tried to frame Angharad for possession of drugs, Butch terrorized Jessica.... And then the way they gatecrashed Joe Sugden's funeral and acted like the pigs they are. It still makes my blood boil to think about it. And then came the unholy trinity of Cain, Charity and (yuck) Debbie! Three of the most unappealing characters ever created, although they have been challenged in recent years by Aaron and Liv. 🤮 And don't get me wrong. I don't mind characters with flaws. I loved Viv, and she could be the most hypocritical and vicious of bitches. Rachel had affairs with three (!) married men, including Jack, who was the brother of her stepfather, yet I cared about her. (Except when she fought Frank to help the Dingles keep their house. If there was ever a time she deserved to be pushed from a cliff then that was it!). Steph was a psycho, who imprisoned and drugged her own father, and she was still able to arouse some sympathy. Amos could be the most irritating, pretentious man, yet he is one of my all-time favourites. I don't know if it's the writing who fail or the actors, but I have never ever been able to feel any kind of sympathy or empathy for the Dingles. And they don't even have to be Dingles by blood, as Liv has proved in recent years, and Alice did before that. It was probably not the intention from the show, but I was overjoyed when Sam helped Alice to die. She was probably the most insufferable non-Dingle ever. Yes, even worse than Liv! I know that Emmerdale has turned into more of a soap than the realistic dramaseries it was in the beginning, but I miss those years so much. This show used to be so good and special and now it's just a generic soap that stretches credibility to the limit. I mean, there is no way that two characters like Chas and Charity would ever be able to run a pub. With their criminal records they would never get a licence to serve alcohol! But we must have Dingles everywhere so to hell with logic! I sometimes wonder why I even bother with this show anymore, but I have a history with it that goes back to the late 70s, and it's hard to break that kind of bond.

Australian Open: Rafael Nadal to face Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne final

Bridget?

Australian Open: Rafael Nadal beats Matteo Berrettini to reach Melbourne final

^^ Now that would be the perfect way to celebrate the 50th anniversary! The only thing I would change is that I would get rid of all the Dingles, every last member of that horrid clan. Wipe them from the face of the earth, and not even mention any of them again!

I don't think he can be characterized as a legacy heroine though?

Unless it's Marian Wilks, picking up her father's legacy! 🙏

This re-shuffling by ITV has received some criticism. For years there has existed a kind of gentlemen's agreement between ITV and the BBC to not put their soaps (Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders) directly opposite each other. Now this is seemingly over. The question is, what will this mean for the soaps and their viewing figures? Will this lead to the death of one (or more than one) of them? BBC has recently invested in a costly new set for EastEnders, but with the show already struggling in the ratings, can it survive being in direct competition with the ITV soaps?

Ashleigh Barty becomes first Australian woman to reach the final of the AO since 1980 (Wendy Turnbull). Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty beats Madison Keys to reach Melbourne final

Nice for the home crowd with an all-Australian Men's Double Final: Kokkinakis/Kyrgios vs Ebden/Purcell

I remember him from "Fame"