I Am A Swede

Are we supposed to feel sorry for Cain? Because I'm not, not at all. Quite the opposite. It's impossible for me to muster any sympathy at all for Cain, or Graham or even Debbie. They're all unpleasant, unlikeable characters and they deserve everything they get. I do feel sorry for Noah though. He's the only real victim in this mess.

^^ Although I have to say that the fifth (and last series) was my least favourite. No Lady Marjorie, no Elizabeth and no Hazel.... Neither Georgina nor (especially) Virginia could really live up to their predecessors. But it was still head and shoulders above practically anything on tv today.....

Well, I guess that Joseph must be alive somehow, because I don't know how else they will be able to keep Cain, Graham or even Moira on the show now. Not that I would be sad to see any of them go of course, but I hardly think that they're leaving. Because if Debbie keeps quiet about this then she sinks to a new low, and heaven knows she starts from an already low position.

Why did they have this mini-story with Lachlan and his dad? It served absolutely no purpose!

R.I.P Carol Channing

^^ I find it absolutely astonishing that 37% actually think Trump is doing a good job!

It looks like we might finally get a new government here, 4 months (!) after the election was held. Over the weekend the Centre Party and the Liberals have expressed a willingness to support that the Social Democrats and the Green Party will continue to rule like they did before the election. They feel that the negotiations between these four parties have gotten them the result they wanted. It's not all done and dusted though. The four parties involved don't control a majority in our parliament, and since the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Sweden Democrats will vote against them they need the Left Party to either support the agreement or abstain from voting. And this is a major hurdle. The agreement contains elements that goes against everything the Left Party stands for, so the question is whether they will go against their principles or if they feel that it is worth taking the risk of a new election. They themselves would probably stand to gain from a new election, but the fear is that the Sweden Democrats would also gain from it.

This whole thing with Lachlan is ridiculous! He's a teenage boy, not some seasoned criminal. When did he get the connections to be able to smuggle in a cell phone in prison and arrange for someone to terrorize Belle on the outside? It's hard to imagine now that once upon a time this show was actually realistic!

I think they would like to pretend that the show began with the arrival of the Tates.

How odd that "A Star Is Born", Bradley and Gaga are nominated in the musical/comedy categories among the Satellite Nominees, but nominated in the drama categories for the Golden Globes.....

Cain got beat up by a group of young thugs! What a delightful start to the new year!! Maybe now he'll realize that he's too old to resort to his fists whenever he has a problem. They don't give a damn about the Sugdens anymore and haven't done for ages. Just look at the way Victoria has been treated. And the only value they see in Robert is as part of a pairing with Aaron. It's a disgrace, but sadly that's the way it is.

I guess this is an important reason why these shows have lost their individual identities and become more and more alike. They say that variety is the spice of life, but that is seemingly not something that soap producers believe in.....

So true! And I know which version I prefer. I can concede that they've had some good stories and introduced some good characters in the last 20-25 years, but when you compare that to the first two decades it's like night and day. Beautifully said, and I agree with every word.

Today, on her 100th birthday, we celebrate and honour one of the most legendary stars in British soap history, Sheila Mercier, who for over twenty years reigned supreme as the Grand Dame of Beckindale and of Emmerdale Farm. Forget about The Woolpack, the Dingles, plane crashes, Home Farm, Kim Tate etc To me, the most iconic character of this show will always be Annie Sugden, and the most iconic set will always be Annie’s kitchen in the old Emmerdale farmhouse. A matriarch of the old school, Annie was always there to support her family and friends whenever they needed, yet never afraid to give them a piece of her mind when the situation called for it, sorting out her wayward children and grand-children, and always with the kettle brewing on the stove. The backbone of her family and a pillar of the community, Annie is sorely missed on the show today by those of us who watched when she was around. But thankfully there are plenty of old Emmerdale Farm episodes available on Youtube, so we can enjoy Annie in her prime, and Sheila Mercier’s beautiful portrayal of this one-of-a-kind woman. A very happy birthday to you Sheila, and thank you for all the years of entertainment you gave us!

Happy New Year everyone!

And Kathy Gimbel was involved with Joe Sugden right before she left in 1977. She could very well have been pregnant by the time she left Beckindale.... I doubt that will ever happen though, but one can hope..... But my guess is that the people in charge now have no idea that the Gimbels ever existed.

Wasn't this supposed to be the American version of "Upstairs, Downstairs"? Funny how the original was such a resounding success, while the copy was cancelled before even airing all its episodes..... But then again, the original was a hard act to follow.

Amen to that! I wonder if they will even mention the anniversary on the show this year in any way? Somehow I doubt it. It was pre-Dingle after all, and there are only two characters left on the show who was around at the time, Eric and Robert (and he was only seven). This sorry fact highlights how this show has systematically destroyed almost all ties to its past.