I Am A Swede

Have you watched B&B much? It sounds like Lindsay Hartley and Katherine Kelly Lang could compare experiences....

I can never decide on a favourite. It changes all the time.

I've just finished the first 300 episodes, and it definitely feels like we're entering a new era of the show. The obvious sign is the change of location, from Arncliffe to Esholt, with everything that brings including the new Woolpack. Another thing I've noticed is that we're beginning to lose some of the side characters. During these first few years we've had several prominent semi-regular characters from the village, Frank and Janie, Alison, Mrs. Dawkins, Reverend Ruskin and his wife Liz, George Verney, Norah Norris, Dr. Scott, James Bonfils, Matt's aunt and uncle Beattie and Ben and the Gimbels. During the rest of the 70s there will be a much bigger focus on just the Sugdens, Amos and Henry, and the new vicar, Mr. Hinton, with other characters coming in for shorter stories. It's such a treat though to be able to see (almost) every episode from the beginning. It's such a different show from what we get now. Not to mention a thousand times better. I love how they incorporate old village traditions into the show. Rituals that have been a part of village life for centuries and have their roots in pagan beliefs. It adds so much atmosphere to everything. It's not about getting the characters from Plot point A to Plot point B. We're watching ordinary people live their lives, dealing with whatever life throws at them. And it's heaven! Maybe it's part nostalgia for me, but I honestly think that the 1970s was the absolute golden era for Emmerdale. Yes, it's slow-moving and often quite plotless, there are often long scenes of people walking over fields, driving a tractor or mending fences, yet it's strangely captivating. And the characters are fully rounded, with very human flaws. They can be incredible irritating sometimes, but you can always relate to what they think and feel, because they are written like real people, not character types. All in all it's been a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to continue. It won't be that long now until a very special favourite of mine makes her first appearance.....

She looks stunningly beautiful!

Beautiful locations can only take you so far without good writing. And this show hasn't had good writing in a looooong time.

Bye old Woolpack, and welcome new Woolpack. The move happened faster than I expected. I'm gonna miss the old one. I've grown quite fond of it. But now we're in familiar surroundings. This new Woolpack is the one I remember from my childhood, not to mention it's the same one that is still in use today.

Partly yes, but Days of Our Lives has also crossed the line into parody many times, with all their coming back from the dead stories, brainwashing, people being possessed by the devil, having microchips in teeth, and do I really have to even mention the Garden of Eden....

Honestly I'm not sure we're not there already, or at the very least very near to that point.

It really is 2016 all over again....

Trying to recast Jessica Fletcher would be like recasting J.R. Ewing. Jessica Fletcher = Angela Lansbury!

I've got nothing against Jamie Lee Curtis but..... no!