KMan101

Started watching August. I really like EastEnders. I think it's got an interesting cast and I love the interaction and community feel and how everyone interacts. I love British soaps for the fact that they just seem more real. I totally believe I could run into these people and I love the natural dialogue. Again like real people. I am of course starting with a fresh perspective. I'm around the point of the community cook off and Ian's return. I like the dynamic between Janine and Michael, however, Janine is really annoying. I want to like her. I've read on here she's a bitch. Where is that? Why are we getting this exasperated mother act? I'm not loving it. Not a great introduction for me to the character. The Masoods seem boring and fluff characters. They really dominated the show at one point? Oy. I like what little I saw of Christian and Sayed. Thank god they are pretty (Sayed's hot as hell) but they sure are wooden actors. Wow, they're bad. I like Kim and Denise. Ray is ehh to me. He seems like a jerk to Kim, who really comes off a tad desperate and tempermental. But I like her. I do hope there's more to Kim/Denise than Kim yelling at Denise for being a sourpuss and Denise huffing and puffing and sighing about Kim. I like Kat. However, it sounds like she's a whore. I take it she and Michael hook up? Or have? Her and Alfie are really boring together. Why is she with him? He adds nothing. He's an OK supporting character but man they use him a LOT. Shirley must be a love/hate character. I like that she's different and somewhat crass with an attitude. Is she leaving? Can anyone do a brief update for me on like the last month so I feel kinda caught up? Or I can read up more now that I'm into it. I take it this particular time isn't that rough for the show? I think it has a lot of dead weight but the Brit soaps seem to have large casts with all of them serving as supporting at one time or another. I like storyline rotation.

ITA. That was such a wasted and uncessary death! And they just up and kill her after they save her from some virus? Seemed ridiculous to me. It's clear that the writers didn't know what to do with her but the show seems in a VERY strong spot throughout most of 1984, despite the questionable storylines (IMO). I never understood the destruction of the Bauers. Hillary could have been around for a long time. Hope and Mike were the ones with THE most potential and they were completely ignored in the 2000s (and probably never mentioned after Mike's brief return in 1997). I agree with whoever said 1991 would have been the ideal time to reinvent them. And then to kill off Maureen? GL was so stupid how it handled the Bauers.

Holy crap. Sigh. While I'm sure at the time a lot of that was ridiculed and not liked but I would take any second of 1984 over anything we got in the 2000s. Or today on any soap. I felt invested beyond belief with just clips. Beverlee and Charita. Wow. Such amazing actresses. GL was very lucky to have them. I'm very familiar with GL history but SEEING it. Sigh. Again. GL has always had a special place for me amongst my soaps. I don't know why. Just something about it. I never felt that affection towards ATWT though I love the history of ATWT. I think ATWT was very untapped in potential for all of the 2000s. Very sad. But I have to ask, was Lujack that dominating on a daily basis? I love Irizarry and I know the character was super popular. Was is just an "instant click" with the audience or do you think the focus on him would annoy everyone?

Cannot wait to see Jill Larson's websoap!

I agree. That storyline was disgusting on every level.

Same here. Im surprised its for only 4 days.

I got an email about it. Says it is good through July 15th

It could have been a mutual parting. It is really too bad. Didnt Mike return in 1997? It is a shame they didnt bring him back to anchor the show. Especially because his grandson was Alan-Michael. And his return could have also led to Hope coming back. Such missed opportunity.

This show made a mistake killing off a lot of people. Shame. I agree with you Carl. Looks like Mike had several failed romances. The writers clearly didn't know what to do. They should have just pushed him as the patriarch. Did the actor choose to leave later or was he just dropped?

I agree. That storyline caused me to tune out again. So much potential that was all shot to hell.

Yes! I agree about Jason and Julie! I remember a LOT of time spent on Jason and then he was just done lol

I agree it was all three who brought the show what it needed. I was glad Cross left only because I hated the last storyline Kim had. I think they absolutely should have given LL whatever she wanted. Especially when you are losing original cast members.

Reading that article about the support players makes me sad that by the mid 2000s they were non-existent. Didn't Jack Smith purge a bunch of them followed by Latham getting rid of the rest? I guess we can blame the budget but how do they explain the boatload of useless characters they have now? LOL. Anyway ... enjoying the thread with the old articles and youtube clips

I do have to give the AMC writers over the years props for at least keeping the vets they had and using them in an overall substantial way until they were too ill to work. Myrtle, Palmer, etch they were still very relevant and attached.

Sort of a random question, but what ever happened to Erica's company, Enchantment?

Man. Makes me sad that come 2004/2005 the vets would be purged in massive budget cuts. They had a strong foundation back then but did crap with it. Damn Weston and Conboy. Rauch and then Conboy probably DECIMATED the budget.

Yup. Exactly. There's just so much natural history to play. Soaps refusal to tap into that is one of the biggest reasons they are failing. God. Most of these characters just write themselves.

I think there's still tons of potential angst between Meg and Sumner. For sure. Lots of storyline potential there. Karen and Mack would only be able to serve as the 'go-tos'. I can't see how they'd drive story. I'd say kill off Mack. He's been dead for about a year. Karen's had Michael and his new family move in with her (maybe they lost their house? foreclosure?). Michael could definitely be a 'hero' of the show (like his father until they killed him off). Maybe he and Julie married? Interactial relationship. They could have adopted. That would be interesting. Betsy could definitely be a 'Val' type while Bobby could easily be the younger version of Gary. Betsy can be the one who pulls Bobby back in. I love the affair idea behind Abby and Bobby. Gold. And of course Paige could fit in through Sumner and there's plenty to do with her. She writes herself. I can see it working. I don't know if it's something that will grab a huge audience, it's not as 'big' as Dallas, even though it was just as much of a hit as Dallas was. Not to mention there's Brian and Olivia, Abby's kids. Olivia's another character who practically writes herself. Also there's Richard and Laura's son Jason. I bet he could be quite the interesting character. Shades of both of his parents would make for a great grey character. He could be Betsy's love interest, even though he'd be older, but ages don't really matter I guess.

Taylor is a definite highlight. I really never minded Jennifer but they tried to hard with her to be the new Sydney. Sam/Billy/Jennifer/Jeff wasnt all that bad. JMO

Im happy that his 'heyday' period is covered. I think it leaves the door open for another set with his 90s/00s returns even though i think his last great run was in the 90s. I dont think the 00s gave him much great stuff to work with except being brought back and told how horrible he was until he died then returned for the same abuse.

I agree. The reboot was a waste of potential, IMO. Sigh.

I did finally start liking Kyle when he and Jane hooked up.

The Christine storyline drained a lot of life out of the show. I really disliked most of that story.

Sad he was so good and will be missed. First Dick Clark now Frid. They really do go in threes. Whos next?

I agree. It was strange. I guess the writers maybe wanted to leave Alison available for Billy and thought fans would rather see Jake trying to get to know his kid. I never thought Alison and Jake would ride off in the sunset together, though I didn't mind them together, looking back on it. I think the writers lucked out because it was evident that Jake and Alison were thrown together because everyone else had already been thrown together in some form.