Y&RWorldTurner

There's speculation that Michelle Collins (Ex-Cindy Beale on EastEnders) may join and is in talks with Colllinson. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/soaperstar/view/173224/EastEnders-Cindy-hits-Coronation-Street/

Someone mentioned that we never knew who Sonia's real father was. We know David was Bianca's father, Robbie's father was some guy Carol got tired of and left, and Billie's father was Alan. I wonder if Carol even knows who Sonia's father is, much like how Bianca doesn't know who Morgan's father is. I also wonder if this is why Carol didn't have the attachment to Sonia that she had with her other children, because she associates them with men she loved at some point in her life and doesn't with Sonia. Of course a lot of it is down to Sonia's peak years on the show being well after Carol and Bianca left.

Partly, yes. I think scene where Sonia was telling Carol she could come and visit her and then said "I know I'm not Bianca, but..." really hit a nerve in Carol and made her realize how much she's missed out on Sonia's life and how much she wants to be a mother to her (something she wasn't for years and years). The look on Carol's face after Sonia said that line really said it all.

I still hate Sonia and don't want her back permanently, but... They actually touched on something very important tonight between Sonia and Carol. The line that Sonia said while she and Carol were in the car together, "I know I'm not Bianca but ..." Carol's relationship with Sonia is very unexplored, considering she dumped Sonia off on Jim to raise and wasn't around for the very pivotal moments in Sonia's life. Sonia was on the show for such a long time without the other Jackson's, and it really made Carol look like a bad one-sided mother considering how overprotective she was of Billy and her complex relationship with Bianca, yet she really wasn't much of a mother at all to Sonia. The show didn't have to include that moment, but I'm glad they touched on it. They could have easily brushed it aside, but it's nice they didn't. It's little moments like that which make the big picture better. I wonder how Pauline and Carol would have gotten on in latter years. I mean, considering the bitter hatred Pauline had of Sonia (which I actually loved!). However, I don't understand why they had to break Martin and Sonia up after they gave them that happy ending. I never liked them as a couple, but it seemed they only did this so Sonia could either return permanently again (ugh!) or so she could easily make occasional appearances. Christopher Reason is such an underrated writer, his scripts are always good and he never gets enough credit. I'm enjoying the Masood's again, now that they've had some lighter stuff and have come to accept Tamwar and Afia. Good thing Denise had that talk with Zainab...

Well, the Walford Web list is officially crap with Kathy Beale coming in at #45.

Bianca's last scenes are tonight (since they film scenes out of order).

It's going to be complete torture knowing that a plank of wood like Jack Branning is going to outrank Steve and Cindy. I hope Pauline, Sharon, and Kathy make the top 10 (hell, on a list of the most iconic characters, Pauline and Sharon should be top 5 easily). I would be offended if the Mitchell sisters outrank them.

Walford Web is doing their list of the 50 Greatest Characters voted on by the members. It's shockingly bad so far. You can tell most people who voted are young fans who probably started watching around 2006 or so. They're counting it down two a day until the show's 26th anniversary in February. So far the list is: 50. Steve Owen 49. Jay Mitchell 48. Tiffany Butcher 47. Fatboy 46. Cindy Beale I was never the biggest Steve Owen fan, but even I know he deserved a much higher placing than this. Jay, Tiffany, and Fatboy on a list of the 50 best characters? Yeah, I don't think so. My Cindy Beale is ridiculously low. That's why I don't mind too much when critics do these lists, since message boards are so skewed and it's mainly recent viewers who vote for their favourites.

I just realized that the copper in tonight's episode that was questioning Ricky and Carol is the same copper that arrested Janine for Laura's "murder" in 2004. <object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xckn1y?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xckn1y?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xckn1y?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xckn1y_eastenders-janine-tries-to-run-from_shortfilms">EastEnders - Janine tries to run from the police</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Ryanlcfc2">Ryanlcfc2</a>. - <a target="_self" href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/shortfilms">Classic TV and last night's shows, online.</a></i> I think this clip, before Janine's 2004 arrest/exit, is Janine and Pat's finest hour together: <object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcqfbf?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcqfbf?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcqfbf?width=&theme=none&foreground=%23F7FFFD&highlight=%23FFC300&background=%23171D1B&start=&animatedTitle=&iframe=0&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcqfbf_eastenders-janine-and-pat-argue-bef_shortfilms">EastEnders - Janine and Pat argue before Janine's arrest</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Ryanlcfc2">Ryanlcfc2</a>. - <a target="_self" href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/shortfilms">Classic TV and last night's shows, online.</a></i>

Ashley Taylor Dawson interview: Page 1: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/interviews/a299004/ashley-taylor-dawson-darren-osborne-hollyoaks.html Page 2: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/scoop/a299062/more-hollyoaks-chat-from-ashley-taylor-dawson.html

I wish the whole Sharongate reveal episode was up on YouTube somewhere. I haven't seen it since PBS aired in in the late 90's. Look at Carol and Alan dancing in the beginning and Carol smiling and having a good time. I don't think you'd see that side of her these days. God, Gillian Taylforth (Kathy) was always way too hot for men like Pete Beale and Phil Mitchell. She's smoking! This little clip doesn't do the episode justice, what a great climax, where the aftermath was felt for years, even as Sharon left and came back and then left again. <iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xVn3AEONjSs" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

I hope we don't only see "Nana Pat" as Bianca's kids babysitter when Bianca is away.

:lol: <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iyg_UJfDJE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iyg_UJfDJE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iyg_UJfDJE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkfYhRWaDI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkfYhRWaDI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkfYhRWaDI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRHS_WegOE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRHS_WegOE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRHS_WegOE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Jake Wood and Lindsey Coulson were superb in tonight's episode. They did a good job of disguising Bianca's double and dubbing over her line with past lines, which they needed to do with Patsy's early leave. The Carol/Bianca two-hander might not have happened, but I thought they did an excellent job of stretching it, considering the limited time they had to sort it all out. I love how they mentioned Dan Sullivan, David Wicks, and Derek Branning as well.

I always liked Natalie and always found Lucy Speed to be a very underrated actress. Natalie and Bianca made up in the four-hander with Grant and Phil.

Patsy says she hasn't quit, but reiterates that her contract has expired (and hasn't been renewed yet) and that she'll only return when it's right for both her and the show. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a298616/palmer-i-have-not-quit-eastenders.html

I think Carol has more potential to work on her own than Ricky. I know he existed for years on the show before Bianca, but as we saw in his 2002-2004 stint during the Louise Berridge era without Bianca, he was a complete waste of space on his own. But, you know, I kind of liked Rucky and Natalie and wish the writing wasn't so bad for them when they tried to pair them legitimately. I always felt like Natalie had some respect for Ricky, which I don't often find with Bianca or Sam.

Wow, The Mirror is reporting that Patsy wants to leave again and that her contract is up and she doesn't want to be "tied to anything." Hopefully, this is more false rubbish from the press... http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2011/01/18/patsy-palmer-quits-eastenders-over-cot-death-storyline-115875-22856930/

Yeah, both Patsy and Lindsey Coulson swore for years that they would never return. Patsy in particular resented being typecast as Bianca for years. I think she said somewhere in the 00's that she doesn't watch the show and thought it was crap. I guess she needed the money somewhere along the line. She met Dirderick Santer at Barbara Windsor's birthday party in 2007 and they started talking about her returning and things went off from there.

Pics of Patsy Palmer with her baby, and bits of an interview with her: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1348109/EastEnders-actress-Patsy-Palmer-unveils-baby-Bertie.html I wonder what this part is about: I wonder if she's considering leaving again. If she does, they might as well write Ricky and Bianca's million children out. Ricky proved in his 2002-2004 stint that he just doesn't work on his own anymore.

Pics from tomorrow's episode, which would have been a Carol/Bianca two-hander, but had to be expanded: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/scoop/a298496/unseen-pics-showdown-in-eastenders.html

I've heard that Matthew Robinson gave Sue Tully her first job as a director on the show and was going to ask her to return the favour by appearing for Ian/Mel's wedding, but at the last minute he thought it would be a waste of a return for her, so it fell though.

I think part of the problem when soaps try to stretch things out now is that they make characters become so unlikable and worn out. I was watching a 2007 interview that Letitia Dean did with Paul O'Grady in 2007, he asked her about Sharongate and if people were rude to her in public or hated Sharon for coming between the Mitchell brothers, and she said no, the public was very nice and sympathethic towards her. When I was watching the Sharongate stuff this weekend, it was very evident in thw writing, no matter how long things were stretched out, that Sharon didn't become a totally unlikeable mess of a character, which would happen today and which actually happened with Stacey throughout parts of the Stax storyline. 5:48 in, she starts talking about Sharon. I love her sense of humour. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tZB6JjLfPI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tZB6JjLfPI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tZB6JjLfPI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Tony McHale wrote the Sharon/Michelle two-hander, he was their senior writer for years, he also created the Jackson family before he left. Most recently, he was the Series Producer on Holby City, which he also co-created. Yeah, Louise Berridge produced the most two-handers with Phil and Sharon (5 September 2002), Little Mo and Trevor (31 October 2002), Lisa and Phil (27 March 2003), Den and Sharon (30 September 2003), Den and Dennis (1 April 2004), Kat and Alfie (25 May 2004), and Den and Dot (26 August 2004). John Yorke only produced two I think with Kat and Zoe (2 October 2001) and Sonia and Dot (9 May 2002). I think the Matthew and Steve (3 February 2000) and Ricky and Phil (20 April 2000) two-handers were Matthew Robinson's, but could have been John Yorke's too as I'm confused as to actually when Yorke officially took over from Robinson. I think a good time for another one would probably be with the bay switch reveal between Kat and Ronnie. They could ask Tony Jordan to come back to write it as he loves writing for Kat and would probably do it, as he came back to do the special Dot one-hander. It looks like the two-hander between Carol and Bianca had to be expanded to include other characters with Patsy's early leave. That will air on Tuesday.

I heard that the '94 pub siege where Dougie Briggs wanted to sexually assault and then run off with Sharon and where Michelle was accidentally shot was supposed to be a lot bloodier than it was, so much was edited out and lost that the producer at the time lost his job over it. I wonder if the Sharon/Michelle two-hander from 1989 is up anywhere. I've never seen it, but always wanted to see it. After they think Den "died" and where Michelle confesses to Sharon that Den is Vicky's father. It's the third two-hander that was ever produced. Out of having too much time, I just counted the characters with the most two-hander episodes. Phil appeared in the most with four two-handers Sharon, Dot, and Den all appeared in three two-handers, giving them a tie for second place. Kat both appeared in two two-handers, giving her third place. The other two-hander characters only appeared in one-two hander. 1. Phil - 4 two-handers (Grant and Phil 15 November 1994, Ricky and Phil 20 April 2000, Phil and Sharon 5 September 2002, and Lisa and Phil 27 March 2003) 2. Sharon - 3 two-handers (Sharon and Michelle 4 April 1989, Phil and Sharon 5 September 2002, and Den and Sharon 30 September 2003) 2. Dot - 3 two-handers (Dot and Ethel 2 July 1987, Sonia and Dot 9 May 2002, and Den and Dot 26 August 2004) 2. Den - 3 two-handers (Den and Angie 16 October 1986 --> First Two-Hander Ever, and Den and Sharon 30 September 2003, Den and Dennis (1 April 2004)) 3. Kat - 2 two-handers (Kat and Zoe 2 October 2001, and Kat and Alfie 25 May 2004) If I were to add in three and four-handers, all of the above characters total of "special episodes" would go up. Dot is the only character to appear in a one-hander..