Y&RWorldTurner

2006 is considered the worst ever year for the show, and that's when ratings hit rock bottom for a while. 2008 looks like a masterpiece compared to 2006. 2004 is also considered pretty bad.

That's from Spring of this year, I believe.

Phil Redmond hasn't had any creative influence on Hollyoaks in about 4 or 5 years, that's when the show was sold to a new production company (which was later renamed Lime Pictures). Read more about that development on the Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_Pictures

I don't think so, I think it was more along the lines of them trying to conceive, but not doing so leading up to his arrest and being away for 6 months from Kat. I think Kat got pregnant just before Alfie went to prison, so I think the baby is his. Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie interview: <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHwCvnxEBk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHwCvnxEBk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHwCvnxEBk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Today's episode: It's nice to have Kat and Alfie back, in many ways it feels like they haven't left, they just fit back in with the Slater family easily. While the scenario was a little outlandish and over the top, the actors made it work, and this is exactly the scenario Tony Jordan had in mind for a possible Kat/Alfie spin-off, so it is plausible for them to be in this sort of trouble. Jean's stupidity was a little annoying, and I did enjoy Kat's looks at her and thinking she's stupid as hell. Kat and Stacey were always wonderful together, Jessie and Lacey always had a great chemistry as family. It's kind of sad that Charlie. Stacey, and Jean are leaving at the end of the year. Kat is always very good with her family to bounce off, but thankfully Big Mo will still be there and maybe some of the other Slater sisters will visit. I was very surprised at the outcome of Sam and Minty's exits. I really expected Minty to just leave with Sam even though he knows that she will never love him. Glad to hear Sam is going off to live with Grant, and Minty is going to be with Gary. I'm thrilled Minty will no longer be on the show... I wonder what's going to happen to Max/Vanessa now, she's still in the spoilers for weeks to come. Jodie looks like a flying saucer landed on her head. The Dot and Patrick scenes were good too. I like that Dot is slowly going back to her old characteristics. That little speech with Patrick at the Launderette. When Dot talked about being unhappy, you can tell she really is and how alone she is at this point in her life, so it makes sense she would be more like her old self. I think Alfie is the father of Kat's baby, and she just told him he wasn't to piss him off and because he left her on her own for six months. Carey Andrews, who wrote yesterday's and today's script always has really weird dialogue and speeches in her episodes. She's one of the most mediocre writers on the writing team.

Alex Carter has a backstage video: <object id="flashObj" width="510" height="335" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=605709525001&playerID=3924638001&playerKey=AQ%2E%2E,AAAAAEhbQ3Y%2E,FH4xp2ry2HHsmVJ4JKKvnalJ3xYICL2s&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=605709525001&playerID=3924638001&playerKey=AQ%2E%2E,AAAAAEhbQ3Y%2E,FH4xp2ry2HHsmVJ4JKKvnalJ3xYICL2s&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="510" height="335" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object>

Casting news: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a277965/darren-day-joins-hollyoaks.html Oh look, Cheryl and Brendan get more people to interact with.

Ratings were unusually high last night. Think the Kat/Alfie promo worked, or are more people settling down and watching soaps now that autumn is quickly approaching? 19:00- Emmerdale: 7.0m (35.2%) 19:30- Coronation Street: 8.8m (39.5%) 20:00- EastEnders: 9.2m (37.7%) 20:30- Coronation Street: 8.8m (35.8%) 22:00- EastEnders (BBC3): 911k (4.71%)

They both win in different ways.

More details on the Stacey/Janine fight. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/spoilers/a276812/a-furious-stacey-attacks-janine.html It looks like they fight more than once next week, and Kat does step into it in one of them. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/spoilers/a276811/janine-makes-a-shocking-accusation.html Oooh, it does look like Shirley and Kat will be friendly:

The Slater's were the bets part of today's episode. Dot and Patrick were good too. I loved how Stacey and Charlie lit up when they realized it was Kat who walked in through the kitchen door. We didn't get to see enough Kat in this episode amongst all the Minty/Heather nonsense (which is thankfully ending tomorrow). Ronnie is acting more and more like Archie, this side has always existed in her, so I'm not shocked she thinks she can control everyone's lives. The Vanessa/Jodie scene was nice, but the girl playing Jodie does not have a very flattering crying voice and I found her very annoying today. Gotta love how Sam is working Minty so he can run off with her and be her support system, not because she actually likes him. That's the basis of what they have, I'm glad they aren't coming up with some stupid story where Sam magically realizes she's in love with Minty, because she really isn't. I loved when Dot recounted the Slater's history on the show to the guy who was after Kat. Like how they arrived on the day of her dear friend Ethel's funeral, they had 4 daughter (5 if you count the one that ain't really ), and a father and a grandmother. A nice little nod to 10 years ago this week... I'm so glad Minty's time is coming to an end... They seem to be working in Kat gradually, but I can't wait to see more of her.

You can see a brief clip of Kat's first scenes with Big Mo from tonight's episode in this clip: <object width="480" height="264"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xevwfh?additionalInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xevwfh?additionalInfos=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/xevwfh?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="264" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xevwfh_sharon-marshall-s-soapbox-20-09-10_people">Sharon Marshall's Soapbox 20/09/10</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Endersfan">Endersfan</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/people">Discover videos of people, family and friends.</a></i>

That fight looks great and it's been a long time coming. I don't remember Kat and Janine mixing it up much during their first stints together, outside of that time Kat jumped into a fight between Zoe and Janine. Janine mostly mixed it up with Little Mo (who she bullied when she decided she wanted Billy), Lynne, and Zoe. Though, Kat does look pissed in that pic, and maybe doesn't jump in because she's heavily pregnant.

I believe Vision is starting with EastEnders episodes from somewhere in 2008, and Emmerdale episodes are from earlier this year.

Barbara Windsor was on Loose Women last week: <object width="480" height="264"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xeul84?additionalInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xeul84?additionalInfos=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/xeul84?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="264" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeul84_barbara-windsor_people">Barbara Windsor</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Endersfan">Endersfan</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/people">Family events, birthdays and parenting videos.</a></i>

They're killing off a dog in this way? http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/spoilers/a276008/aaron-suffers-a-heartbreaking-loss.html Not much shocks me, and I'm certainly no member of PETA, but I hate when shows use animals this way...

Yeah, I hope they don't forget that Kat also had a very funny sense of humour and her one-liners were classic. I also hope they don't make the same mistake that Santer made with Bianca by thinking all Kat happens to be is a loud mouth-type that just yells at everyone, there's so much more to her than that. It sounds like they're giving Kat and Alfie both comedy and drama, which is good. The review has my hopeful that this won't be another botched return. Maybe they could be similar to what Bet/Alec were to Corrie and Rovers in the late 80's/early 90's...

This person gave a review/synopsis of Kat and Alfie's first week back... http://www.beehivecity.com/television/kat-and-alfie-moon-return-to-eastenders-their-first-week-reviewed123512/

I think his history is why I enjoyed his relationship with Little Mo a lot. She had just came off a brutally abusive relationship with Trevor, and he had a history of being an abuser, but he changed and helped her heal thus ushering in his own redemption. Too bad Berridge/Harwood screwed them over so badly. To me Little Mo and not Honey will always be Billy's definitive love story.

Billy is Phil's/Grant's/Sam's/Ronnie's/Roxy's distant cousin. In the fire episodes, she's off her bipolar medication, and revealed to Peggy that she killed her husband Archie, Pat think she wants to steal Ryan from Janine (Pat think of Janine like her daughter), and she wants to talk to Ryan privately at his wedding reception to tell him that he's the father of her daughter Lily, which of course is revealed after Ryan rescues Stacey and Lily. Outside of Pat, Ryan, and Ricky, no one likes Janine. She's a villian/bitch-type character that has at one time or another caused something for many of them to hate her.

Emma was only spotted auditioning at Elstreet, which could have been for a Holby episode, so it's not likely true...

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I know 1996 and 1997 were considered awful years for the show by many fans and ratings started to decline, which is why Matthew Robinson was hired in 1998 to revamp the show and get rid of a lot of characters - which I think genuinely worked in the long run, and ratings started to increase again. I think John Yorke built on Robinson's successes, but added a little more heart and better pacing formula.

Mark was recast with Todd Carty, who played the role from 1990-2003. Of course that particular story angle was never brought into fruition.

Looks like Janine and Stacey will get into it after Janine learns the truth about Lily: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/scoop/a277496/janine-explodes-corrie-punch-edale-kiss.html