Y&RWorldTurner

Someone said they might be abolishing the position, and are now using a more developed storylining team. I love the whole 2000-2002/3 era of the show. The Slater's were just very representative of that era, which is probably the last true golden/renaissance era for the show. It's always a gamble bringing in a new family in one swing, this was one of the rare instances where it clicked from the beginning.

10 years ago today, the Slater's arrived. It was also the day of Ethel's funeral, which somehow isn't on YouTube anymore. I thought it was a great introduction, and allowed the new family to interact with older veteran characters on the show from the start. I've not seen a new family click this well from the start since then. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A4ORUWyVrw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A4ORUWyVrw?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=4A4ORUWyVrw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rmj0cneLmw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rmj0cneLmw?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=5rmj0cneLmw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Someone said next week, Kat and Alfie's first week back, is the last week Dominic Treadwell-Collins will appear in the credits as Series Story Producer...

Dot/Ethel two-hander: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUuCPKYdqLM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUuCPKYdqLM?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=lUuCPKYdqLM?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=Ewvt-xf3jUE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewvt-xf3jUE?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=Ewvt-xf3jUE?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=_5iqSAwFb-4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5iqSAwFb-4?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=_5iqSAwFb-4?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=41ki7xVYSTo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41ki7xVYSTo?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=41ki7xVYSTo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

WOOO HOOOO! Carl, I know you'll enjoy this as much as I did/am: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a277530/devon-anderson-exits-eastenders.html This should give Carol/Lindsey Coulson some great material.

Today's episode: Ronnie is acting like Archie, but then again, she always has. It's an interesting dynamic about that character that they've hinted and showed in the past, but as much as she hates Archie and how much he screwed with her life, she has a lot of his nasty tendencies. She's a very controlling personality like Archie, which showed in today's episode how she wanted to pay Sam off to leave town with her baby. LOL at Sam's line about how being on crack would get her everything she wants. I guess Phil will officially own the Vic, but he'll let Kat and Alfie manage and live there, much like what happened in 2003-2005? I can't wait until Minty is gone, but I find it hilarious that the only reason Sam is showing any interest in him is because Ronnie is paying her to leave town and she needs some support to do this, so here enters Minty. She knows he's the only person she has wrapped around her fingers, so it isn't like she's magically developed any feelings for him. He'll always be a last resort for her. The Darren/Jodie stuff was sweet filler. Kim is a riot. Poor Charlie, but his scenes at the end of the episode with Stacey were nicely done. It was nice to see that bonding moments and seeing Stacey smiling while being on her meds. WELCOME BACK KAT SLATER (I refuse to say Moon)! It was only like 10 seconds, but I can't wait to see her in full action. How strange is it to watch Jessie Wallace go from 1960's Pat Phoenix/Elsie Tanner to her most famous creation Kat Slater in the change of a day? Jessie rocks.

Today's episode: I'm glad that Ronnie and Jack talked things out sensibly about what's happened, and didn't get into a drawn out screaming match and break up yet again. The scenes with Ronnie and Sam were good too. LOL! at Kim starting her own home pub. I think she works well as one of those eccentric supporting characters. Her boobs are huge and the show loves displaying them. Sam is really pathetic trying pawn that kid off on others. At least the show isn't sugarcoating how much she genuinely hates being a mother, and people like this really do exist out there. She was really stupid with "green poo" stuff. Charlie is all about his "girls" again just as Kat as coming back? Coincidence? Ohh, a Jim appearance... Apparently, this is the guy playing nuLauren's older American boyfriend, and he's a REAL American, so not another Vicki Fowler! http://www.braidman.com/communities/7/004/006/882/837/images/4534461572.jpg

Interview with Jessie Wallace, where she talks about returning as Kat, and playing Pat Phoenix in BBC4's Road to Coronation Street. http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/tv/todays-tv/2010/09/16/phoenix-from-the-ashes-115875-22564452/ Soaps really don't make female characters as interesting as Elsie and Kat anymore. I love my tarts with hearts, but it seems like they either go in two extremes in recent years when they attempt that template. The female characters are either outright sluts and whores, or they get too depressed and miserable and have no fun at all.

I always found Bianca's clothing hideous, and always thought it was an inner joke amongst the writers that they sent her off to study fashion. Bianca's fashion sense has been written out badly for years in the press. Though, it might be more apparent right now with them trying to hide Patsy Palmer's pregnancy.

While I don't understand Jack knocking up another one of Ronnie's relatives, I though the episode had some good moments. It's nice to see so much of Billy again, especially finally realizing that Phil is no better than him. The scenes between Billy and Phil were very good. That was a nice little scene between Glenda and Ronnie. What's up with Charlie forcing Stacey to take her meds? I think he may be off somehow. and this could set up his exit. Still nice to see more of Charlie again, I liked his scene with Dot where he found out Bradley didn't father Lily. The paternity stuff played out better than I would have thought. Rack fans needs to get a life, Ronnie and Jack never had a stable relationship to begin with. She should have never gone back to him when he fathered Amy with Roxy. I can totally see Ronnie doing a vile thing like having Sam lie that the father was Ricky. Its not like it's going to end Rack anyway, they're still getting married according to the spoilers, and Sam and the baby are gone next week. Still, I would have preferred Ricky being the father, but whatever. Patsy Palmer's real life pregnancy is showing. I hear she's due in December, so I guess we don;t have that much longer with her before she goes on maternity leave.

Ratings were unusually strong for all the soaps last night... http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a276711/soaps-ratings-roundup-september-13.html

I think whether you agreed with all of Kirkwood's decisions or not, he kept a certain momentum on the show and brought a certain amount of credibility and positive press attention to the show that wasn't there before or after him. The ratings for the show for instance didn't start to free-fall until his work had really stopped airing (and a lot of his final work Lucy Allan had re-written). I think Lucy Allan tried to build on the style that Kirkwood had created, but she just didn't know how to develop story or use characters to any of their potential. She had a bad tendency of having certain very poor characters hog up a lot of airtime, and 99% of her storylines were just boring as hell. Using an EastEnders comparison, Lucy Allan was probably the Louise Berridge to Bryan Kirkwood's John Yorke. Paul Marquess just seems to want to be rebuilding a show on a very unstable foundation. While the show needed a revamp after the horrendous Allan era, I don't know if he's going about it in the most sensible or organic way, which is probably true to his style of producing anyway. I don't even think the show is that much "fun" right now from what I've seen. It feels like it's just going through the motions. There hasn't been much of a transition period, Marquess just seems to have skipped most of that.

Today's episode: I think they played the aftermath of Peggy leaving quite nice. The Mitchell's are dysfunctional, but they really seemed like a genuine family today. I enjoyed their little fights in the beginning of the episode that Ronnie had to come in and stop. Nice that they got Pat's reaction to Peggy leaving too, and then those nice scenes between Dot and Pat where Dot tells Pat that she and Jim wouldn't mind keeping her company. Dot and Pat are both so lonely, that was a nice scene to see. And Peggy giving Pat her bell... The scenes with Shirley and Phil were very well-acted. Poor Shirley has it bad for Phil, and she just keeps going back to him. I'm interested in seeing what direction they'll go in this time around. Nice to see more Charlie and Big Mo. They seem to be driving a point with Stacey being off her meds. I wonder if she'll stay off them for longer. Shirley: May the best sperm win! Sam doesn't even love or know what to do with that kid. The day to day episodes and conversations between characters has gotten a lot stronger on the show.

Barbara Windsor's first television interview since her exit: She admits Peggy was supposed to be Archie's killer, but her announcement that she was leaving changed story plans. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuyuTVvnko?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuyuTVvnko?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=MfuyuTVvnko?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Oooh, the iconic Kat/Zoe "YOU AIN'T MY MUVETHER!" ..... "YES I AMMMMM!!!!!" episode is up. The did such a great job of setting this story up the moment the Slater's arrived. I remember Kat's strange protectiveness of Zoe, and the looks Kat, Big Mo, Charlie, and Lynne would all exchange when it involved Zoe or drama that was going on between Kat and Zoe. Other than the big reveal, I loved this episode as a whole. It was Lynne's hen night and so many of the show's iconic female characters were together. The Slater Sister's, Dot, Peggy, Pat, Sharon, as well as Natalie and Lisa. Belinda is also hilarious in this episode. It's no surprise that Tony Jordan wrote it. He also wrote the Kat/Zoe two-hander that was the follow-up episode to this one. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu6MOvbQCGI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu6MOvbQCGI?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=Hu6MOvbQCGI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNxogRK4qOU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNxogRK4qOU?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=cNxogRK4qOU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89j4nd4MEo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89j4nd4MEo?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=J89j4nd4MEo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7zJU90FT5Q?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7zJU90FT5Q?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=n7zJU90FT5Q?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89j4nd4MEo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89j4nd4MEo?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=J89j4nd4MEo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Here's a Slater Sisters revealed special that chronicled their first year on the show and the lead up to the epic and memourable Kat/Zoe reveal: <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jj_DfHno2I?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jj_DfHno2I?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=-jj_DfHno2I?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

I love this scene between Chrissie and Kate. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu_3gsd68QU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu_3gsd68QU?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=Uu_3gsd68QU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> Chrissie was such a fun character. I mean, she could be nasty, but she also had this dark and hilarious sense of humour to her. Remember when Sharon thought Den was still alive, and in order to stop her from going to Spain, Chrissie was practicing a sob story in front of the mirror that she could use on Sharon to stop her searching for Den, and Sharon unexpectedly walked in and startled her? Starts about 1:58 in: <object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xci5oi?additionalInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xci5oi?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/xci5oi?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xci5oi_eastenders-chrissie-persuades-sharo_shortfilms">EastEnders - Chrissie persuades Sharon not to go to Spain</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Ryanlcfc2">Ryanlcfc2</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/shortfilms">Check out other Film &amp; TV videos.</a></i>

I don't even know if they had anything planned. Peggy was gone for a good while before Den popped back in, wasn't she? My PBS affiliate is currently airing this horrific stuff from 2003 with Joanne (Louise's nanny) pining away for Phil as he and Kate are engaged...

Pat and Frank's wedding is one of the best soap weddings ever.

Here's the clip: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXVytUDdz4I?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXVytUDdz4I?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=aXVytUDdz4I?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Sam has been a lot better this time around, I think a lot of the audience has accepted her much better during this stint than last year's stint. I think they did a good job of people wanting her back if they ever decide to bring her back again. They've made her into a real person again, which I don't think she was last year. I don't think Daniella's Sam ever interacted with Kat. I do remember that Kat and Sam ended up becoming friendly after the Den murder stuff was out in the open and Zoe was in the clear. There was a scene where Ian was being an ass to Kim's Sam, and Kat (and I believe Pat) stepped in to help Sam tell Ian's ass off. Then Kat and Sam decided they should put the whole Den murder experience behind them.

Apparently, Sam and Minty's last episode is Tuesday, September 21st. Zsa Zsa and Leon leave at the very beginning of October.

I think it's only 90 minutes, which is good and should be easy to follow and digest.

More promo shots of Kat and Alfie: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a276176/in-pictures-kat-and-alfie-promo-shots.html

The Road To Coronation Street will premier on Thursday, 16 September at 9PM on BBC Four.