Ben

What I'm saying is, if none of the cast had left, would she have gotten rid of any? But that's something we will never know. I realize the show has had mass departures before, it just feels more evident in the last 5 years than it has done in the past. I'd forgotten about Riley - I thought he had potential. I think it could've gone either with Marco, but was probably a mutual decision. Ned was the biggest albatross the show has ever had, and his time was long over due. I remember that comment about Ty, now. He may have been hot, but there was no reason for him to stay, and nowhere for them to take his character after he was lumped with Rachel. Not to mention he gave us that dreadful Unforgettable song (OK, it was fine the first go, but when the kids sang it to Ty, awful!). I think the logical one to stay on would have been Declan (if Rebecca had stayed), but everyone else was dragging the show down in one way or another (something I didn't quite see at the time). Zeke would have been out of place with the set-up now; I just wish he had gotten a better exit. IA we have lost a lot of deadwood, but also some that was not, like Rebecca, Lyn... I understood the change in Lyn, but the way they went about it felt all wrong, especially her treatment of Rebecca, who also displayed out-of-character behaviour during that time. A lot of what they engaged in was childish, but a lot of what was happening around that time was childish. I'm sort of glad they didn't do anything with that, as I loved Paul & Rebecca as a couple, and I didn't want Lyn to come between that. Plus, I don't think either character would go back there, especially Paul. I'm not sure what else they could've done with that admission that wasn't a triangle. I liked some of the Angus/Rachel story, too. Some of it featured in a low point in 2008 when the show wasn't working, but I did like that they carried it on past the initial phase when Neighbours would usually wrap up a story. I think it was controversial b/c he was her teacher and she his student, and regardless of how they met, that is a big no-no. He shouldn't have gone there while she was at school. You just don't do it. Plus, there's always that level of possible coercion on the teacher's part that makes you doubt the sincerity. When they brought Angus back, I felt they wrecked his character, purposefully making him less likeable. IA about Rachel and her rushed relationship with Ty. There was also that silly story with Ty possibly stalking her, and then it turned out to be some random and was all done with in a week. She may not shy away from controversy, but she does air on the side of caution. I just want them to be treated like any other couple, being affectionate, kissing, etc, and not have it portrayed off screen, or as if they're asexual, or as if they're just friends. I want it to be organic. I wouldn't mind it if they showed the realities that they may face as a couple in public, like homophobia and stuff - you know, the rough with the smooth and how that impacts on them as characters, especially Chris. I also like that neither are stereotypes (Chris isn't anyway), but I've read comments that hate characters like CS' Sean, and then comments that think straight-acting gay characters are just a way for the show to shy away from the gay story. Which is really stupid. LOL so many questions! I think Ten will be hesitant, but more open to it now that the show is on a digital channel, and will be watching the ratings and demos carefully. I also think any backlash will be taken seriously, but whether or not that will affect the story or characters, is hard to tell. I think that Chris has proven popular enough for them to make permanent in the first place, so they know what the viewers want, but a coming out story is one thing, an actually romance is another. I think if Aidan is popular, and the couple is popular, then his contract will be extended. But, do we want Aidan to be Chris' only ever b/f though? Is that realistic? I think this story will determine what happens in the future. I wish it didn't, but that's the way life is. Prejudices will dictate whether or not families let their kids watch, but I don't think ratings will go down, they'll probably remain the same. Plus, logically, Chris is only here b/c of the audience feedback, so logic would say that the audience shouldn't have a problem with this... right? H&A's ratings went down during the Charlie & Joey story, but they handled that badly, the PR was terrible, and they basically encouraged a backlash. So far, Neighbours haven't done the same thing as H&A. If they don't make it a PR stunt, then it should be fine. I want to see Chris' parents, but preferably recasts, as the last actors looked like extras thrown together for that episode. I think they fell apart b/c they were all individually ruined by previous stories and never fully recovered. Ringo was fine with Lolly, Carmella and the anorexia story, but the AFL story tainted him, and then they gave him a guitar and made him sing just b/c Sam Clark sang! This happened to them all at one point or another. They were also responsible for a lot of crap that appeared from 2008-2010. I liked Saffron; I thought she had hidden depth courtesy of her past, but she was portrayed as a panto villain out to destroy poor Donna. It's the fashion industry, it's supposed to be cut throat. Plus, Donna's designs weren't that great. Her search for her dad wasn't bad, but it had moments of stupidity, like Donna dithering over the letters, then deciding she didn't want to know, then accusing Nick of cheating... Donna's flightiness was ramped up to silly levels, while her more interesting traits were forgotten about. I've just remembered that they alluded to Donna being bi - yeah right. How can you not like James Sorenson? He was a great actor, which was made evident by Erin mullally. JS was nuanced and he gave Declan character. He was a decent guy trying to be a single dad; he was uptight, broody, had anger issues, but had a good heart. I loved his relationship with Rebecca, they had great chemistry. I can see why you thought he was arrogant, but that was never the intention - I think he was frustrated a lot of time b/c of Andrew's games, and constantly being seen as a failure by Paul. How do you fight back without sinking to Andrew's level? Then EM took over, and everything bar the temper was out the window. He didn't know how to convey JS' glare without it coming off as sulky. I liked Zeke's amnesia story up to the point he was found, which I guess isn't really the amnesia side at all. LOL. Once he was found, it was all down hill from there. They rushed the reunion, the aftermath with that guy who thought Zeke was his son, was as you say, brushed under the rug, and then the way he started to remember was badly handled as well. Then it all developed into an anxiety disorder, which was really OCD, but they never diagnosed it as such, it was always referred to as an anxiety disorder. Lame. In the middle of all this we had Sunny, and her pathetic dramas. They should have continued the story on with Zeke and that guy, b/c that was its natural direction, but they cut it abruptly. I too thought Zeke suited the radio station really well; it kinda defined his character a bit. That would've been really cool if they had done that with his broadcasts relating to the characters storylines. PirateNet was a joke though, as they portrayed it as an underground station, then as some government funded project that acted like a pirate station - it didn't make sense. I'm glad it hasn't been seen in a while, as the school buying it was another silly plot device. I don't think being a Ramsay qualifies her as the shows golden girl, that title should be for Paul or the K's as they've got more history than Kate. I agree, she is approachable, and generally nice, but those qualities don't always make for the best of characters, otherwise some of the good guys, like Marco, wouldn't be classed as boring and dull. I liked him, BTW. I find all these newbies quite interesting, as I had assumed one of the new doctors would be involved with Susan, so its interesting that it may be some one else entirely. I'm looking forward to this storyline. Have you noticed they're beefing up the hospital for some reason. I don't think I can pick just one, as there have been many characters that I have loved and been mega fans of. Off the top of my head I'd say: Drew Kirk, Joel Samuels, Sarah Beaumont, Karl Kennedy, Joe Mangle, Helen Daniels, Phoebe Gottlieb, Todd Landers, Billy Kennedy, Anne Wilkinson, Flick Scully, Stuart Parker, Izzy Hoyland, Lana Crawford, Nicola West, Mishka Schneiderova, Beth Brennan, Lauren Carpenter, Julie Martin, Philip Martin, Darcy Tyler, Dee Bliss, Rosemary Daniels, Elle Robinson... the list is endless. Who's your favourite character, Ed? The show hasn't had many long-term villains outside of Paul, has it? I did like Sky, more-so before she went blonde, and definitely before she started sleeping around and having baby daddy issues. I think a lot of what made Sky so unique and independent got lost a long the way. I did like when they sent her jail and the whole Terrance/Charlotte story. I thought her and Dylan suited each other really well. From what I can remember, I liked Julie; she was my kind of character, and I loved the poisoning story with Michael, and the murder mystery party and her apparent suicide, which sadly had a terrible ending. Sadly, I don't recall much else of Julie's stories before all this. I did not like Debbie Martin. Rosie was OK. I think she was axed before her time; she brought something to the Hoylands that was needed, and it was a shame that she wasn't around to develop her relationship with her daughter Izzy, as was probably the one aspect of Izzy's character that was touched on, but ultimately left b/c, they didn't have Rosie to flesh out the backstory. If she had stayed, what would they have done with her outside of Izzy related stories? What did you think of Katya Kinski? My posts are turning into essays!

That's true about Pellizzeri, although with Bower, I guess the mass exodus of cast during her tenure taints how stable she has been with the cast. But on the other hand, if none of these characters had left, would they still be around today? Since she started we've seen all of these characters leave: Oliver, Carmella, Marco, Rachel, Riley, Steve, Bridget, Declan, Rebecca, Elle, Donna, Ringo, Zeke, Harry, Dan, Steph, Lyn, Charlie, Ben and Harold. She chose not to extend these guest characters contracts: Nicola, Sienna, and Sunny. Ned and Ty apparently left on their own accord, too, but I have to wonder if they were fired. Miranda is the only official character that she has chosen to axe, I think... Oh, and she did get rid of Taylah, who I thought worked well with Zeke; she should have stayed. Bringing back Lyn was good, but for her first 6 months she was being assassinated on a daily basis by that idiotic feud with Rebecca, which was also destroying her character as well. Thank goodness they rectified that and returned Lyn to the person we all knew and loved. Steph's baby lie wasn't good, but I did enjoy the drama. I don't know how they messed that up so bad. What did you think of the Rachel/Angus story? That was another age gap relationship. I've never liked Andrew, and I think that's partly b/c they like to throw these business stories at him, and they just feel all wrong; he's a kid, and not a very mature one to pull off going head-to-head with Declan at Lassisters, or taking on business execs, or running his own party planning business - they never ring true for me. It took me a while to get used to Summer, but it all fell apart during the Andrew/Harry triangle where she started to change, and has since never recovered. Her behaviour towards Kyle was shocking, but at least they called her out on it and didn't gloss over it like they used to with Didge. MS may have grown out of that annoying-ness. Personally, I didn't mind her at all. I find Tash can actually be quite funny at times, and some of the things she says I would say, too - like when she's a bit blunt, or if she's vexed by something and she'll throw out a sarcastic one liner. I like Chris, but he is so bland. I like how he stands up for himself, and is very loyal, but he does lack a bit of a spark, or some much needed development that only his much needed family could explore. I also think he's dealt with his sexuality quite well - not much drama at all. I love that he's getting a boyfriend, but I wonder how they'll play it? Will it be Disney-esque or something more adult? Bob Morley's casting was a surprise, but I think he's a much better match than that other new teen who you thought may have been a love interest. It's not that there is less of them (although that is a bonus), it's more that they haven't been given immature, childish, stupid, unrealistic (I could go on), storylines (bar Andrew's early scheming against Rebecca). As individual characters, I preferred the last bunch, but when they came together, it all fell a part. Donna was awesome, but she lost her way quickly, and in hindsight, she was one of problems, dragging characters down with her inane, stupid plots that were aimed at people aged 12. Declan was a fan fave of mine, until the recast; I found him really relatable (JS not EM). I liked Ringo in his early months more-so than what he became (the AFL story really ruined him), and Zeke was good until they botched his amnesia story and paired him with the annoying Sunny and horrendous Mia and the dumb plots they brought. Basically, they were a mess. I think those teens can be grouped into two different camps, even though some over lap. Summer/Zeke/Ringo/Rachel/Bree/Lolly, and what they later became with the inclusion of Donna/Bridget/Declan/Sunny/Kate/Kyle. The former group was better than the latter. I thought Bree was an excellent character, and I even warmed to Lolly, but she was gone once her abuse story was dealt with. I hated the intro of the Ramsays and what they did to valuable characters like Helen. Never really liked Harry or Kate, and especially disliked Kate during her "Super Woman" phase that never seemed to end. I realized last year that Donna was dragging Kate down, and since she's been paired up with Jade, Kate has become a lot more likeable and more interesting. But, I feel Kate is put on a bit of a podium by TPTB - their golden girl. I think they could do more with Kate & Sophie, as their relationship isn't as defined at it could be. Is she simply Sophie's big sister, or her sister with a parental attitude? When Sophie had a go at Sonya, Kate never said a word, seemingly condoning her rude outburst - that would have been a good time to talk to her like a parent would. I think that would be a good dynamic to explore. On the subject of Jill, I wish they would retcon them being Ramsays altogether, as that should never have happened. What do you think of the twist that the man Susan develops an attachment to is dying? Who do you think it will be? One of the new doctors, or someone else entirely?

ITA with James - her accent wasn't awful. It dipped in and out a bit, but for the most part it was passable. The thing that bugs me the most about Collinson, is that there is this feeling that he doesn't like to listen to audience feedback - he doesn't think it's important, b/c as he's said in the past: "Corrie is run by the writers". I think that's a little arrogant, as fans should have a voice, and our criticism should be listened to as we are just as likely to know when story/characters aren't working. The show is unappealing, and I think that's b/c a lot of the characters aren't very likeable at all; everyone seems to be nasty all the time.

That's no excuse to paint your sick sister as being a violent psycho. Hopefully Cora will straighten her out. I loved the buried alive story, in part b/c no UK soap had ever really done such a classic US soap story, and I had no problem believing that Tanya had snapped for a few weeks after being badly hurt by Max's cheating and lies.

I haven't seen her episode, yet - I'll probably watch tonight, if I remember, and will judge then. I did read that she had trouble with the accent, but it was her idea to do the accent, as she didn't want the character to be a Londoner.

Clare is not needed at all. Period. Forgetting that I despise the character for a second, she really doesn't serve any purpose, considering her role is being filled by other, better, characters. Plus, apparently GB is fond of telling lies, and this maybe her bigging herself up for whatever reason. I've always liked Tanya, but last night was character destroying. I've been against this Max/Tanya affair from the off, as it really feels out-of-character for someone who has been through all she has with this guy, but for her to throw her sister under the bus like that was despicable. I thought the Jack affair couldn't be more out-of-character, but this is worse. But, I bet many people will eat this stuff up. ETA: I've really loved the Janine/Lydia scenes on Monday - they were heartbreaking and so brilliantly written and acted. I've loved the follow up with Janine, but not so much the Ryan/Pat publicly accusing her of murder stuff, especially from Pat, who has always known when she's being genuine.

Fiz Spoilers I would cheer if this meant she was out of the show, but sadly she isn't. Tommy/Kylie, Strip Club Spoiler Tyrone & Eileen Spoilers I really don't know why they just don't cut him - he's dead weight. Carla Spoiler It really doesn't say any more than what we already know.

Thanks for the complement Ed. It was also good that they didn't really tie Rosie's virginity to religion, even though she was Catholic, it was never about that. You're right, not everyone does have sex young, so Rosie made a change there, especially in contrast to Pepper. If we're talking about the ratings in 2005, then yeah, there wasn't really any problem with them. The show had just come off a stellar year in 2004, which saw the show reaching over the million mark and rating better/even with H&A, and was continuing along nicely enough for the show not to undergo any major changes. But, Ten wanted more, and they wanted to compete with H&A, which at the time had just entered an OTT phase thanks to Dan Bennett. Neighbours didn't need to axe Sindi, or the Bishops, they didn't need to compete, but they did, and it damaged the show. The ratings started to decline; 2006 was full of badly executed/climaxed stories, where the OTT-ness was ramped up even further, slowly descending into cartoons-ville in 2007, and by that time, the ratings were an issue. I don't blame Ten for wanting the show to do better, but they seemed to want it to become something it wasn't. Instead of just letting it be, they had to try to mould it into a Bold & the Beautiful-esque show, and then again, as a teen soap in 2009 (I'm sure that was part Ten/part Bower). They promoted the show pretty well until 2009, even though the majority of the promos became OTT and very misleading - you could tell from the promos alone that Ten wanted the show to be something it wasn't, otherwise they wouldn't have portrayed a Boyd & Janae fight, like he was going to rape her. I remember the sets changing names, especially the Scarlett Bar which became Charlie's. Although, that set really does need to be changed again, as the name is no longer relevant now that Charlie and all his family have left the show. Bower is good at creating and introducing new characters, but I wouldn't say she gave the long-term cast as much to do as they could've done during the teen years. It's nice the credits have gone back to a more traditional style, and stayed the same, too. I loved Sam during the bipolar story, which really put Neighbours on the map for doing justice to a mental health issue, especially when most people look down on Neighbours for this kind of thing. Simone was awesome in whatever material they gave her, even if the majority of it was out-of-character. They should bring her back as a regular, and as Paul's next love interest... but not until he's had a rest from womanising. Or, maybe keep them as platonic, simply being friends, and something more develops between them, catching Paul off guard. I love Tash, too, but I get the feeling that many viewers couldn't/can't see her layers and complexities, and I think that is partly down to the writers who never fully explained her motives during the fake pregnancy (it went beyond revenge). I hope she stays around for a good few years, too, and in some way that's partly b/c I want some stability with the younger cast as the show needs more Toadies/Libbys/Ks for the future. I much prefer this teen group to one that went before, but it has taken me ages to actually like Andrew, and that didn't happen until Tash's fake pregnancy story which brought out a side to him we hadn't seen before. Summer can be quite dislikeable at times, but I like how she and Tash call each out on their flaws; they do have a good friendship that is believable. Do you think this is how Summer would've turned out had she never left the show? I still find it off that they chose a recast over the original actress. I think they've handled it in as plausible way possible, as you can still see that Andrew and Tash aren't exactly big buddies, but they get along b/c they have shared friends in Chris and Summer. The only questionable thing is maybe how quickly Tash has gotten over Andrew. Oh, and how they've basically glossed over Andrew excepting some responsibility for the whole pregnancy lie, but I guess that's a character trait, as he never takes responsibility for anything.

I try to watch everyday, and if I don't, I do feel like I've missed something, as opposed to not caring like I sometimes did last year and especially 2009 - that year it felt better *not* watching every episode. Technically, I've been watching since it began, but I was too young to remember the 80s, and the early 90s are a bit of a blur. I remember that episode, which was really weird, as they'd only just arrived and we were "treated" to an episode about the newbies, even though no-one cared. I hated their intro stories, which were unnecessary; Frazer and Pepper could have arrived without their very own take on that movie about two people who pretend to be a couple in order to bag a room (I forget what it's called). It never felt like Frazer & Rosie were crafted together from the storyboard, but something they hit upon later - an accidental hit. Shame Will left after just 3 months, as that really messed with his story, and confused it even more when Oliver arrived and picked up all of Will's stories. Rosie was a classic Neighbours character, who felt like new ground for the show. She was different, but very characterised - I didn't like the Paul/Rosie thing though, which felt a little forced. Do you remember Paul's fantasies about Rosie the virginal bride?! LOL. There wasn't anything wrong with the ratings, though, just Ten being greedy for more, which had a detrimental affect on the shows' future. The Bishops axing was probably their biggest mistake. These days, the actors all quit before they're given a chance to be fired. I don't think the witness protection idea was a good one (even though he doesn't have to have done anything bad in the past, but maybe his wife did, or he witnessed some terrible crime), I was more thinking along the lines of changing his and Tash's last name in order to leave his old life with his wife behind so she couldn't track them down. Or, his family couldn't find them for whatever reason, as I find it strange that he has no-one besides Tash - no parents, no siblings, no uncles, cousins, etc - it just feels like his past doesn't exist, like it's been purposefully eradicated. I guess that's where I got the witness protection idea from. Cassandra was panto, which was a shame. I loved that they were doing a story about a mother who hadn't bonded with her children, and the affect that had on them and her, and the way she viewed them and her life. This was kinda controversial, as many people didn't understand that about her, and how that had shaped her bad relationship with her kids. It's difficult not having that bond with you mother, especially when the outside world judges your behaviour as being a result of something else. Sadly, they failed to develop that part of Cass, and instead focused on her being nasty, with no redeeming features. Tiegan was OK, but iPod Boy was awful; I don't know how he won that Dolly comp at all. Cass would've worked as a hippie; she could've been off her face a lot of the time, burning incense to cover it up. But this Neighbours, and they probably would've botched that up considering they can't even say the word 'drugs'. I loved Nicola - she was awesome and a firm fave of mine. It helped that Imogen Bailey was hot. She made the Parkers bearable, and injected a bit of flavour into their bland family, who had some really dislikeable character traits. It's unrealistic that Nicola is still locked up in a mental ward. Neighbours would do well to portray a character being rehabilitated back onto the community, and Nicola would've been perfect for this. Sam would work as a regular, too, but they probably would only use her bipolar a manipulation tool, as Sam is only ever portrayed as being evil.

When they first introduced Frazer/Rosie/Pepper/Will, I hated them all. They were quickly shoved down our throats with storylines that I didn't care about (Will was the exception as he had no story and I warmed to him quicker than the others). But as soon as their initial stories were over, I loved them all (ish). As much as Rosie & Pepper's friendship rocked, I never could forgive TPTB for firing Sindi and bringing in carbon-copy Pepper a year later. That would make sense - Tash being very much like her Mum, who was probably every bit as superficial and self-centred and bitchy as Tash is, but probably ten times worse. I can see Tash inheriting a lot of her mother's traits, which Michael probably fears will corrupt her like it did his wife. I'd love it if they revealed that she wasn't really dead, and Michael lied to protect Tash from becoming like her Mum. Like you said, she probably hurt Michael in some way, and he probably could see Tash idolizing her and slowly becoming her, that he had to get her away from that corrupting influence/environment. I wouldn't want another Cassandra 2.0, as they didn't know how to write for her complexities, and instead she came off messy and one note. It's interesting how Michael never talks about her, and how he doesn't seem to have any other relatives outside of Tash; it's all very mysterious, like he's running away from something/someone. Do you think a change of identity/witness protection story would work? ETA: I chose 40-59, as I think that demo needs beefing up since Lyn has left, and K&S need some more people to interact with of their age.

It does say she's moved back to Oz, so hopefully she'll be permanent. It's a shame that they brought Will back and trashed his character by making him Penn's killer. What a waste.

Well, 1/3 ain't bad - I'm not a Northerner. This story stopped being funny months ago. Nothing wrong with the premise of an accidental killer, but I don't feel this ever was about that, and instead that tagline became the running joke. John became pathetic; the story was isolated and didn't effect anyone but Fiz and Chesney - all he did was kill off guest characters that no-one cared about. What's so great about that? I can see how that final scene is ironic to the story, but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. It was unrealistic and implausible. There's no getting away from that. Sadly, it still rumbles on w/ Fiz and John not being dead. John should be dead, and Fiz should go to jail. Get rid of her. Get rid of the story. Crime doesn't pay, etc, etc.

Or, Carl could be thinking of the time Rosie kissed Pepper, which was a ratings stunt, and went nowhere. There was also the gay mechanic, Aaron, who I think was Gino's b/f. He never had any lines, and at the time when he was just getting more airtime, the actor died in real life at a very young age. ITA Ed about Lana & Sky. Lana was one of my favourite characters, and I too felt she was very real and relatable for a lot of people. They should have made her permanent and Sky should have been bi. Why is no-one is ever bi? They always have to be gay no matter how many straight relationships they've had. ITA again on the Tash love, although you lost me with the bipolar bit. I don't feel that's necessary for the character, plus, I don't feel that she acts in anyway that could be seen as mentally unbalanced. She's just got a lot of insecurities and a complex cocktail of emotions going on. There's so much more to her, but so far the show only ever brushes the surface. I really feel that some exploration of the Williams' past would do wonders for Tash and Michael. I'm not a fan of Andrew & Summer, but I am warming up to them as a couple (better they're together than have to suffer their will-they-won't-they merry-go-round). Andrew needs more development, too, as so far he never takes responsibility for anything, and it would be nice to see him actually explore that side to him. There is a lack of variety, but I feel that the smaller cast allows them to play all the beats to the stories as they have less to concentrate on. When you look at the last few years with the bigger cast, stories weren't properly developed, and I can only put that down to them not being able to cope with a larger cast. It's silly really, as they should be able to manage a cast of 25 at least.

Kimberly Cooper Returns! So happy Gypsy is coming back. Maybe now I'll start watching the show again after months of nothing. ETA: Happy for you Ed. Lincoln sounds like an awesome guy.

Now, this is one departure I am sad about. I love Leyla, and will be sad to see her leave, but I'm glad it was her decision and she wasn't pushed out the door.

I've hardly watched Corrie this week, mainly due to the show clashing with other shows I normally watch (The Good Wife, The Mentalist, 90210...), but with so many options to catch up, I haven't felt interested enough. Anyway, I did watch Friday's as it was finally the climax to the accidental killer story (thank God!), but how unbelievable was that ending? John falls from a roof, hits his head, has large amounts of blood pouring out, and in the time it takes for the police to get to the ground, John gets up and walks away without a trace. WTF?! Forgetting for a moment that a fall like that should have killed him (or at least rendered him incapable of walking off without anyone seeing him), he should have left a trail of blood with an injury like that. No way would he not be dripping blood. What a stupid ending. I bet he'll be back by the end of the year. And Becky smashes up the Barlows and no one calls the cops. Again, WTF?!

Yes and no. Technically, he was, as the funeral was off screen, but in reality he wasn't. Actually, it was off screen b/c they couldn't get Ben Lawson back, as he's in the US starring on some cable show, I think. ETA: Correction, he starred in ABC's cancelled, The Deep End. Did you see any of that show, Carl? BIB: He may have a 6 month guest contract, but so did Dr. Doug Harris, and he really didn't have much of a story. Are you enjoying the show more, Edward? I am. It feels more like Neighbours; the stories are actually not being rushed through, but they're not being dragged out either; they have a good mix of characters (not ages). The gaping hole of +50s is a problem, as is no nuclear family, but the fact that the show has better crafted friendships helps. Michael is still desperately in need of a story of his own that explores his past, as he's a bit like the man without a past. The show feels like its heart is starting to beat again, but at a slow pace. They don't usually announce guest characters, which is a bit strange (unless they're played by someone with star value, like Dean Geyer, then they promote them to death).

Another new casting... I hope Karl will be involved. They can't have a medical story without Karl. Watch more, Carl - it really has improved a lot this year, especially after 2010. I miss Rosie & Frazer, too. I loved them together; one of my fave couples in recent years. For two actors that apparently hated each other after a messy break up, they sure still worked magic on screen. I'd love for Natalie Saleeba to return, but that's wishful thinking.

I so hope not. As much as Chris deserves a love interest, I don't want it to be him. He doesn't look like someone Chris would fall for. Of course, he may come across different on screen, and he and James Mason may have chemistry, so I'll wait and see. ETA: Libby leaves this week Oz pace, I think. So, KV was only back for a month before leaving. Shame, as I actually like Libby's story of teaming up with Paul to oust Michael as school Principal in order to bag the job herself. The part where she reassessed her life and realized that it wasn't at where she'd hoped it would be, was very relatable. Apparently, it was reported on A Current Affair, that her ill health may be related to her ex-husband joining a cult headed by a guy who believes he's the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. They share a daughter, and apparently, KV may be worried about his access to her. Hopefully whatever the issues are, she can get them resolved and get well A-SAP.

Oh, please tell me that is one big fat joke?! I actually like James, and think he could be a decent character; it's also nice to see Ken relate to a member of his family, as usually he's always being put down by Deirdre or Tracey or the deceased Blanche. If they do as you report, that will be one big character assassination. I liked Amber, and was sad when they fired her, so her returning will be good. I also think it's realistic that she would have sexually experimented while at Uni, just not so sure about her falling for Sophie. Hopefully the father-daughter banter that Dev and Amber shared will still be there. I'd also like to see them explore any issues that may be lingering between Sunita and Amber, considering she represents Dev's many love children and his years of deception. Just thought, Amber is probably only returning for the summer, and probably won't be long term, unless she transfers from London to Manchester. All those characters are minor, so Cheryl, Russ and Chris won't be missed. Lloyd is a surprise, but then the actor is taking time out to film more Red Dwarf, so maybe the report has that confused? I've never felt Sophie & Sian were end game, as their relationship has really been about them coming to terms with who they are, but never being that attached to each other for the long term (more so Sian). They could do with getting rid of a few more, like Kirk, Fiz, Julie, Sean...

That's my guess. It'll be interesting to see how they play it. I'm surprised he's a younger guy, but I guess it fits with Susan's transition and where her life is at, now that all the kids are adults and gone.

Two new castings... One dishy Doctor and one new teen.

Who is this new guy being brought in for? What's the point? A new love interest for Katie? I'm quite happy with all the soon-to-be cast exits; they're either pointless, underused or underdeveloped and don't bring anything to the show being stuck on the backburner for months, so it's good they're going. That's: Scarlet, Eve, Roz, Jackson, Hazel, Mia, Declan's Dad (forget his name).

How spooky is that?! I suggested a story idea for the Kennedys in which Susan emotionally falls for another guy, and now it's actually happening for real! Weird. I'm glad they're bringing Mal back, but sad he won't be with his wife Catherine. Hopefully the 4 month guest stint will be extended if he proves popular. I guess he won't get to share any scenes with Libby, as presumably she would have already left?