Ben

I noticed the other day that Sam Womack's acting has become lazy; she sounds kinda bored these days. But, the dialogue for Ronnie/Roxy is quite lazy, too.

 

TBF: Americans also uptalk, too. And apparently, it began as part of Valley speak.

 

We've got more of the Ronnie/Vincent/Kim merry-go-round to look forward to, and it appears to be pretty much the same as what we've already seen so far: Vincent being torn between two women. Richard Blackwood hopes the viewers will be invested in that. I don't think so, dude.

 

Don't mention the Carters, Carl! I'm so bored of them whenever they appear on screen as a family. I'm all for the Mick/Shirley thing being resolved and moved forward, but DTC never ends any of his stories, so I don't hold out much hope. Someone needs to remind him that the third act exists for a reason, and it needs to be in play for most of the stories right now. I don't like Tina unless she's supporting someone in the café, so pretty much none of her stories and interactions interest me.

 

I'm glad the Carters have been off screen, too. The break was needed; shame they have to come back. One of the reasons why I dislike the Ronnie/Roxy stuff so much is b/c I'm fast losing interest in Ronnie and Roxy, and if I stop caring completely, there'll be nothing left. At least with the Masoods, I care about most of them, if not all, so they're a bright spot in the show for me.

What's with EE losing all the decent characters/actors? I feel like all of the interesting aspects of the show are slowly being erased. It's such a mess right now, devoid of creativity - all you have to do is look at how identikit every storyline is structured these days.

 

So, they got rid of Aleks, Lola, Cindy, and ruined Charlie, but continue with the dead wood. OK, then. I saw Fatboy randomly pop up the other day, seemingly real close to Roxy and Amy (since when). Why is he still on the show when he doesn't do anything? Donna is the same pointless character.

 

Ronnie is so random these days, with her regressed nature and totally ignoring her own baby crying who she never spends any time with. Now she thinks Charlie is so boring and dull all of a sudden. He is, but she never used to think that. It feels like they don't know what to do with Ronnie, so every few months they try on a different hat: evil bitch for 3 months; victim for another two; obsessive and controlling is the hat she's wearing now.

Loved the Eric/Ghost Val scenes. I also liked that they were left ambiguous so viewers could decide for themselves if it was indeed Val's ghost or just Eric imagination.

 

I did think it took guts for Chrissie to confess like that, as I guess the guilt was too much to handle. However, it was all on her and not Robert. It was her reckless actions that caused two deaths; I guess it makes her feel better to also blame Robert, too. The acting has been awesome from everyone, especially the actors who play Eric, Diane, David, Dan, Kerry, Pete and Finn (who looked kinda hot today with the stubble). 

 

The only thing I haven't liked is this ridiculous Bob story and the evil journo (such a soap cliché where every journalist has to screw you over at any opportunity). I know where this is going, and I don't really have much interest in it. 

 

 

 

AQ is a decent actor when given the material, but none of that makes Pete an interesting character. Even now, I know I'm going to have issues with this story b/c of what he's done to awesome Ross.

 

Maybe this will finally flesh out the Whites and make them more than plot devices. When Chrissie broke down and 'fessed up, I felt like this story could be the making of her. For the first time she felt less of a plot device and more of a proper character. I hope that lasts.

 

NBA: Loving the banner!

I can't believe they killed Ross! And all so they can attempt to make Pete interesting. I'm so sad right now. I hope it was Michael Parr's decision to leave. The way Pete hid the body, there's room for Ross not to really be dead, so he could come back in the future maybe... Also, making Ross Moses' father is really pointless, now.

 

Val got a brilliant exit. I loved those scenes with Val and Diane - they were brilliantly written. The mirror maze exploding with glass was so dramatic. Poor Finn. James and Emma continue to demonstrate how insensitive they are. 

 

The Adam/Vanessa scene was surprisingly good.

 

Meanwhile, Debbie continues to fight another day. Damn shame.

Agree about the stunts. I saw a sneering article in The Guardian (sneerfest central at that paper, sad to say) about how soaps were stunted out and since they were garbage anyway, they should just have stunts all the time. 

I think that's where the British sense of humour gets lost in translation. It's not a sneerfest, just sarcasm/deadpan that is clearly not great in print. If we're talking about the same article, then it was just saying that original stunts are impossible to come about, as one soap or another has already done it. It wasn't saying anything soap fans don't already know.

 

From what Kate Oates said in an interview, she felt the Spencers "ran their course." I take it that means Ali will be gone soon (we know Rachel will be). Dan mostly exists as a single character and a duo with Kerry, so I guess they'll stay. I do wonder why Ali wasn't there - not to be rude, but I wonder if they felt the actress wasn't up to the material.

I took that to mean all of the Spencers will be leaving. I feel that's less b/c they've run their course, and more b/c they've never been popular and never will be. I do think this whole story with Ali visiting Sean in the burns unit was done to form part of Ali's eventual exit, and Ruby's death will probably be the catalyst for it.

 

 Firstly, it's so rare to see a soap producer do the media circuit like Kate Oates is doing, which I like; more producers should be more TV interviews, as you get a different set of questions thrown at them than actors do. 

 

Secondly, I think she was very diplomatic with her answers, but still managed to hint at ITV's influence. I guess the stunt was never planned for the summer after all (if it was ever planned - it does feel like a network kinda idea). It's difficult to say which stories were fast-forwarded, but I guess the Aaron/Robert/Chrissie story is an obvious choice, as it did descend into plot-driven territory quite randomly. Shame they didn't think it was best to FF through the Jai/Rachel saga a month instead. It certainly feels like ITV are wanting to push Corrie in time for ITV's anniversary... maybe they didn't want ED to show it up?

 

Last night's episode was awesome. The pacing was really good. I loved the amount of time they spent lingering on Ruby, as they made me care about her character, and I hadn't cared for her in all of the 4 years she's been with the show. I loved the character development for Kerry, who really stepped up. Loved all the misdirection with who may die: Joanie looked dead, but then she was fine; Diane has that head injury, and Val keeps saying she doesn't look good; Debbie is unconscious - is she dead? I actually think Debbie could be a possible causality, just b/c she's could be seen as a "beloved character", and Charlie Webb is pregnant... Right now, it actually could be anyone (within reason), and that's quite a rare moment in soap for it to be that unpredictable. I wonder if we'll get a death of a character who previously walked away unscathed only to drop down dead later?

Overall, I've enjoyed this weeks episodes so far. But, there are elements that are a bit contrived. Like, the Robert/Chrissie car fire stuff was quite forced; to get them to that point, they had to have the pointless Lachlan stunt that was done and dusted in a day. And no matter what they do to Chrissie, I still don't care about her. Meanwhile, Diane/Val rehash the same conversation again, but in a mirror maze.

 

The amount of money they spent on creating the fun fair set, and you would have thought they would have used the set more before the stunt, just to get their monies worth. The mirror maze could have been used as a classic plot device for more than just Val/Diane.

 

The Marlon/Rhona scenes were great, and I loved all of Finn's scenes. I really hope they don't kill him off, as I think he could easily fit their definition of loveable character. I'm surprised that I'm so invested in Pete finding out the truth and what he'll do afterwards. I guess they've built up the suspense good.

 

The stunt wasn't as good as I thought it would be; the crash was a bit rushed. I think the aftermath will be better.

I think Steph will need to be more like her old self (prior to 2013) in order to have longevity again. I can see her taking over the garage again, and going back to being a mechanic, something that always suited the character.

I'm wondering if Lucas and Vanessa will be returning for another guest stint around this time? They did say some of the 30th anniversary returnees would be making more appearances, and they couldn't have just been referring to Hilary. It could fit with the quote about some people being against Steph.

I'm so happy about Steph returning permanently. I think they'll write her in-character this time, and do her mental health issue a much better service than in 2013.

This is the right time to bring back a popular character, especially one with so many ties to RS.

Between her own daughter, Noah, Chris and Rachel's son (who is being raised by Zoe), or even Kim's son James (who was Zoe's half-brother), there's plenty of ways she could return, but sadly I doubt it will happen.

Tara returned for Len's funeral in 2007, so you never know. I doubt it though. Anything would be an improvement over the dull Whites. I still think Home Farm should go.

I'd totally forgotten about Kim having a son. So many legacy kids could be brought back at some point to reintroduce the Tate name. I feel this part of the show's history has been forgotten for too long, but, that may have something to do with the kids being too young to drive story. If this was a US soap, they'd SORAS the lot of them. LOL. How old would James be now?

I can't really remember Tara's return at all. That's terrible for me. I remember Len dying, as Catherine Jenkins was guest starring at the time. I guess it was a period of the show where I was a bit of a casual viewer. It's good that Tara was in their consciousness at the time, but like you, I doubt they'd ever bring her back again.

I love Home Farm, which is as much apart of ED as anything else (minus the sweet factory). Just b/c they can't create decent characters to fill the place, doesn't mean the set is at fault. The Whites are an improvement on the Maceys, but that's not saying much really. They should have worked, but they've not put any effort in to creating characters, just plot devices. I guess Lachlan has the most potential and the most personality.

When Marsden turned up on Phil's doorstep, I knew she was there for Ben. That seemed obvious to me.

I've found the last couple of episodes to be quite boring. This whole Lucy story is dull. They really drag out the simplest of things.

Ben & Paul doing it in the funeral parlour with a corpse in the room was creepy. Apparently it was supposed to be funny - I guess I misplaced my sense of humour for 30 minutes. Speaking of Paul: he's such a 90s reject, with his cut-off sleeveless lumberjack shirt and Alice band (who dresses like this now?). I thought he was going to be a more likeable character, but they seem to have mixed up cheeky with obnoxious.

Apparently Kirsty Leigh Porter, Jessica Fox, and a writer also said something. She really must not have been popular.

I wonder if they will recast or just dump the character. I'd do the latter...

Oh, I know. I was just pointing out the irony of someone calling out another for not being nice, when they themselves are not a great beacon of humanity, either.

I hope they don't recast. Sinead is awful, and should be consigned to history never to be seen again.

Theresa won't be missed, either. She should never have been brought back. But, I do appreciate the effort to humanise the character after the train crash, making her more likeable. At least she's been more tolerable.

The main rumour doing the rounds is that she allegedly turned up drunk, and has been late in the past. The tabloids are putting together a case.

According to IAreSam, it's apparently bitchy BTS, with drug use apparent with some of the cast. And, James Sutton's tweet shows that she wasn't liked by everyone. But, he's not that nice of a person either, judging by some of his tweets, so...

This reminds me of the time Home and Away was mired in a similar scandal back in 2009 when Jodi Gordon left the show.

Thanks Swede. So, it's always possible they Lady Tara could return. But, I very much doubt it would ever happen.

While you're correct about Zoe, I think they could easily find a reason for Zoe to return. Her motivation doesn't have to be to live there again, but maybe something to do with one of her kids, or she finds herself in trouble and so returns to the only place she knows she can find help. Anything is possible.

I actually think Nate/Tyler have more chemistry.

Carl: You're right about Rodney. I don't think he's needed any more. I think there's enough characters in his age range (which is a rare thing to say), and Bernice has Diane and Nicola to bounce off of... but, I do like his scenes with Nicola, and that's probably the only relationship where he still has some purpose. I feel they should ditch him, and bring him back for guest stints (or when needed).

I think the Jimmy/Tracy kiss was done for some cheap, predictable 3 episodes of drama when Nicola returns. I don't think Tracy will die in the summer stunt. But, surprisingly for a soap, this stunt has quite a few plausible death victims: Alicia, Val, Jai, Rachel, Megan, Leyla, Lisa, Joanie, Tracy, Robert... so it's quite hard to call. I do think they've brought Joanie back for more than a sub-plot involving Cain/Kerry and the kid, and that may involve her death, or it may involve her getting it on with Zak. Placing her in the Dingle home feels like a deliberate move. Just like how turning Jai evil has been a deliberate move (as stated by Chris Bissom).

Ross' vulnerability only seems to show when he's with kids. And, that's not enough. Soaps don't do romance any more, just lust presented as love, so I know what they expect us to feel when he's with Debbie, but none of that flies with me. It all feels forced. I think he suits Carly way better than Debbie. Incidentally, I don't hate Pete as much as I did.

Can someone remind me of how Lady Tara left? I loved Tara, as much as I loved Kim and Zoe. I wish they would bring Zoe back with her her kids, and build up the Tate name, again.

I think slim-lining the episode order from 6 to 5 a week, would be good for the show. I hate how the Thursday double has become the dumping ground for contrived drama and shock cliffhangers. I could maybe understand it more if Thursday was the highest rating of the week, but it isn't.

So, Hulu is UK pace - 2 weeks behind Oz pace. I wonder if that's the same for Home & Away?

LOL. I'm just imagining Tyler setting up his own dating service and, matching people up based on singular attributes, like blonde hair, or b/c they're the only two people he knows who like the colour magenta. And, he'll be right, of course!

Carl, I have to ask: how did you get your hands on something as random as Points of View? It kinda amazes me that an American even knows this show exists.

Thought I'd share this pic of Aaron and Nate, as I'm starting to dig them as a potential couple now. I quite like Aaron, but it's a shame they didn't hire someone with less limited range. What do others think of Aaron and him and Nate hooking up?

I noticed it attracted a lot of homophobia on Instagram, but I was encouraged to see one bigot (the only one) get shut down on Facebook by loads of people.

Meanwhile, Gina Liano seems to be dividing the audience, with some saying she's OK, with a limited range, while others are being brutal in calling her acting plastic, and looking like she's transgender. Ouch. IMO, for someone who is not an actor, I think she's doing OK.

Firstly, I really love your Lady Tara avatar, Carl. Secondly, reading all your rage is kinda sad.

I think this is what's so frustrating about ED. It has a lot of positives, but so easily becomes plot-driven. I've felt from the start they wanted Robert to be the new Cameron, which doesn't suit him. I hate all the faux killer stuff they're trying to pull with him. This whole story from the start relies heavily on being character-driven, otherwise you have a hollow mess. Chrissie was conceived purely to be a plot device, and that sadly shows; Lawrence has become quite irrelevant; even Robert & Aaron have become a weird toxic mess, despite having the most potential to be something great. Robert should have a lot of depth, but they've reduced him to a selfish, arrogant two dimensional jerk. I no longer understand his motivation for wanting to stay in the closet - is it a money thing? Or about power? Does he really love Chrissie? Is Lawrence's "status" sending out mixed messages to Robert? (He's out, but he married a woman anyway.) I can understand how Lawrence defines himself could be quite confusing to someone like Robert who is scared to come out.

I think they should have had Paddy confide in Rhona about Robert's threats, thus eliminating the need to have Paddy send Chrissie that note, and thus avoiding the whole attempted murder stunt.

ITA about Ross. I think they've taken him too far, but it's thanks to Michael Parr that Ross doesn't completely feel redundant. They've totally lost Ross' essence as a character. Why they've turned him into a remorseless thug, I don't know. I like Carly, but I think they over play the same old beats with her. I get it: she's a lost soul, who has issues with morality, but genuinely wants to do the right thing. I did like the scenes with Brenda finding out everything. Her slapping Val was long overdue.

I don't know what to think about the weird Jimmy/Tracey/Rodney stuff. I think Tracey kissing Jimmy was predictable and unnecessary. Also, I don't really buy that Rodney would act the way he has. He'd turn on the charm and try to hit on Tracey. Plus, I sometimes feel the scriptwriters forget that Rodney and Bernice are father/daughter, as some of their dialogue crosses a very wrong line.

The story that is working for me, and is the best, is the whole Vanessa/Kirin/Rakesh/Priya saga. I'm really enjoying all of their characters and so far I'm liking where the story is going.

I also think they should have continued more with the Harriet/Ashley/Laurel story, as it was quite interesting and layered. Sadly, they're going back to Maurel.

UK really needs to get over the American Revolution and stop blocking videos for us Americans.

Yeah, 'cause America never blocks anything for international viewers. Try watching anything of B&B that CBS uploads from outside the US.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11477563

H&A in crisis?

I think the media are making this out to be worse than what it is. Yeah, the ratings have tumbled, but it was to be expected once all the Braxtons left. I don't like how they basically blame it on Gen Y or the rise of Netflix, like they're giving the show a free pass. The show is to blame, and nothing else, for simply being awful.

Let's hope Seven will take this opportunity to fix the show.

Terrible?

He needs to cut his hair - or the show needs to cut his hair.

@ The Cow Whisper!

Yeah, no young person is going anywhere near that show with such a boring promo shot. Even the description sounds like it's made for the older person - gentle humour.

Some photos from Paige's 21st b/day party, with Real Housewives of Melbourne's Gina Liano. (Oz viewers would have already seen this.)

Photo 1: Olympia Valance (Paige Smith) and Gina Liano (Mary Smith). 2: Olympia Valance. 3: Meyne Wyatt (Nate Kinski) and Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy). 4: Morgana O'Reilly (Naomi Canning) and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson). 5: Chris Milligan (Kyle Canning) and Colette Mann). 6: Tim Phillipps (Daniel Robinson) and Jenna Rosenow (Amber Turner).

Yeah, that's all very interesting Huntress. Thanks for explaining it all.

It really gives me a small idea of how German TV works, etc.

I find it interesting that the public service broadcasters don't care about chasing the young demos, like their commercial rivals do. In the UK, the BBC are always trying new ways to hook the 16-49 demo, which rarely goes to plan. It's quite surreal seeing it in print that a TV network actually wants 60+ viewers.