All Soaps:- If English Producers and Writers would write for....

[DaytimeFan]

I've watched Emmerdale, as a casual viewer, long enough to remember when Kim Tate wasn't totally wicked. Now SHE was my favorite bitch, ever in UK soaps. Kim was downright terrible to practically everyone and yet I rooted for her the whole way through and was delighted at her exit ("Kim Merchant?...No, Kim Tate" and then up in the helicopter she went!).

I happened to really like Sadie, just so over the top and horrible and also sort of hilarious. Patsy Kensit had a home run with that character. And Linda Thorson as Rosemary was beyond good, not so much my favorite bitch, but the ideal stepmother from hell (loved her exit as well)

I don't like pathetic characters, I found Steph Stokes to be a very unfortunate character, she was out of control. Not my idea of a good soap bitch.

[Ben]

I agree with a couple of earlier posts about the level that UK soaps are currently at. They're not what they used to be (with the exception of Eastenders, which has improved immensely since it's 2007 revamp) and aren't, creatively that different from US soaps. Coronation Street is just like any US soap - half the cast are currently backburnered, stories are inconsistent with poor execution, bland and boring characters are cluttering up the screen, and the main story is about a baby switch (notice I said 'main' and not 'one of', as it's currently the only big story playing out, and it sucks!)

Emmerdale has long since been our US soap equivalent - kidnappings, long-lost siblings, murders, corporate take-overs, money, power, scheming, and yes, people living in mansions. It's easily the most glamorous of the "big 3". I haven't watched for ages, but tuned in the other day, where Perdy was confronting Katie, and it had a real American feel to the scenes.

In fact, Eastenders has had a slight American feel to it too (just a touch), IMO. Lately stories have been strung out for months, even a year, an increase in musical montages, and crazy stories, that are the grounded crazy - stalkers, shootings, more elaborate umbrella plots, buried alive (and things don't get more American than that). But they've managed to keep that EE feel.

I believe a truly good writer should be able to write for anything - whether it's US or UK, the soap world is basically all the same. Culturally there may be differences, but these are things that can be learned as they go along. Every writer has to abide by the producers individual tones, so even though US & UK soaps have different formats, they're not entirely exclusive. It's probably easier for an English writer, than if it was the other way round, because we've been exposed to American soaps for years (Prime-time & Daytime), and I'm pretty sure most people have seen at least one during their lifetime. I think the most important thing is that the writer knows the actual history and characters of the show, and if they've never watched an ep, then they shouldn't be hired for the job.

If the EP or HW was to be non-American, they probably wouldn't change anything anyway, as to do so would alienate the mass market (anyone with any sense wouldn't). The biggest changes that I could see happening would be a tidy-up of the dialogue - less exposition, more sophistication. Besides, if you're non-American and you don't like the outlandishness, campy melodrama (US soap staple), then you probably wouldn't be writing for one.

So very true. I grew up watching Eastenders, Neighbours and Knots Landing (a real mixture ) and to this day they are still my favourite soaps (B&B has replaced KL). This is an important factor, and shows why US soaps have never been anything different. It's a cultural thing.

[Sylph]

OK, a question: I need a name of a female Emmerdale character. I know someone once posted here a clip where a woman dressed in red with a huge hat had a discussion with a guy, who somehow fell through the window while fighting with the woman? Sounds familiar?

[DaytimeFan]

I posted that clip! The character's name is Rosemary King and the actress who played her is Linda Thorson.

The scene was a reenactment of might MIGHT have happened to Tom King, Rosemary's husband.

Unfortunately the clip is no longer on youtube!

[Sylph]

No way! Why did you post it? Remind me...

Noooooooooooooo!

[DaytimeFan]

Okay so here's the scene:

Tom is lying on his bed in an opulent, stuffy looking bedroom. Rosemary knocks, comes in.

And then they have a few polite exchanges until Rosemary notes that she refuses to 'babysit his fortune' after he dies and that his children are merely tolerating her. He then says that he isn't going to allow his fortune to fall into the hands of her sons, especially her -gasp- gay son. Rosemary goes postal.

She says that this whole marriage has been a business deal and he should have realized that. He demanded and she supplied, it really was as simple as that and that if he knows what's good for him he'll keep her in the style to which she's become accustomed. Tom goes postal.

He says he's never felt so betrayed and is going to hire the best lawyer in the country to get this shame of a marriage annulled, Rosemary asks him to reconsider, noting that the lawyers will eat up his fortune. Tom pushes her, saying he doesn't care he just wants to be rid of her.

Rosemary then grabs a little statue off the fireplace mantle and clocks Tom in the head with it. He turns woozily and says "Rosemary..." kind of pathetically. Rosemary then lets out a yelp and pushes him out the 3rd story window. She then wipes her fingerprints off everything, gets the champagne glasses, mutters 'Oh God!' and runs out the door.

I posted the scene to illustrate how British soaps are essentially superior to American ones. http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/index.p...c=21935&hl=

While it isn't on youtube (the person who had it had their account suspended) this little fan made video has some images from the episode: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2zjdsVBY_2I

[Sylph]

Thank you so much, DaytimeFan!