I was aware of that. lol

So apparently,

Mitzeee catches Brendan and Ste kissing and blackmails Brendan into helping her career and pretending to be her boyfriend. Brendan then decides to convince her he's really straight, to make sure she has no hold over him. It sounds like they are trying to shoehorn Mitzeee into stories yet again, as the stuff they planned for her with the Costellos fizzled out very fast. While I can't see this actually going anywhere, I do kind of wonder if the show might put the two of them in a lot of story together, since they seem to be Marquess' favorites. Brendan/Ste don't do a lot for me (the story is a huge and inconsistent mess), so I'd probably actually rather see Mitzeee and Brendan as a couple. You know she'd run Cheryl out of town if she could.

Paul Marquess interview.

Part 1: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/interviews/a295717/paul-marquess-producer-hollyoaks.html

Part 2: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/scoop/a295729/more-hollyoaks-chat-from-paul-marquess.html

So Charlotte quit! Wow interesting...

It's nice that he's so passionate about the show, but a lot of his tone in the interview sort of reflects onscreen - obvious and trying too hard. When I see Silas I don't think menacing, I think the show trying too hard to make him seem menacing, which means the other characters look foolish for not realizing what he is.

I also kind of rolled my eyes when his well-meaning comments about the pain transgender people go through were put beside that ridiculous photo of "Jason" with long hair curled up in a hat. Most of the Jasmine/Jason story, while well-acted by Victoria Atkin, has seemed distant, and sometimes like some princessy martyrdom fantasy, especially the unnecessary and distracting self-harming scenes, where her music box plays and off she goes.

Jacqui/Rhys don't work at all and their story "dividing" people and "will they get back together" makes me wonder if the show realizes they don't work.

I also got a laugh when he basically said he cast Emmett Scanlan because he looked good in a pair of jeans. Scanlan's acting choices kind of baffle me, so this helps explain his hiring.

At least Amy will be back, even if it's in a crappy story with Lee and the atrocious Leanne.

I still wonder if those rumors that Brendan was supposed to kill Amy were true. Now they are backpedaling and they want Brendan to stay around, so that means it's time to make Ste look bad. I wouldn't be surprised if Ste is gone by this time next year -- this story has never made sense and now that it's becoming about Ste being abusive again, it will just alienate even more.

That has been one main criticism from some quarters - too many characters introduced at once - what's your take on it?

"Well, the day when I get everything right, I'll give up! (Laughs) But I look back and I don't think we had much choice, and we're starting to see people's perceptions of the new characters change. Brendan and Mitzeee now feel like they've been in the show for a long time, and so do the Costellos. Bart also feels like he's been in the McQueens forever and he's got some really funny stuff coming up. I'm a soap viewer myself so I know what it's like - you think, 'Who are these people?' But I think we sat down and said that we needed a big shot in the arm, and that's what we've done. I know it's a big ask for the audience, and I'm now the person who's saying, 'We've got our cast - let's play them rather than carry on bringing in new people'."

I don't buy Bart as a McQueen for a minute. I also don't buy him as a teenager. I think Mitzeee is extremely out of place, and Brendan is also shoehorned into the show. The Costellos are still a confusing and cold family, most of whom have no believable relationships, and with badly miscast actors in the roles of Riley and Seth, and I might say Heidi too.

I think the Costellos are probably the most successful because they came in with a lot of story.

That's the problem. All that story was burnt through in about a month, and they were left with nothing. They basically ARE nothing.

Edited January 4, 201114 yr by CarlD2

The last thing I wanted was Duncan to get a family but I liked his sister.

was that who she was ? I dunno who she was when i saw her.

Paul Marquess out as producer

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a296375/hollyoaks-announces-new-producer.html

I don't know how much difference this is going to make. Philips will be inheriting a wasteland that's already been damaged too heavily. For some reason, I think Marquess was replaced, and they're trying to word this amicably as possible.

At least this new guy hasn't been a producer before, in many ways, it's a blank slate. However, if he thinks Marquess has done a good job and wants to continue things in a similar fashion, then nothing will be all that different.

Edited January 6, 201114 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I do wonder what to think here -- Marquess hasn't been a soap producer in ten years and went on to shows like The Bill, so perhaps he really was only going back for a brief time. But he never gave any hint in previous interviews of only staying for a year. Only a few days ago his interview came out talking about plans for 2012!

The show has been a mess for months - at the time I wondered if all the reshooting of the fire episodes, having to write the Sharpes out in a hurry and months of story being dumped, was going to take a toll. Could he be leaving because of this?

I still think there's some hope for Hollyoaks. They have a good family in the McQueens, and although I don't really care for him, Brendan seems to be a fan favorite. The story with Jason also seems to be getting interest.

This is what I would do immediately:

Write out all the O'Connors but Sinead

Write out all the Costellos but Jason and Mitzeee

Get rid of Teencop.

Come up with better comedy stories for Lee or get rid of him.

Kill Cheryl now. Silas can dispose of her.

Break up Ste and Brendan for good and move them into separate stories.

Figure out what to do with Carmel and Theresa.

Send Gilly, Frankie, Tom, and Duncan away to a new life. Have Gilly and Frankie get together. I don't care. I think Jack is still an important part of Hollyoaks and I would like to see him alone again with Darren.

Kill Mandy if they can't come up with a good story for her.

Have Ricky vanish - who cares?

Make Jacqui, Amy and Nancy lead heroines.

Give Texas a big love/hate romance, one that builds over time.

Have Myra inherit millions and millions and use that to further storylines.

Age Bart to at least 20. He is ridiculous as a 15/6 year old and that makes the whole Jason story seem less believable.

Myra winning the lotto or something would be hilarious.

Yes, if you're going to give that story to someone, why not Myra, instead of the odious Cheryl?

I know she behaved unprofessionally but I wish they could also get Hollie Jay Bowes back as Michaela, along with Zak. Kent Riley is such an underrated actor and deserved better.

Edited January 6, 201114 yr by CarlD2

Or they could have Myra hook up with India & Texas' rich grandfather since I doubt he'd stay married to Cindy for long once she returns.

Or they could have Myra hook up with India & Texas' rich grandfather since I doubt he'd stay married to Cindy for long once she returns.

It'd be good if Cindy, fed up that Alistair ain't popping off so she could get his millions/jealous that Darren has moved on with Nancy divorces him. Soon after, Myra gets her claws in him, he dies, and she gets everything.

At the same time they could build a legitimate relationship between Myra/Texas.

Edited January 6, 201114 yr by Amello

Those are great ideas. The show uses Myra better than Lucy Allan did but they could still do more with her.

At DS someone said they spoke to a Daily Star reporter or editor on Twitter and that they told them Marquess was fired. Given the huge expense that must have been incurred with all the reshoots I guess that could be true. I've heard some fans say it was worth it, but really, why cast the Sharpes in the first place? You could see how shockingly bad Amber was from the start. And were they they much worse than other dud characters? I don't think they were. If the reshoots were for the Warren/Mandy return that was an even bigger mistake.

I also hope that we might start getting long-term building of couples. Nancy/Darren and Rhys/Jacqui were so sudden and it's still jarring, and Rhys/Jacqui in particular don't work for me.