Hollyoaks: Discussion Thread

[bardgirl]

I was stunned when I actually heard a good song played on this soap. The music tends to suck. The McQueens are always fun.

[Ben]

Do you mean the Linkin Park one? I love that song; it suited that montage really well.

I don't know why they're splicing episodes together? It's so unprofessional the way they edit episodes to fast track a storyline.

The McQueens can be fun, but Mercedes certainly isn't ATM. Jacqui, Myra, Carmel and (kinda) Theresa are the best.

[Bright Eyes]

I love this scene. I wish soaps had the balls to screw with children more often. It's so fun to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBiJsED0BYU

[Bright Eyes]

During Mercedes' slutting around years, did she and Darren ever hook up?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

No, but there was a point where they had back and forth banter, but Mercedes never wanted him (I believe he wanted her though).

Didn't they both attend counseling for sex addiction together?

[dannigold]

Bryan Kirkwood is now head of drama at Lime pictures, and has become joint executive producer of Hollyoaks with Tony Wood. Emma Smithwick is still series producer.

[Bright Eyes]

I have been enjoying Hollyoaks and HO Later immensely this week, especially last night's great cliffhanger, but I wonder if this could have to do with the potential Tony / Jacqui repairing they seem to be hinting towards.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Bright Eyes

[DRW50]

Will the forced and unbelievable Jacqui/Rhys pairing finally be over?

How many times have we been asked to cheer for Brendan to assault and murder people? Is it up to a dozen now? I've lost track.

[LondonScribe]

Another producer change. This one is NOT surprising.

Emma Smithwick has stepped down as Series Producer. Her last day is October 5th. EP's Tony Wood and Bryan Kirkwood will oversee the show.

Writing on my phone so can't post the link but it's DS.

I'm guessing Kathleen Beedles will be made Series Producer.

Otherwise, can lightning strike twice?

Edited September 30, 2012 by UK LAW

[Bright Eyes]

Emma Smithwick was better than Marquess, Lucy Allan and the guy inbetween her and Marquess whose name I don't remember. Her only huge blunder was the abundance of new characters that had no end in sight.

Kathleen Beedles has been at all the soaps. What's her reputation? Are you guys a fan of her work?

Thanks for posting UK LAW.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Bright Eyes

[LondonScribe]

The show in general doesn't appear to know what it wants to do. Each successive producer seems to want do something entirely different to the predecessor, even discarding the good elements of their stewardship.

I know next to nothing about the backstage macinations of the soaps, but I think (and let's stress the word 'think') she may not have had total choice over this move. I wish her luck as I was not part of the lynchmob over on aforementioned website, and the last few months + Hollyoaks means I think she'll not struggle to find work if she doesn't have something in place.

I only mooted Kath Beedles as she is already there and was BK's Story Producer on Eastenders (a position now held by the immensely talented Patrick Homes, I've loved his written episodes of The Bill, Holby City and Casualty, look out for him in future).

I like Beedles and attribute some of the more recent story cohesion in HO to her. She'll be best remembered for her time as Series Producer on Emmerdale. She took the show over in quite a precarious state, as previous producer Steve Frost (now November) had succumbed to some of his more dark and boring tenancies (see the general apathy to his tenure in charge of Coronation Street).

She tightened the stories and lets be frank, made the show (mega) dramatic, and glamorous. It was, on ocassion, likened to Dynasty, as the Kings and the Sinclairs caused no end of problems for themselves, others and each other. Let's not forget, the Show Home Collapse that more or less kicked off the build to Tom King's murder at Christmas 2005 (a masterful seasonal episode). There was the couple of episodes that saw Cain Dingle and Sadie King leave. Absolutely bonkers episode(s) but hugely watchable. If you can find them online, you should have a blast watching them.

There's more to that period, that was never really capitalised on by Anita Turner and her instantly forgettable period in charge. It took (the late) Gavin Blyth to restore something to that show. But, as you can tell, I've veered off course. Lol

[DRW50]

Kathleen Beedles' time at Emmerdale was seen at the time as poor, although the show hit the skids further after she left. The Who Killed Tom King? story didn't have the impact they'd expected, nor did most of the new characters (although Lexi later became a very good character). The Perdie gaslighting story got a negative reception from fans, as did the show's poor treatment of Rosemary due to backstage tension with Linda Thorson. A lot of fans had enough when the Christmas episode involved Greyson and Perdie fighting over a sweater containing a secret formula.

Beedles seems to have done a decent job at Eastenders.

I have no idea what anyone can do with Hollyoaks. For all the fan hype of Marquess, he did not create a single strong character. The biggest reason anyone cares about Brendan is because people get hot over the actor. His stories, if you can call them that, amount to a sociopath pulling faces while everyone writes how sad they feel for someone who beats his boyfriends into comas or who murders people or who rapes people. The Ste/Brendan story is one of the most offensive and destructive pieces of trash ever on soaps, and has made Ste a completely pathetic, irrelevant character.

There is no longer any structure or sense of family or drive on the show, or any history. There's nothing. There are so many characters who are just plain used up, like most of the McQueens, outside of Jacqui and maybe Myra.

[Ben]

I think Kathleen Beedles has changed the show for the better recently. Its a lot more watchable, now, and all the characters feel like they are being used more, and in their own storylines; they have a big cast, and the majority of the time most of the characters would be drifting aimlessly, randomly disappearing for months. When I think about the cast, I can picture them all in some form of story. They're also using Jack & Frankie more, which is great. It isn't perfect, and the destruction of Doug feels permanent; when they mentioned his past as a drug dealer yesterday, it felt like they were talking about Doug's evil twin or something - now he's sappy and wimpish and pathetic.

I don't get the hype for Brendan at all. I don't feel like he's as complex or deep as fans make out he is. Brendan is defined by his abuse; he's a violent thug who murders people. End of. Walker, on the other hand has been awesome. He's a guy who is complex and interesting to watch. I wish he could stay around and replace Brendan, but that will never happen.

There does feel like there is a sense of family returning to the show. History is a problem, as 90% of the cast haven't been there more than a few years; Tony and Cindy are the only ones who go way back, and they haven't utilized Tony properly for a long time. The McQueens would work better with just the girls - get rid of Bart and Theresa who bring nothing to the family or the show - but Myra, Jacqui and Carmel are not a spent force yet. I'm not sure where they can go with Mercedes, now.

Darren/Nancy, Jack/Frankie, Mitzeee, Myra, Cheryl (she's changed for the better), Tony/Cindy/Rhys/Jacqui, hold the show together. The Kanes have a lot of potential as a family (Martha is awesome), but this stupid Ally plot is bringing them down; The Savages are OK, but they don't bring anything to the show as a unit - I like Dodger/Texas, and the potential of Will/Ash, but they ruined the latter; Phoebe/George/Callum are the better teens - the rest are dire - Maddie could possibly have potential... but the writing and her acting are really bad; Barney/Annalise are OK. I think the show has a good bunch of characters, they need to write to their strengths and not add any more newbies, and get rid of the ones that don't work.

[DRW50]

In my book, if a character repeats the same storyline for their entire run on the show, they aren't complex. That's all Brendan has done.

Until the show stops telling me how noble, sexy, and just darn special physical and sexual assault are, I won't be watching.

I also hate the "my abuse is worse than your abuse" game, which is what they always play with Brendan. Someone must always arrive to be worse than him. They have brought in all his abusive relatives but his great uncle Ciaran to beat him with a cane. And Emmett Scanlan still plays the scenes like an emphysemic Jim Carrey.

Edited October 5, 2012 by CarlD2

[Ben]

Exactly. I don't know where they can take the character once they've explored his relationship with his father.

Have you thought about fast forwarding Brendan's scenes?