EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I guess I keep seeing all the other stuff with Max and Tanya as distractions to the main goal. It will be interesting to see what happens with Greg though. They certainly could use more men in his age range.

I wish they could have some flashbacks for when Tanya and Greg first met.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Have they ever done flashbacks?

The only time I can remember are the episodes where Dot visits Wales to see the woman who took care of her during the war, and we saw some flashbacks of Dot as a little girl. Those were great episodes.

I think made up flashbacks were also used when Nana Moon and Alfie went to Normandy. Not sure on that one though.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

They had flashbacks of when Phil took Louise from Lisa, I think.

I guess it takes away from realism but in cases like what's gone on with Kat and Alfie or with the Tanya/Greg stuff I think it would help.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Jean and Billy kiss in Monday's episode.

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[DRW50]

Good going Jean...

I think they went out last year or the year before but they felt no spark.

[DRW50]

I just watched the scene with Tanya, Max and Oscar that people kept talking about. I guess that little boy must feel very comfortable with them, he had none of that usual deer in the headlights mode a lot of child actors have. It was great how they tried to incorporate him into the scene instead of acting over him.

Greg has that sort of "look" that a lot of the men they bring into Eastenders have. He reminds me of a more muscular Callum.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Jo Joyer was on Loose Women:

<object width="480" height="276"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xf13ft_jo-joyner_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xf13ft_jo-joyner_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xf13ft_jo-joyner_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="276" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xf13ft_jo-joyner_shortfilms">Jo Joyner</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Endersfan">Endersfan</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/shortfilms">Classic TV and last night's shows, online.</a></i>

[Y&RWorldTurner]

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[DRW50]

I love your Slater avatar! Your support for that family is a great reminder of one of the times I got back into EE. EE never really leaves you after you first get that taste, does it. You can be away for five years, ten years, and then you're back again.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think the John Yorke era (00-02) was a great time to get back into the show, even if you missed a few years. Even though I had seen a lot of 90's stuff on PBS, they were so far behind the UK broadcast, that it was almost a different show than what was going on at the same time in the then current UK broadcast. I think BBC America was like either 2 weeks or 2 months behind the UK broadcast when they aired the show, so it was almost like the real thing - experiencing the show almost on par with the UK audience.

In the early 00's, there was such an energetic and positive buzz about the show, and they accomplished so much in such a short amount of time in their storylines and characterizations. I guess the closest I can compare it to was the Curlee years on GL, just how like 1992 was one of those peak years for GL where there was so much good, I think 2001 was one of those brilliant years for EE. I don't think any soap since has come has close to the general consistency, positive buzz, ratings momentum that EE had in that early 00's era.

Thanks for the compliment on the Slater sisters avatar. Too bad there aren't any pics with Belinda and the rest of the sisters.

The funny thing is, though the Slater's dominated so much of the early 00's, and they were still quite new, I never got the feeling that these "newbies were taking over the show." They just fit into the fabric of the show so seamlessly, and John Yorke and Tony Jordan worked so hard to establish them with the existing veteran characters. I still have yet to see a new family on any soap fit in as well. I think almost every story in the John Yorke years and early Louise Berridge era had some Slater family member involved.

At least in the show's recent years, I still hold that 00-02/03 is by far the best era for the show, and probably for all British soaps, with the 03-05/06 era of Corrie in a close second.

[DRW50]

At the time I did think it was a great privilege to only be a few months behind. One of the reasons I stopped with PBS was realizing how much had changed from what I was seeing. I just wish they hadn't yanked the 80s reruns off, as that annoyed me so much I stopped watching and never got back into the show until around late 2007, when I started hearing that Ian had a good story and that some like Pat and Dot were still around. I'd kept up with the show, but often just heard the worst (that Den's return failed, that the show hit big ratings lows, the Wendy Richard fiasco).

[Y&RWorldTurner]

BBC America was so much better in those early days, they've gotten too commercialized now and I can barely watch most of what they consider "quality programming."

I think BBC America yanked the show just a few weeks or months before Den's flop return.

Another thing about the 00-02 era, I think it was really the last time you could feel a lot of heart in the show, and the Slater's were a big reason for that. They loved and supported each other like crazy, and they had such a believable and intense family chemistry.

Edited October 2, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Carl, did you ever think keeping Sonia on the show for as long as they did made Carol look like a bad and neglectful mother who favoured only certain children of her's?

I mean, seeing how protective she is of Billie and how worried she can be about Bianca now really makes you wonder. There were years when Sonia was on the show and Carol was never even mentioned. Like, where was she when a teenage Sonia had given birth not even knowing she was pregnant? I don't ever recall a phone call or mention of Carol during that era.

Granted, I am not a Sonia fan and never want to see her on the show again, but it really makes you wonder when her mother is on the show now and she isn't.

I guess it was all down to Lindsey Coulson being "done" with the show after she left. I heard she had no intention of coming back and for years wanted to get away from Carol Jackson, which made it a surprise when she returned earlier this year.

The only time I want Sonia back is if they decide to kill off Jim. Let's face it, he more or less raised her and she's by far his favorite grandchild.

Edited October 2, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

I think that it was odd that Carol wasn't there when Sonia was dealing with giving birth and giving her baby away.

I wasn't watching during the other years Sonia was on the show. If I was watching for all of that time, then I might have been annoyed at Carol's absence. I think generally though, Sonia was not a character who had big stories that involved Carol. Sonia was a supporting character for most of Carol's time on the show. It wasn't the same as Bianca, or even Robbie, where I did feel her absence in their lives.

[Bright Eyes]

Sonia is the one who 'WorldTurner can't look at because she's so ugly?