EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[YRBB]

I'm surprised because I find the actor fascinating!

Granted, I haven't watched in the past couple of months, but I liked him very much when I did see him.

[ER Tosh]

You know it is still strange for me on British soaps how most characters ages make sense compared to the madness of SORAS on US soaps.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Perhaps this is why Patsy wanted more time off, she's just renewed her vows to her husband.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2133690/Patsy-Palmer-finally-gets-white-wedding-renews-vows-husband-Richard-Merkell.html

[DRW50]

That's nice for her. I will probably always have a soft spot for Bianca, even though she has never been the same in recent years.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

For some reason, even though she's treated him like crap and I never bought into their whole relationship, she seems to be struggling as a character without Ricky. In fact, that entire family seems to be doing so. She's also been extra abrasive without Ricky around.

It seems like Sid Owen is another one who wants to come and go as he pleases. He's apparently back for Janine and Michael's wedding, and then he's leaving soon afterwards.

The show should consider letting some of these people go permanently, as this coming and going will impact all story plans they might have.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

The problem is they just haven't created any successful new characters in a long time, and they killed off so many longtime characters, they have few options.

I just hope no one criticizes Leticia Dean if she takes any breaks. After this mess of the last few years, she could take a 2-year break and it wouldn't be out of order.

[DRW50]

All of this makes the decision to fire Nicola Stapleton even more short-sighted.

[Skylover]

I will never understand why they're getting rid of Mandy. One of the best characters - it may have been predictable but I'd have loved to see a relationship develop between her and Roxy.

As for Bianca - I love her too, I think she should stay. I don't think she suffers as a character without Ricky; in fact I've been enjoying seeing more of her the last few weeks but they've given her some shoddy storylines, this money thing isn't entertaining and I don't ever remember money trouble storylines being entertaining. It seems like they've gone to a lot of effort to writer her out of the show. They're apparently making the kids go to live with Carol somewhere- I guess it would have been ridiculous if Ricky and Bianca, as the parents, kept flitting in and out of the show.

[Ben]

Bianca spoiler:

This whole money worries story has been badly written from the off. It is supposed to be about loan sharks/companies and highlighting how people are in major debt simply paying off loans that were taken out to support other loans, rendering the person(s) unable to live as their money is stuck in a vicious cycle, but EE have only touched on this, while weeks went by with Bianca mysteriously being so broke she couldn't even feed her kids, yet took out a loan to by a plasma TV! ITA Ed, it does feel like it has been an effort to write Bianca out of the show, instead of things happening organically.

Money woes is an easy story for EE to tell, as they've used it way too much over the last few years with: Heather, Billy & Lola, Bianca & Ricky numerous times, Pat, "Jean's" benefit fraud, and Ian's upcoming financial issues. Why must everyone be dirt broke all the time? I've gone off the show in the last couple of weeks, to the point where I haven't watched a full week in a long time; nothing grabs me; the show feels a mess.

Oh, and I will reiterate: big mistake getting rid of Mandy.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Some 1995 episodes are up.

One of them is the lead-up to Sharon's 1995 exit and her return to town post Sharongate. Includes her showdowns with Kathy, Phil, and especially Peggy - the last scene was a delight.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jCE_yme4U4g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D3Aaq2wkSRI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EEKZv3q_1C0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's stuff with the Jackson's, Pat/Janine/Roy, and Mark and Ruth as well. 1995 feels like the last vestige of the "old EastEnders." Something about the feel of the show seems to have changed from about 1996 onwards, it was just sped up by Matthew Robinson's revamp in 1998.

[DRW50]

I know some said the show was never the same after Cindy paid the hitman to kill Ian.

Michelle leaving was also a big end of an era. I keep forgetting she was even around in 1995. I wish she'd returned for some visits.

What did you think of the episodes (also uploaded) when Peggy went to Spain and realized Frank was still alive?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I never really liked Peggy and Frank, but the location work was beautifully done.

I understand why they wanted to play up that little quad they had with Pat/Roy/Frank/Peggy, but a lot of the time, the entire thing just felt silly to me.

I love these 1995 episodes, and I love Blossom. Carol and Alan had such a "real" relationship those first few years, and I like that Alan sees Carol's kids as his own, even if Bianca is selfish bitch in these episodes.

You can tell Tony Jordan created Tiffany. Early Tiffany is like an early template for what later became the Slater sisters/Stacey. She had a lot of qualities that resembled Kat, Little Mo, and Stacey, her personality was trashed when Grant became her universe though.

I guess EastEndersonTV is building up to Sharon's return by giving us her exit storyline from her first stint. It's painfully obvious that both Grant and Phil will always carry a torch for her. They were created especially for her. I think these were the first set of episodes I caught of the show on PBS. I hope we get to see Sharon's 1995 exit in its entirety, I remember it being well-done and poignant outside of the famous scene where she leaves Grant at the end.

I think Sharon left in summer 1995, and Michelle left towards the end of that year. I hope we get to see some of Michelle's exit story, including the 4 hander with Grant, Cindy, and David, that was the infamous episode where she and Grant slept together.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Ethel pops up in this 1995 episode for Ruth's hen party.

I didn't think she was still making appearances at this point. I know she didn't appear at all by the late 90's, and only came back in 2000 for her euthanasia story.

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[Y&RWorldTurner]

These awards are a bit pointless now, but here at the results for this year's BSA's, I posted it in this thread as EE won Best Show. I'm too lazy to give this a thread of its own.

Sexiest Male - Scott Maslen

Sexiest Female - Michelle Keegan

Villain Of The Year - Andrew Lancel

Best Actor - Danny Miller

Best Actress - Alison King

Best Comedy Performance - Stephanie Cole

Best Young Performance - Lorna Fitzgerald

Spectacular Scene Of The Year - John and Moira's Car Accident

Best On-Screen Partnership - Jake Wood & Jo Joyner

Best Newcomer - Natalie Gumede

Best Exit - Katherine Kelly

Best Dramatic Performance - Jo Joyner

Best Storyline - Jackson's Choice

Best Single Episode - Becky's Farewell

Lifetime Achievement Award - Pam St. Clement

Special Achievement Award - Simon Ashdown

Best Soap - EastEnders

[DRW50]

Bwahaha. I will have to go to DS and see the meltdowns over the husk known as Corrie not getting Best Soap. It's those damn teenage fans who are so stupid and shouldn't be voting! (until Corrie wins a fan vote, then it's fine).

The "sexiest" awards are about as sexy as a corpse.

Given how destroyed Carla was as a character and how much Alison King has just become a coarser Sam Janus, she was lucky to win. I hope that win was worth Carla becoming so worthless to watch.

Andrew Lancel was awful, he just slept the whole time.

Jackson's story was a huge piece of [!@#$%^&*] and only won because they had to give Emmerdale some pity awards. A deeply offensive story which made a mockery of assisted suicide.

Danny Miller didn't deserve that award. Then again where are the good actors on soaps now?

I'm surprised Lorna Fitzgerald won, but she is OK, she doesn't deserve some of the criticism she gets.

I hope Pam was there to accept her award. I sure miss Pat.