EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[jfung79]

OMG just read about David Wicks (although it is apparently still unconfirmed officially, it seems to be unofficially confirmed)! Excited, even his brief return last year made a huge positive impact.

I have to say though, having discovered Coronation Street, EastEnders seems much more stunt-driven, over the top, and unstable in its handling of characters and stories. I'm no longer regretting that I don't watch EE anymore (but still keep up on synposes).

Edited May 28, 2013 by jfung79

[soapgirluk]

I'm hoping it starts to turn itself around, as EE has always been my fave soap.

I've not watched in months though as zero storylines are intresting me at the moment.

[NothinButAttitude]

EE's problem for me is that there is too much dead weight on this show. I'm fine with UK soaps having huge cast b/c it gives that communal feel, which I wish that US soaps would adapt again, but they don't have the money to do so; however, many of these characters can go, so they can usher in newer, more vibrant families.

Shirley can go. Even though I loved Linda Henry last year and felt she carried the show for the most part, I feel that Shirley has done all that she can do under Lorraine Newman. They didn't (or haven't) had Shirley bust up Phil's world like she should've (especially with the fact that he knew certain details about Dennis' death), and all they have her doing is working in some crap chicken restaurant.

Mo can go. The entire Masood clan (IMO, when Zaniab & Syed left, they all should've followed). Kat & Alfie can leave again. Tyler REALLY needs to go as he's the biggest deadweight on the show. Whitney can exit stage left too. Joey, though sexy, can go too, and take his kissing cousin Lauren too. Hell, the entire Branning clan can go with the exception of Dot, Abby, and Alice, who is gradually growing on me. I like Fatboy but him and Poppy can go too.

I want the EE back that I fell in love with back in 2002. The gritty, scandalous, exciting soap that it used to be. Now I feel that it's suffering from the same problem that American soaps suffer from, a loss of their identity.

[All My Shadows]

Fatboy is still on the show? Damn. I remember when he was one of the most-loathed characters until Ricky Norwood stepped it up and proved to be a fun asset. It just sucks because they keep writing all of his friends, family, and love interests out, so he's always just there.

[NothinButAttitude]

I agree, All My Shadows. I think that Fatboy can be a fun (and valuable) asset but not nowadays. His romance with Poppy is dull as h*ll. I've always said that they should've brought a feisty vixen on the show to swoop him off his feet and usher him into manhood. I think my issue with Fatboy is that he still acts like a teenager. He needs a real woman. Poppy ain't cutting it.

But I want Tyler Moon gone more than anyone. Him and Whitney can exit stage left. Whitney is played out and Tyler never brought nothing to show IMO. They domesticated him to fast when they should've molded him into a loveable lothario for the young female characters. I've always said that the wrong younger Moon brother was kept. Anthony (IMO) was the better one and had great potential, which he showed in final weeks on the show with Alice.

[soapgirluk]

Yeah theres a lot of characters who seem to be there for the sake of being there( a problem I think Corrie have aswell)

Apparently Whitney has a big storyline coming, I'd keep Shona as she's proven she can do fantastic with big storys. They just need to write her better.

Tyler I think even the best writers would struggle with lol

Personally I dont like Sharon's return & think i'd have prefered her staying away.

I'd also get rid of Kat, love her but the Kat cheats on Alfie story is getting boring.

[NothinButAttitude]

I haven't like Sharon's return either. It was just all over the place and not well thought out. We can tell that Newman was so anxious to get Letitia Dean that she failed to do a good long term story projection. All of Sharon's stories have been half assed and not plotted all the way through. Her "engagement" to that man was too rushed. They rushed her romance with Jack. They didn't address the Dennis/Phil issue, which IMO should've been the thing to bring Sharon back to Walford. They should've had Ben send Sharon a tape (like he did Denise), thus causing her to coming to town in a blaze of fury. This drug addiction story is abysmal. I seriously thought that Sharon's return would be to solidify her in the spot of central matriarch, to fill the void that Pauline, Peggy, and Pat left behind.

I agree that Shona does well when given material but I'm over the antics of the town mattress aka Whitney. All her stories are the same to me. And even though I don't think that Tony Discipline is the best actor, they should've played to his strengths if they were going to keep him this long--play on him being a heartthrob. Make the character a sleaze and have him bounce between Lucy, Whit, and Lauren. Instead, they've brought in Joey, who I felt could've had potential, to basically make Tyler pointless. They're basically the same the character except one likes his drunken cousin (and don't get me started on that incest mess b/c I hate that pairing altogether) and the other one likes door knob--everyone gets a turn.

Only thing appeasing to me at the moment is Ian & Denise and their romance. I just hope that they don't ruin that because I feel like Denise needs to become a central matriarch eventually too.

[jfung79]

I don't agree they have too much dead weight ... Mind you, I don't watch so this is just based on the synposes ... But I think one of the problems with EastEnders is an attitude of "dead weight" needing to be trimmed so they turn over half the cast every few years. There is no stability and longevity. So then the ratings sag when they've purged half the cast, and they desperately need to bring someone back again as a stunt to get the ratings back up. Then that person or tons of other people leave, and the cycle starts anew.

Also, sometimes new characters get introduced for a mere few weeks or months, then are ushered out abruptly.

The show needs to have characters stick along enough so they can be the new stars that keep people watching. Right now, they are still harking back to returns for characters from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s, to get lapsed viewers to come back. The instability of the show has prevented their being many newer popular characters. EastEnders also doesn't have the kids who grew up on the show who stuck around. Lots of recasts of characters like Ben, Peter, Lucy, etc, and Ian and Sharon grew up on the show way back when, but in recent years I can't think of actor/characters on EastEnders analogous to Coronation Street's Chesney Brown, David Platt, Steve McDonald, Fiz Brown, Jason Grimshaw, and Tyrone Dobbs who have actually grown up on the show, were not recast, and are still around as adults. (It's also in part, I think, why Liz is popular on GH although I don't care about Liz much.) I guess there is Jay, kind of, but even he has only been there for six years. Darren would have been if the actor hadn't left. Bianca disappeared for too long to be considered to have grown up on the show, and Ricky is now gone.

In the hands of good writers, there is always story for a cast. Whoever seems like "dead weight" may just not be given suitable stories. In particular, I think the Masoods, even without Zainab and Syed, need to stick around because given the demographics of the UK, I think there definitely needs to be a strong Asian family presence on EastEnders that doesn't just disappear every few years. It's about time an Asian family had as much staying power as the Mitchells or the Brannings. If anything, more characters should be added to it. You can reinvent that family by adding a whole new branch to it, as was done with the Brannings, Slaters, Moons, and Mitchells.

Still, though I disagree with your thrust, I think you have good points and I can see where you're coming from. I think it's an especially good point that Joey seems to be playing a role Tyler could have played!

Edited May 29, 2013 by jfung79

[soapgirluk]

I dont actually mind Ben, Peter, Lucy & Lauren being recast. At least it kept characters( well Peters only just returning) around instead of writing them out. And the 'new' Lucy and Lauren are both popular and good actresses.

And depending on Patsy Palmer staying I can see Tiff and Morgan growing up and staying on the show. I also even if Patsy hadnt left wouldnt class her as growing up on the show as she was late teens when she arrived.

Same as Steve, Fiz & Jason in Corrie. Also Jason imo up til the Stella storyline i'd put in the pointless catergory lol In all his years the only memorable storys he's had is dating Stella & his wedding to Sarah

[NothinButAttitude]

My dreams have come true. Tyler Moon is OUT.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a488379/eastenders-tyler-moon-actor-tony-discipline-leaving.html

One down. Many more to go. . . .

[jfung79]

And the instability cycle begins anew ... I like this person's comment at the bottom of the article:

"union_jak
I always feel somewhat sorry for the actors when they lose their jobs because of the failures of the writers. Honestly, every character has potential for a story in some shape or form; it's hardly realistic to say there "wasn't much else they could do with Tyler". Are they saying in real life people just stop doing stuff and nothing ever happens to them again? If they ran out of ideas for a young guy then they seriously need fresh new writers on the show. I mean, straight away I could suggest he got involved with an older lady - he seems like the type of guy to be into MILFs - and Glynis Barber wants to return as Glenda Mitchell so..."

On another note, from recent synopses, I like the humor of the snake escaping and a prostitute being revealed to be living at the B&B when Dot was trying to impress Reverend Stevens to get a job with the church.

I'm confused why Alice is stealing things.

Not a fan of this macho Branning brother brawl with Kirsty's brother over her scary ex Carl.

Edited June 10, 2013 by jfung79

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Surprising introduction, but probably unnecessary:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/eastenders/posts/Cindy-Junior-arrives-in-Albert-Square

[NothinButAttitude]

Why did they make Cindy Jr. so young? Only person I can see her interacting with is Liam, and I don't see how that's going to make her in "minx" unless they bring back some other characters from that age group like a SORASED Tiffany & Louise Mitchell, along with like Kane & Little Chris both from the gang story that everyone hated and implant them into square too. (IMO, I feel that Kane & Little Chris should be brought back b/c I feel that they could have potential and just make them wards of Carol, for Kane, and Patrick, for Little Chris.

IMO, they should've aged her a bit and put her in the age group with Dex/Jay/Abby/Lola. I would want to see her do damage within that little quad.

I am glad, however, that Denise is going to have something to do with it. I hope this further solidifies Denise as the new Beale matriarch. I'm hoping that Cindy grows to have Ian wrapped her finger, thus making Lucy jealous and Denise agitated.

I wish they'd bring Steven home now too.

[EricMontreal22]

It's funny reading this thread. I've been watching Eastenders more lately, because I've been only working part time ad out of classes so home when it's on at 5 on a small Canadian cable station here. However I think we are two years behind, if not a bit more--they never properly show the end credits so I miss production names and the copyright date, but I believe Hollyoaks' Brian Kirkwood (?) is producer--not a popular time I gather. They just had the climax of the babyswitch storyline 2 or 3 weeks back...

[All My Shadows]

I think you're near the time I checked out, Eric. I thought it was a pretty solid programme from Billy Jackson's death until a few months into the switch.