It's obvious they had no real idea or plan for the Linda story (in which she is now a bit player) and they just stretched it out to have a Christmas/New Year's plot. They stretched it out for an entire year for nothing but one or two episodes. It's just lazy and shows true contempt for viewers. They just stretch things out as long as possible for "event" episodes and they get nothing out of it, because the stories don't support the stretching and the climaxes aren't good enough (as shown in last year's Christmas episodes).

 

Now they're going to

Hidden Content

as the next "shocking" plot and again this would not be necessary if they had any plans for these characters beyond DTC wuvving the Carters 5ever.

 

I saw a comment from him about how Christmas has to be miserable because that's what fans want, and it's another example of his failed pandering and his caring too much about winking and nodding at fans, rather than what made good drama. It may have been cute and good fun to wink at fans knowing there are too many back from the dead stories by having it at as a reason for no one on the Square to give a damn when Kathy came back, but where is the drama? And with Christmas, it doesn't matter if people are miserable if the material is garbage, as everyone saw last year. Why don't they know this?

Well DTC is totally wrong. As I've said before, I'll take a nice, comfy P&G-esqe Christmas episode over everything. I don't need doom and gloom for a X-Mas episode. It's getting to the point on UK soaps where it is predictable that a stunt will occur on all four soaps during the Christmas specials. It takes away from the shows. TV (as a entire medium) has become too reliant on stunts. 

 

I'd so settle for seeing Ian and Kathy having a nice, pleasant reunion at the table over a car flipping in Square, a murder, a fire, a tram accident, a bus accident, a siege, etc. Same with the other soaps too. Just over the plot-driven Christmases. 

I saw this on DS, about St. Mick and Linda, and it gave me a good laugh.

 

 They are not Den and Angie, Pat or Frank, Grant or Sharon or even Binnie and Della. 

I saw this on DS, about St. Mick and Linda, and it gave me a good laugh.

 

 They are not Den and Angie, Pat or Frank, Grant or Sharon or even Binnie and Della. 

As DTC and he'll tell you that they are all of those pairing and then some. 

Belinda Slater has been recast and will reappear in 2016:

 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a777728/eastenders-recasts-kat-moons-sister-belinda-for-a-rocky-family-reunion-remember-her/

 

Carli Norris was extremely underrated on Hollyoaks. One of Kirkwood's worst decisions this go around was getting rid of the Kane family and she was the biggest reason why. I have no doubt she'll turn it out.

What happened to the original actress? I liked her a lot, and Belinda was a hoot.

This may be why she isn't back.

 

http://squaremilenews.blogspot.com/2012/07/eastenders-stars-cocaine-shame.html

That's a shame. It looks like they are planning something with the Slater's, Kacey Ainsworth said she was asked back, but couldn't commit as she's doing a show for Sky. 

 

I doubt Elaine Lordan or Micelle Ryan were asked back though...

I think if they actually believed Michelle would return, they'd ask her, as they were still using her photo this year and have still made reasons for Zoe not to return. 

 

I'm glad to hear they at least asked Kacey.  

I always liked the Little Mo/Charlie relationship so it isn't going to feel right without her there.

Why wouldn't Elaine Lordan commit? Has she retired from acting? Plus, they need to just recast Zoe. No need and waiting for Michelle Ryan to come back. It's obvious she isn't. 

I really don't think Zoe Slater ever needs to be seen again. Kat's return has been a complete fail time and time again. The basic bitch of the Slater clan reappearing would only enforce that failure exponentially.

I really don't think Zoe Slater ever needs to be seen again. Kat's return has been a complete fail time and time again. The basic bitch of the Slater clan reappearing would only enforce that failure exponentially.

Why wouldn't Elaine Lordan commit? Has she retired from acting? Plus, they need to just recast Zoe. No need and waiting for Michelle Ryan to come back. It's obvious she isn't. 

 

I'm not sure she acts much now. She had a bad drinking problem and a year or two ago she was papped boozing again. She also had a bad feud with Jessie Wallace.

I really don't think Zoe Slater ever needs to be seen again. Kat's return has been a complete fail time and time again. The basic bitch of the Slater clan reappearing would only enforce that failure exponentially.

 

The main problem is the show doesn't understand anything about why the Slaters worked, because the show hasn't been able to write good material for the Slaters since 2002. Even Stacey's best material was on her own, not with her family - she and Sean stopped having real interaction once DTC/Santer came in, and she was never all that interesting with Charlie or Mo. 

 

I think Kat could work if they ditched Alfie and had her in a brand new direction, but they aren't willing to do that. 

 

I also think Stacey really has to go. 

Edited December 20, 20159 yr by DRW50

I'm not sure she acts much now. She had a bad drinking problem and a year or two ago she was papped boozing again. She also had a bad feud with Jessie Wallace. 

 

The main problem is the show doesn't understand anything about why the Slaters worked, because the show hasn't been able to write good material for the Slaters since 2002. Even Stacey's best material was on her own, not with her family - she and Sean stopped having real interaction once DTC/Santer came in, and she was never all that interesting with Charlie or Mo. 

 

I think Kat could work if they ditched Alfie and had her in a brand new direction, but they aren't willing to do that. 

 

I also think Stacey really has to go. 

Oh wow. I didn't know that there was bad blood between Jessie and Elaine. Jessie must've been a hot mess her first run on EE b/c she stayed clashing with her costars. 

 

I also agree that Stacey needs to go. I feel like her material this run is the same material she had the last few years before she left. 

Everything about Stacey's current role on the show feels very unearned. I'm supposed to be enthralled in mental illness story #4934 and her being so unpleasant all the time, and I'm just not. I don't care about her mental illness, or her pregnancy, or her relationships that have whopping anti-chemistry all around. At least with Kat I do care, but the stories still suck. That the best they can come up with for Kat is a long-lost son makes me sad. I would have much rather seen new friendships, a new job, etc. but I guess that isn't "shocking" enough. And we get more misery...not that we ever see it in proper focus, as, from what I remember, the episodes after she tried to kill herself were hijacked by those [!@#$%^&*] Carters or [!@#$%^&*] Mitchells.

Edited December 20, 20159 yr by DRW50