They should bring Shabnam back, even if they recast the role...

i just went back and saw Kirkwood`s name...this gets me more excited for him coming now.

He has to debut next week at least.it would make sense.

Diederick's name is still on the credits next week. I think it will be weeks before we see Kirkwood's name on the credits. The script for last nights episode was issued on the 1st February and was not filmed until March 5th, Bryan's first week in charge. Which means that there must be at least another four weeks of Diederick's material to air.

Edited April 27, 201015 yr by dannigold

I thought the Lucas scene was a change made by Bryan, especially with the shift in storyline for Lucas, which Bryan has planned.

So have they said the story is going to change a lot now under Bryan?

That scene was much better than just about anything the empty Killer Lucas story has had so far. I still can't believe those endless scenes where he yammered to Libby in the church and apparently this caused her to stop looking for her father.

Syed is gone! If only this were for more than five minutes, then I might be happy.

Great scenes with Zainab falling apart, broken, ashamed, probably ashamed at herself most of all. Zainab is the biggest mouth but Masood is generally the cold one when he needs to be. I liked when she had to face her pain in the Vic. The only thing I didn't like was that witch Roxy, who, what a surprise, only cares about Christian long after she could have done him any good, lecturing Zainab about family. This is the woman who basically drove her sister out of the family for being molested by their father.

Loved Charlie's line about Doctor Who, especially since he was on Who.

I still don't buy that Tamwar would be so worried about Syed. They've never been very close, and Tamwar was close to Amira. He may not be happy about what's happened but I don't think he'd be this concerned or be angry with his parents. It's not as simple as Syed being gay driving him away, and Tamwar is smart enough to know that.

Peggy/Pat filler, barely watched. Skipped most of the stuff with Ben, although the scenes with Phil and Shirley were good, they have a good chemistry these days.

40 year old teens, skipped most of it. They managed to make Big Mo seem youthful. I think Wendy Richard had that same hairstyle in her last few years on the show.

How pathetic is Whitney now? Everything in her life is about clinging to Billie, no matter what. And Billie is even more pathetic, going to see Jack and expecting a pat on the head. I was able to break away from my amazement at Jack's miracle recovery long enough to cheer him as he berated Billie. Now I just don't want to have to see those chins of Billie's quivering again.

Edited April 27, 201015 yr by CarlD2

Nina Wadia was just fantastic in Tuesday's episode...

The teens need to get lost...

New interview with Dominic Treadwell-Collins:

http://www.walfordweb.co.uk/item.php?id=2344

He has this to say about working with Bryan Kirkwood:

Christmas 2010 is going to be massive - and we’ve even got some great ideas for Christmas 2011. It’s fantastic to work with Bryan. He’s amazing at story and really inspiring to work for so the show’s going to get even better.

Caught up with last week's episodes...

This thing with Jack and Max and the chicks. No thanks. Not interested. And I don't like Max.

Pat and Peggy are funny and natural with each other, but this show is totally playing the "Ah, just have 'em bitching at each other, the audience'll eat it up" card.

Ben is hilarious, and not in a good way. I say cheer up, lad, in a few years when you leave the Square for parts unknown, you'll get rode on more than a coin-operated horse in front of a Kmart. I love Shirley, Phil...not so much.

Syed/Christian. All right. I love the parents, and the big scene between the three of them was fantastic. I think Christian's the most pathetic because instead of finding a perfectly suitable guy who isn't gonna have half the hang-ups of Syed, he wants Syed. I get it, he's hot. But it's still stupid, especially considering these two have only been bumpin' it for not even a year. I'm tired of these "epic gay love" stories. All that said, however, had I been Syed, I would have squealed on Z the first chance I got. Who is her to sit on her high horse, talking all this sh!t to her son and expecting her to go along with her lie. Weak.

Amira's the only one who gets my sympathy, but she no longer needs it because she's gotten out of that wasps' nest.

My grandmother, who is pretty old-fashioned, was quite upset after those episodes. I assumed that it was because she didn’t like all the shouting… But actually, she said that she just wanted Christian and Syed to be happy together. If this show can change the opinions of a seventy-something year old woman then that’s amazing.

I wonder if she still feels that way after the more recent episodes. They have done a wonderful job of making both of these characters selfish and pathetic, and the actors do not have anywhere near enough chemistry to make it work.

I'm surprised to hear that Pat is his favorite character. I wouldn't have though from the past few years that Pat is anyone's favorite character. Maybe it's down to Pam St. Clement not wanting to work as much but they don't seem to know how to write for Pat most of the time. It's always a sort of self-parody with Pat these days, especially with Peggy and Janine. Then again, Ronnie and Roxy are his favorite characters, and look at their writing.

All those mentions of Sean Slater still make me cringe. I already had enough of that vile, racist thug.

It will be nice to see more of Shirley.

Edited April 28, 201015 yr by CarlD2

I loved that he acknowledges Shirley's character has been underused, and I am thrilled that Simon Ashdown is writing Barbara's exit. It also confirms that Bryan has kept the same story and production team as Diederick.

Edited April 28, 201015 yr by dannigold

I ad to laugh at his remark about how EastEnders draws on Greek tragedy. Same [!@#$%^&*] as the one from Labine.

BTW, could someone give me some links from his previous interviews?

http://writersguild.blogspot.com/2010/04/oedipusenders-on-radio-4.html

http://www.digitalspy.com/broadcasting/s2/eastenders/news/a77057/all-about-eastenders-dominic-treadwell-collins.html?locale

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4532080.stm

Thank you, Carl, very much!

OMG! STACEY IS LEAVING!!!!!!!!

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a217182/stacey-and-jean-to-leave-eastenders.html

Stacey and Jean to leave 'EastEnders'

Wednesday, April 28 2010, 7:02pm EDT

By Kris Green, Soaps Editor

Stacey and Jean to leave 'EastEnders'

Lacey Turner

EastEnders stars Lacey Turner and Gillian Wright are to bow out of the soap later this year, Digital Spy can confirm.

The pair - who play bipolar-suffering mother-daughter duo Stacey Branning and Jean Slater - will step down from their roles after almost six years, with Turner in particular expressing her desire to pursue other acting opportunities.

The door for a potential return will be firmly left open for Stacey, while Jean's future has yet to be determined.

Storyliners are currently working on dramatic departures for the two characters.

Speaking of her decision to leave, Turner said: "I've had the most fantastic time at EastEnders. Stacey has been such a brilliant role for me to play, as has being part of the feisty Slater family.

"I'm so lucky to have had such challenging storylines, from the affair with Max and being diagnosed with bipolar to the complete shock of being revealed as Archie's killer during the live 25th Anniversary episode."

She added: "I'll miss Stacey and everyone in Albert Square very much but the time has come to try something different."

New executive producer Kirkwood commented: "We'll be very sad to see Lacey Turner leave the show. Lacey is one of the best young actresses on TV at the moment and the fact that she's won 28 awards in the last five years is testament to this.

"It's only right that someone as talented and versatile as Lacey should pursue new challenges and we wish her the very best of luck."

He continued: "In the meantime, viewers can look forward to a typically dramatic Slater family exit when she leaves and the door will be left open for Stacey Branning to return to Albert Square in the future."

Meanwhile, Wright (above left) said of her departure: "It's been an honour to play Jean especially as the public response to her has always been so supportive. It's been a real privilege to be able to heighten awareness of bipolar disorder.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed working with my onscreen Slater family, in particular working with Lacey and developing such a great rapport over the years."

Kirkwood added: "Gillian has brought real heart and pathos to the role of Jean Slater, a complex and fragile character who has really been taken into the public's affection."

Earlier this month, it was announced that head of the Slater clan, Charlie - Derek Martin - is to leave along with five others.

Turner first appeared in the Albert Square soap in November 2004 and has been a regular ever since, while her screen mother Wright made her brief debut the following month. She reappeared a year later for another short stint, before joining full-time from November 2006.

Edited April 29, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Say what you want about Stacey, but Lacey Turner ALWAYS gave it her all. That girl was born to act. If anything, I'm going to miss Lacey so much.

I hope Lacey goes to Hollywood and makes it big, she's talented and beautiful enough.