EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[BetterForgotten]

I've never heard any EE castmate ever shade or talk negatively about her. Even the folks she had issues with (Jessie Wallace and Patsy Palmer, both of whom has a tendency to be late to set at one point) ended up becoming friendly and close to her. She was really beloved there.

 

 

[DaytimeFan]

What I loved about Dame Barbara's portrayal of Peggy is that she leaned right into her relationship with notorious London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray, and their mother, Violet Kray. Dame Barbara knew that seedy underbelly of London firsthand. She infused Peggy with all the shades of Violet Kray and she excelled. Tough as nails, but also full of heart. They truly don't make 'em like that anymore. 

 

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[BetterForgotten]

@DaytimeFan - Never realized Joan and Barbara met and that Joan sent her condolences too.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIpt5B0FXfh/?igshid=9uripstevz2o

[All My Shadows]

RIP, Barbara. Surely, any and every time I've ever gotten on an EE kick, Peggy was always at the center of my obsession. A true legend of British entertainment, and absolutely a member of soap royalty.

[DaytimeFan]

 

Yes, they'd known each other since the 1960s because Barbara's agent, Peter Charlesworth, was Tony Newley's best friend (he later became Joan's UK agent too for decades before his retirement this past decade).

 

Here is an old photo probably dating to the very early 90s of the two of them with a large group of friends (you'll see Elaine Paige, Edward Duke, Brian May, Diana Rigg, Stefanie Powers, Anita Dobson, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John):

 

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Barbara had a great little story about Joan in her memoir, which I've reproduced below:

 

Having known Joan many years, we went to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, to see out mutual friend Christopher Biggins in 'The Tempest'. I'd introduced Joan and Christopher the previous year when we had all gone to see Joan's now ex-husband Anthony Newley in his one man show at the Langan Hilton and they had got on brilliantly. A few weeks later, I'd bumped into Joan at a book launch and she said. 'Tell me, that delightful man I met, Christopher Biggins, is he really as lovely as he seems?'... 'Oh, yes!'.. I told her. 'He is an absolute joy. He is lovely for ladies like us, especially if you haven't got a gentleman to escort you to a premiere, or if you want to go to the movies, or even fancy fish and chips! He's that kind of person. Every actress should have Biggins in the small print of their contract as an essential.' .. 'Oh really?'.. said Joan. That was the beginning of a great friendship. After that, they were seen everywhere together.

 

That night after The Tempest, we went to dinner at The Ivy, where Joan taught me a lesson I've never forgotten. She looked amazing, giving that it was a chilly night and we'd been sitting in the open air for a couple of hours, but even so she asked the press photographers waiting outside the restaurant not to take her picture until she came out. After dinner Joan checked her lipstick to make sure she was looking her best, whereas I didn't bother. As we left we were photographed together. While I grinned broadly, waving my hands all over the place, the immaculate Joan smiled sweetly and kept hers discreetly behind her back, which for ladies of our years, is essential, because if you show your hands, you show your age. When I saw some of the photographs, the difference was clear, at least it was to me! I take my hat off to her.

 

[DRW50]

Thanks for sharing. That was a lovely story. 

[Vee]

My first experience watching Eastenders was the PBS omnibus, and some of my early memories are of the Peggy cancer story. Barbara Windsor was so heartbreaking, spellbinding. She was one of my favorites. You couldn't take your eyes off her. I'm glad she finished things on her terms on the show before her illness took her. It couldn't take her career or her legend.

So many of the tributes and commentaries, from folks like Patsy Palmer and Shane Richie on TV, Ross Kemp or Lucy Benjamin, are lovely. Even the fearsome Danniella Westbrook.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Vee

[KMan101]

 

They really like her? Yikes. She's a very hollow producer. 

 

I remember reading a piece on her from like 2017 or 2018 where she was rambling on about how she liked big returns (it was for Corrie though and about Bet). It just read like one of our US producers or writers and how they talk a good game but usually don't deliver, etc. LOL. 

 

And wanted to add, RIP to Dame Barbara. Sigh.

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Yes, she did do an incredible job.

 

I do think they became a parody of themselves as time wore on, sadly, but the early Mitchell stuff was great and different.

Edited December 15, 2020 by KMan101

[MichaelGL]

Sharon a murderer? Smh. 
 

How many terrible regimes can this show withstand 

ETA: 

 

The showdown between Denise and nuChelsea was electric. I really liked the mother/daughter chemistry between the actresses. During Lucas and Patrick’s confrontation it’s obvious that Lucas hasn’t changed. 

[LondonScribe]

I watched the Eastenders Christmas Day episode- the first full episode in a long, long time, and oh Lordy. What a s*** show!

 

I thought Kate Oates sensibilities would suit the show, but it looks like her worst instincts are more prominent here than at Emmerdale Coronation Street. But the biggest culprit (in my view) is Jon Sen. 
 

I wasn’t fond of his work on Casualty (really making background music a feature of the series and playing with a few production techniques), and remember being surprised when he was made EP of Eastenders, especially as I’m sure he was not a producer on the previous show. 
 

A few people I’ve spoken to believe Jon Sen’s rapid ascension up the ranks is identity and class politics at work, due to the fact he is Indian and is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

 

I’m not so cynical, mind you.

 

One thing I do agree on is the Fox family should take a bow. Denise and Chelsea were powerful and Diane Parrish is a force of nature. Lucas is not a changed man, that’s for sure. There were enough anvils dropped in this episode alone that I think subtlety, nuance and some compelling beats will be missing from this story. I’m predicting he will kill or be killed by Anniversary week.
 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by LondonScribe

[wingwalker]

Glad to see EastEnders was rewarded for character assassinating Sharon with it's lowest ever Christmas Day Ratings. The show is complete garbage. 

 

I also believe that while Kate Oates shares some blame (she does have power to veto these stories and replace Jon Sen) Jon Sen is mainly to blame. EastEnders was actually on the upswing for the brief period Kate Oates was flying solo at EastEnders. A lot of this mess began when Jon Sen started appearing in the credits as EP. 

 

 

[NothinButAttitude]

EE is truly at the lowest of the lows. While you want to commend the show for utilizing its tentpole characters (Sharon & Ian), the destruction of them over the past 2 decades has been a mess. 

 

Ian has been trash to be since Lucy's death. That's when I started to pull away from the show. I'll peek in every now and then and it just gets worse and worse. 

 

Dare I say it, I wish Sharon would've never returned years ago. 

 

And when did Honey and Jay become an item? What are people's thoughts on that pairing?

[victoria foxton]

I  just saw the episode. The first episode i seen since EE killed young Denny. Poisoned Christmas Pudding.

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[wingwalker]

 

That just started a few weeks ago. On one hand, Jay and Honey are two characters that almost never get a story or airtime, so I was happy they finally got one, but with Honey once being a surrogate mother figure in Jay's life, the pairing comes across as skeevy to me. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

That's what I don't get. Honey was like a surrogate mom to him. Why destroy that? There are a plethora of characters they could've tossed him in orbit with. 

 

I feel like they just throw Jay in stories to see what will stick. Sad part is that Jamie Borthwick is one of the strongest younger actors on this show. He should be one of the main younger actors to be driving story.