Claire Fryer has finally been replaced at Eastenders, with Carolone Roby as joint Series story editor. She was one of the producers Paul Marquess fired at the beginning of the year.

Is this a good thing ? Aren`t they bringing in someone who was working during "The Lucy Allen Era" on Hollyoaks.

I think she worked in the storyline department at Hollyoaks under Brian Kirkwood.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by dannigold

I can't believe Christian and Syed are still in the same place...it's just bizarre and confirms how empty the characters are. Syed is going to ex-gay "therapy" -- even someone who feels this is successful for them would say their life changes. Syed is the same as ever. The same old come here/go away stuff with Christian, a silly reason for Christian to see the Masoods (which again shows how hollow the character is -- he's happily selling his share of the business to people who made his life hell and to Zainab after all she said to Jane), and absolutely no scenes of Syed in therapy, which is the only valuable thing that this story would provide. If you are going to bring this up then you need to actually deal with the issue. Instead, just like gay-bashings and suicide attempts and religious opposition to homosexuality, this story has skimmed issues for headlines and has been too gutless to actually address them.

I'm not a fan of Christian and Syed, but I think that your summary is off. Christian isn't happily selling his share of the business. He is pitting the Masoods and Beales against each other in a bidding war to up the price for his shares. He is being a shrewd business man here. It isn't like there are tons of people out there willing buy his shares. As for Syed's therapy, I'm not interested in seeing it because it isn't important to the story and I'm tired of Syed's denial and lies about his sexuality.

Based on the spoilers, it does seem like Christian and Syed's relationship will be making progress. However, they are such poorly drawn characters that I'm sure when they get together their relationship will be miserable. Unless Bryan Kirkwood decides to write them like a regular soap couple.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Ann_SS

I'm not a fan of Christian and Syed, but I think that your summary is off. Christian isn't happily selling his share of the business. He is pitting the Masoods and Beales against each other in a bidding war to up the price for his shares. He is being a shrewd business man here. It isn't like there are tons of people out there willing buy his shares. As for Syed's therapy, I'm not interested in seeing it because it isn't important to the story and I'm tired of Syed's denial and lies about his sexuality.

Has Christian ever been a shrewd businessman? I don't know if that was his intention but I thought the scenes were just another excuse to show that he is still hooked on Syed and was coming up with reasons to be around the Masoods.

The problem with not being important to the story is that most of these issues were what the publicity machine for the show has said the Chryed story was supposed to be about. A man's struggle with his faith and his sexuality. Instead, it has always just been will they/won't they, with nonexistent storyline beyond sad faces and teary eyes. Whether it is Syed's Muslim background, Christian being beaten up twice, Syed attempting suicide, now the ex-gay therapy -- it all somehow becomes no big deal, and I think that is a very socially irresponsible way to tell a story.

The problem with not being important to the story is that most of these issues were what the publicity machine for the show has said the Chryed story was supposed to be about. A man's struggle with his faith and his sexuality. Instead, it has always just been will they/won't they, with nonexistent storyline beyond sad faces and teary eyes. Whether it is Syed's Muslim background, Christian being beaten up twice, Syed attempting suicide, now the ex-gay therapy -- it all somehow becomes no big deal, and I think that is a very socially irresponsible way to tell a story.

The inability to tell social issues is one thing that soaps across the world share in common.

Right now, I am just hoping that Kirkwood can turn Christian and Syed into a watchable couple. I'm always surprised that they have so many fans considering that they suck, but I think that it must be like watching an accident on the highway for some people.

I think she worked in the storyline department at Hollyoaks under Brian Kirkwood.

She did, she had a long relationship with Hollyoaks and apparently worked her way up there before Marquess decided to shake up the production team earlier this year. I guess Kirkwood really trusts her and is comfortable working with her.

I still wonder when we're going to hear about who is the new Series Story Producer...

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I'm always surprised that they have so many fans considering that they suck, but I think that it must be like watching an accident on the highway for some people.

It must be because they're gay, like Luke & Noah. No matter how much they suck and how bad their storylines are, some people will force themselves to love and support them because they're a gay couple.

It's interesting that they did a direct swap. Claire leaving Eastenders for Hollyoaks, and Caroline leaving Hollyoaks for EastEnders.

Eastenders do not usually make announcements about changes to the storyline and production team. The last one I can remember was when John Yorke came back and fired Kathleen Hutchison, and brought back Tony Jordan and Nigel Taylor in 2005.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by dannigold

It must be because they're gay, like Luke & Noah. No matter how much they suck and how bad their storylines are, some people will force themselves to love and support them because they're a gay couple.

I think this is true for the vocal online Luke and Noah and Christian/Syed crews. However, where it differs is that Syed's wedding to Amira drew major ratings for Eastenders which indicates that the audience as a whole is interested in Christian and Syed's drama.

It must be because they're gay, like Luke & Noah. No matter how much they suck and how bad their storylines are, some people will force themselves to love and support them because they're a gay couple.

It's also very good marketing. You will hear lots of talk about how THIS story is different because of the Muslim aspect, when actually that part of the story has been significantly downplayed all along. This is actually the most basic and most cliched of gay romances, but the show's PR people sold it as some kind of daring storyline.

If people like the story I'm glad for them, it's nice to have a soap couple to enjoy, but I just when I hear this story praised for groundbreaking nature.

It's a shame because Eastenders at its best can do social issue stories justice. Maybe Kirkwood, who did a decent job with those types of stories (Hannah's anorexia, carbon monoxide poisoning, cot death) at Hollyoaks, can improve things. Between this story and the mockery made of Whitney's sexual abuse, it needs improving.

I think this is true for the vocal online Luke and Noah and Christian/Syed crews. However, where it differs is that Syed's wedding to Amira drew major ratings for Eastenders which indicates that the audience as a whole is interested in Christian and Syed's drama.

They did get a big audience but I think that was also down to the day of the year and the poor weather, and also to the Masood family as a whole. It's just a shame that the show has since damaged Masood and Zainab to try to make Syed look better, because they were really becoming fantastic characters.

It should be interesting to see the transition over the next year or so with this show, with Kirkwood hiring a new sorylining team, the show getting a new story producer, and the changes Kirkwood wants to implement.

I wonder how much things will change and how they'll develop story. We've already seen some changes so far under Kirkwood, but of course it will take a while before the show is purged of Santer's content and storylines.

ETA: Doesn't EastEnders always have big ratings during the Christmas to New Year's period? That could help explain why the ratings for the wedding were so strong.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Today's episode:

I liked that everyone around town was talking about Denise and her disappearance, stuff like that really ads to the community-based atmosphere.

Those Beale/Masood scenes over Christian's shares were hilarious. Hopefully, Christian starting his own gym will mean a better and fresher start for this character. I still hated how he and Syed were making eyes at each other, a pathetic pair these two are.

I loved the scenes between Peggy and Phil when she prevented him from taking Ben and Louise out of the country. They're really highlighting Phil's bad parenting choices in this story.

The scenes with Ben and Shirley at the end of the episode were also quite good when Ben told her how much he needed her and how much Phil needs her.

Carol's back! I love how she goaded Darren for rent money as soon as she found out he would be staying with them. I think it makes sense that she would back off once she found out he was paying maintenance for George, since Carol basically raised so many children on her own.

Does Abi now have a crush on Darren? It now seems that way...

Is that Denise's body or not? Lucas could have easily said it was to get the police to back off and to keep himself in the clear. There's a lot more to this story that we probably don't know about.

Is it me or does it seem like the family atmosphere is coming back to this show? We had family interactions with the Mitchel's, Branning's, Masood's, Beale's, Fox/Johnson's in this episode alone. They all felt genuine and not forced too.

Edited July 12, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

LOL @ myself... I keep entering this thread to see Alvin anounce the new SP, but nothing! D*mn!

LOL @ myself... I keep entering this thread to see Alvin anounce the new SP, but nothing! D*mn!

I know.

We probably won't find out until this person is credited months from now. Unless it leaks (doubtful, since it isn't considered a newsworthy item).

Or someone posts it on Twitter! The anticipation is killing me...