Wow, Danniella Westbrook is looking more like she did in the 90's and more natural again. Definitely a step up from the way she looked in Sam's last return, when she looked more like a whorish Barbie doll.

I guess Sam is back for both Minty and Peggy's exits? It appears that she may be using Minty for something though.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1295258/EastEnders-Sam-Mitchells-causing-chaos--upstaging-Heathers-babys-christening-kissing-Minty.html

I hated the way they made her look the last time around. I know they did that because they saw the character as trash but Sam had never dressed that way with Daniella or with Kim Medcalf. It led to a lot of nasty comments about her appearance. When she was on Dancing on Ice she looked much better.

Thanks for that. The photo of Heather in tears made me laugh. I know I'm a bad person.

Eastenders is still holding up well in the ratings:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a245132/thursday-enders-miles-ahead-of-corrie.html

I think this is the first summer in a few years which hasn't had a psycho blowing things up.

I know that the Vic is going to burn down but that seems to be happening in the autumn.

It's made for a nice change, as most of the stories so far this summer seem more character-driven. I thought Mad May's return and death were a big waste (she had a lot of potential...far more than Dawn if you ask me), and the Nick stuff was a mess, so I think viewers might be happy the show has not tried for a threepeat. The ratings for Eastenders this summer seem more stable than they were last summer, aren't they? Or am I wrong?

What's surprising is how horribly Corrie did last night. They barely edged out Emmerdale.

I've heard that this is the closet since 2002 that EastEnders and Corrie have been in yearly averages thus far. Though, EastEnders is up 15% in year to year ratings, while Corrie is stagnant or down some.

This has surprisingly been a tamer and more understated summer for EastEnders, which I guess might have helped some.

I'm not surprised that Eastenders is doing so well. I feel like the show has improved which is why I'm watching more frequently and posting about the stories. I think today's episode with the Denise/Lucas story coming to a head and Syed and Christian turning a corner will bring in even stronger ratings. The UK soaps are in so much better shape than their US counterparts that I think that viewership does actually measure quality.

Edited July 16, 201015 yr by Ann_SS

That timeslot was a bad choice for Corrie and then when you add in the competition from Waterloo Road and Come Dine With Me it gets even worse. And people say that the decision to have Emmerdale-Corrie-Emmerdale makes it even worse. The BBC has done a good job with finding a stable timeslot for Eastenders and a stable repeat timeslot too.

It's strange because I didn't even think of this as a low-key summer until I looked back at the plots. There were some big shockers, like Owen being found, Denise "dying", Ben abusing Louise (although I think the show might forget that one), Ben almost killing Jordan, Ben being put in prison, but they have all been more about characterization and emotional fallout and relationships, not oh wow the diner is going to be blown up. I think it's been a breath of fresh air and has done a lot to help build up some neglected characters like the Foxes or Shirley. I'm hoping all the soaps are going to move more away from the stunts with nothing else going on. Budget-wise they may have to anyway. If Corrie could learn the same lesson that would also help improve that show.

I'm not surprised that Eastenders is doing so well. I feel like the show has improved which is why I'm watching more frequently and posting about the stories. I think today's episode with the Denise/Lucas story coming to a head and Syed and Christian turning a corner will bring in even stronger ratings. The UK soaps are in so much better shape than their US counterparts that I think that viewership does actually measure quality.

Yeah I do think the show has been getting better and better. I don't want to take away from what Santer and Treadwell-Collins did in increasing viewership because they rescued the show from some rough ratings times but I don't know how much longer that would have lasted if the stories had stayed where they were in the winter and spring. The show has become much more consistent and has more depth and hopefully that will continue and viewers will be pleased.

It should be interesting to see what the ratings are like tonight, since Friday's are always lower and it's Summer, so people are out.

Yeah I do think the show has been getting better and better. I don't want to take away from what Santer and Treadwell-Collins did in increasing viewership because they rescued the show from some rough ratings times but I don't know how much longer that would have lasted if the stories had stayed where they were in the winter and spring. The show has become much more consistent and has more depth and hopefully that will continue and viewers will be pleased.

It's surprising that all the new viewers that Santer/Treadwell-Collins brought to the show have remained. Whether they did things the best way or not, they really helped to establish a new set of viewers for the show in ways I don't think other soaps have done in recent years. I guess those same set of viewers may be noticing how much more consistent the day to day stuff has been recently too.

Edited July 16, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Santer and Treadwell-Collins do deserve credit for their efforts. I think that their era should be deemed a success in terms of improved storytelling and viewer growth. Hopefully, Kirkwood can keep it going.

They were very good at getting PR for the show and most of the time their events did get big numbers. For all I know when their time with the show is definitely over, the ratings will trend down, because they definitely knew how to get the public interest. I'm hoping that those people might stay, especially since Eastenders is and has been a brand for a long time and although I know they've had rough ratings patches in the 90s and such it was probably just the huge huge backstage problems, inept producers, and the tabloid fury from 2003-2006 that really knocked the show down so heavily.

I have to admit I thought the ratings might dip after the live episode attention was gone and the weather got better but they're still doing well. I think they're up 15% from last year. Hopefully that might also keep the soap genre alive...

I think John Yorke said it best that when EastEnders catches fire, there's nothing else like it in the world. The show gets press attention and viewers for big climaxes like no other soap. Since the 80's, they've had the single most watched soap episode every decade since.

It should be interesting to see if Corrie's anniversary week with the tram crash in December will pull in the viewers like EastEnders anniversary week in February did.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/scoop/a245172/extra-lucas-scenes-to-air-on-red-button.html

EastEnders' ongoing Lucas saga has certainly given fans plenty to talk about over the past few months, and now viewers are getting a chance to see even more from the Walford killer.

It's been announced today that extra scenes relating to the dark storyline will be exclusively available on the BBC's red button service later this month.

After any of the regular EastEnders episodes airing between July 26 and July 30, fans will be able to use the red button to access the additional material. The scenes are expected to fit in with the events being screened on the main soap across the week.

Can they back burner Christian and Syed now? They have got to be the most boring couple I've seen in a long time. It all just seems so ... pathetic and run of the mill. Neither actor has any screen presence either. Plus, that little reunion at the end of today's show seemed so hollow and the writing was extremely corny. Chreyed HATER here!

Does anyone know when the current actress that is playing Lucy will last air? I'll admit I'll kind of miss her.

I don't think a final date has been announced. I'm guessing September or October.

I don't think a final date has been announced. I'm guessing September or October.

She was spotted on the set the day they filmed the upcoming Vic fire, so I guess she'll be here until around September or so.

That was the big Christian/Syed reunion? The dialogue was pathetic. The way that Syed barely touched Christian's face was so unconvincing. I just don't see love from that guy. Oh well, I'm just relieved that it is over. Hopefully, they can settle in as a couple and end the theatrics.

I loved Ian stewing over how Phil raised Ben and then confronting him, refusing to back down when Phil went at him. This mess is on Phil and he should own how he has helped destroy Ben's life.

I am interested in what is happening between Ronnie and Jack. I thought the actress who plays Ronnie looked lovely and the actor who plays Jack looked very handsome today. They are a striking couple. He isn't in the wheel chair permanently is he?

I take it back the ratings probably won't be much. It was only an okay episode.