Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[Bright Eyes]

Ugh, horrible, horrible decision. I'm with you Carl, Emmerdale is losing its flavour with me as well. There's still a lot to enjoy and I wouldn't stop watching anytime soon, though. It's just sad, really. This takes away my dream of ever seeing Scott again.

What makes me even angrier is that he forcing the Hazel/Jackson on us, plus this drug story is a miss since Sohpie Powles isn't dynamic or endearing, neither is Natalie Robb. Then there's the affair storyline which just doesn't make any sort of sense to me.

Really, the only big story to truly tune in for is the Wydle/Lamb drama and that's coming to an end.

Like you said, this makes me fear who else Bylth would get rid of ... Val, VICTORIA (who seems to just be used as a constant prop for others, most notably dull Hannah.), Gennie, Terry, and maybe even Alan and Betty at this point.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Amello

[DRW50]

Yeah, I won't be surprised if all the characters you mentioned leave. I think Alan and Betty might stay because they are old and the show might just keep them on as long as they are still able to act, but still, I can't even assume that. And I also wonder about Terry. I keep forgetting he's still on the show. He's one of my favorite vets but geez if Viv is going he probably would too.

Emmerdale has so many new characters now and many of them barely even have a purpose - they have barely given the Sharmas one story in well over a year, Ryan and Faye still seem pointless, the writing for Jackson is awful and he is basically only used to make Aaron into a sympathetic sociopath - and I really don't know what the village will look like with these random faces who come and go, while those who help make the constant of village life are written out.

And yet Katie goes nowhere...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

One thing I've noticed about Blyth in interviews is that he often says that he wants people to think of Emmerdale as a hip, young, cool, and sexy show - not the mundane farming image the show has overall. I guess phasing out older characters, with few exceptions, is part of his overall strategy.

[DRW50]

I've heard fans complain about this before, the lack of vets. I didn't mind as much as long as they stayed around in some capacity, but clearly that's not going to happen. It's just a waste because you will lose older viewers and viewers who like what the soap is and then when the people who just watch the show as a fad leave, then you don't get any of the old viewers back. It's short-sighted. I think the real problem is that a lot of the new characters do not have staying power. Do you think most of the people added in the last year will be around in three or four years? I don't. Perhaps one or two at most.

He also doesn't do a lot with some of the better new characters he created, like the Sharmas, or Adam Barton. If those actors leave, I can't blame them.

[Ben]

ITA. And that is the saving grace of this story, b/c Jackson is hollow, and I struggled to care about all those long Aaron/Jackson scenes that involved their relationship angst. The stunt was awesome, and had real depth and character behind it, but I hate the way they're writing Aaron & Jackson as a love story, as if this life and death situation will make Aaron realize he loves Jackson, when in reality, I just want Aaron to feel really guilty, but for his feelings to stay unchanged. Jackson should be a stop gap before Aaron finds the real thing. It's an unrequited love story for Jackson, who needs to realize that he and Aaron aren't soul mates. I fear that's how they're gonna play this, seeing as Jackson's sticking around. I hope I'm wrong.

Since I've resumed watching, I've noticed that there seems to be several Viv clones hanging around. There's Brenda, and now Hazel, and both can easily fill Viv's role. I've also noticed that they don't use Brenda very much, and I struggled to remember her name, as all she does is say some random lines propping up the bar/café, while Hazel is shoved down our throats. Hazel doesn't do much, either, yet she's in 4 out of 6 eps a week, and doesn't have much character to her at all. I've yet to see any meaningful Terry/Brenda scenes as a couple, and the possible pairing of Bob/Lizzie had more potential, than the pointless Bob/Hazel.

I'm not surprised that Viv is going, as she does nothing, but as you've pointed out, neither does half the cast. In fact, ED has too many characters, and yet they keep adding in new ones, without developing the ones they've got. This is frustrating, as the show could actually be awesome in all corners if they just tried.

The Sharmas do nothing at all, and I struggle to see the point of Jai/Faye. I love Faye, and I like Jai and Nikhil, but I wish they were utilized and integrated more - the same goes for Adam, Victoria, Val, Eric, Terry, Brenda, Zak, Lisa, Adele, Lizzie, etc. It sucks that a link to the past is being lost, but I've become accustomed to that in soaps over the last several years.

ETA: I think Natalie Robb and John Thornton are the saving grace of this drugs story, as the Holly chick just can't manage the complexities that this story demands. Good job to them. I'm also surprised that I actually like Hannah. Not sure on Isaac, though.

I'm also not getting this Carl/Eve affair, or the way their characters (+ Chas) are being written; something isn't working. Lacks spark.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Ben

[DRW50]

Yeah, Hazel is just stunt casting, and also another excuse to write a lot of melodrama for Aaron which will probably be forgotten in a few months. When Quirke leaves in a few months and Viv is gone I guess that would just leave Brenda to fill that role, although even she is probably not going to be around for that long.

It confuses me as to why they insist on doing pretty much nothing with characters like Nikhil. He's a good actor, gorgeous, plays a likeable character.

Blyth seems to want to build the show on people who won't be there for long. What good does it do for your show long term if you give Suzanne Shaw a lot of story or Pauline Quirke a lot of story.

Emmerdale has the best older cast of any soap. They just do not care about using them. It's such a waste. And to continue to phase out or outright fire older actors is even more harmful, because Emmerdale has much less of a history left on the canvas than Eastenders or Corrie.

I guess that's what I am most interested in. What is Emmerdale's foundation? What is Emmerdale supposed to be?

They have pretty much ruined the Carl/Chas relationship, which until Blyth was a very complicated and interesting relationship, one where Carl really did love Chas, even if he didn't show it well. Now he just treats her like a piece of ass.

Carl, like Andy, is soulless, and Aaron has become the same way.

[Ben]

But will she be gone in a few months, or will she resign and extend her stay?

I actually like Brenda, but as a returning viewer, I just don't get her and Terry's relationship, in fact, I barely know that they're a couple. I've also noticed the lack of screen time for Val & Pollard as a couple, and I fail to see what the point was in having Jimmy & Nicola manage the Woolpack for the summer. So many characters are just twisting in the wind.

[DRW50]

It seems like Pauline Quirke does a lot of things and I can't imagine her being cheap so I will be surprised if she extends her stay. I think she and Jackson will both be gone in six months or less.

They don't seem to have any interest in writing for Brenda and Terry and the writing they do give Brenda is unpleasant -- Anita Turner tried to make her more human. It's a shame because when Terry and Brenda first started they were very good.

I think they just gave the B&B to Eric and Valerie so they'd have something to do. The same might be true for Nicola and Jimmy. I imagine it's difficult to write stories for them. I think this was also a way to test the waters. If fans liked them at the Woolpack there might have been a chance they would stay in. Needless to say I don't think that will be happening.

[DRW50]

More from Deena.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1319607/Deena-Payne-says-goodbye-Dales-18-years-playing-Viv-Hope.html

[Bright Eyes]

This show is boring me now. It's lost most of it's steam, sadly. Although, I really liked the scenes at the end with Nathan and Natasha. I,m enjoying Hollyoaks more at the moment and I'm not happy to admit that.

[Bright Eyes]

I could care less about this Aaron crap, but this new Amy plot is interesting, probably because Victoria is involved. I hope it actually goes somewhere. But, for some reason, I feel like they might go the lesbian route, which I will absolutely despise.

[DRW50]

Various endings to Ryan's trial will be shown online. For some reason his face in the second photo cracks me up.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/news/a282830/emmerdale-trial-endings-to-air-online.html

[Bright Eyes]

I've resorted to skipping to this Aaron/Jackson crap. It's so convoluted and boring. Totally brings the whole show down.

Man, I wish Zack and Lisa could get a story, along with a heap of other characters on this show. We need someone who 1) knows how to entertainingly write for couples without going the cliche cheating route in every story and 2) gives good story to more than just the same handful of characters 3) uses the past for future story and 4) doesn't create an abundance of useless newbies.

[DRW50]

The Aaron/Jackson story pushes my buttons in that it's the type of story where it's always about the pain one person is suffering. Everything is about poor Aaron and his struggles. Clyde is dead, Jackson is possibly going to be severely handicapped for the rest of his life, but Aaron is the one who is suffering.

I don't know if you watched China Beach, but this is the type of thing they used to do with Dana Delaney's character, McMurphy, and it got on my very last nerve.

You're right about the new characters. It's kind of odd because the more established characters aren't used that much but it's not like a lot of new characters are taking their place as the greats. I think Blyth brings in a lot of new people but then isn't sure what to do with them. Or things get in the way. Surely there must be some reason why the Sharma brothers have barely had a storyline in over a year.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Amanda Donohoe interview:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/interviews/a283923/amanda-donohoe-natasha-wylde-emmerdale.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/scoop/a283927/amanda-donohoe-on-maceys-home-farm-and-more.html