[Glendarroch]

Originally Posted by dobby's bludger

easier said than done

never a truer word spoken!

[Dixon]

Glenda: i'd like to clarify what i meant with "even soap level acting."

I didn't meant it to be an insult to saop actor or soaps. It was all about the speed and time constraints involved in producing soaps these days.

I've read about soap actors learning their lines on the way to work that morning.
They often have little or no time to rehearse average, everyday scenes.
They do not have the luxuary of being able to re-take and re-take until a scene is exactly what they are after.
For the most part, scenes are acted well enough, but sometimes you can see an actor give a slight pause where it was not needed, or might delivery a line too flat or go a bit OTT etc etc etc.

In big movies or expensive tv series those scenes would be re-shot, but in soaps they sometimes simply do not have the time, so they have to let slightly sub-standard scenes go to air.

Overall, considering time restraints, budgets etc, i think Soaps do a good job in being at the standard they are.

[Glendarroch]

Very true Dixon, the cast (and crew)mostly do a great job, under what I would imagine are considerable constraints in time and budget.

[mr. mustard]

Originally Posted by Dixon

Overall, considering time restraints, budgets etc, i think Soaps do a good job in being at the standard they are.

Agreed - the level of acting, given the often appalling writing, is generally high. I'd only cite Hordley, Pargeter and Charnock as weak. All three overact badly, a trait they seem unable to break free of.

[Dixon]

I must say Musty, i think you're the first person i've seen call out Hordley and Pergeter on their acting.
Especially adding they are amongst the worst in the show.

Yes, Lucy is a bit OTT with her facial expressions at times, but as with Bernice, she's a bit of an OTT character.
But look at Dan Spencer. A different facial expression every five seconds.
He's not supposed to be an OTT character, so to me it's downright sucky acting.
Marlon is just an appalling gurner, and always has been.
I personally think Jeff is one of the better male
actors on the show.

But as i've said, this kind of debate is all about personal tastes. None of us can ever be right or wrong when it comes to that.

[JamSandwiches]

Originally Posted by mr. mustard

Agreed - the level of acting, given the often appalling writing, is generally high. I'd only cite Hordley, Pargeter and Charnock as weak. All three overact badly, a trait they seem unable to break free of.

Completely disagree about Lucy and Jeff. If they're not both at least nominated for soap awards this year, it'll be a travesty. Lucy should win best dramatic performance for her work in the live episode and court scenes.

Mark is a bit hammy, but it suits the character.

[mr. mustard]

Originally Posted by Dixon

I must say Musty, i think you're the first person i've seen call out Hordley and Pergeter on their acting.
Especially adding they are amongst the worst in the show.

I thought they were fine first time round in the show. When they returned I felt both had become caricatures of themselves. It was a real shame - Cain in particular used to be a great bad boy before the actor left. Cain II is a different kettle of fish though. I can't stop looking at his mouth. It's either gaping wide open, chewing gum that isn't there or performing other contortions as if it's trying to escape his face

But as you rightly say Dixon, these matters are largely a matter of personal taste

[Glendarroch]

I think on the whole Emmerdale has an extremely high quality cast, of which my particular favourites (as actors not necessarily as characters) are Jeff Hordley, Emma Atkins, Lucy Pargeter, Natalie Robb, Natalie Anderson, Chris Chittell, and Nicola Wheeler. I don't think I ever see a scene with any of these actors which I don't believe in, and they are the ones whose scenes have the power to really grab my attention.

While there are some who are weaker, there are none who are
really bad.

And yes, I do think we are all (myself included) sometimes a bit too critical of the poor scriptwriters, who have to produce so much material. If there is a problem with Emmerdale, it's simply that there is too much of it, so everyone involved will be under too much pressure to produce quantity, and therefore we get repeated scenes and ones which should have been cut or re-shot.

[Glendarroch]

Originally Posted by mr. mustard

I thought they were fine first time round in the show. When they returned I felt both had become caricatures of themselves. It was a real shame - Cain in particular used to be a great bad boy before the actor left. Cain II is a different kettle of fish though. I can't stop looking at his mouth. It's either gaping wide open, chewing gum that isn't there or performing other contortions as if it's trying to escape his face

But as you rightly say Dixon, these matters are largely a matter of personal taste

But don't you prefer to see characters changing and developing? I'm not exactly the same person as I was ten years ago. And I have to say I completely disagree about things like 'chewing gum' these are the kind of small details that I think make characters more believable. I've often noticed that the actors who play the various members of the Dingle family have similar similar mannerisms and expressions, which to me is great characterisation on the parts of the actors and writers.

[Dixon]

Glenda: I have to disagree about Chris Chittle, who imo is one of the worst in the show.

Mouth opened like a Goldfish and wildy overacts with his eyes when trying to a serious scene. Not once or twice here and there, but consistenly does it.

[Glendarroch]

Originally Posted by Dixon

Glenda: I have to disagree about Chris Chittle, who imo is one of the worst in the show.

Mouth opened like a Goldfish and wildy overacts with his eyes when trying to a serious scene. Not once or twice here and there, but consistenly does it.

Just realised that I meant to say, these are just my favourites as actors, but somehow DS and my laptop aren't working at quite the same speed, and I missed out half a sentence! I like Pollard, because I feel that he has evolved a lot over the years, but I won't be able to get the image of a goldfish out of my mind now, everytime I see him

[Dixon]

Glenda: Massive Ooops on my part!

Don't know how i got them mixed up, but i somehow thought Chris Chittle was the guy who plays Jai.
Chittle, is of course perfectly fine, but the guy who plays Jai.....

[Glendarroch]

:

Originally Posted by Dixon

Glenda: Massive Ooops on my part!

Don't know how i got them mixed up, but i somehow thought Chris Chittle was the guy who plays Jai.
Chittle, is of course perfectly fine, but the guy who plays Jai.....

Good to see it's not just my brain that's stopped working. I blame my computer but it's really my brain. I think he's Chris Bisson. I'm not keen on him either (and I hate to be cruel but I call 'the look' Blue Steel - if you've seen the film 'Zoolander' you'll know what I mean)

[kwynne42]

Originally Posted by Oldnjaded

Tbh, I always thought Amanda Donohoe's acting style was usually that of somebody who's just realised they've got a broom handle stuck up their jacksy and has decided that even the tiniest movement would be a bad mistake.

I can't agree with Musty about Jeff H at all - as you say, he has amazingly expressive eyes but I don't think he ever pulls faces to make his point.

I sometimes feel Lucy is approaching the borderline of overacting, but usually manages to pull back just in time. I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Chas character, but generally, I think Lucy puts everything into it and the scene with Cain on Friday was excellent, I thought. I certainly had a tear in my eye.

Glad you said that about Donohoe because if you hadn't I would have.

[Killjoy2013]

Originally Posted by kwynne42

Glad you said that about Donohoe because if you hadn't I would have.

Lol - i always Donohoe sounded like Hyacinth Bucket with something inside her

[MissLola]

Haha love the preview for tonight's episode. Go Brenda!

http://www.itv.com/emmerdale/episode...n-18-feb-2013/

[Glendarroch]

Originally Posted by MissLola

Haha love the preview for tonight's episode. Go Brenda!

http://www.itv.com/emmerdale/episode...n-18-feb-2013/

Is that brenda tearing a strip off Cain? I can't play it, because STV hasn't loaded it, and ITV won't let us in STV regions play things anymore (it's discrimination I tell you). I like Brenda when she develops a brain and stands up for herself and others. I wish she was like this more often. Yes, much as I defend Cain, I do like to see people standing up to him when he's in a strop.

[Hound of Love]

Originally Posted by MissLola

Haha love the preview for tonight's episode. Go Brenda!

http://www.itv.com/emmerdale/episode...n-18-feb-2013/

I hope that Brenda will do the same to the vile Princess Debbie

It is long overdue!

[tinkie]

Originally Posted by Dixon

Glenda: Massive Ooops on my part!

Don't know how i got them mixed up, but i somehow thought Chris Chittle was the guy who plays Jai.
Chittle, is of course perfectly fine, but the guy who plays Jai.....

This made me laugh Dixie

JR and I haven't crossed swords recently but I was reading in the early hours of this morning and I came across this phrase so I thought I would type it now in case I forget *narrows eyes with my best withering glare*

[mr. mustard]

Originally Posted by Glendarroch

But don't you prefer to see characters changing and developing?

I do, but what's happened with Cain isn't character development. They've simply removed the spark of humanity he used to show occasionally and turned him into an eternally grumpy old git. The actor never used to gurn before he left. Previously Cain had a tough veneer, but it was portrayed effortlessly on screen. Now it's possible that the actor, who's older and maybe not as strong physically, is trying too hard. Sadly, instead of conveying menace, the gurning just looks silly.

[mr. mustard]

Originally Posted by Dixon

Glenda: I have to disagree about Chris Chittle, who imo is one of the worst in the show.

Mouth opened like a Goldfish and wildy overacts with his eyes when trying to a serious scene. Not once or twice here and there, but consistenly does it.

I agree 100% Terrible acting

[desperate house]

What is wrong with Cain? Why let Dobbie call the shots? Why doesn't he, once and for all put her firmly back in her place?

Seeing her standing there tonight, arms firmly folded, face like a smacked a*rse, looking daggers at Chas, I'm afraid I burst out laughing, why all the Dingles let her run their lives is ridiculous.

[Oldnjaded]

Originally Posted by mr. mustard

I do, but what's happened with Cain isn't character development. They've simply removed the spark of humanity he used to show occasionally and turned him into an eternally grumpy old git. The actor never used to gurn before he left. Previously Cain had a tough veneer, but it was portrayed effortlessly on screen. Now it's possible that the actor, who's older and maybe not as strong physically, is trying too hard. Sadly, instead of conveying menace, the gurning just looks silly.

Crikey, Musty - Jeff Hordley is 42, hardly in his dotage!

[albiex]

Originally Posted by Rossy22

Amanda Donohoe was AWFUL.

I really like Cain, I think he's one of the all time greats. And Chas IS OTT.

She really was. She was only there because she couldn't get work in the US and was trying to raise her profile here. That was her only reason for being there so she went on set, recited her lines and that was it. Maybe even autocue, she was so terrible.

Somebody was complaining about actors with expressive faces. Someone with no stage or TV experience obviously. Try going to a casting call. See who gets the job

[EG21]

I couldn't stand Lacey Turner in EE! I thought she was totally overrated. I don't watch EE but if I ever saw glimpses of it she would be onscreen with that same snarling expression.

As for Emmerdale, I think there is a lot of strong actors/actresses capable of good performances. John Middleton being one of them. He is probably one of the most underrated actors even though, in my opinion, he gives consistently good performances, has great chemistry with other characters etc Laurel/Moira/Chas. His facial expressions say it all too and he has good comedy timing too.