Is it too late to create new 'iconic' or 'classic' characters?
In many discussions regarding EE and their lack of old 'classic' characters, I notice that people seem to think this is an issue as when the remaining ones are gone, that's basically it.
I often find myself agreeing with this to be honest. There are some great, compelling newer characters in all the soaps (Max, Tanya -EE, Carla- Corrie being some of my favourites), however I can't see any of them ever becoming 'icons'.
I don't think it helps when TPTB are blatantly trying to create new classic characters by re-using tried and tested formulas to recreate old magic. Any thoughts on this?
I often find myself agreeing with this to be honest. There are some great, compelling newer characters in all the soaps (Max, Tanya -EE, Carla- Corrie being some of my favourites), however I can't see any of them ever becoming 'icons'.
I don't think it helps when TPTB are blatantly trying to create new classic characters by re-using tried and tested formulas to recreate old magic. Any thoughts on this?
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It is also about hanging around/not being axed for a long time!
I mean, for example, the Kennedy's in Neighbours didn't arrive until 1995 when the shows glory days were over, but they're clearly classic characters
Obviously the only old school true EastEnders legends left are Ian, Dot, Phil, Bianca and for a few more days Pat but there are other brilliant characters such as Carol, Tanya, Max, Kat, Denise and so on that all have potential to be if they continue to be on the show for many years to come. Imagine if Denise, Tanya, Jane, Shirley and Zainab are still in the show in their 60's/70's, they'll be considered icons then.
I would absolutely love that to happen.
If we take Becky or Carla from Corrie for example, both characters have been through a ridiculous amount of heartbreak in the six or so years they have been around to the point that the radio times questioned whether Carla was being persecuted. These characters go through so much trauma that plausibly they cannot remain in the soap for too long as there is nothing left for them or they are too emotionally broken etc so they have to move on. Years ago when huge storylines or events did not happen to characters every month or so there was more development time for the characters which allowed them to grow into legends a their duration in the soap was more plausible.
I think it's based on stories. Mo Harris might not be an icon, yet Kat is considered one and technically Mo has been in the show longer, without a break. I think EastEnders has killed off too many legends; Angie and Den Watts, Pauline Fowler, Cindy Beale, Kathy Beale and soon Pat Butcher - all characters that would fit so well now.
If you brought back Sharon, Grant, Peggy and Stacey, would that be considered wise?
I agree with that. I've heard many of them say after a short while " I don't want to be typecast" or "I've loved my time here, but I'm excited to try new things".
I think this is an excellent point. These days, Eastenders doesn't really focus on creating rich back stories for new characters. The Moons are a great example of this. Nana, Spencer, and Alfie are the original Moons, but then more Moons crawled out of the woodwork with one of them being childhood friends with Jack Branning. It all just feels very contrived. The writers need to start thinking in the longterm with new characters. When the writers created Tyler and Anthony, it feels like they weren't in the drawing room for very long, and just rushed them out half-baked and full of inconsistencies.
I'd like to think that Pat was probably in the works long before the show aired alongside the likes of Den, etc.
The precise definition of the word ''legendary'' is ''Extremely well known; famous or renowned''. In these times where tv isn't the main form of every day entertainment it once was, can you honestly see any of the newer, current characters becoming legends? The soaps don't have the exposure they once had in order for a new generation of soap legends to be born. Those days are sadly over.
It's easy to say EastEnder isn't what it is, but it really isn't. It used to be the case that characters were brought in and crafted, and given sensible storylines which revolved around their personalities and didn't always involve drugs or double murders - but apparently that is no longer acceptable.
Larry Lamb was one of the best actors to have appeared in EastEnders for years, but why didn't they let his character develop over a few years? Why do we have to get someone and then they turn out to be evil, get involved in a 'whodunnit?' murder storyline and then go? We all know this is what's going to happen with Derek, and it'll happen again next year. It's depressingly predictable, and it's just one (albeit major) aspect of why the show is pretty shit compared to what it was.
Nowadays we aren't getting this from actors... They are cast but soon want to move on to try new things. We lose characters far to quickly...
I doubt very much that any character in any of our soaps will go on to be iconic and legendary. The youngsters of today are to quick to want to move on...
Just my opinion.
Yeh there aren't many that stay for the lengths that many of the 80s characters did. Although Corrie have a few - Steve, Roy, Hayley...
I feel Eastenders is not in too bad shape as peggy, stacey and pat's exits make room for carol, bianca, kat and derek, max, janine, denise to get pushed to the top.
and michael too. i never liked him to begin with (the actor) but janine is making him turn more human and that i like.
With the other characters they have now, I just don't see any of them going down as iconic. A lot of them just seem the same personality-wise, especially amongst the teenagers. You don't have anyone like a Cheryl on Hollyoaks, or any young person who gives any comedy. In the young cast, there's no-one - except possibly Indi - who really stands out as a potential icon.
With Hollyoaks, I think the McQueens are the poster family for the soap and they'll never let go of Myra as long as there are unknown cousins to be found. Jacqui I think could be considered iconic, and Cheryl if she stays long enough. Again, with the high turnover rate in this cast, it's very difficult.
I think that's where the older soaps such as Eastenders and Corrie have their advantages - they have all the characters that everyone knows of and has known of, and they want to check in with them once and a while (I know I'll be watching EE on New Years) - and that's something that Hollyoaks especially doesn't have.