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Soaps- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Just thought it would be nice to have some proper discussion about the soaps positive points. A lot of the threads and posts on this board seem negative- but it would be nice to see what people think is being done well. We can discuss the bad points too, but try and look for the good where possible.
Eastenders
The Masoods in my opinion have worked really well. They are one of, if not the best soap family around. I find them to be very real in that despite their religion, they mess up and make mistakes. Its shows realism and also helps to find a balance of comedy and drama. I believe Eastenders is constantly hitting the nail on the head with this family- and what's more I actually care about them.
Similarly, I also love Glenda. Glynis Barber is a superb actress, and the writing for her with her one liners is beginning to be spot on everytime.
I am also finding that the storylines are a lot better now they are less focused on the teens. I have really enjoyed these last few weeks for the first time in ages.
This is just to get the thread started. What do you like about any of the soaps atr the minute, lets see how a positive thread progresses.
Eastenders
The Masoods in my opinion have worked really well. They are one of, if not the best soap family around. I find them to be very real in that despite their religion, they mess up and make mistakes. Its shows realism and also helps to find a balance of comedy and drama. I believe Eastenders is constantly hitting the nail on the head with this family- and what's more I actually care about them.
Similarly, I also love Glenda. Glynis Barber is a superb actress, and the writing for her with her one liners is beginning to be spot on everytime.
I am also finding that the storylines are a lot better now they are less focused on the teens. I have really enjoyed these last few weeks for the first time in ages.
This is just to get the thread started. What do you like about any of the soaps atr the minute, lets see how a positive thread progresses.
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Comments
Shirtless Connor scenes - Eastenders
Really, can we not be a little bit more deep than that?
The Masoods are easily the most intriguing family on The Square. It's interesting watching how they struggle to reconcile their actions and their beliefs. And I like how past family secrets come back to haunt them - it provides plenty of scope for stories. And the actors involved have a wonderful chemistry. They make a very believable family, the acting is always first class.
Emmerdale
So much to praise in this soap - from the poignant relationship between Aaron and Jackson, to the gritty story of Holly's drug addiction. Chas's revenge is what's gripping me most at the moment though. I'm relishing the idea of Carl getting his comeuppance.
I think I may be the only one, but i'm really not into Aaron and Jackson at the moment. I'm not sure why, the storyline is lacking spark for me. I'm not necessarily sure I like the route it has gone down with the train crash.
I really do like the drugs storyline, that is being portrayed far better than certain other drug addictions we have seen recently where people in the depths of hell recovered over night.
Anyone with anymore?
I see a theme which brings me to the bad points of EastEnders, the male characters are shockingly awful. Only Max is good enough to carry a storyline, the others all need the women folk in their lives to cause the drama and engage the viewer.
Emmerdale, I am only enjoying Chas and Charity right now. Everything else is either boring or just not good enough to hold my attention. I'm pretty sick of Aaron and his tearstick crying scenes, so I hope we're not in for even more of those but that's doubtful.
I quite agree with you. When I mentioned Aaron and Jackson's relationship, I meant pre-crash. I think it was a mistake to leave Jackson paralysed and put such an abrupt end to what was a really engrossing love story. It's all become to messy now.
I disagree about the men in eastenders having no talent. I really like Masood... and I also quite like Ryan but think he is being written right at the minute. There is potential there. jack could again be a good character, I really liked Scott Maslen when he played Phil Hunter in the bill- its again more the writing...I do definitely agree that more could be done with the characters though. Likewise with Darren, I actually really like his character- but he needs a story and depth not storylines about circumscision.
In regards to Aaron and Jackson, I think Emmerdale hit the nail on the head with them. Right until the train crash. To me the storyline is now irreparable, and its a shame as I think both actors are very talented...
The Good
The producers have finally realized how amazing Jennifer Metcalfe is and have given her some fabulous dramatic scenes to get her teeth into over the past few weeks.
The Bad:
The producers have chickened out and Mercedes is set to revert back into being a complete slapper.
Coronation Street: Jacks final episodes very touching and well handled, loved them! The old guard, every scene they are in is great and shows up some of the younger cast.
Eastenders: The episode where carol found that Billy died, hated everything after it, but that one episode was very good. Syed/Christian story and its affect on the Massoods, although don't find Marc Elliot to be that good on actor but loved Nina Wadia and John Partridge.
Emmerdale: Aaron's story line hooked me after several years of dismissing ED. Loving Chas at the minute and the recent Wylde/Lamb plots.
The Bad:
Eastenders: The Vic fire, admittedly good effects and staging but horribly overacted at times.
Coronation Street: Molly & Kevin, pass the bucket please...
ED: Ditto Carl and Eve although we did get the revenge plot out if it.
The Ugly:
EE Phill on drugs, he looks bad enough as it is but comeon...
CS The sight of Molly & Kevin (so bad had to mention it twice);)
ED the thought of Edna in HD!!!!! :eek::eek:
Mercedes could do a lot more.I loved the Mcqueens orginially but now they are starting to stumble, and i'm not particularly keen...
If you look like him you can go as deep as you want
Yes, it was a pity that Jackson had to end up being paralysed...it was also a pity that there was so little passion between the pair...but nothing can be done about that now
The bad: EE's Phil...the EP, Kirkwood, has said he wants to see him taking on the world and winning...he has been doing that since the 90s, and it was tedious and repetetive even then
The bad: Kat/Alfie/Ryan/Stacey/Janine- too many plots surrounding them IMO. The only thing that seems any interest is Zainabs past; which is being ruined by the possibility of Jane/Masoods pathetic little crushes and Zainabs need to control everything around her.
The ugly (in a good way): the plots in emmerdale. Holly Bartons drug addiction is seriously gripping at the moment. Her appearance and shaking body is enough to persuade me that drugs are bad
Talking of the ridiculous John Stape plot. I really like Charlotte. She's so crazy that its Epic.
And no BK, just for the record I look nothing like Connor, and nor would I like to. :P
OK, good things:
Corrie
There are lots of good things about Corrie at the moment. The story about Steve and Michelle losing their baby was very moving. The Bethany grooming storyline has been very good, and I'm interested to see where things go now for Bethany and Craig, and David and Shona. I've really enjoyed all the Barlow dramas, and I like how the big families, Barlows, Platts and Websters, all seem to have had a new injection of life, with new or returning members, or are just used better. The scripts are funny again - Mary genuinely makes me laugh out loud.
There are quite a few really strong, believable couples (I love Sally and Tim, Sarah and Gary, Todd and Billy, Zeedan and Rana, and Leanne and Steve have potential), and some really interesting characters who've got lots of room for development - Daniel and Adam are both great.
There's just a lot bubbling away, so even on a quiet week, you tune in to see where things might be heading.
Emmerdale
Emma is my favourite thing on Emmerdale right now. Gillian Kearney's great, and I really hope the story gets a great climax - it's given Ross and Finn something interesting to do as well, and that's always a good thing in my book.
This is from before my time so will have a go!!
Kate Oates' Corrie:
The good
1) Better use of the whole cast, rather than over reliance on two or three characters!!
2) The little references to the past & past history of characters used well to make characters more real & human!!
3) A better build up to storylines!!
4) New characters/returnees who are actually relevant to current storylines & who are not brought in just as an attempt to paper over the cracks in the show!!
5) Best of the lot for me, I'm finally looking forward to the next episode after watching the last every week and am quite excited at the prospect of a sixth episode, something I can't really say I've felt for probably five years previously!!
The bad
1) Weak & abrupt conclusions to some storylines, the two that spring readily to mind are the Caz storyline & the Sally internet stalking one, both built up with a considerable degree of effort & both fizzled out to an anticlimax!! The Phlats scam was another!!
2) Returning the pointless Brian Packham!! Too much reliance, still, on forced comedy rather than letting comedy come naturally from the scripts the way Corrie was originally conceived!!
The ugly
Not meant in any way as an insult to Kate Ford, but the continued presence of Tracy on the Street despite the fact she should still be in prison with another 5 years of her mandatory minimum 15 years life sentence for cold blooded, pre planned murderstill to serve, the fact that no one on the Street seems to remember or even care about what she did but still puts up with her bitching & sniping and glosses over incidents like falsely accusing another woman of pushing her downstairs & killing her unborn twins, pinning the blame on another woman for the fire she was responsible for which led to the death of one resident while saving the life of the daughter she's supposed to care about and, more recently harbouring & assisting a known murderer for weeks, again putting her daughter at risk, and finally the fact we are supposed to find it cute and funny that she is bringing her daughter up to be just like her!!
In terms of Good couples, Tim and Sally get my vote. They balance off each other so well and Tim dropping Sally on their wedding day still makes me laugh even now.
Mary's been up and down over thje years character wise, but she's always been played so well and never fails to make me smile.
Stronger storylines in 2017 with the Bethany grooming storyline, Who pushed Ken, Robert's past taking centre stage. Smaller stories are starting to slowly build up Steve/Leanne, Johnny's MS and Eva's revenge. I like Steve/Leanne are interesting - they make a great couple. Unfortunately, there are bad filler stories with Brian/Cathy, Erica cheating on Dev, Mary and Norris. I would be happy to see the likes of Gemma, Mary, Brian and Seb go.
ED:
I am enjoying the show, and am glad that Emma Barton is getting screen time again. Gillian Kearney is one their strongest actors, and her story is now involving many other of the show's actors including Charlotte Bellamy and Tony Audenshaw. There are scenes of serious drama (i.e. Lawrence's aneurysm, Aaron's self-harm) but scenes of comedy (such as Laurel, Bob and Lydia breaking into Emma's house). I rarely miss an episode, and stories are Emmerdale are paced brilliantly - never dragged out. I hope Emma never gets her comeuppance.
Corrie
The Bad: There isn't much that's actively bad really, though what @notdebbiedingle said about storylines having poor climaxes is the big one for me - the Sally internet trolling story was so good and then ... just finished! Very strange. Other things I'm not so interested in are the dramas in the bistro, and Phelan's backstory - sorry, I just don't care that much, and not sure why I should! And some missteps - really not sure about Peter and Toyah in the pub. But none of them are deal-breakers.
The Ugly: Brian and Cathy, aaaaaaaaarrrrghhh. They are NOT FUNNY. Neither is making Gemma into a bit of a shouty cartoon. Tone it down, please Corrie. And kill Brian. Thanks.
Emmerdale
The Bad: The honest truth is, it feels like everything I've enjoyed on the show is ending. Ashley's gone. Rhona and Pierce is over, and the two actors were great, but the story felt like a bad copy of Rob and Helen on the Archers.
The Ugly: Got to be Robron. Not just because they make me cringe with their deeply unconvincing attempts to portray a soft-focus version of fanfiction-friendly "gayness", but because they remind me that this show, which I used to love, isn't aimed at me any more. If you like this stuff, you like Emmerdale. If you don't, you just have to switch off (or learn to laugh at it). Beyond that, the domination of Aaron over the show just never feels right to me - its main strength has always been the ensemble cast. So when they push him as leading man, which they always do, it bogs the whole show down. I switched off last time he was all over the show like a rash, and I've done the same this time. But they won't be there forever, and neither will McLeod, so there's always hope.