I think the problems with Eastenders are problems that are infecting all types of creative output, throughout the media world. All stories are motivated by a pessimism that threatens to rid the world of levity forever. I've just cancelled my DVD club for purely the same reasons. I am fed up with trawling through the most awful dirge, ever committed to celluloid, in an on going effort to find something uplifting, or life affirming. But it seems that blackness is the new feeling of blue. We all seem to want to witness people swaying from the hang man's tree, with cut wrists and boiled babies. all this from a couple of pages of newspaper print, or ten minutes of adverts between friends and spin city.

Now, it is becoming clear that there does seem to be a more naked form of pessimism, that doesn't languish behind metaphor, or allegory, but it is there in full public view. And it exposes it's entrails, so that our minds might pick though it, for sustenance. As the world would have it nowadays.

I am not sure that it is because of 9/11. That this new feeling of abject misery is dripping into our sanctuaries. I don't know. But where is the laughter? The extra large smile? Are we all just waiting to be blown up, and we want our films and out television to capture the essence of that inner surrender?

Even the films that try to counter act the wave upon wave of moroseness, come heavyweight with saccharine. But at least they understand the size of the work ahead. the portions of sweetness needed to turn back the flood of soured introspection.

So, spare Eastenders your derision, and call it's decline symptomatic of a worldwide crisis in optimism and carefree altruism.

Is it not just that they are currently employing bad writers at the moment? Or that they have run out of new ideas as all plausible storylines have already been done?

That sounds more likely to me.

Eastenders always HAS been on the pessimistic, ie miserable, side.

I agree that in soapland at least, they are currently of the mistaken belief that drama has to be miserable to be worthy. Writers seem to believe that they can showcase their talents and that of the actors, by incessantly following the downward rather than upward spiral. Perhaps this is a reflection of life in 2004 in East London, or even the writers' own London in real life. EE set out to be a gritty true to life soap, which contrasted the light and shade of ordinary people's lives. However, rather than setting the odd piece of bad news against an optimistic, life affirming, forward looking backdrop, they have succeeded in doing the precise opposite. There now exists precious little to be glad of in EE. Every crumb of hope comes at the cost of a barrage of adversity. With this atmosphere in place, anything remotely heartening rings as hollow and false, and we can only treat it with suspicion, and wariness of the next piece of bad news.

In my experience, most people's default setting is upbeat, and a setback is just that. A setback in an otherwise happy (or at least content) existence. EE appeals to the tabloid cynicism in all of us, but succeeds in tainting us with it's gloomy tar brush.

Come on Eastenders, cheer up! It might never happen. Where are your pearly kings and queens, old men playing the spoons, jellied eels, and Blitz mentality? Gawden Bennet, leave it aat, strewth, dinchew kill moi bruvva? Allo john, gotta new motaa?

How about, they put together a new intro title sequence for EE. Picture it, the sun is rising and the scene is like the one from Oliver! where they sing "#Who will buy this wonderful morning#", as the market square fills up and people go about their business.

Rudi

It would be all too easy to blame the writers, as they are only following an ethos, a preset design of what the producers want Eastenders to me. And it is still one of the most watched programs on planet misery, so the formula is right.

The writers scan the newspapers for a new story, it is the same trick employed by all 'popular' writers. And so if they produce wrist cutting stuff, it usually means that people have an appetite for it, and the world can produce material for it. The writer is merely the channel, or rather, he marries the need of the viewer, with the en vogue terrors of the day.

It is a simple formula that creates a wide, loyal viewer base

The viewer becomes part of a three point creative structure, where the writer produces the story, and the listener watches the enactment through an army of Actors. They watch what unfolds in an effort to diagnose the usefulness of their own lives.

It is also a powerful psychological tool for behaviour modification, The morality of the individual tales are always red flagged throughout. A divine type of justice is always meted out.

I agree. I can hardley remember a happy storyline in it. I thought when they brought Alfie in it was the start of a bit of light relief. Now he is just like the rest of them. Depressing.

Yep, it's always been a humour free zone full of doom and gloom, the only difference lately is that it's badly written doom and gloom. I don't think it's any more complicated than that.

Corrie on the other hand is its usual self - mix of drama and comedy. And so things go on.

Corrie always has it's Eddie Yates type characters, so a good laugh is always at hand. Right now any number of characters can cause a titter at a moments notice, including Norris, Rita, Fred, Blanche, Betty, Steve, Karen and even Les.

What does the square have? Alfie, Minty, Pat, I don't think so? Old man Trueman is the closest but never comes close enough to provoke even a harumph!

Rudi

I dunno Old Paddy Trueman and Jim (i am no longer racist) Branning do have their lighter moments....and Pats earrings are always go for a giggle

Noris is a legend.
but Emmerdale is the best comedy soap around (with Neighbours).
I

Although this is very hard to understand I bumped this because me and willhung were thinking something along the same lines yesterday