Someone, please tell me why I still have the encouragement to watch this steaming bundle of sh*te!

- The writers don't really have much of a job on that thing, since half of the show is silence.

- Why is Andy wanting to essentially PAY 7 grand (now, was 10) to sleep with the dirty orange gremlin when he's got Sam. Please someone tell me, this will wind me up forever - and if she's getting up the duff, they're obviously gonna play this storyline out for another year.

- Why did Natalie and Pat have an evil smile when they got Jack to help spread his own dad's ashes on a plant? That's just plain old satanism.

- Why are they writing Paul out? One of the few potentially good characters on the soap?

- Ashe gives the Ferraira family, supposed good news, they all jump up and down like they just won a billion pounds and Ashe says nothing else and looks miserable - can they seriously not tell something's wrong!?

Now, add all of those along with my usual gripes with the soap in general...and I ask, why do I still watch this soap? I think I'm not the only one in this position. Is it because there's nothing else good on at that time of night? Is it because I've watched for over a decade now and am holding out hope for a return to the glory days?

The latest episode made me physically ANGRY, possibly because it won soap of the year and then they put on episodes like that two days later but I dunno.

I know this has been done to death, but I wasted what felt like a year of my life (in reality, 30 minutes) to that episode of Eastenders, and I needed to rant. Now, the second half of Coronation Street will hopefully cool me down.

IMHO, you must be some kind of sado-masochist.

The actor playing Paul is taking a break but is expected to come back.

The whole story with the Ferreira family is driving me mad. I actually quite like this family but the storylines (as with EE in general) are falling down.

I was not watching it properly tonight as I am supposed to be working from home but the 'phone keeps ringing so have not got very far. I imagine the smile from Nat and Pat was because they had finally got their own way and had Barry's ashes scattered.

I know what you mean Picky! The only reason i watched the whole of tonights episode was because of Pat and i wanted to see what she would be like after Janine's departure. If she wasn't in it from the start i probably would have turned over!

I know this is going to seem obvious, but you could always stop watching! I gave up ages ago and don't miss it a bit.
Although... I have to admit I watched the few episodes when "turns-out-he-really-is-Dirty Den" came back - just to see how they were going to manage it. I bet they wish they hadn't bothered - although I suppose any publicity is good publicity.

I have stopped watching Eastenders recently as it is getting so boring and ridiculous.
Though to be fair Coronation Street did have a spell when it was pretty dull, and it did pick up, so perhaps Eastenders producers will take note of the bad comments and the declining audience figures and start to make some changes.

In answer to your question as to WHY you keep watching EE.

It's hanging onto the hope that the storylines may get better and this is a phase. I had this period myself leading up to Charity's trial in Emmerdale, and when that came to a "head" I gave up, finally realising it couldn't get any better.

Matt

I am usually still on my way back from work when EE is on, but I don't really care if I miss it... they need some interesting storylines. They seem to kill off any intriguing plots at birth e.g. the kiss between Zoe and Kelly, and keep ruining characters for no good reason - Alfie the cheeky chappy turned into a miserable man in debt to his wife's ex-fiance, and Little Mo made to endure another rape, at Christmas (nice!!).

And now, what do I have to endure? Ian Beale seemingly about to cop off with yet another woman.

I think it is the hope that a programme you once loved will drag itself up by the bootlaces and become what it once was. I'm now officially clean of EE again after a slight relapse over the last couple of weeks. I just haven't got the energy or will to watch a programme I onced loved being so badly served by poor story plotting, scriptwriting and some awful performances.

Last Night I decided to watch a complete episode of EE to see if I was right or wrong in my condemnation of it. What a waste of 30 minutes. It confirmed what I thought. It has got steadily worse. Last nights episode was so depressing not even the slightest bit of humour and as for the Sexiest Actress in the Soaps OMG didnt she look particularly revolting last night. WTF the pantomime gangster wants to offer her 7000 for a shag is beyond me. EE must give the Samaritains a load of customers although after watching it no-ones lives in reality could possibly be as bad

I certainly think last nights episode proves that the Best Soap Award was totally undeserved. The BBC should hold a "handing over" ceremony and do the right thing - Give it to the rejuvinated Coronation Street.

EE has fallen so far that it is hard to begin to know how to fix it. New characters such as Andy and the Fereirras are awful, whicle Kat, Andy and Sam have had personality transplants... but worst of all is the Sonia / Martin relationship. I really think it is a step too far. The idea that Sonia would have a relationship with Martin after their past history is utterly ridiculous. In fairness Natalie Cassidy and James Alexandrou are doing their best but it just isnt convincing...

Compare current EE to currernt Corrie and the difference is obvious. Corrie is full of sparkling storylines and bristling humour. They have somehow managed to recapture the energy of their glory days... and thats the difference. There is a lovely tone and pep to Corrie these days with Fiz, Chesney, Fred, Les and Kirk absolute stars, while the Todd/Karl storyline is a can of worms dying to be opened. EE has nothing even resembling this combination.

Louise Berridge should do the decent thing! No not resign, send the Best Soap Award to Mr Tony Wood, producer of Coronation Street!

It was 10 grand, is now 7 since they paid him off, he loved Kat he was getting married to her! (Love isnt just about looks ) to call her a dirty orange gremlin is just your idiotic opinion

Just the way you read it I suppose

Maybe because he wants to leave... Its not real life





Please dont make me laugh at that rabble they are playing the storylines out so long, which really isnt needed I suppose they need all the extra episodes when they dont win best soap!

Corrie was great last night, although could do without the Les and Jan storyline (gives me the creeps) -- prefer to see him doing comedy with Kirk and Chesney. Les being romantic, no it's not funny, pass the sick bucket. Fred/ thai bride is providing some great scenes though.

Back to EE... I have to say I liked last night's episode in parts. NOT the Ferreiras obviously, but I thought Jessie (yeh she looked absolutely vile) actually put in the first good performance she'd produced in months. And I always like watching Paul Pat and Nat. At a time when they're losing Charlie Brooks and Lucy Speed (I hope the latter resigned rather than was sacked, because she is a good actress and they shouldn't be losing her), there is no way they should send Paul on vacation. Yeh he was allegedly a naughty boy and wasn't learning his lines, but let's face it, he is heads about the rest of them even when he's not bothering. And with some of the lines he's had, who can blame him for not bothering. It's the writers who should go on vacation.

I disagree about Sonia and Martin though. She went out with him (briefly!) before Jamie, so there was an attraction there from her point of view, she was upset when he dumped her. Yes he was responsible for Jamie's death, but it was an accident. I don't find it unbelievable that they would get together. (One of the MORE believable storylines in EE at the moment for me )

So why do any of us watch it? Habit, and the hope it will revive.

And mine and about 99% of the posters on here. Shes been tangoed

I find it hard to believe that Kat and Alfie wouldn't have asked Belinda and her husband to lend them the money. Even if they turned them down, they could at least have been mentioned as an option. I always thought that Belinda was supposed to be rich. The scriptwriters must think that we have all forgotten about her.

Exactly. And why wasn't she contributing to Charlie's 'fighting fund' in the first place? If I were wealthy and my father needed financial help and a barrister, I'd be there like a shot, chequebook in hand. Makes no sense. But if Belinda had swooped in and saved the day, there wouldn't have been this painfully depressing Alfie-Kat-Andy loan saga. Ugh.