DS Forums

 
 

EastEnders: A Year in Retrospective


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 30-12-2011, 17:34
The Queen Vic
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3,916

Well, that went by quickly, didn't it?! It seems like just yesterday that we were waving goodbye to Stacey Slater, or saying hello to little baby Tommy Moon... but it really is twelve months on! 2011 was the year of the baby swap, the year most compared to Marmite on these forums (let's face it, you either loved it or you hated it!), and of course... the year that sparked the revelation that the bubbly, in fact, was in the fridge...

... it was the year that Jessie Wallace beat off the likes of Emmerdale's Jane Cox for the Best Actress gong at the British Soap Awards (don't mention the BSA's to Shane Richie, he missed out to that Danny Miller...), it was the year the Moon family extended themselves (quite literally if you're that scamp Tyler... or Eddie, come to that!) and charged Walford with all they were worth, and of course it was the year we said goodbye to one of the Walford greats... Grace Olubumni - I still hear the cries from this forum every time I log on, such a loss...!

Tanya's touching tale, Cora Cross and the fact that Denise Fox actually got a line has seen fans on the edge of their seats, whilst the likes of the Moon brothers had the nation wondering whether Kirkwood had lost the plot.

Performances of the Year

Jo Joyner as Tanya Jessop
Always a firm favourite with viewers, Tanya made a triumphant full time return to Walford with husband Greg. Not only was she back in the Square, she was also back in the arms of ex-husband Max - "This isn't going to end well"... we all said - following a dramatic car smash which left his life hanging in the balance (well, a few scratches and a dodgy limp, but it sounds more sensational that way). It went on for a few months, and just as the adulterous pair were about to leave their respective partners, Dr. Evil dropped a huge bombshell on Mrs Jessop - she had cervical cancer. Pushing Max away following the dramatic reveal (in fact, it was Zoe Lucker's performance in this episode which makes it memorable for me - "You dirty little slag!"), he fled Walford and the blonde suffered alone. Jo's performance in this storyline has been incredible, sensitive and touching - just when the audience begun to dislike Tanya for her betrayal, sympathy oozed as she struggled with her illness. British Soap Award? Most definitely, unless Wallace gets a look in. National Television Award? Possible. BAFTA? Mmm, I'd love to see it!

Scott Maslen as Jack Branning
I'm sure this will be a controversial choice but I was blown away by Scott's performance in the baby swap storyline - especially during the reveal episodes. A father who brought up a little baby for four months believing him to be his own, and suddenly his wife has been arrested, the baby he thought was his was taken away and he discovered the baby he actually fathered had tragically died. Alot to take in, you can imagine, and I found Scott's delicate portrayal a real surprise... to me, he was always the Sperminator of Walford, impregnating any blonde Mitchell who gave him a second look (for a time, I did worry about Lola) - but this year has proved Jack to be quite a complex character. More of the same? Yes, please Kirkwood!

Jacqueline Jossa as Lauren Branning
I've never been involved in the recast of a character before (although I've always fancied myself as the new Alfie Moon), but to take over a character that's already quite well-established and made them her own is a real achievement. Lauren has evolved from a school girl who likes to play with DVD software to a girl who likes to play with Tyler Moon. Okay, so maybe not the best example, but you can see my point. Jacqueline has helped to make Lauren's transition into adulthood as believable as possible, and seeing the character help mum Tanya through her cancer ordeal has been really touching to watch. She's been nominated for various Best Newcomer awards but is yet to win one - for me, she's the best newcomer in soap from this year and the last. Some are calling her the new Lacey Turner, but only time will tell to see if she evolves into as accomplished performer as her. I love her; she lights up the screen and she's a joy to watch... she's also gorgeous, just saying!

Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell
I know, probably another controversial choice - but hey, it's 2011 and if baby swaps are allowed, then this is! - but I genuinely believe that Steve is the show's best and most consistent actor and he plays one of my favourite characters of all time. I must admit, however shocking the storyline was, Ben coming out and Phil's reaction had me in floods of tears - we know Phil, he's a macho man, so to discover his son is gay for him would understandably be hard for him to believe even if his reaction was unfair. It was a realistic portrayal yet again - still can't believe he didn't get that NTA for his performance in the drug storyline! The stalker storyline has dominated the past couple of months in Walford, and despite reaching a less than exciting reveal on Christmas Day, Steve still manages to pull out some fantastic performances even in the worst of stories... bring on 2012, I say!

Nina Wadia as Zainab Masood
Yes, you all know I'm right. When Nina joined the show a few years ago, some of us knew her from that hilarious sitcom Goodness Gracious Me and we saw a new show matriarch in the form of the formidable Mrs Masood. Four years on, and not only have we grown to love Zainab but we've also grown quite protective of her too. Step forward Yusef Khan, aka Doctor Evil. Like I said above, and this is the last Marmite reference, the storyline was like marmite - you either loved it, or you hated it. Whatever your thoughts, no one can deny that Nina put in her best performance yet and she was quite possibly the saviour of this year's Christmas Day episode - I cried (making a habit of this now!) as she stood up to Yusef and got chills when she said that line "Afia's inside!" in a bid to get her revenge on husband number two... or three, or one... whichever way you look at it! A fantastic performance, from a fantastic actress, in a marmite kind of storyline (okay, I slipped one more marmite reference in for good measure!)... more, please!

Part 2 to follow...
The Queen Vic is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 13:21.