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Old 14-04-2013, 18:09
MediaMatters
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Here I am feeling particularly contrary today considering I've seen quite a lot of folks being all down on EastEnders recently here and on other websites. So I thought I'd be all positive for once!
It's been a rough few months in Albert Square to see Corrie cleaning up the Awards shows & slip back in the ratings, so EastEnders fan(s)... Reasons to be cheerful (in no particular order of preference):
[LIST][*]Poppy Meadows - for THAT name alone - but Rachel Bright blows a breath of fresh air through dusty, dank Walford;[*]A fabulous wealth of young acting talent, especially at the moment the Branning kids Lorna Fitzgerald & Jacqueline Jossa as Abi and Lauren respectively, of course;[*]Billy & Lola's unfolding relationship, hardly conventional for Grandpa & Grand-daughter but it makes for unusual dynamics; and add in baby Lexi too. Danielle Harold has been at the centre of a lot of the action in recent times and I reckon she's been quite impressive; [*]Denise & Ian = shouldn't work and they seem such a random pairing, but somehow the actors made it work;[*]AJ Masood: he may be a lapsed Muslim (putting it mildly!), but he adds spice & unpredictability to Walford;[*]Patrick Trueman & Dot Cotton's recent stories reflect the pressing & troubled issues affecting a lot of people in old-age;[*] Michael Moon exudes charisma and is the unlikeliest single dad in the world;[*] Tiffany Jackson(?), Bianca's youngest, is just adorable and steals her scenes;[*] KIm & Denise Fox, two beautifully head-strong middle-aged Single Ladies, who always raise a smile with me (not sure why, though? ); [*]I appreciate how they don't allow the East-End's ethnic minorities to become so easily stereotyped (Asian family living in the corner shop Devendra Alahan! )...[/LIST]
Okay, so I was straining a bit there at the end to remain positive as the negative points crept back in (okay, I can't resist!):
[LIST][*]Tamwar Masood: I can be a downer, but even for Walford, Tamwar really drags the show down. Couldn't they have kept Afia & got rid of Tamwar?[*]Why split up Kat & Alfie if they're only to reunite in a few months? What a wasted opportunity & reminds me forcefully of Karl & Susan Kennedy in 'Neighbours' (and I quite like Roxy and Alfie together), which brings me on to...[*]The Ruin of Roxy Mitchell: give Rita Simons a storyline! Any storyline at this point, it doesn't matter![*]Sharon Rickman - controversial choice this one 'cos I know she's quite popular - but I've never got over her marrying and having a kid with her half-brother. Eugh! Soap ickiness worthy of Cleopatra and she's the principle reason we're missing Sam Mitchell (as played by Kim Metcalfe) & Zoe Slater. Grrrr... & also why re-enter the show while escaping one wedding while waltzing down the aisle 5 minutes l8r with the Square's ultimate gigolo, Jack Branning [quite long this point as I have a huge axe to grind with her];[*]What court would have granted custody of a baby to wannabe gangland thug Phil Mitchell who has previous over the baby's own birth mother. I know Lola's had a wayward chequered history in her young life (not all her fault), but she did seem to be genuinely trying & the SS (Social Services) just assumed the worst in her; [*]Bianca Jackson's banshee performance has got so bad, Patsy Palmer is like white noise to me when she comes on now;[*]Jay & Abi: what's she doing with a guy like him?!?![*]Lucy Beale's cancer scare: Well Done to Hetti Bywater but the story was over before it got started![*]Jean Slater, good acting given her mental health problems through the years, but seems rather stuck & idling since Stacey left...[/LIST]
Okay, so that's what is plaguing EastEnders! Have I missed anything out here?

On a more serious note, I do wonder if these issues have anything to do with recent BBC cutbacks & they just can't devote the resources four times a week like they used to. Having said that, 'River City' is really thriving at the moment and their hospital dramas - Casualty and Holby City, of course - are good weekly value in HD. What ails it, I wonder? Physician heal thyself!
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:11
mo mouse
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Pathetic writing, pathetic acting, an insult to the intelligence.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:13
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Pathetic writing, pathetic acting, an insult to the intelligence.
Woe! Don't hold back now!!
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:17
Joe_Zel
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Sharon and Dennis weren't related at all, not even half siblings.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:23
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What's wrong with Abi and Jay?? I actually think they are the only REAL relationship on this program.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:49
xTonix
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[quote=mo mouse;65374158]Pathetic writing, pathetic acting, an insult to the intelligence.[/QUOTE]

Speak for yourself mate.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:50
mo mouse
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[quote=xTonix;65374925]
Pathetic writing, pathetic acting, an insult to the intelligence.[/QUOTE]

Speak for yourself mate.
Who else would I be speaking for ?
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:54
xTonix
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[quote=mo mouse;65374960]

Who else would I be speaking for ?
The man down the road.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:57
mo mouse
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[quote=xTonix;65375053]

The man down the road.
I assume he can speak for himself. However, he could do worse than agree with my views all the time because I am very rarely, if ever, wrong. That's why everyone loves me.
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Old 14-04-2013, 19:09
klendathu
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Actually its Poppy Meadow . Not Meadows
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Old 14-04-2013, 19:19
Scrabbler
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Actually its Poppy Meadow . Not Meadows
She's been cloned....
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Old 14-04-2013, 19:21
Chuckster2
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Sharon and Dennis weren't related at all, not even half siblings.
Den was Sharon's adoptive father and Dennis was his son, not blood related but still brother and sister.
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Old 14-04-2013, 19:25
dullagj2
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They have a strong cast, all the show needs is 3/4 decent/big storylines and it'll be back on form.

There's potential for drama, they just have to take advantage of it and stop wasting opportunities.

Janine's return, Carol/Steve, Sharon's painkiller addiction and Tanya's exit all have the potential to create the drama the show is missing whether they do/not is another story. If Santer was in charge, I'd be positive that they would.

PS I was working on my ep. thread ie watching lots of classic clips. It reminded me the love I have for the show and it's history but also how frustrating it is in its current form. There's lots of potential but it's been treading water since xmas with 2/3 good episodes a month.
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Old 14-04-2013, 20:01
vald
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They have a strong cast, all the show needs is 3/4 decent/big storylines and it'll be back on form.

There's potential for drama, they just have to take advantage of it and stop wasting opportunities.

Janine's return, Carol/Steve, Sharon's painkiller addiction and Tanya's exit all have the potential to create the drama the show is missing whether they do/not is another story. If Santer was in charge, I'd be positive that they would.

PS I was working on my ep. thread ie watching lots of classic clips. It reminded me the love I have for the show and it's history but also how frustrating it is in its current form. There's lots of potential but it's been treading water since xmas with 2/3 good episodes a month.
The sad thing is I think they do believe that they're giving us drama. Why else would they devote an entire week to Sharon and Jack's wedding. Did they think we'd be on the edge of our seats wondering if their dirty secrets would come out. ? Were we meant to be excited at Phil winning ?

Like you I hope they do great things with Janine's return as well as Michael's exit. I have a bad feeling that Sharon's drug addiction will be far from realistic and be short lived ( I hope I am wrong ). I'm no lover of Tanya but I hope she gets a dramatic exit ( unlike Zainab )

Carol and Steve have been seeing each other for weeks but as we have been excluded from the story we know nothing about him .

The show is all over the place. It looks like we'll be back to Lauren's alcohol abuse, Liam's gang and yet more Max and Kirsty.

I think I've enjoyed at most a dozen episodes this year, and they haven't been great.
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Old 14-04-2013, 20:07
Ross1998
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This is one of the best threads I've read The only thing I'll disagree with... I love Bianca
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Old 14-04-2013, 21:34
felixrex
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Here I am feeling particularly contrary today considering I've seen quite a lot of folks being all down on EastEnders recently here and on other websites. So I thought I'd be all positive for once!
It's been a rough few months in Albert Square to see Corrie cleaning up the Awards shows & slip back in the ratings, so EastEnders fan(s)... Reasons to be cheerful (in no particular order of preference):
[LIST][*]Poppy Meadows - for THAT name alone - but Rachel Bright blows a breath of fresh air through dusty, dank Walford;
[*]A fabulous wealth of young acting talent, especially at the moment the Branning kids Lorna Fitzgerald & Jacqueline Jossa as Abi and Lauren respectively, of course;[*]Billy & Lola's unfolding relationship, hardly conventional for Grandpa & Grand-daughter but it makes for unusual dynamics; and add in baby Lexi too. Danielle Harold has been at the centre of a lot of the action in recent times and I reckon she's been quite impressive; [*]Denise & Ian = shouldn't work and they seem such a random pairing, but somehow the actors made it work;
[*]AJ Masood: he may be a lapsed Muslim (putting it mildly!), but he adds spice & unpredictability to Walford;[*]Patrick Trueman & Dot Cotton's recent stories reflect the pressing & troubled issues affecting a lot of people in old-age;[*] Michael Moon exudes charisma and is the unlikeliest single dad in the world;
[*] Tiffany Jackson(?), Bianca's youngest, is just adorable and steals her scenes;[*] KIm & Denise Fox, two beautifully head-strong middle-aged Single Ladies, who always raise a smile with me (not sure why, though? ); [*]I appreciate how they don't allow the East-End's ethnic minorities to become so easily stereotyped (Asian family living in the corner shop Devendra Alahan! )...[/LIST]
I can't say I'd agree with the bits in bold.

Abi and Lauren are a pair of dull, ungrateful brats played by mediocre actresses. Lorna Fitzgerland used to impress me but lately she reminds me of what I used to see in GCSE Drama classes. The only young actors in the show who impress me are Jamie Borthwick and occasionally Danielle Harold.

AJ, Kim and Poppy are the type of characters I just can't stand. Stupid, shallow cartoon characters with no purpose other than to force some contrived and rarely funny 'comedy' down our throats. They and their brand of 'humour' don't fit in with the general ethos of what Eastenders has always been about.

Tiffany is an obnoxious little brat who should be shipped off to boarding school. Or borstal

Okay, so I was straining a bit there at the end to remain positive as the negative points crept back in (okay, I can't resist!):
[LIST][*]Tamwar Masood: I can be a downer, but even for Walford, Tamwar really drags the show down. Couldn't they have kept Afia & got rid of Tamwar?[*]Why split up Kat & Alfie if they're only to reunite in a few months? What a wasted opportunity & reminds me forcefully of Karl & Susan Kennedy in 'Neighbours' (and I quite like Roxy and Alfie together), which brings me on to...[*]The Ruin of Roxy Mitchell: give Rita Simons a storyline! Any storyline at this point, it doesn't matter![*]Sharon Rickman - controversial choice this one 'cos I know she's quite popular - but I've never got over her marrying and having a kid with her half-brother. Eugh! Soap ickiness worthy of Cleopatra and she's the principle reason we're missing Sam Mitchell (as played by Kim Metcalfe) & Zoe Slater. Grrrr... & also why re-enter the show while escaping one wedding while waltzing down the aisle 5 minutes l8r with the Square's ultimate gigolo, Jack Branning [quite long this point as I have a huge axe to grind with her];[*]What court would have granted custody of a baby to wannabe gangland thug Phil Mitchell who has previous over the baby's own birth mother. I know Lola's had a wayward chequered history in her young life (not all her fault), but she did seem to be genuinely trying & the SS (Social Services) just assumed the worst in her; [*]Bianca Jackson's banshee performance has got so bad, Patsy Palmer is like white noise to me when she comes on now;[*]Jay & Abi: what's she doing with a guy like him?!?![*]Lucy Beale's cancer scare: Well Done to Hetti Bywater but the story was over before it got started![*]Jean Slater, good acting given her mental health problems through the years, but seems rather stuck & idling since Stacey left...[/LIST]
I quite like Tamwar.

I agree that Kat and Alfie are utterly tedious. I also agree that Roxy, as well as Sharon, are being used poorly.

Phil doesn't actually have much previous. You have to remember that the social workers in EE don't have the benefit of having watched Phil in Eastenders for the past 20 years, so they don't know what we know about him. They don't know about his drug addiction or his reputation as a thug. To them, he's nothing more than a fairly affluent middle aged man who owns his own home and a number of businesses. The idea of him being a temporary carer for his Granddaughter isn't that absurd - it was the circumstances under which Lexi was taken away from Lola that was the problem with that storyline.

"Jay & Abi: what's she doing with a guy like him?!?!" - I completely agree. Jay deserves better.
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Old 15-04-2013, 02:16
Joe_Zel
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Den was Sharon's adoptive father and Dennis was his son, not blood related but still brother and sister.
No. Dennis never had a proper relationship with any of them, Sharon never grew up with him, no blood relation.

I was referring to the OPs distaste that they got married. It wasn't incest or anything.
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Old 15-04-2013, 14:58
MediaMatters
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Actually its Poppy Meadow . Not Meadows
Den was Sharon's adoptive father and Dennis was his son, not blood related but still brother and sister.
It's all horses for courses really, isn't it? Maybe that's the secret of Soaps' success: everyone takes something different away from the show!

Everyone's got their preferences... I stand corrected on 'Poppy Meadow' (still a great name, though! ) and I realize that Dennis & Sharon weren't technically blood-related, but it was still too close for comfort. Eugh! Maybe I just thought they could have made more of Zoe & Dennis at the time, but there's still something cloying about Sharon for me.
Bianca might just need to calm down in spite of the gang storyline 'cos I fear that Patsy Palmer might think screeching is the only truest form of acting!
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:02
cooler
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"Jay & Abi: what's she doing with a guy like him?!?!" - I completely agree. Jay deserves better.
Better, such as who?
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:09
Digital Sid
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The last thing a genuine fan of the show should be doing right now is defending the sorry mess it's currently in, if the viewers seem content, the producers get complacent and things just get worse. A fan express their discontent and makes their feelings known in the hopes that someone listening with the power to will change something. It's not disloyal or unfan-ish to call a spade a spade and admit the show for the last few years has been, for the most part, total crap.
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:12
Tomi Adenuga
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Finally, a positive thread about EE. Many people love EE. Don't assume that many people dislike it just because most comments on the internet are negative. Many people only say things on the internet about things they hate. And I bet that the people who say negative stuff about it haven't even watched it......
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:22
tands
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If one of the best reasons to stick with Eastenders right now is that cheery, chirpy piece of neon pink cardboard called Poppy Meadow then Eastenders is doomed. Eastenders is doomed I tell ye. DOOOOOOOOOMMED!!
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:28
Harlowe
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Abi and Jay one of the best and believable relationships on the show I've liked the fact they taken their time and built them up instead of rushing them, they have a lot of future potential.
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:41
rick182
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The show is stagnant
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Old 15-04-2013, 15:42
klendathu
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If one of the best reasons to stick with Eastenders right now is that cheery, chirpy piece of neon pink cardboard called Poppy Meadow then Eastenders is doomed. Eastenders is doomed I tell ye. DOOOOOOOOOMMED!!
Well there's no doubt Poppy is cheery and chirpy , but I wouldn't describe the actress as a 'piece of cardboard ' .
Rachel Bright is a very talented actress and has done some good short films . She has another short horror film coming out soon which I am looking forward to
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