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EastEnders- Rearranging lifeboats on the Titanic


View Poll Results: Is EastEnders doomed?
Yes, the problems are deep and the show is past the point of recovery 23 35.94%
It'll be back to its best once Newman's work kicks in 20 31.25%
I'm on the fence, it could go either way 21 32.81%
Voters: 64. You can't vote on this poll right now - are you signed in?

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Old 16-07-2013, 12:47
James J
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Quick question: see poll.

I think any changes by Lorraine Newman are like rearranging lifeboats on the titanic. The show is f***ed.

Last night it had the same rating as Emmerdale again (6.2 mil) against Corrie's 8 million. With no clashes, and with EE right in the middle of the two Corrie eps.

Viewers have actually given up, 2 million or so, who would before have watched EE in the break of Corrie. Really, truly and honestly the cast is so weak and unhappy, many classic characters are gone, the show's history is in tatters, and it's just one bleak mess.

I don't think it can be fixed and I think the show will have been axed or reduced within 5 years. Shame because it used to be the best soap in the country in the late 90s/early 00s and the classic days of Den/Angie etc.

"Love and warmth..." :yawn:
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:01
The_abbott
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On on the lifeboat holding onto hope that the Titanic will suddenly float up again and carry on in all its glory.

I just can't see it happening
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:15
bumpandgrind
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Lather rinse repeat. Lather rinse repeat.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:16
vaslav37
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EastEnders is not about love and warmth...

how on earth did Lorraine Newman get into TV in the first place.

read the fanfics on here- they are so much better than the real thing.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:16
Broken_Arrow
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It's past the point where it can recover creatively but I think as far as it being a viable ratings winner there's still life in the old dog yet. 6 million is quite a lot less than it used to get but it's still a lot of viewers. It would have to drop dramatically lower in order for the axe to be considered. Given it was getting 9-10 million a couple of years ago I don't think it's unreasonable to predict it could drop down to 3-4 million in the next 5 years.

Does anyone know what's happening with Elstree? Have the BBC renewed the lease for the premises? It would be pretty hard to make EastEnders without all the sets! We also haven't heard anything about a move to another premises which would surely need to be underway long before now if 2015 is the end point of the Elstree lease.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:18
dee123
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I hate to be "that" person but isn't it "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" ?
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:22
The_abbott
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It's past the point where it can recover creatively but I think as far as it being a viable ratings winner there's still life in the old dog yet. 6 million is quite a lot less than it used to get but it's still a lot of viewers. It would have to drop dramatically lower in order for the axe to be considered. Given it was getting 9-10 million a couple of years ago I don't think it's unreasonable to predict it could drop down to 3-4 million in the next 5 years.

Does anyone know what's happening with Elstree? Have the BBC renewed the lease for the premises? It would be pretty hard to make EastEnders without all the sets! We also haven't heard anything about a move to another premises which would surely need to be underway long before now if 2015 is the end point of the Elstree lease.
maybe they will just start fillming indoors like the American soaps used to do!! No O.B at all.

If they don't renew the license, I'm claiming squatters rights on the Vic, the laudrette, the cafe, the chippie and Arthurs bench.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:24
James J
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I hate to be "that" person but isn't it "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" ?
Whoops, got that a bit mixed up!
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:30
Broken_Arrow
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maybe they will just start fillming indoors like the American soaps used to do!! No O.B at all.

If they don't renew the license, I'm claiming squatters rights on the Vic, the laudrette, the cafe, the chippie and Arthurs bench.
I could actually see that happening as a ''cost cutting measure''

You're welcome to all those locations. I'l have the minute mart. It may not be glamorous or iconic but at least it's not an empty shell inside like The Vic
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:41
The_abbott
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I could actually see that happening as a ''cost cutting measure''

You're welcome to all those locations. I'l have the minute mart. It may not be glamorous or iconic but at least it's not an empty shell inside like The Vic
The chippie is real too. At least with the Vic I can recreate the Bradley Branning moment and jump off the roof
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:45
Broken_Arrow
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The chippie is real too. At least with the Vic I can recreate the Bradley Branning moment and jump off the roof
It can't be that bad surely!
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:48
ayrshire lass
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I'm an oldie who has watched EE since the very first episode and always loved it, but just nothing or nobody in it now can hold my interest , and I just can't think why. I remember the days of Den and Angie, Pat and Frank, The Fowlers etc., I know that was years ago, but we just don't have any big characters anymore. I actually liked Derek Branning ,best character for years I thought, but he's gone sadly.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:50
Ice dragon1
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Quick question: see poll.

I think any changes by Lorraine Newman are like rearranging lifeboats on the titanic. The show is f***ed.

Last night it had the same rating as Emmerdale again (6.2 mil) against Corrie's 8 million. With no clashes, and with EE right in the middle of the two Corrie eps.

Viewers have actually given up, 2 million or so, who would before have watched EE in the break of Corrie. Really, truly and honestly the cast is so weak and unhappy, many classic characters are gone, the show's history is in tatters, and it's just one bleak mess.

I don't think it can be fixed and I think the show will have been axed or reduced within 5 years. Shame because it used to be the best soap in the country in the late 90s/early 00s and the classic days of Den/Angie etc.

"Love and warmth..." :yawn:
You may want to check the figures EE was ahead of ED last night.
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:51
The_abbott
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It can't be that bad surely!
only when I catch an episode of EE
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Old 16-07-2013, 13:59
James J
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You may want to check the figures EE was ahead of ED last night.
Without +1

Coronation Street: 7.82m (39.8%)
Coronation Street: 7.69m (36.4%)
Eastenders: 6.22m (31.1%)
Emmerdale: 6.05m (34.8%)

Emmerdale beats EE in share, and EE only 0.15m ahead of EastEnders. Hardly ahead.
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:07
guestofseth
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I don't think that it's past the point of recovery, not even close, but I don't think it'll be back to its best until Newman leaves and some fresh blood is injected into the show. Since the only other option implies that I believe either things could happen, when actually each is as unlikely as the other, I can't vote in the poll.

However I'm glad there's yet another thread on this, there haven't been enough of them. Soaps go through dips, some excruciatingly long such as the one EE is in now, it's the consequence of being on all year round. Emmerdale, the best soap at the moment imo, has only recently recovered from a drop in form caused by Stuart Blackburn who clearly had no idea what he was doing.
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:08
James J
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I don't think that it's past the point of recovery, not even close, but I don't think it'll be back to its best until Newman leaves and some fresh blood is injected into the show. Since the only other option implies that I believe either things could happen, when actually each is as unlikely as the other, I can't vote in the poll.

However I'm glad there's yet another thread on this, there haven't been enough of them. Soaps go through dips, some excruciatingly long such as the one EE is in now, it's the consequence of being on all year round. Emmerdale, the best soap at the moment imo, has only recently recovered from a drop in form caused by Stuart Blackburn who clearly had no idea what he was doing.
All soaps have dips yes but with EastEnders the "blips" are when it's good, not when it's bad.

Bar a few shining glimmers of goodness it's been crap since 2004 and the Berridge era.
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:12
alias alias
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Looks like EE won to me.

EastEnders attracted 6.22m (31.1%) at 8pm on BBC BBC Three's 365k (2.3%) at 10.30pm

Emmerdale interested 6.05m (34.8%) at 7pm (150k/0.7%)
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:27
Maxwell44
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Isn't the expression "straightening the deckchairs on the Titanic"? In other words, the ship is sinking so what's the point of a bit of trivial alteration.

I remember when Eastenders was huge. When Den served Angie the divorce papers on Christmas Day in 1986 it got something like 31 million viewers. I mean - wow! I think it was pulling in 16 or 18 million in the 1990's and early 2000's. It is now a shadow of what it was. The show started to fall apart about 10 years ago. Even some of the cast have admitted it is poor now compared to what it was, when Nicola Stapleton returned as Mandy a year or two ago she said "Eastenders isn't what it used to be". Agreed.
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:33
klendathu
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Lorraine had completely annihilated this once great show

I'm just hanging in there for Michael Moons exit . Then im selling my TV
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:49
Salome
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EE has been struggling for some time now and it is not looking good at the moment but I simply refuse to give up hope.
I feel that the worst damage has been inflicted by BK and LN appears to be overcompensating with the 'feel good' factor, very ineffectively so far. It is time for another strategy. Urgently
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Old 16-07-2013, 14:57
James J
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EE has been struggling for some time now and it is not looking good at the moment but I simply refuse to give up hope.
I feel that the worst damage has been inflicted by BK and LN appears to be overcompensating with the 'feel good' factor, very ineffectively so far. It is time for another strategy. Urgently
It needs a new producer NOW but it is not getting one.
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Old 16-07-2013, 15:22
Salome
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It needs a new producer NOW but it is not getting one.
Preferably a producer with experience in the drama department who has a long term vision and is not afraid of taking risks while remaining grounded in EE's history and tradition.
Difficult job if you ask me. I can't think of a candidate but the BBC has a lot of talent so he/she must be out there....
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Old 16-07-2013, 15:23
Zack06
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Yikes...what's with the amateur dramatics? The show is in a bad way, but it's hardly a sinking ship.

Lorraine's executive producer dinghy is sinking yes, but the show as a whole is not. I've said before that if the show can come back from rating 3.9m, it can do it again. It's rating nowhere near that badly (yet) so all this is just not necessary.

The real test will be how the show manages after Lorraine has gone.
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Old 16-07-2013, 16:25
walford-e20
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I didn't vote because I couldn't fully agree with any of the three options. Yes I think the show's problems are deeply embedded, but I don't agree that it's past the point of recovery. With some fresh faces passionate about the show's history it could get back on form within a few months. I don't watch it but it seems Emmerdale has seen a dramatic turnaround with the show starting to reflect its roots again. Why can't EE do the same?
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