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From Leading Lady to A Bit Part Player- The Rise and Fall of Sharon...


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Old 24-08-2013, 12:31
vaslav37
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In her previous two stints Sharon was one of the Leading Ladies of EastEnders but her return to the show in August 2012 has proved to be one of the most disappointing flops in the show's history.

Say what you like about Letitia Dean- is she a poor actress? NO, is she a great actress? NO can she act? YES she can.

It took EastEnders a year to bring back Letitia to the show as far back as 2010 they had been planning it but there has been one big problem- A complete lack of respect for the characters history by the writers as well as a poor thought out plan for her comeback

1) Her Backstory between 2006-2012 has not been told and a year down the line we still do not know what happened to her in those years.

2) The Backstory is an important part of what Sharon or any character is like. Sharon obviously raising Denny alone without a Father Figure has struggled with this -when she returned her intended Sister in Law Nina said and I quote 'found Sharon in the Gutter' what did she mean? this has never been fully explained or explored

3) Why was Jesse Birdsall not offered more than two episodes when he took on the role as part of Letitia's comeback?

The worse thing the writers did was to parachute Sharon into the Brannings and to make Tanya her best mate and Jack her Boyfriend- that too has ruined her character.

However to those on here who say Sharon is dated I dont agree, Sharon has plenty of stories left and she is an EastEnders original, every Sharon thread is always big and popular and the new producer will know how much she is loved by EastEnders fans- its shameful that Letitia despite earning a very handsome salary has been treated and the character massacred.

I totally accept there are people on here who dislike Sharon and think she is dated but in the last year she has gone from Leading Lady to a Bit Parter and I for one hope that Dominic Treadwell-Collins changes this.

Sharon is important to EastEnders and needs to shine again.

Thank you for reading.
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Old 24-08-2013, 13:04
dancing.queen
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Most Sharon threads are popular because everyone is in there slating the character. She should have been left in the past.
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Old 24-08-2013, 13:37
vaslav37
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Obviously I disagree.

If the writing had been good, if the foundations/backstory had been put into place the current state of the character would have been very different in my opinion...
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Old 24-08-2013, 14:24
Harlowe
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What happened to Sharon's character has been rather unfortunate, she fallen victim under LN regime, badly written, poorly constructed storylines around her.

She needs her own home and a new job away from the club that place isolated her, I would like to see her back in the vic but if that doesn't happen then some new job for her and her storyline with Phil needs resolving if they have no plan on them ever finally getting together and moving forward then she needs a new love interest and a bit more family round her, she has a whole untapped storyline potential with her biological family to be explored, her father, her half-siblings.

This snooty, babying of Dennis is getting old, I think its sad when the fans can come up with better material for the character then the paid storyline team, IT needs to be sorted before she blends into the background for good.
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Old 24-08-2013, 14:30
vaslav37
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Great post Harlowe.

That is why I would like to be a writer on the show.
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Old 24-08-2013, 14:33
Harlowe
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To bad you're not, probably do a better job.

Sharon's can be redeemed hopefully, if DCT wants too if not then I can see LD leaving, she done it before.
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Old 24-08-2013, 14:40
vaslav37
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I think he is a Sharon fan so I have hope.

Thank you I would love to write for EE
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Old 24-08-2013, 14:54
Cal_Scream2
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What happened to Sharon's character has been rather unfortunate, she fallen victim under LN regime, badly written, poorly constructed storylines around her.

She needs her own home and a new job away from the club that place isolated her, I would like to see her back in the vic but if that doesn't happen then some new job for her and her storyline with Phil needs resolving if they have no plan on them ever finally getting together and moving forward then she needs a new love interest and a bit more family round her, she has a whole untapped storyline potential with her biological family to be explored, her father, her half-siblings.

This snooty, babying of Dennis is getting old, I think its sad when the fans can come up with better material for the character then the paid storyline team, IT needs to be sorted before she blends into the background for good.
BIB - Spot on. It's hilarious that people's fantasy EE's can utilize Sharon better than the writers can. I've seen some really good storylines for Sharon.
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Old 24-08-2013, 18:49
Broken_Arrow
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Not everyone loves Sharon the way some of us do and those people who don't care for her will never understand how awful it is to watch her being destroyed by terrible writing every time she appears on screen. They haven't done anything right with her since she returned. I don't mean to be cynical but it's as if they're deliberately destroying her for some reason. I just can't fathom how the writers could be so incompetent with such a well loved character.

All this nonsense about her being dated is absurd. She was only gone for 6 years!
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Old 24-08-2013, 18:53
Scrabbler
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It's why I want Sharon to run the restaurant, more scope for her to interact with other characters.

I wouldn't even object to seeing the back of the club, it's not realistic anymore.
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Old 24-08-2013, 19:07
dancing.queen
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The only way, in my opinion, to revive the character of Sharon is to firstly get her out of the B&B. She is supposedly one of the shows legends and they're making her live in a B&B for £8 a night? I don't agree that she should be put in the Vic. I'd have her sell her share in R&R back to Phil, or to Janine, and then, with the money she gets from selling it, invest in a stake in Scarlett's. Ian and Sharon running the restaurant together would be true to their friendship, and it would also allow for Sharon to interact with a lot of different characters.

Secondly, they either need to scrap the pill addiction storyline completely or do it properly. Emmerdale are showing at the minute how to do an addiction storyline properly with Rhona, and EastEnders should take a leaf out of their book. Letitia Dean is not a fantastic actress but she is capable to pull off a decent storyline if the writing is correct.

They also need to have Sharon revisit her past. She lived on the Square for 15 years on and off before her return, yet it's barely been mentioned. The only thing the writers have done write here is Sharon and Ian's continued friendship.

Sharon is not a snob. Pre 2012 she was a feisty woman, but since they brought her back they turned her into a snob so they could make her best friends with Tanya the snob. Thank god Tanya's left.
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Old 24-08-2013, 19:09
Honestweegie
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Ive watched from the beginning and I would never say she was the leading lady... I think she believes her own hype
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Old 24-08-2013, 19:37
vaslav37
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EastEnders means a great deal to Letitia Dean it's just a shame that the writing team have not given her and the character of Sharon the same respect.
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Old 24-08-2013, 20:12
mo mouse
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Absolutely loathe new Sharon. Didn't mind the old one.
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Old 24-08-2013, 20:58
Sez_babe
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A bit of a writing change and she'll be back
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Old 24-08-2013, 20:59
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I don't think Sharon works as a standalone character. She needs a man in her life and a family unit. If Vicki was brought back and a love interest was brought in, we'd have a good family unit capable of being in The Vic. She doesn't work as a middle-aged mother who is only seen with her son, she needs to be a strong character who carries the show.
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Old 24-08-2013, 21:24
vaslav37
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There are ample opportunities like I am going to do in my Fanfic version- her Birth Father, Half-Siblings, possibly the return of Grant, Vicky...It has to happen DTC has to put Sharon right before Letitia Dean walks away for good this time...
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Old 24-08-2013, 21:25
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Yeh I think she needs a family unit..maybe someone else who has kids too?
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Old 24-08-2013, 22:10
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She maybe should have come in with a rich husband to buy the vic feud with phil and some one for her or phil to bump off.
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Old 24-08-2013, 22:15
sarahcadhill
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Great post Vaslav

Completely agree with everything you have said.

I can't believe it took EE writers a year to bring back Sharon but she has been ruined :/. Hopefully Sharon will be back to her old self. It's pretty clear that Letitia Dean is NOT happy about what is happening to Sharon.
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Old 24-08-2013, 23:40
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Sharon came back a bit down on her luck, but they've done nothing to change that: wasn't the point of her being down on her luck so that the audience can see her re-built into the old Sharon we all know and love?

Ever since she returned she's just kind of been 'there'. The Sharon I grew up watching would have given herself a good talking to by now and gone out to reclaim her life.

The idea that Ian, her oldest friend, would sit by and let her live in a B&B is just laughable. Doesn't he own a flat?

I love the suggestion of Sharon running Scarlett's - with Jean leaving, Ian can cook whilst she plays front of house.

She does need a man though. Putting Dot with Jim was the best thing they ever did for Dot, as its given her a decades worth of material and characters to interact with - she'll never be a mum to Max, Carol etc, but I love that she was/is a grandma to Max's kids, and that even (I think) Bianca's lot call her Grandma Dot.

In an ideal world Sharon would find a man with 2 teenage kids and they'd all live together, giving Sharon a family unit to work with. If they wanted to, they could easily start building Sharon into a matriarch, but she needs that family unit. I'd love her to have a stepson or daughter that marries Lucy/Peter, bringing Sharon and Ian together as family
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Old 24-08-2013, 23:56
AuntieSoap
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Most Sharon threads are popular because everyone is in there slating the character. She should have been left in the past.
Amen. The character is finished.
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Old 24-08-2013, 23:59
sarahcadhill
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Amen. The character is finished.
There are lots they can do for Sharon.. I think the new producer will give Sharon more big storylines and repair her.
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Old 25-08-2013, 00:00
AuntieSoap
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Great post Vaslav

Completely agree with everything you have said.

I can't believe it took EE writers a year to bring back Sharon but she has been ruined :/. Hopefully Sharon will be back to her old self. It's pretty clear that Letitia Dean is NOT happy about what is happening to Sharon.
How so?
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Old 25-08-2013, 01:30
billio
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Sharon's character has irritated me from the very beginning, such a soppy girlie to start with, then always codependent with various men. Doesn't see to have any interests other than cashing up tills and getting involved with unsuitable men, too quickly.
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