I was wondering what peoples opinions are about the stuff that we have coming up in Eastenders. Mine are below

Arrivals

Terry Spraggan - Described as a blokes bloke with an entertaining story to tell and love interest for Bianca. Bianca has been on her own for quite awhile so this could be interesting. I do like how he just seems to be an ordinary guy, a bit of as joker and Bianca could certainly do with a laugh. He is a parent himself, so no doubt he'll be dragging a child or two with him. I don't think I could get used to the name Bianca Spraggan however.

Tina Carter - Described as loud, brash, cheeky and full of energy. Oh dear. We do have a lot of characters like that already, but I suppose with Kirsty leaving it won't be too bad. What I'm hoping for, is that Shirley will see herself in Tina and softens as a result. They could be trying to mould Shirley into a new matriarch. I am certain that Tina will end up as a barmaid in the Vic, and with there being a few more lads about in Walford she'll probably add the odd notch to her bedpost.

Mick - Billed as a "bloke's bloke", Mick loves his wife, children and dog - and viewers will soon learn that he is a "big softie" at heart. A bit like Terry then, new friendship on the cards perhaps? A big softie doesn't seem to really fit with Dannys previous hardman image. But Mick and Linda are apparently a loving couple, I hope to god that neither of them has an affair. I would like to see a strong couple who love each other. Putting Mick in charge of the Vic does seem like a big risk but I'm looking forward to it.

Linda - Linda wasn't blessed with brains, but beneath her fluffy exterior is a tough woman who will always fight tooth and nail for her family. So we get rid of the thickos Alice and Poppy and we get Linda instead. I'm really pleased with the casting however. I'm hoping that they don't make Linda "stupid but funny" as that has been done to death. Still we need a bit of a contrast to Shirley and Tina and I'm looking forward to seeing how they will interact.

Returns

Sonia and Rebecca - Sonia is a marmite character and Rebecca is another teen. So it's clear to see why people seem to be so apprehensive about her return. The thing is with Sonia, I really do feel like she has a story left to tell. I hope that they don't just ignore the fact Sonia had a lesbian fling and that she threw herself at Phil Mitchell. I want them to explain whether or not she is a lesbian or bi-sexual or whether she was just bored by Martins bedrooms skills and fancied a change. Goind down the bi-sexual route could be interesting now that Carol and Bianca are in the show, especially as Bianca would be unable to fathom why Sonia doesn't like Sausage Surprise that much. I hope that Sonia and Rebecca move in with Dot as it'll give Dot something to do and Dot and Sonia were really close once. Sonia has never really had much to do with her Branning relatives, so that could be interesting. Especially as she shares a lot of similarities with Abi so I would like to see how they interact.

Departures

Michael Moon - It seems to have been SJS decision to leave, I don't blame him as his character was never used to his full potential. I think Michaels exit will cause a lot of ramifications and I am a bit wary as to what will happen to Janine as a result. I think his exit will be the biggest thing to happen in Walford in 2013 and I'm hoping that it is superb.

Alice Branning - While I did find Alice refreshing in that she wasn't like Whitney, Lucy, Lola and Lauren I really hated how they made her so stupid to begin with. Alice is like a pet goldfish, you get quite accustomed to her but when she gets flushed down the toilet it won't have a huge impact on you.

Ava Hartman - I think she had so much potential, but it was wasted. They really did the character no favours, what with her occupation distancing her away from the square and making her so unlikable when she first arrived. Ava has made no real friends in Walford in the year she has been there, with the possible exception of Whitney. Again I won't miss her character but I just wish they had made more of an effort with her.

Sam James - Again the character did have potential, would have made a great mate for Phil. But the kidney storyline was stupid, the viewers had not had a chance to know the character and so they just didn't care whether he lived or died. I am glad he is going because I feel that enables them to bring in a new character that is hopefully more likable.

Kirsty Branning - I'm not sad to see her go, Kierston was a great actress I just felt with Kirsty we got nothing that we didn't get from Vanessa. I'd rather Max stood on his own two feet for awhile, I want to see they develop him as a character rather than a penis extension. So no real great loss here.

AJ Ahmed - I still don't get what the point of his character was, he has contributed nothing to the show. Even his backstory led nowhere. A good choice for axing in my opinion.

Poppy Meadow - I'd rather she stayed than Fatboy, but again I won't miss the character. I do feel tha her introduction as Jodies stupid friend did her no favours. She didn't really fit in with the community and she seemed so out of place with the other teens. Plus she has been linked to most of the awful plots we have seen this year so for that reason I am glad she is going.

Carl White - A better villain than Derek but that's not really saying anything. I do think the show needs to stop with the cycle of villains, coming in for a year and then leaving. We've had that now with Yusef, Derek and Carl. I'm hoping his departure leads the way for a more convincing baddie.

Joey -Probably the character I like the least, I just could not get invested by him and I'm glad he is going. I wish he'd take his cousin/ex-girlfriend with him.

What I'm hoping for most from the show, is that we will have less love triangles and more storylines focused on the characters themselves. I want Sharon to become likable again, she should be the new Pat. I also want Ian and David to form an alliance, they need to bury the hatchet and move on. Cindy needs to be utilised more, I want to see how Cindys death has affected her and I want her to grow close with Ian too.

I am feeling positive about the show, I do think DTC is heading in the right direction. Lorraine has pretty much left him a blank canvas to work with, it's not like there are loads of storylines that he needs to wrap up except for the Bingate Saga.

Poll up

It's a step in the right direction, but more damage has been done than creating the wrong characters. The focus on the Butchers is wise, but I have to say that I have little confidence that Patsy Palmer will be staying in the long term. A decade of bad decisions can't be undone, but the writers can go, surely?

The BBC should surely take a leaf out of Corrie's book and look at their writing pool. Lucy Gannon (who created Soldier Soldier, Bramwell and many others, and who was a big name in the 90s) is now writing for Corrie; so is Jonathan Harvey, who created Gimme Gimme Gimme. Surely the BBC can call on their drama/comedy writing talent to pen some EE episodes? Use the rich resources there. This is the biggest problem with EE.

Only time will tell, I don't care for Danny Dyer (Atrocious actor and film maker) or Sonia's return, the other characters arriving sound ok and and I'm only saddened by Alice an Poppy being axed.

The only plus about focusing on the Butchers in the short term is that they are familiar characters that viewers past and present know and are familiar with, so they can use them as a central base whilst building up the other new characters around the square. A very similar tactic was used with The Mitchells (2005-6) where focus was on them primarily as they built up other families such as Brannings and Masoods before focus shifted towards the end of 2006.

Quite happy with the changes so far, bringing in a family, more older characters, some old faces.

In regards to the new family and taking over the vic it is a risk, especially with Danny Dyer but I think its one that is needed, the vic has become stale under Alfie so this is my opinion is a right decision to at least give it ago.

A lot of the axed characters have had a poor turn under the previous bosses, they've been mismanaged and let down by dud characterization and writing, the only one I was sad about is Kirsty just because I think they had a nice coup with Kierston Wareing and fudge up making her just another of Max's doormats.

Michael is another underused and unappreciated character, sad to see him go but at least it isn't from the sounds of it a shit exit so that is something.

I still think DTC got a few more deadwood characters to axe to get rid of the rot but I'm liking his changes so far I think we might be finally turning a corner, its going to take a lot of time though to get anywhere back to the top but its a start.

I admire you Scrabbler- your very passionate about Eastenders.

Don't make me blush.

I just hope DTC can fix Sharon...

I'm sorry to see Michael go, but the way he has been written recently has given him a short shelf life. It's hard to sympathise with him or even like him.
Kirsty has been ruined by her desperation to stay with Max. She should have just dumped him and thrown her all into being a barmaid, that role suited her so well before they turned her into a misery.
I'll be glad to see the back of Alice and won't miss Joey.
I thought AJ had potential but it was wasted.
Ava I liked before Sam came along.

I'm looking forward to the Carters coming in but IMO Kat and Alfie will be a hard act to follow. When they're at their best they're fantastic, and comparisons will be made. I'm hoping that Shirley will be the one to be built up into a Pat type matriarch. They have similar histories.
I've no idea how the Butcher household will work out. They're one of my favourite families so I have my fingers crossed on this one. I'm hoping they explore their connection with the Beales.

Shirley, Sharon and Carol could all be future matriarchs.

I'm still gutted Kirsty is going. She was the first character in years that I thought had any real potential but they wasted opportunities, and Kierston as an actress.

Glad Ava and Sam are going. Dreadful, pointless characters. I hope they kill Dexter off.

Not fussed about Carl, AJ, Poppy, Joey or Alice.

Although I am not the biggest fan of Sonia Jackson/Fowler, I like the idea that the Jackson clan will be utilized more, and Carol will be built up some more. She is one of the most criminally underused characters in the cast.

I do not have high expectations for Terry, but I could be proved wrong.

I am really excited for the Carter clan. Especially Tina and Mick's wife. Shirley is brilliant when she is away from Phil (and no I do not want another Phil/Shirley debate)...

In regards to the poll, I vote "only time will tell".

Let's see how they play out. They certainly sound promising mostly, although I think it's a pretty terrible idea to bring back Sonia, especially with bloody Rebecca. Not looking forward to loosing some of the deadbeat teens just to get more from Sonia, Mick and Linda and Terry.

But hey. At least he's axed Joey. Too much to hope his awful ex girlfriend/cousin follows him out the door. I have no idea what they have ever seen in Lauren. Horrible character, and the fact they think she's the latest go to girl is just, again, a massive outline of what's wrong with the show.

It's a "wait and see" game for me but I am generally feeling postive about DTC so far. If his reputation is anything to go by, he thrives on high drama and hard-hitting storylines - something which has been lacking on the show for several years now.

I mean his work hasn't even begun, let alone materialise, but he's made alot of changes already. This is what the show needed - someone who can come in and make some bold decisions. For example removing Alfie from the Vic and replacing him with a new family. A real risk but time for playing it safe came and gone. That place has been crying out for energy and a lease of life for years.

He's also axed a string of characters and casted new ones.

Whether these decisions will benefit the show or not is to be seen. They may pay off. They may not. However I have to commend him for his gutsy approach by trying something new. I'm just sick of these family expansions. Instead of increasing the Moons and Brannings like Kirkwood and Lorraine did, he's reduced them and giving us a whole new family, living in the Vic of all places. That a brave and bold move but it's got people talking for all the right reasons.

Of course this time next year, my answar may be different, depending on how these characters develope and the kinds of stories we are seeing played out. I'm just hoping that already DTC has at least 3 interesting storylines on his drawing board for 2014.

I highly doubt DTC has come into EE blind-sighted. He's left the show and more than likely watching EE like us, as a viewer, where its far easier to spot its mistakes and shortcomings. Unlike BK, I don't think he's coming into the show to make his mark but rather repair the damage and remind everyone why EastEnders can still deliver high quality drama.

However like I voted, time will tell. Complacency gets no where.

I'm feeling fairly optimistic.I think its a bold move bringing a new family into the Vic.Hopefully they'll fit in. I think it's nice to have a new bloke for Bianca.

Almost all the departures are about time, in my opinion.THe Hartmans are one of the worst families in EE history.I can see Dexter not lasting another year. Kirsty and Carl were never going to have a future in the show.Same with Alice and Joey.Although I'm gutted that Michael's going,I think his death could be the big storyline EE need to launch them into a new era.

David's settled in fantastically well and I hope he continues to be at the forefront of the show.When Max gets released from prison,I hope he gets some non romance related stories. I also like the Mitchells being more of a family unit.Can see Sam Womack announcing an extension to her contract soon. I hope we get a few big storylines soon,although not too senationalistic. Theres a lot of material EE haven't covered in recent years, like eating disorders,domestic abuse and drug addiction, they could work with.

Dexter will last a while longer because he has his Grandmother and Cousins in the Square...

I've been happy so far. Bringing in a new family really is a fantastic bold move and I admire DTC fpr doing it but it really was essential for the show to move forward. I always said EE felt different once DTC left the story team, I couldn't put my finger on it but the drama and stories were somewhat lacking. I've no doubt that EE will be stronger next year, it's gonna take time to win back viewers but it will happen. As an EE fan I hate to see it being slagged off and whilst some of it has been deserving I hope we will have a much stronger Eastenders next year

..and?

Joey had his uncle, aunt, stepgrandmother, cousins and ex girlfriend who he still loves in the Square.

Didn't stop him from being axed.

I don't think Dexter will be axed somehow.

The people who didnt give a shit about him before he was axed are as follows:

Cora
Tanya
Dot
Max
Carol
Bianca

and they never will give a crap!

When was the last time he had scenes with them?

Agreed,Dexter 's family connections have nothing to do with him staying on the Square.Ava's long lost mother,nieces and brother in law are on the Square.That really helped her.

Dexter isn't popular.He has a friendship with Abi and Jay,plus is close to Cora.Thats it.I can see Peter being the young male lead now Joey's gone.