Having just posted in the general discussion thread that hollyoaks fans seem to be losing interest or having very little to debate or comment on lately I'm wondering how YOU personally would better the show. I think its still in good form but it certainly needs a shake up to bring back its great standards of recent months. So what aside from the obvious has gone wrong, and how can it be rectified?

I'm enjoying the current storylines especially crazy Sienna but for me the big thing is and has always been with Hollyoaks us the shocking lack of aftermath with everything! Considering the amount of big storylines with twists that they do they never ever do any follow up. It always follows the same formula. Storyline builds and builds and builds until boom big reveal, probable shock twist, storyline ends. Then the characters disappear into a black hole for weeks on end and we never see the aftermath. About a month later characters reappear with no mention of previous events. This is especially prevalent when somebody dies. When a character dies I WANT to see the grief. I WANT to see the mourning and loss. I DONT WANT the affected character to be off screen for a month and a funeral 4 weeks later. That kind of aftermath should be immediate

I think there's been far far too much death and ott drama this year. Once Theresa is gone I would like Mercedes to remain the only killer in the village.

I'd also like NO DEATH next year unless it's from an illness. No murder to explosions.

I think currently the mix is good - Cindy and Mercedes make so much sense as frienemies and Linsey works too with just about everyone.

I'd like to see Darren and Dodger befriend Joe more and have a 'boys group'. I like it when they focus on real friendships like that of Nancy and JP. I'd also give Carmel a life outside of the family and give Jim his comeuppance.

Myra leaving, Brownings death after imprisonment, Claires release everything is linked back to him and his stupid ways. He is a destructive presence.

I'd also have more students and give The O'Connors something NICE.

I don't really see what everyone's problem is if I'm honest. In the Lucy Allen era the show was boring and nothing was happening and everyone was complaining, now there is drama and a event that has development a week people are complaining.

Then there are people who say they want to calm it down. When things are calm people complain saying it was a boring episode they just watched! When it's good then it's too much drama that's too dramatic!

In all fairness though what I see on Twitter is positive and the only people I see complaining are on DS.

Those who dislike the current Hollyoaks should have a look back at this epic thread from 2009, the show had serious problems back then and was mind numbingly boring to watch
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1098845.

If I had to choose between watching Hollyoaks from 2009 or 2013, I'd choose 2013 every time!

The ratings are best they've been for a long time at the moment so the current format seems to be working, even if there are some on DS who aren't keen.

Say what you want about the constant stunts and shocks but I do like how most of it is interconnected and one event spurs another. It suggests they've put long thought in to the storyline and where it's going. And it's better than the likes of when Phoebe set fire in the school to get someone out of a presentation.


I feel they're pushing it with Diane. She's always worrying and fussing about Tony and I think it's weakening her character, I find myself getting bored of her. Hope they show her feisty side and give her her own stuff to do. And since the rape storyline could possibly ruin Finn's character, they need to give her something to stand on. I do like her pairing with Tony though.

I think there have been too many deaths and I say that as someone who enjoys the over-the-top nature of the show. However, so many actors seem to want to leave this show. Even with that, I think there could be other ways to have them leave besides death, even if only to add some variety.

Axing Kirkwood would be a fantastic start.

Im personally still loving it at the minute! The only times ive criticised it alot is 2009 and the sixth former domination days. I would love it if brendan jacqui and mitzeee were still around but i think its on fire at the minute. I know theres alot going on and i get some peoples point about a lack of follow up to things but having watched since the start ild say this is one of the best periods and i have faith that it will only get better.

Brian kirkwood is a fantastic producer

I would like there to be real proper situations that have real impact and development on character, by that I mean proper aftermath to revelations and storylines.

just because 20 people on a forum are losing interest in a soap doesn't mean channel 4 are going to axe it lol.

Wow! That thread is the opposite to this thread and it just proves how people are never happy!

I agree with what you say, if I had to choose to watch HO episodes from 2009 or 2013 it will be 2013!

Overall the SL's they have done this year have been good and stand out like; Mitzeee's exit, Brendan's exit, Clare's return, Jaquie's exit, Texas death, Sienna/Darren/Nancy, Roscoes, Trevor/Fraser, Tony cancer/twins with Diane, Blast week, Will reveal and so on. Where as in 2009 what was there, Hollyoaks Later, Warren's exit and the flashforward episode, because that's all that sticks out from 2009!

Get rid of it and bring back Brookside close. Or cut it down back to 3 nights a week. Turn it back into a teen drama and not a soap.

Ridiculous idea I have heard!

Honestly, being a teenager myself, I enjoyed that brief period last year where it was mostly about the teens...... Annaleese/Rob/Scott/Barney/Maddie/Callum/George/Jen/Tilly/Bart/Jono etc. it's a shame that almost all of these are gone.... but I do enjoy it these days. It's my favourite soap. I like the majority of the characters too.

What would I do to make it better? Edgy storylines that haven't been done before. HO do this better than anyone else and they should stick at it.

To be honest I have never found Hollyoaks as entertaining as I have over the past year.

I hate the music that is in the 'previously on Hollyoaks' recap!! When something really dramatic has happened, and then the next episode they use that music it really feels out of place and takes away any tension/drama to the scenes! They need to revert that back to last year rather than use the same designed tune each clip, use different music every day it sounds so much better and is fitting with the storyline!!

I think what's happened is that the show has reached saturation levels with so many deaths in such a short space of time. People just got a bit jaded with it all. I am enjoying the show much more now that the killing spree seems to have stopped.

To be honest I quite like the far fetched drama that tends to descend on a little village!

I understand where you are coming from with regards to actually following up a story and seeing the aftermath, but in reality, a person mourning could go on for months and that doesn't make great tv. I'm pleased that they've been very open about the fact that they will be heavily following up the JP Finn storyline and will be dealing with the aftermath there, some storylines you can't just brush over. I remember the Luke Morgan rape and they dealt with the aftermath for a long long time, it was never something that was forgotten and it was never shied away from in subsequent storylines for him, so I hope they do similar.

For me, it's the teens that bore me, but I've grown up with the show, i'm 27 so I guess that's natural.

I would like to see the guys forming a friendship group, as mentioned above with Darren, Dodger etc, I think that would be nice to see and there could be some lighthearted fun storylines there.

It's hardly struggling though, looking at recent viewing figures it's still pulling in over a million for the 6.30 shows

Maybe you need to get out more, because there are far more worse idea on DS then this.

Maybe you should get out more! And in my opinion I found your idea one of te worst on DS!

Explain t me what idea it was? What i have said has been said loads of times on here. Thank you.

BIB: I don't really agree that those are great examples of this year to be perfectly honest. Mitzeee's exit was pitiful for such a popular character, Jacqui's final episode was good but the storyline was disappointing. Clare's return was farcical and killing her off during her second return was also silly, plus Fraser and Trev whilst a good surprise twist hasn't really wowed me. The blast was also sort of lackluster in that I feel that BK killed characters off for the sake of shock value, the stunt itself wasn't great although was still better than the pitiful fire that PM did in 2010 (?).

I do agree that it's much better than 2009 but I still feel like 2012 and the tail end of ES's era/Kathleen Beedles' handover period to BK was where the show was at it's strongest in the past few years.

In terms of how to improve it, I think the storylines should be written around the characters rather than the characters being written around the storylines as I feel has been the case recently (I personally really hate how Tony has became Trev's latest drugs mule, I think it's out of character for Tony, I also hate how they've totally changed Darren for the Sienna/Nancy storyline, he had form for being a bit of a git but considering what he and Nancy have been through there's no way he would have believed someone he barely knew so easily).

I would also try to use the teens more, I know that two years ago I would never have imagined myself saying that but I feel like they're not really used enough now, bar the George/Vincent stuff, there hasn't been much teen interaction in the latter part of the year. Obviously there's the Finn/JP storyline with Robbie but I'd like to see Jason in particular interacting more and I think Tilly, Esther, Phoebe should share more scenes together as they were about the only good thing about the Derry scenes.

Your comment about axing Hollyoaks and bringing back Brookside. I likes Brookside but think that ship has sallied now. Even if they do bring it back what's getting rid of Hollyoaks going to achieve. So that's what I found ridiculous, axing a well known soap to bring back a old soap that's not even guarantied to even be as big as it was!

Also putting Hollyoaks to 3 episodes a week - there's no need.

1. Cut down on the murders/deaths unless necessary for the storylines. The explosion was completely unnecessary.

2. Cut down on the amount of 'villains'. I can handle a few, but currently there's a big overload and it makes it hard to actually engage in to the characters.

3. Give a few more characters some depth. With characters like Robbie and Patrick, I think we'll find out in the near future as to why they are the way they are but currently they're coming across very one dimensional and it would be better if they left us some hints so that we could see different sides to them and understand them better.

4. Handle things a little more delicately. Focus more on character motives and what they're thinking. An example of when they've let us down with this very recently has been the Holly sexting thing. She didn't seem the slightest bit awkward when sending the picture despite her ordeal with Wes. I hope they look in to that more and explain it as it came across very careless.

I do think the show is doing many things right and is quite strong overall but they need to fix little things like this.