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'Eastenders: The soap that just won't wash'. By Caitlin Moran. The Times newspaper 16


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Old 17-02-2005, 00:58
Azuka
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Thought I post this. You may find it interesting. Sorry for posting in the wrong place earlier. And again. I am crap tonight!

www.timesonline.co.uk.

I was only able to read this article because I read the 'The Times' everyday. Rather long! One and half pages. Briefly Moran bemoans that the plots are ludicrous, actors are fed-up and its no longer essential viewing. Most people are saying 'I am switching to Corrie'. She even imagines it on a T shirt.

The article raises some valid points. I believe that they should stop confusing people and go back to the past for inspiration. Some may like it as it is and may say it's getting better but how can one measure better with so much confusion?

I think many soaps may soon have their day. There are too many choices coming from the US and competion from cable. Reality TV is the sign of the time-not that i watch much of it. However if anything Coronation street after all these years could be the only one left standing if they continue in the present format.

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Azuka
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Old 17-02-2005, 01:01
Wisteria
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Originally Posted by Azuka
I think many soaps may soon have their day.
With up to eight episodes a week in the most extreme of cases, I would agree with you.

Unfortunately, I was not alive when the soaps aired twice weekly, but my God I wish that was how it was now.

The soaps are being flogged to death and the broadcasters (mainly ITV) will lose out in the end. They will realise that the overkill of soaps, the overworking of cast and crews and the general decrease in quality and public interest damages them irreparably, but by then it will be too late.
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Old 17-02-2005, 09:50
WalfordWill
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Yeh I agree with you, many are saying "I'm switching to Corrie" but its only inevitable before they'll soon be saying "I'm switching to somet else" All soaps have their ups an downs, Corrie and indeed Emmerdale are up for now, how much longer that lasts on such a high output of episodes a week, remains to be seen.
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Old 17-02-2005, 10:30
soshalite
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I think it's a very good article. It's true what the columnist says about the way people used to talk about EE at work, on the bus, in shops etc....but what could you say about recent episodes? The only big/good story is getting rid of Den, and in my opinion they should never have resurrected him in the first place. It was unreal, and they never dealt with the practicalities (who is in his grave, wouldn't the police be interested? etc) which the Eastenders of old would definitely have done. I don't care about the new characters because they haven't made me care. Not in the way I cared about Sonia when she gave up Chloe...or Zoe when she found out that Kat was her Mum....or Peggy when she had to have a mastectomy....or Little Mo when she killed Trevor.....Do you know what I mean????
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Old 17-02-2005, 10:38
WalfordWill
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Originally Posted by soshalite
I think it's a very good article. It's true what the columnist says about the way people used to talk about EE at work, on the bus, in shops etc....but what could you say about recent episodes? The only big/good story is getting rid of Den, and in my opinion they should never have resurrected him in the first place. It was unreal, and they never dealt with the practicalities (who is in his grave, wouldn't the police be interested? etc) which the Eastenders of old would definitely have done. I don't care about the new characters because they haven't made me care. Not in the way I cared about Sonia when she gave up Chloe...or Zoe when she found out that Kat was her Mum....or Peggy when she had to have a mastectomy....or Little Mo when she killed Trevor.....Do you know what I mean????
Its true EastEnders hasn't been talked about like it used to be for a good while. Everyone is talking about Den's storyline at the moment though. Its true there are a lot of characters in Enders who people don't seem to care about.
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Old 17-02-2005, 10:52
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I know the website address has been attached but could someone find the article for me and attach accordingly. I just can't find it
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:02
ray76709
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Do you remember say 10 years ago everyone had time to meet up for social occasions etc...nowadays people dont have time to do things. why? because of soaps!
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:19
WalfordWill
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lol! I've never cancelled any dates or social gatherings because of the soaps, hello thats what vcrs are for. Howerver, tomorrow night I won't be going outside the door until 9pm and we all know who kills Den.
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:22
teenage-monkey
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There was always a big talk about Sharon and Dennis among people, is it right because there not really related, etc. I know a lot of people here hated it, but it was very much talked about.
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:24
Lippincote
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Originally Posted by Rovers Return
I know the website address has been attached but could someone find the article for me and attach accordingly. I just can't find it
I was initially baffled too, but use the link and then put Caitlin Moran in the search box (we can't paste in the whole article here due to copyright reasons).

The writer doesn't seem very well informed - she says the BBC "are going after Steve McFadden too". Did she write this a fortnight ago?
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:26
KidA
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Eastenders will never ever revert back to it's golden era of 20 million viewers but it is certainly possible for it to introduce some exciting new characters, dynamic storylines and intelligent, well written scripts.

Alas Jake & Danny might get the girls twitching but they're just a third rate Beppe & Gianni (I do like that comparison) and The Millers, well, they're hardly going to see the show on fire are they?

That article, for a broad sheet though, is full of inconsistences. Mike Reid always moaned about the work load and leaves the show whenever he feels like it. The real reason why most of the cast leave is because they get to big for their boots or they simply think that they'll be able to go on to do bigger and better things, such as the actress who plays Mel.

Yes 4 episodes a week is a lot of air time, that's around one hour and 55 minutes of screen time to fill a week. However Corrie wipes the floor with Enders in terms on intelligent scripts, dynamic characters and fresh storylines and still manage to churn out around 1 hour and 50 minutes a week.

I still go back to two people to blame for the decline of Eastenders. Mal Young and Louise Berridge.
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:30
Lippincote
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She makes some good points, but I don't agree with her that the BBC are 'heavyhanded' with stars who want time off. Possibly they used to be, but in the past year or so it seemed like 50% of the cast were having time off for various reasons. I think the problem is that the producers weren't hard enough - so that when other actors HAD to have time off because they were ill/pregnant, the cast list was decimated. (I don't for a moment think they sacked Barry because the actor wanted to do panto - they just wanted to get rid of him anyway.)
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:34
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Originally Posted by Lippincote
I was initially baffled too, but use the link and then put Caitlin Moran in the search box (we can't paste in the whole article here due to copyright reasons).

The writer doesn't seem very well informed - she says the BBC "are going after Steve McFadden too". Did she write this a fortnight ago?
Thanx for that. Have just read it and is quite true
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:39
Huch'net
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Originally Posted by KidA

That article, for a broad sheet though, is full of inconsistences.
Exactly its time to get off EastEnders back!

The people who write these articles have no idea what they are talking about, one of us on Digital Spy could write a better article!

On Talk Walford they have pointed the following out;


The most damning instance of mismanagement in this respect was the senseless, stupid waste of the relationship between Alfie (Shane Richie) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace). The couple, who had genuine chemistry, should have become the heart of the show — a Cockney Jack and Vera Duckworth behind the bar.
Instead, a series of rapes, blackmails and addictions have seen them wed and divorced in less than a year,


Does this woman watch the soap or is she just short of a few brain cells?


Gillian Taylforth has already signed a contract to return,

Oh breaking news from The Times, I urge them to learn abouts facts and rumours.

Indeed, the BBC doesn’t have prime-time adverts for EastEnders at the moment. It might still be the biggest-rating show, stripped across four nights a week and a mighty two-hour omnibus on Sunday but, as far as marketing is concerned, in 2005 EastEnders is something to keep quiet about.


DUH try turning on your television!!!!

This paper is rubbish, its probably re-printed most of the **** from the Sun!
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:46
Huch'net
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Oh and by the way the first broadcast was on the Tuesday 19th February 1985, not the 16th...... :yawn:

And no I am not saying “I’m switching to Corrie” are we sure this isn't another article from Ann Montini face?
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:52
Lippincote
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Originally Posted by Huch'net
The people who write these articles have no idea what they are talking about, one of us on Digital Spy could write a better article!
In this particular case, I agree, she is not a good journalist (I've heard of her before) and it reminds me why I never read the Times any more, as you say it's just the Sun with knobs on. There have been some good articles about EE though, for example by Jim Shelley and Katherine Flett.

On Talk Walford they have pointed the following out;


The most damning instance of mismanagement in this respect was the senseless, stupid waste of the relationship between Alfie (Shane Richie) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace). The couple, who had genuine chemistry, should have become the heart of the show — a Cockney Jack and Vera Duckworth behind the bar.
Instead, a series of rapes, blackmails and addictions have seen them wed and divorced in less than a year,


Does this woman watch the soap or is she just short of a few brain cells?
I'm not sure what you mean here? That was one of the few points where I agree with her!

She was wrong about Gillian T and Steve McF though. I am not at all surprised. It sounds like even sloppier research than usual, but I can remember a case where a Times journo just replicated a press release from an organisation word for word without checking if the facts were correct (they weren't) and then refused to apologise or look into it.
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Old 17-02-2005, 11:56
Huch'net
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Kat & Alfie are not divorced though! It should have been seperated..
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:11
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true....and too bring them back, oh. Would have expected better from the times....
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:12
beee
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Well, some bits of that rang true, but the bit about stars being bigger than the show? Caitlin, dearie, a soap is an ensemble cast, everyone is important. So if one 'star' decides they want to ruin the producer's plans for the next 12 months to go off and do adverts or something, they've got every right to sack them. Look at Leslie Grantham - he was barely back through the door before he started slagging off his co-stars. Who wants to work with an obnoxious moron like that?

For what it's worth (ie - not a lot ), I just think they need to calm down after Den's demise, and let us get to know the characters. No sensational plotlines, no big deaths - just realism. Unfortunately, with the return of Phil, we're going to get anything but...
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:19
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Originally Posted by Lippincote
I was initially baffled too, but use the link and then put Caitlin Moran in the search box (we can't paste in the whole article here due to copyright reasons).

The writer doesn't seem very well informed - she says the BBC "are going after Steve McFadden too". Did she write this a fortnight ago?
or just type eastenders in
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:20
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kathy has not signed a contract has she?!
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:20
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Here is the link to get straight to the article

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFr...485459,00.html
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:23
beee
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Originally Posted by animal_lover
kathy has not signed a contract has she?!
Not as far as anyone's aware - I think, as Huch'net says, she's confusing rumour with fact
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:24
Lippincote
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Originally Posted by Huch'net
Kat & Alfie are not divorced though! It should have been seperated..
Oh okay. But to be fair the next storyline WAS for them to get divorced (before JY arrived)

No Gillian has not signed a contract, the piece has quite a few inaccuries.
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Old 17-02-2005, 12:59
Wisteria
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I think the article is pretty harsh in places and incorrect.
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