I used to love Bryan Kirkwood's era in Hollyoaks in 2006-2009. But since he returned to the show in 2013, I stopped being a regular viewer. I still occassionally watch Hollyoaks but I don't find the storylines interesting now. Brayan Kirkwood seems obsessed with stunts/explosions and he has ruined some popular characters.

Do you think we need a new Hollyoaks producer? It's like BK wanted to wipe out everything that happened in 2010 onwards.

Thoughts?

I think there needs to be TWO producers.

One to handle the pace of plots like the rape, domestics abuse, body plot with Jason Roscoe, Darren Osbourne's heart problems and the transgender stories. While handling character development solely on their characteristics and not the next big story.

While the current producer does the stunts but makes us care about why they are happening with a much slower pace and mourning period!

Definitely. The show's never been as bad as it is now.

Yes...

no! they just won best soap! I don't think that he needs to go . I love hollyoaks there hasn't been a stunt or explision for a month or two.

think there was so many in such a short space cos he needed to clear out the past to get it back on track and better in future. they won the soap award for best soap so it appears to be working.

cant't see him being sacked anytime soon

well if the show is so bad at the moment then why did it win best soap? I agree that its not at its best recently but obviously someone does

The show has gone beyond help.

I think being at EE taught Bryan how to produce a rubbish soap.

I think it can always be salvaged. It was really bad when Lucy Allan was in charge, and when Emma Smithwick made the teens the focus, but it turned around. They just need to take their time with plots, axe a lot of the people who can't act (most of the cast...), get some good new actors and stop with the sensationalism and stunts.

But if they can't measure their success by winning a soap award for the first time ever and ratings increasing, how can they?

That's the problem - they probably won't ever change things because they have no real reason to.

I don't know actually Ready. Sure, it was rubbish in the Allan and Smithwick eras, but they still had loads of good, likeable characters back then. That's why people cared, and chatted about the show on here passionately - they were frustrated that great characters were being wasted and they wanted to see that changed. Now, what's left? Who hasn't been completely trashed? Maybe Ste and Tony? Not much to rebuild a show around.

Anyway, it's academic. I don't believe Bryan Kirkwood will go anywhere, and nothing will change. It's a shame.

I agree - even during those times I still enjoyed the show because of certain elements. I just mean that I don't think the show's ever beyond repair. Look at what PM did - he cast Rachel Shenton, Emmett Scanlan, Bronagh Waugh and Karen Hassan and they all became massively popular. It might take a lot of time to turn the show around, but I think it can be done.

I'm just praying that BK will decide he wants to ruin Emmerdale as well (sorry Emmerdale.)

Multiple voting from a younger viewer base of other soaps as well as the daily plea for votes at the end of every episode.

Emmerdale already had Stuart Blackburn try to destroy it. It has suffered enough

Ain't this the truth. What's the point without good characters you care about? Sadly it seems many people like mindless fireworks.

But BK needs to go somewhere

I do enjoy certain aspects of BK's current era. Blessing's storyline has been handled really well so far and I've enjoy most of the rape storyline (I think they went too far when Finn swapped the notes at court) and Katy's health problems/death was brilliantly told. I also think that the Maxine's domestic violence story and the bipolar plot with Cindy are really well acted and shown.

However, there are then stories and characters such as Grace and Trevor who, for me, bring the show down as I don't really care for them. If it had been Clare and Trevor I would have cared more as Clare was a brilliant character. I wanted to see more of her with Fraser and think his murder storyline would be much more interesting if Clare was involved.

For me, BK really needs to concentrate on making the audience have an emotional connection with characters and stories. This is something Emma Smithwick said was key to the show and she was/is right! For example, the Blast was poor as I didn't care about the characters who died and felt no emotional connection, while Jim's death did not affect me as, by that time, if been desensitised to death. Furthermore, as I'm not invested in the characters as much as I used to be, the 'shocks' the writers and producers keep throwing at us aren't as good as those that ES gave us. BK should also focus on aftermath or then there's no point in telling the stories. However I feel that he believes that he has a winning formula so he'll probably never change. Therefore, maybe a new producer who understood this might be better.

He can stay the hell away from Emmerdale, thanks. I love it far too much to have him anywhere near it.

Anyway, after the EE disaster, I honestly can't see anyone else letting him ru(i)n a show. Which is bad news for HO, but excellent news for Dalers.

Maybe he can try his luck at medical dramas - Holby City? There's a lot of destruction and death. He'll fit right in

I'm surprised a soap even hired him again after EE.

eta: I'm now imagining the hospital overrun with shit gangsters.

You won't be able to escape them. All the staff will be secret killers and drug dealers too.

Cheryl was on the show long before PM, Karen was also originally cast in 2008 but it was obviously PM's decision to bring her back

Oops sorry, my mistake!

I watch the show on rare occasions, but to me it's now beyond repair, it's just been horrendous for so long now. The last time I actually enjoyed it was during Esther's bullying, and even THAT had a terrible ending