DS Forums

 
 

Is Bryan Kirkwood's killing of Pat Butcher the biggest mistake in soap history?


View Poll Results: Is Bryan Kirkwood's killing of Pat Butcher the biggest mistake in soap history?
Yes 62 72.09%
No 24 27.91%
Voters: 86. You can't vote on this poll right now - are you signed in?

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 18-10-2014, 15:42
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,401
I'd agree that bringing Bobby back from the dead was probably the worst mistake in soap history because it opened the door for equally moronic plots. I understand why they did it and yes it increased the ratings for a few months but it was a huge mistake in my view. But then i'm part of the minority that actually really enjoyed the dream season and thought it was a better show without him.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 18-10-2014, 15:54
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,401
I realise that Wendy Richard's death meant that Pauline would have had to have gone soon afterwards anyway but leaving that aside I actually think killing Pauline off was a bigger mistake than Pat. I meand she hadn't even asked for a Break, just said she didn't think Pauline would remarry and persona"ly I think she was right about that.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 16:00
Louise_Hart
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,634
I realise that Wendy Richard's death meant that Pauline would have had to have gone soon afterwards anyway but leaving that aside I actually think killing Pauline off was a bigger mistake than Pat. I meand she hadn't even asked for a Break, just said she didn't think Pauline would remarry and persona"ly I think she was right about that.
It was even more terrible how they turned her into a complete cow in the end, she even lied about having cancer worse than the Pat thing.
Louise_Hart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 16:05
Hit Em Up Style
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Cell Block H
Posts: 11,878
I realise that Wendy Richard's death meant that Pauline would have had to have gone soon afterwards anyway but leaving that aside I actually think killing Pauline off was a bigger mistake than Pat. I meand she hadn't even asked for a Break, just said she didn't think Pauline would remarry and persona"ly I think she was right about that.
Wendy was right. Tony Jordan was still storyline consultant. He even created Joe so I'm surprised he took the character down that route.

I think the only way Pauline would have left the square was by dying but the whole thing was just so shoddy. From making Pauline so nasty so her actual death which was cringe. It should have been handled so much better.
Hit Em Up Style is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 16:12
Louise_Hart
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,634
Wendy was right. Tony Jordan was still storyline consultant. He even created Joe so I'm surprised he took the character down that route.

I think the only way Pauline would have left the square was by dying but the whole thing was just so shoddy. From making Pauline so nasty so her actual death which was cringe. It should have been handled so much better.
you may wanna watch through your fingers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cEnowIrrsE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAro9F-ZLg8
Louise_Hart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 18:11
bass55
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: London
Posts: 9,406
Yes. Easily the most stupid, baffling and pointless decision ever made by a soap producer. There was literally no reason to kill Pat off. I get angry just thinking about it
bass55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 18:16
james_killroy
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1,180
The way Wendy Richard was treated was a ****ing disgrace! You know what the worst thing was? the fact they had a fire story so the Fowler house was messed up. Wendy took great pride in making sure that set was always looking clean and perfect. They stuck two fingers up to her and the even bigger insult was the fruit bowl being smashed. That was another thing Wendy took great pleasure in making was always on the table at all times as Julia Smith made a point of saying thats where it had to be and it was a bowl Julia herself brought in from home. The fact they had Pauline smash it beggers belief.
james_killroy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 18:16
sally_bowles
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,264
i suspect the death of pat for eastenders viewers is the biggest mistake in soap history, but for soaps in general the biggest mistake in soap history has to be the axing of martha longhurst in cs.
sally_bowles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 18:33
Hildaonpluto
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 23,724
I think you'll find that the biggest mistake in soap history was the axing of Poppy Meadow

I wish the beautiful Rachel Bright was back on TV
She may make an appearance at next years Edinburgh fringe given how much praise she received at this years fringe so go to Edinburgh next year if you want to see the beautiful Rachel Bright again!
Hildaonpluto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 18:39
Cal_Scream2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,701
No. It was a mistake but i understand why the decision was made at the timme. Pa. Asked to leave. Whether she made her intention for it to be temporary clear isn'( really known. It is all well and good Barbara Windsor going on record as saying that that she only wanted a break but was that communicated to Kirkwood at the time? If it wasn't, if she actually resigned then he was assuming it was for good and really why would Pat leave Ricky, Bianca and the kids of her own free will? I can see why the decision was made to kill her off and I think they did it well.

I loved Pat but person*lly think killing Kathy and especially Cindy off screen were bigger mistakes.
She'd jetted off to New Zealand a few times in her last few years - that could have happened again.
Cal_Scream2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 20:24
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,401
Wendy was right. Tony Jordan was still storyline consultant. He even created Joe so I'm surprised he took the character down that route.

I think the only way Pauline would have left the square was by dying but the whole thing was just so shoddy. From making Pauline so nasty so her actual death which was cringe. It should have been handled so much better.
Yes I agree with you and Louise - the character assination they did on her last few months was appalling and actually c*me across as spiteful in the part of the writers.

I think death was the only way to srite both Pauline and Pat out really. Although they did both have children abroad they could have gone to, it would have been out of character for both of them to leave the family that remained in the Square. The mistake they made with Pauline was taking her down a path that was so wrong Richards felt she needed to leave.

I'. Not as down on Kirkwood for killing off Pat as many as I do think it would have been unbelievable for her to have abandoned Bianca and the kids so understand why he felt he had to kill her off when St Clement asked to leave. And as I've saud before, has it ever been officially stated that St Clement made it clear she just wanted a break or was itt a case that she didn't want to sign a new contract but was thinking to herself she would like the door to be left open for a return someday?
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 20:26
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,401
She'd jetted off to New Zealand a few times in her last few years - that could have happened again.
If it had been made clear to the Producers tgat she only wanted a break and we don't know it was.

Jetting off for a holiday is one thing but personally I don't think that Pat would have left Bianca, Ricky and the kids longterm but that's just my perception of the character.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 20:59
Hildaonpluto
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 23,724
Yes I agree with you and Louise - the character assination they did on her last few months was appalling and actually c*me across as spiteful in the part of the writers.

I think death was the only way to srite both Pauline and Pat out really. Although they did both have children abroad they could have gone to, it would have been out of character for both of them to leave the family that remained in the Square. The mistake they made with Pauline was taking her down a path that was so wrong Richards felt she needed to leave.

I'. Not as down on Kirkwood for killing off Pat as many as I do think it would have been unbelievable for her to have abandoned Bianca and the kids so understand why he felt he had to kill her off when St Clement asked to leave. And as I've saud before, has it ever been officially stated that St Clement made it clear she just wanted a break or was itt a case that she didn't want to sign a new contract but was thinking to herself she would like the door to be left open for a return someday?

She may have done if Simon needed her?
Hildaonpluto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2014, 23:16
Keyser_Soze1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Sixth Circle of Hell
Posts: 20,174
She was treated like all the other legends, Den, Angie, Steve, Pauline, Kathy, Cindy etc.

Like total shit.

The only cast member who is totally bulletproof is the torrent of Philth - just why escapes me.
Keyser_Soze1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 00:45
Kim_x
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,444
If Pam didn't only want a break, then no, however the rushed cancer plot and Derek Branning domination were. It could have been done well like Hayley's in CS and Donna's in ED, even though neither of those actually died of the cancer.
Kim_x is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 11:23
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,401
If Pam didn't only want a break, then no, however the rushed cancer plot and Derek Branning domination were. It could have been done well like Hayley's in CS and Donna's in ED, even though neither of those actually died of the cancer.
I didn't really onject to it being so quick as that can happen - it happened to my Aunt last year. She was diagnosed with Lung and liver Cancer on Thursday and died the flowing Monday - 5 days. If people ignore their symptons, thinking they are something else as happened with both my Aunt and Pat (pat thought it was to do with her heart iirc) then it can be that quick. But I accept that dramatically it might not have been the best way to do it. And the shoe Horning of the Brannings (Derek primarily but also Tany) into her final episode was dreadful and a sign of where things were going the following 18 months - Brannings involved in everything.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 11:35
LightMeUp
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Somewhere else
Posts: 1,348
Oh I miss Pat. She was always sobering, gave a sense of perspective to half the more stubborn annoying characters.

I get the feeling they're trying to create a new 'Pat' with Elaine to he honest.
LightMeUp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 11:52
Broken_Arrow
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Suck it
Posts: 7,764
It's the biggest mistake in recent memory but you could easily add it to the list of EastEnders mistakes when it comes to unnecessary deaths. I can come to terms with most of the deaths but Pat's sticks out as particularly idiotic given how low on the ground matriarchal characters with decades of on screen and off screen ties to Albert Square are still alive.

I'd have to say putting Kate Harwood in charge in 2005 and Bryan Kirkwood in 2010 were the biggest mistakes. They butchered (pardon the pun) EastEnders in so many ways.
Broken_Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 12:05
lou_123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,918
I realise that Wendy Richard's death meant that Pauline would have had to have gone soon afterwards anyway but leaving that aside I actually think killing Pauline off was a bigger mistake than Pat. I meand she hadn't even asked for a Break, just said she didn't think Pauline would remarry and persona"ly I think she was right about that.
The trouble is with EE and the BBC is they kill off good characters purely for sensationalism! Or axe the good actors! Leslie Grantham axed for something stupid, and Den killed off, Angie Kathy Cindy killed off screen, Meslissa Suffield (a real good actress who played Lucy right, and had so much potential) axed, Pat and Pauline killed off!

Khali Best as Dexter Hartman:

Behaved like a thug
Punches a taxi driver
Gets caught smoking weed

'Come back Khali, you and Dexter are icons'

It really pisses me the **** off!
lou_123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 12:11
dee123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 22,432
No. The world of soaps doesn't center on EE.
dee123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2014, 12:25
Hit Em Up Style
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Cell Block H
Posts: 11,878
The trouble is with EE and the BBC is they kill off good characters purely for sensationalism! Or axe the good actors! Leslie Grantham axed for something stupid, and Den killed off, Angie Kathy Cindy killed off screen, Meslissa Suffield (a real good actress who played Lucy right, and had so much potential) axed, Pat and Pauline killed off!

Khali Best as Dexter Hartman:

Behaved like a thug
Punches a taxi driver
Gets caught smoking weed

'Come back Khali, you and Dexter are icons'

It really pisses me the **** off!
I would imagine Khali is on his final warning. In the case of Melissa it was reported she had been given several final warnings already and didn't listen to them. The straw which broke the camels back was tweets she made about still being 'slightly' drunk while filming aided with pictures of her with alcohol and another image which I think we all know about. I imagine there was no way back after that given she was underage. So she only has herself to blame.
Hit Em Up Style is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 20:46.