I know this is a big what if, but let's say one of the biggest EE flops of the last decade actually turned out well, do you think the Masoods would've been brought in as a new Asian family in 2007? Obviously this is assuming several things were different - such as making the Ferreiras more realistic, the kids being better actors, introducing a full time matriarch (rather than Madhur Jaffrey in a guest role), the guy playing the dad not having visa troubles and the initial plot were they killed him going ahead.

That isn't to say there can't be two Asian families in Albert Square at the same time (the Truemans and Foxes have proven to be the most long running black families and have pretty much merged into one), but I remember reading when the Masoods were conceived, about how they were the first Asian family since the unsuccessful Ferreiras, so there was possibly some questions about whether they'd would make the same mistakes.

Of course Nina and Nitin are fantastic actors and the family proved to be a big hit in 2010 (look at how some people on here still want Zainab to return) so pretty much everyone forgot about how badly EE mucked up with the previous Asian characters.

But I wonder what could've happened alternatively, if the Ferreiras turned out to be a memorable set of characters, not one the reasons why EE ratings slumped in 2004.

Depends how succesful. I personally liked them and thought they were good but most people just didn't seem to want to accept them and I think jumped on the bangwagon against them.

If they had lasted a long time than I doubt they would have bought the Masoods in as well but they might have done. I think the Ferreirars were a lot better than the Masoods and I think people only were interested in the Masoods because of the Syed being gay storyline. It delved into a taboo side and an unknown side too and I think people were curious in how a muslim family would deal with that kind of situation.

Zainab did my head in in general and I don't miss her one bit. I personally liked the original Shabnam more too.

Probably not

Interesting topic... I think its really hard to say.

If the Ferreiras were a successful asian family and stayed until (and beyond) when the Masoods would have been introduced then maybe the Masoods would have never been written, instead we might have even seen a couple more Ferreiras added.

On the other hand when a family is written they often have their main story planned from the word go, I am not sure if that applies to the Syed homosexuality storyline but if that was always on the cards then even if the Ferreiras were still in the show the Masoods may have still been tailor made and introduced for the kind of plans they wanted.

I wonder if Nina and Nitin would've been introduced as extended parts of the Ferreiras had that family panned out well. For some reason I always imagined Preeya Kalidas (Amira) making it to EE, she might have been a cousin to them or something if again things turned out better. I saw her in the West End musical Bombay Dreams in 2002 and thought she'd be really interesting in a soap. She sang that Shakalaka Baby song which was part of the show's soundtrack.