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EastEnders: Which characters do you actually give a toss about? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 243
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EastEnders: Which characters do you actually give a toss about?
I've watched EastEnders for years, was really into it when it first started, but I've gotta say of the current cast I don't think I actually care two hoots about any of them, with the exception being Pam Coker who until recently has always put on a smile for everyone but is now struggling with Paul's accusations.
The hallmark of a great soap is that you really care about its characters and in years gone by I can honestly say I did: Pauline and Arthur Fowler, Lofty, Angie Watts, punk Mary, Cindy Beale, David Wicks, Frank and Pat Butcher. But these days everyone seems so unrealistically sour and bitter I just don't care about any of them. If you met any of them in real life you wouldn't give them the time of day. I blame the superficial writing and the shambolic plot structuring, realistic human emotion and plausible psychological development being sacrificed for shallow sensationalism every time. Yet with four episodes a week you think they'd have more time to credibly explore complex character interactions and developments. But obviously not so. The UK soaps seem to be in a dire state at the moment. Really apparent if you lived through the glory days of the late 80's/early 90's. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 553
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Not many.
Dot, Pam, Sonia Sharon (but only because of previous good will). Will be looking forward to Kathy though. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 31,192
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Easier to say those I don't give a toss about Shirley, Dean, Lee, Whitney, Vincent, Cora and Fatboy.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 11,177
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Only about 5.
Patrick, Denise, Carol, Pam, Jay. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Emmerdale
Posts: 4,290
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None bunch of DeadEnders lol
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: London
Posts: 9,411
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Not many, actually.
In fact, the only ones I really care about are the ones I've watched for many years: Ian, Sharon, Phil and Dot. Kat and Janine, both recently departed, are also two characters I can say I actually care about. I'd probably add Stacey and Patrick to that list too. The likes of Pauline, Pat, and Frank are sadly long gone. I can't say I really care for any characters that have been introduced in the last 5-10 years. Ronnie Mitchell is often held up as a "complex, layered character" but she is honestly the clearest example of the lazy writing that has plagued EastEnders (and all soaps) in the last decade. Ronnie was purposely designed as a tragic heroine; she was created so that audiences would feel sorry for her after they threw endless horrible situations at her. In the old days of EastEnders the writers didn't need to employ such cheap tricks to make a character likeable or sympathetic - it took realistic writing to make characters like Pauline Fowler or Sharon Watts likeable precisely because of their "ordinariness". When bad things happened to them you actually cared, because they felt real. You just don't get characters like that any more. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
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Sharon and Denny mostly, last carriers of the Watts flame.
Patrick and Denise too. Probably Dot for old times sake.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,744
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All of the long term characters (80s and 90s characters), Denise and Stacey.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 243
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Quote:
In the old days of EastEnders the writers didn't need to employ such cheap tricks to make a character likeable or sympathetic - it took realistic writing to make characters like Pauline Fowler or Sharon Watts likeable precisely because of their "ordinariness". When bad things happened to them you actually cared, because they felt real. You just don't get characters like that any more.
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#10 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,648
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Sharon, Cindy, Denise, Whitney... erm...
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 31,001
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Quite a few...Linda, Nancy, Tam, Shirley, Stacey, Billy, Jay, Masood, Dot, Denise and Patrick.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
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I think they're too hooked on surprises and OMG moments, so everyone becomes more cartoon like and stop being real.
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#13 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 243
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Quote:
I think they're too hooked on surprises and OMG moments, so everyone becomes more cartoon like and stop being real.
Phil Mitchell is a prime example: zero character development despite all that's happened to him. Well, ever since the writers turned him into Grant Mitchell when Ross Kemp left. He was a nice guy originally. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Plymouth Devon
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The Mitchell's. Denise . Mick and Linda . Carol. Stacey. Ian and Jane. Kim and Vincent. Shirley .Cindy. Whitney. Masood.
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#15 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
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Quote:
Yep, we're watching cartoon characters now, not real developing human beings.
Phil Mitchell is a prime example: zero character development despite all that's happened to him. Well, ever since the writers turned him into Grant Mitchell when Ross Kemp left. He was a nice guy originally. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7,564
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The Mitchells, Cindy, the Carters apart from ****ing Shirley and Dean, Shabnam, Whitney, Tamwar.
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#17 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
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MyLauren, MyCindy, Jay, Patrick.
It's far, far easier to classify the ones that I absolutely despise: Claudette Paul Pam Carmel Cora Cora Liam Cora Fatboy Janet Rapey The Shirley Creature McBeale Murderous Bob Libby - I really couldn't detest Libby any more than I do. Horrible Sharon Happy Carol Cora Then there's the ones I'm ambivalent about: Les Phil Bitchell Beale Roxy Queen Ron Kush Tamwar Masood. I range from loathing him when he's playing the nice guy, to absolutely loving him when he's violent and drunk and beating his own son. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,425
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All of the Masoods, especially Tamwar.
Nancy and Lee Denise, Patrick and Kim Fatboy I like most of the characters but the ones listed above, are the ones that I properly care about. |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 13,401
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Tracey, Marie and Jo
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#20 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Winter is coming.
Posts: 13,323
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I've changed my mind. I don't care about Jay or Patrick. Only MyLauren, and MyCindy.
Thanks. |
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: The kitchen, eating a biscuit
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Stacey, Martin, Max, Carol, Mick, Linda, Lee, Whitney, Ian, Jane, Phil, Sharon, Jay, Ben, Kathy, Roxy, Patrick and Denise.
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#22 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 12,992
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Phil. He's the one I'd be most gutted about leaving for whatever reason.
I don't think I'd care nearly as much if anyone else departed. The writers do a slightly better job at making the younger characters feel real than the adults. Jay behaves normally and I felt that Abi and Lauren were believable as slightly spoilt teenage siblings...well, if you ignore Lauren trying to kill her dad. |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 728
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Patrick.
Sharon Ian Jane Phil Ronnie Roxy Tamwar Masood Carol Abi Dot Kat Jay Billy |
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#24 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 83
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Patrick, Denise, the Mitchells, Shabnam.
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 43,573
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Carol, Billy, Ian, Jay, Patrick.
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Patrick and Denise too. Probably Dot for old times sake.