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EE - Block Storytelling


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Old 10-08-2015, 13:39
Kat_Alfie
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I'm finding it really hard to invest in storylines now because of Block Storytelling. Characters go missing for weeks or months and only come back for their storylines.

Few examples:

The Carters
Mick and Linda are taking a backseat but I don't want them to be at the background for ages.

Lee's depression storyline..... Lee hasn't been onscreen for a month now and he's not credited in the next 2 weeks according to the cast lists. How are we meant to follow his depression storyline?

Shirley, Dean and Mick - it's still dragging on and on and they need to find out about Dean.

The Mitchells
Sharon's dad - we have heard about her father for 6 months but do we need to wait that long to meet her dad?

Ronnie, Roxy and Charlie - it's so tedious and it's boring to watch Ronnie getting jealous of Charlie and Roxy all the time.

This is just a few examples but I'm fed up of Block Storytelling.

Anyone else feel the same? I don;t get too excited about EE anymore because one week, it's all about the Masoods and the following week, the Masoods are offscreen and it's the Carters' big week.
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Old 10-08-2015, 14:17
Rich_Wilson
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I've got to admit - I find this very frustrating with EastEnders at the moment.

Take the Ronnie/Roxy/Charlie storyline for instance. Ronnie set up the CCTV, was practically stalking them both - then the story just dropped and we saw nothing of them for weeks. I found that really annoying.

And like you said about Lee's storyline - It started, now we haven't seen him.

I wish they could remain consistent with characters and their storylines. If they feel they have too many characters and cant spread them all out with their storylines 'evenly' - then get rid of some!!! Dean can be the start of that list!!

That said, the quality of entertainment has greatly improved these last few weeks! Loving it at the moment.
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Old 10-08-2015, 14:43
Dan-Bevis
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I like and don't like it - it depends on the characters and storylines, but yes, I wholeheartedly agree on the Lee Depression story [for one] losing impact because of it. Even the Lucy Beale plot disappeared for a good while after the reveal.

There needs to be a better balance because, of course, the actors deserve their time off, but certain storylines do need to be on-screen on a near consistent basis for the 'pay off' to deliver [issue based stories in particular, perhaps].

The Stacey / Jean / Sean key storyline has also been dangling for, what, over a year now with no real development [other than Stacey getting a nasty 'NO COMMENT' like rebuttal from confronting Jean over the key]? I hope that's resolved this year...
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Old 10-08-2015, 14:52
Gnomsie
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I agree. It didn't bother me at first but its really starting to annoy me now.

It's the length of time storylines vanish for. I would be happy with it being a week or two. Or even if the character appeared with subtle hints at the ongoing storyline. But I feel like they just disappear for weeks on end, And I forget about the storyline. I forgot about Lee, and I forgot about Stacey and her key. The show will just be starting to really grab my interest, then the storyline will dropped.
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Old 10-08-2015, 15:03
Adrian_Ward1
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Can be annoying Characters appear then they dissappear.
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Old 10-08-2015, 16:04
writer_composer
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DTC needs to get rid of Alex Lamb, his story production is terrible with all this story blocking - what makes EE so great is definitely family, which DTC has brought back, but then also the interweaving storylines and the interlinking characters between these families.
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Old 10-08-2015, 22:20
sqwidge1978
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A lot of the block storytelling will be down to BBC budget cuts, as the actors are paid in an episode by episode basis, so they limit themselves to around 16 actors per episode.
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Old 10-08-2015, 22:39
Jimmy Connors
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Can be annoying Characters appear then they dissappear.
Indeed. Paul finally told Les about Pam being in the know about his 'affair' (most of last week was about them) ........ and then tonight they're not even in it.
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Old 10-08-2015, 23:43
enderforever07
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Just wish they tell us who sharonsn dad is!
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Old 10-08-2015, 23:47
Penny Crayon
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Where is Kathy Beale? Why did she turn up out of the blue only to disappear again?
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Old 10-08-2015, 23:50
enderforever07
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I'm sure all will be revealed next week when she returns
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Old 11-08-2015, 00:02
imawotsit
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Shirley, Buster and the rest of the Carters don't necessarily *need* to find out about Dean. The thing that's been emphasised on since the beginning was that they want the rape storyline to be realistic, and in reality the majority of rapes don't get resolved and victims of sexual abuse don't get closure. Shirley and Buster can come close to realising, but I highly doubt they'll get to the point of actually accepting it and admitting that their son is a rapist.
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Old 11-08-2015, 00:09
Peg ODwyer
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Indeed. Paul finally told Les about Pam being in the know about his 'affair' (most of last week was about them) ........ and then tonight they're not even in it.
I find it very frustrating, when they do this to any of the families, I hate being left on a cliffhanger, but by the time it comes back on the show, I've forgotten half of it.
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Old 11-08-2015, 02:32
firefly_irl
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I also dislike it, I lose interest in storylines when they're dragged out for such a ridiculous length of time. Then I have that "oh yeah" them moment when they eventually appear again.
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Old 11-08-2015, 03:59
Jimmy Connors
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I find it very frustrating, when they do this to any of the families, I hate being left on a cliffhanger, but by the time it comes back on the show, I've forgotten half of it.
You're right. When they do resurrect the story I have a struggle to remember what has passed - never mind regain the feel for the story.
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Old 11-08-2015, 09:07
curvybabes
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I wouldn't mind if it was just the odd storyline but it's nearly ever one, it's too much your just getting into a story and it vanishes for months on end.
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Old 11-08-2015, 09:11
bwfcol
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The Lee story is an insult to mental health campaigners & sufferers. From a show that did brilliantly to convey Stacey/Jean's issues & Ian's breakdown, a 2 episode depression storyline that now appears solved and hasn't been mentioned in weeks. Awful.
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Old 11-08-2015, 09:21
elliecat
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Where is Kathy Beale? Why did she turn up out of the blue only to disappear again?
I reckon the return in "Live week" was done at the last minute to boost ratings and wasn't planned which is why her return has taken so long.
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Old 11-08-2015, 09:24
Adrian_Ward1
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Where is Kathy Beale? Why did she turn up out of the blue only to disappear again?
You will See her soon
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Old 11-08-2015, 09:25
Adrian_Ward1
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The Lee story is an insult to mental health campaigners & sufferers. From a show that did brilliantly to convey Stacey/Jean's issues & Ian's breakdown, a 2 episode depression storyline that now appears solved and hasn't been mentioned in weeks. Awful.
Its a Silly thing as the storyline was just beginning
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Old 11-08-2015, 15:13
little-monster
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I don't mind because

I am not impatient
I like working out what could happen whle i wait
and I don't need everything to be spoon fed to me as a viewer.

However Ronnie's storylines have only taken too long to develop because of Sam Womack coming and going. In the time she was away, it all went on the back burner and so many other storylines were formed, that by the time she came back, they have just found it hard where to place it among everything else.

I do often find certain scenes in episodes are oddly placed and should be used at later or earlier episodes. I have said this in previous threads and have found it to happen a lot since DTC took over. A recent example is last week's mini story with the baby competition.
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Old 12-08-2015, 11:51
Ozcabs
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Dot Cotton in prison is annoying me
Her 30th year & one of the shows best loved & popular characters, and she's been shut away for most of the year - June Brown gives comedy gold as Dot, we've not had one laugh from her this year due to this boring prison saga

Get her out & keep her to light & comedic storylines please!
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Old 12-08-2015, 12:04
vaslav37
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Dot Cotton in prison is annoying me
Her 30th year & one of the shows best loved & popular characters, and she's been shut away for most of the year - June Brown gives comedy gold as Dot, we've not had one laugh from her this year due to this boring prison saga

Get her out & keep her to light & comedic storylines please!
I agree but I guess June Brown wanted a quiet year this year.
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Old 12-08-2015, 12:52
soap-lea
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I reckon the return in "Live week" was done at the last minute to boost ratings and wasn't planned which is why her return has taken so long.
How did it boost ratings?

But yes it a suprise thing and because of that they couldnt storyline or write for kathy till the suprise aired
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Old 12-08-2015, 17:07
Robert_Whippy
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I'm personally a fan I welcome the break

I remember in newmans era we had only one storyline for each episode until that story finished. Got bored of the LAUREN drinking storyline because of it. I think if it was done in block storylines, I wouldn't hve got bored
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