DS Forums

 
 

EastEnders: how does this year compare to other eras?


View Poll Results: How does 2015 EastEnders compare against other periods?
Absolutely phenomenal - on par with the likes of 2001 1 1.67%
Good (as, for example, 2002/03, 2005, latter half of 2007) 12 20.00%
Average - nothing spectacular but watchable enough 8 13.33%
Poor 12 20.00%
Horrific (as 2006, 2011 - '13) 14 23.33%
It's been of variable quality throughout the year so too patchy to judge 13 21.67%
Can't say till the year's out 0 0%
Voters: 60. You can't vote on this poll right now - are you signed in?

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 09-11-2015, 15:10
Doctor Bench
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Posts: 3,298

Now that 2015's drawing to a close, how would you say it's compared when up against other years? Has this been a particularly great or poor era for you, or somewhere in the middle?
Doctor Bench is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 09-11-2015, 15:16
bass55
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: London
Posts: 9,413
2015 has been a year of severe peaks and troughs. The good bits have been better than 2014, but the bad bits have been worse than 2014.

That's how I would sum it up so far. I'll give it until the end of the year until I come to a proper judgement. However, I will say that I find this current era to be the most watchable the show has been since at least 2010.
bass55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 15:32
vald
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 31,002
It's been dreadful, with a few good episodes thanks to Kat, Shabs and Pam and Les.

I'm struggling to find anyone I like anymore, and as for Kathy's return/Maxs trial....two of the most ridiculous things they've ever tried, and failed, to pull off.
vald is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 17:29
joe gillott
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Master of all fit EE males
Posts: 6,529
Poor/horrific. In some ways i find dtc WORSE then BK or LN just in VERY DIFFERENT ways. He has really been showing and worsening the cracks in his era and alot are just so big they just can't be excused like the ruination if pretty much every single character on the show for just one of many.
joe gillott is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 17:40
0...0
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: I like to singy singy singy...
Posts: 17,667
Peaks and troughs. Some really good episodes, a few dull periods and some strange decisions that do long term damage to the show.
0...0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 17:43
Foxster Hotpot
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Martin Fowler
Posts: 11,362
For 2015 alone I have voted Average but if it included 2014 and DTC's whole era I would have voted for good. Nowhere near as bad as 2011-13 but I wouldnt say this year has been one of the best for a variety of reasons.
Foxster Hotpot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 19:23
miaow_sponge
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,550
Peaks and troughs. Some really good episodes, a few dull periods and some strange decisions that do long term damage to the show.
As one of my favourite and funny posters, I'm interested in what you think the strange decisions are
miaow_sponge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 19:37
NoughtiesMusic
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North of England
Posts: 14,124
Inconsistent largely due to block storytelling, but there has been quality episodes and storylines this year. Overall, not a patch on EE's best years but still much better better than the worst years.
NoughtiesMusic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 19:43
J-B
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Winter is coming.
Posts: 13,324
This year has been absolutely awful. Having MyLauren and MyCindy cruelly taken away by disgraced Eastenders boss DTC? Disgusting. Utterly disgusting.
J-B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 19:55
big dan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,257
Shambolic fan-fic. DTC and his cronies seem to have forgotten (despite the centrepiece of his leadership to date being the 30th Anniversary) that the show and the characters within existed long before him and will long after he's gone. Yes for a while he made the Beales more relevant than they'd been in years, but now big whoop - they're obliterated as a family and what's left is a despicable mess. And that's just for a starters. I still watch to pass the time and it's entertaining enough, but I think those days are numbered for me.
big dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 20:06
Yoshi Fan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: The end of time.
Posts: 12,104
Only the first two months of the year, with the climax to the Who Killed Lucy mystery in live week, saved me from voting horrific.
Yoshi Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 20:54
0...0
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: I like to singy singy singy...
Posts: 17,667
As one of my favourite and funny posters, I'm interested in what you think the strange decisions are
Ah bless ya miaow sponge, that's really kind of you.

I would say
The Bobby story taking in so many characters who haven't batted an eyelid over an innocent man going down.

Repetition of plots - secret parents and kids, Phil having his 3rd annual medical emergency, Sharon's 3rd annual wedding, the Carters mining the old Slater storylines, Stacey bonking her 3rd married/partnered man, the Gavin/Den/Eric retcon etc.

I don't think the current team are bad, it's just that they need to step back and think about the balance between twists and characters feeling real. Less jerking the characters around to fit the plot.
0...0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 21:04
xTonix
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Albert Square.
Posts: 46,296
2shy2007 and All of Me are so predictable.
xTonix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 21:57
QueenAmy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,547
I'd say it's Good so far
QueenAmy is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 22:02
momentarything
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 19,968
Much, much better than 2012/2013 (didn't think 2011 was that bad). Personally, I still don't think it's great, but parts of the year have been amazing. The show hadn't felt as full of hype in literally 5 years as it did at the beginning of this year. It's all died down a bit, though- like they planned for the big climax of the Lucy reveal and then rushed everything after. The show still has moments of excellence, and I find it mostly watchable- unlike 12/13- but it's failed to live up to its potential mostly, given how talented the current cast are.
momentarything is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 22:05
Foxster Hotpot
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Martin Fowler
Posts: 11,362
2shy2007 and All of Me are so predictable.
Foxster Hotpot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 22:22
miaow_sponge
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,550
Ah bless ya miaow sponge, that's really kind of you.

I would say
The Bobby story taking in so many characters who haven't batted an eyelid over an innocent man going down.

Repetition of plots - secret parents and kids, Phil having his 3rd annual medical emergency, Sharon's 3rd annual wedding, the Carters mining the old Slater storylines, Stacey bonking her 3rd married/partnered man, the Gavin/Den/Eric retcon etc.

I don't think the current team are bad, it's just that they need to step back and think about the balance between twists and characters feeling real. Less jerking the characters around to fit the plot.
Oh yes I agree with you there! X
miaow_sponge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 22:23
flakeybandit
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 42
Inconsistent largely due to block storytelling, but there has been quality episodes and storylines this year. Overall, not a patch on EE's best years but still much better better than the worst years.
Where has this myth of "block storytelling" come from? Surely block storytelling is the telling of a story in a, well, block, I.e all at once. Actually, a lot of the DTC storylines have been unfolding over a long period - The Lucy murder and aftermath (18 months of storyline - hardly a 'block'!), Linda / Mick / Shirley / dean ( another slow burner).

I've watched Eastenders since the beginning and feel the last few years have been Eastenders at its best. The original poster seems to consider 2001 as a pinnacle, but I don't think that era stands out particularly.. 1985 -1989 was the best and 2014-2015 is just as good.
flakeybandit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 23:05
Adrian_Ward1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Plymouth Devon
Posts: 12,498
Better than 2012 and 13
Adrian_Ward1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 00:34
carax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,028
Er, why 2001? The show's been running since 1985!

It's probably fair to say that everything post-2001 has been worse than everything pre-2001 though.
carax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 01:12
scintilla
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 261
The best episodes are very enjoyable but the worst episodes are almost unwatchable. Definitely patchy.
scintilla is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 01:32
lordo350
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,397
When good, it's been unmissable. But when it's bad, it's really bad, and for really bad reasons.

Ridiculously drawn out storylines for no reason, most characters just doing the same thing over and over, an over obsession with baby plots, Kathy's return making no sense (and becoming retcon central...).

Will EE be good this Christmas? Yes, but only because it'll be the conclusion of them dragging out whether Mick will decide to kill Dean, whether Kush will tell Shabnam about the baby (entertainment at it's best) and whether Sharon's dad is actually Winston from the Market.
lordo350 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 08:58
xTonix
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Albert Square.
Posts: 46,296
They clearly hate EE, never say a good word about it, still watch, slate and vote on the polls like this one.
xTonix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 10:36
Neil_N
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Cuddling MyLee
Posts: 4,737
I think it has been of a good quality. Some things have been very well done like the live week reveal, Shabnam's storyline with the death of Baby Zahir, Les/Pam/Christine and I'm in a small minority but the Kathy return has been well-handed. Throw in Kat and the Convent which shows Jessie Wallace at her very best and I can't wait for her and Alfie to return. Robbie's brief return was a breath of fresh air too.

I think what has been the let down has been Kush being the Dad to Stacey's baby which was very predictable, Vincent's mystery dealings, Elaine's "full-time" return where she has become a member of UKIP with those offensive comments about Tanwar, the character assasination of Zainab, Charlie's rushed exit and the farce of Max's trial.

It needs to ditch the "bloc storytelling" as this is starting to annoy people. Why did Shabs and Kush dissappear for two months? These things should have been done straight away, not leave us hanging. The altering of history with Gavin/Den/Eric isn't doing people favours either, and all this gangster shit with Gavin. I also think some characters need to be at the forefront such as Denise who needs a meaty storyline that plays to Dianne Parish's strengths.

Nonetheless, it's in good health but needs tweaks.
Neil_N is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 10:58
FluffynpinK
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Iceland
Posts: 192
It's incredibly boring. I've noticed that it is all talk and no action.

For example Les has been keeping this intense secret for years. Not once did we see him dressing up and going out as a woman or something (before he got caught that is) - all we get his a huge ass conversation about it. It's boring.

They also talk a lot about past stuff that has happened that we haven't seen.
"I went there and this happened and you said that and it made me sad."

I wanna SEE drama and action happening not listen to characters explain their feelings and past experiences.
FluffynpinK is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 14:17.