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Jobs for Life in Soap Operas?


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Old 05-06-2016, 12:46
Corrie_Fan2
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Who looks to have got themselve a cushy job for life on soap having reached the untouchable status of no producer daring to write them out and thus they'll be leaving on their terms - many of them won't. Here's some from Corrie and EastEnders for starters - including them on the list doesn't mean they shouldn't be sacked just that they are highly unlikely to be. I know if I was producer of either of these shows a lot would go...

Coronation Street
Bill Roache (Ken Barlow)
Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop)
Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner)
Helen Worth (Gail Rodwell)
David Neilson (Roy Cropper)
Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole)
Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Sultan)
Jenni McAlpine (Fiz Brown)
Anthony Cotton (Sean Tully)
Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald)
Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow)
Bev Callard (Liz McDonald)
Michael Le Vell (Kevin McDonald)
Sally Dyvenor (Sally Webster)
Andrew Whymant (Kirk Sutherland)
Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster)
Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor)

EastEnders
Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale)
Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell)
Linda Henry (Shirley Carter)
Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman)
Danny Dyer (Mick Carter)
Kellie Bright (Linda Carter)
Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean)
Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts)
June Brown (Dot Cotton)
Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell)
Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater)
Laila Morse (Mo Harris)
Jake Wood (Max Branning)
Ronnie Mitchell (Rita Simmons)
Roxy Mitchell (Samantha Womack)
Scott Maslen (Jack Branning)
Nitin Ganahtra (Massood Ahmed)

Can't do the others as I don't watch them.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:00
Cool_mate
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It's probably cos some actors are so crap, they would never get an acting job anywhere else. Bosses know that so they have to keep them on forever

Never realised how shit Chesney was til Friday night. No way would he ever act again if he left Coronation Street. He's easily got a job for life there

Long termers will never leave because they're basically part of the furniture by now
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:05
Scrabbler
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For EE I would say Ian, Phil Dot, Sharon, Patrick and Stacey are the onlyones who will have a job for life.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:29
Corrie_Fan2
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For EE I would say Ian, Phil Dot, Sharon, Patrick and Stacey are the onlyones who will have a job for life.
I think you're grossly underestimating the impotence of soap producers.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:34
Nico_D
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There seems to be a lot of sneering from other actors and people in the industry in general for people in soaps so once you've been in a while it can be hard to get work elswhere. I know there are some exceptions but once you get tarred with the soap actor brush and directors think they will lowered the credibility of their film/show, so sometimes it's easier to stay.

I think Bill roaches son was even sneering in the press at his dad for being a soap actor
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:37
Mr Angie
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Current Cast Memebrs

Hollyoaks

Nick Pickard - Tony Hutchinson
Stephanie Waring - Cindy Nightingale
Jimmy McKenna - Jack Osborne
Ellis Hollins - Tom Cunningham
Helen Pearson - Frankie Osborne
Jessica Fox - Nancy Osborne
Kieron Richardson - Ste McQueen
Nicole Barber - Lane - Myra McQueen
Jennifer Metcalfe - Mercedes McQueen
James Sutton - John Paul McQueen
Jamie Lomas - Warren Fox

Emmerdale

Chris Chittell - Eric Pollard
Isabel Hodgins - Victoria Barton
Steve Halliwell - Zak Dingle
Jane Cox - Lisa Dingle
Jeff Hordley - Cain Dingle
Emma Atkins - Charity Dingle
Lucy Pargeter - Chas Dingle
Mark Charnock - Marlon Dingle
Danny Miller - Aaron Dingle
Dominic Brunt - Paddy Kirk
Elizabeth Estensen - Diane Sugden
Charlotte Bellamy - Laurel Thomas
Charley Webb - Debbie Dingle
Michael Parr - Ross Barton
Kelvin Fletcher - Andy Sugden
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:39
emma daily
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Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Sultan)
😂

I think ian beale and phil mitchell are the only untouchables in eastenders, as for the rest, i have a feeling they are on borrowed time.

Corrie has the most stable cast but i reckon in the next five years there will be major changes with deaths as most of the cast are on average of 60-70.

Emmerdale has and will always have the least stability, look at viv and terry, but i feel they have stabalized over the last five years.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:52
CPW4EVER
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On EastEnders, only Phil, Sharon, Dot and Ian would be regarded as untouchable while on Corrie, I think you need to be in the age bracket and service level of Gail, Ken etc to be safe. Everyone else is fair game for the axe. People mention the likes of Fiz and Kirk as being lifers but there's plenty who have gone before them that would've been regarded similarly but got the chop. Curly Watts and Martin Platt are two that spring to mind. All it takes is a low ratings period and a new producer for drastic changes to occur.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:56
vaslav37
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Maria is also set to be a Corrie Lifer.
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Old 05-06-2016, 13:59
vaslav37
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Who looks to have got themselve a cushy job for life on soap having reached the untouchable status of no producer daring to write them out and thus they'll be leaving on their terms - many of them won't. Here's some from Corrie and EastEnders for starters - including them on the list doesn't mean they shouldn't be sacked just that they are highly unlikely to be. I know if I was producer of either of these shows a lot would go...

Coronation Street
Bill Roache (Ken Barlow)
Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop)
Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner)
Helen Worth (Gail Rodwell)
David Neilson (Roy Cropper)
Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole)
Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Sultan)
Jenni McAlpine (Fiz Brown)
Anthony Cotton (Sean Tully)
Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald)
Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow)
Bev Callard (Liz McDonald)
Michael Le Vell (Kevin McDonald)
Sally Dyvenor (Sally Webster)
Andrew Whymant (Kirk Sutherland)
Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster)
Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor)

EastEnders
Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale)
Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell)
Linda Henry (Shirley Carter)
Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman)
Danny Dyer (Mick Carter)
Kellie Bright (Linda Carter)
Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean)
Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts)
June Brown (Dot Cotton)
Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell)
Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater)
Laila Morse (Mo Harris)
Jake Wood (Max Branning)
Ronnie Mitchell (Rita Simmons)
Roxy Mitchell (Samantha Womack)
Scott Maslen (Jack Branning)
Nitin Ganahtra (Massood Ahmed)

Can't do the others as I don't watch them.
From EastEnders Laila Morse is now recurring.

Lacey Turner and Sam Womack have had success away from EastEnders as has Danny Dyer.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:02
actual_soap
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For EE I would say Ian, Phil Dot, Sharon, Patrick and Stacey are the onlyones who will have a job for life.
Patrick? Really?
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:07
Oldnjaded
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The only reason any actor on any soap would be 'untouchable' is if they are extremely popular with a significant proportion of viewers, thus making it clear commercial sense to hold on to them.


*waits for bombardment with a load of tedious, and always unfounded, posts claiming "he/she knows where the bodies are buried"*.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:10
emma daily
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All it takes is a producer falling out with the actor or the actor falling out with the producers.. ie derek wilton, pauline fowler, martin platt... it wouldnt take alot to upset some actors for example if they turned ian beale into a paedophile im sure he would probably look to quit rather than play that.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:10
dee123
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Hollyoaks

Nick Pickard - Tony Hutchinson
Stephanie Waring - Cindy Nightingale
Jimmy McKenna - Jack Osborne
Ellis Hollins - Tom Cunningham
Helen Pearson - Frankie Osborne
Jessica Fox - Nancy Osborne
Kieron Richardson - Ste McQueen
Nicole Barber - Lane - Myra McQueen
Jennifer Metcalfe - Mercedes McQueen
James Sutton - John Paul McQueen
Jamie Lomas - Warren Fox

I'm surprised HO has this many. Not many i can argue with here though.


Home & Away:

Alf Stewart - Ray Meagher
Marilyn Chambers - Emily Symons
Irene Roberts - Lynne McGranger
Leah Patterson-Baker - Ada Nicodemou
John Palmer - Shane Worthington
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:12
Mr Angie
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Hollyoaks

Nick Pickard - Tony Hutchinson
Stephanie Waring - Cindy Nightingale
Jimmy McKenna - Jack Osborne
Ellis Hollins - Tom Cunningham
Helen Pearson - Frankie Osborne
Jessica Fox - Nancy Osborne
Kieron Richardson - Ste McQueen
Nicole Barber - Lane - Myra McQueen
Jennifer Metcalfe - Mercedes McQueen
James Sutton - John Paul McQueen
Jamie Lomas - Warren Fox

I'm surprised HO has this many. Not many i can argue with here though.


Home & Away:

Alf Stewart - Ray Meagher
Marilyn Chambers - Emily Symons
Irene Roberts - Lynne McGranger
Leah Patterson-Baker - Ada Nicodemou
John Palmer - Shane Worthington
I was to and that is just current cast members.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:23
arr95
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On corrie Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) would also be a corrie lifer
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:28
Danny_Francis
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Neighbours: Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis)
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:28
emma daily
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On corrie Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) would also be a corrie lifer
As someone said earlier, i wouldnt see her as a lifer especially if todd leaves, she would become deadwood. I think she only remains because of her popularity, but i can see her being phased out within two years tbh. This storyline with phelan seems to be her downfall.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:29
CPW4EVER
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All it takes is a producer falling out with the actor or the actor falling out with the producers.. ie derek wilton, pauline fowler, martin platt... it wouldnt take alot to upset some actors for example if they turned ian beale into a paedophile im sure he would probably look to quit rather than play that.
Exactly. Look at Kirkwood at EastEnders. Pam St Clement asked for a break and he decided to kill her off instead, presumably to have the prestige of being in charge of the exit of a legend. He also killed off Billie Jackson which I'm sure was influenced by their fraught relationship during the actor's time on Hollyoaks when Kirkwood was producer. All it takes is a producer to take a notion and a character could be gone. Despite being the most popular character on Family Affairs, someone took the decision to kill off Pete Callan (new EE producer Sean O'Connor was in charge of FA around that time but I don't know if it was him who killed off Pete).
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:31
Corrie_Fan2
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The only reason any actor on any soap would be 'untouchable' is if they are extremely popular with a significant proportion of viewers, thus making it clear commercial sense to hold on to them.


*waits for bombardment with a load of tedious, and always unfounded, posts claiming "he/she knows where the bodies are buried".
William Roache as Ken Barlow in Coronation Street? Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead in Casualty? Kate Ford as Tracy Barlow in Coronation Street? Anthony Cotton as Sean Tully in Coronation Street? I think he is living proof that if you hang around long enough at your job you literally can't be sacked, you don't need to be good at it. I can only assume these people have serious dirt on other high profile actors and producers etc that have worked on their shows. They probably know who all the nonces were or something!
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:31
emma daily
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Neighbours: Paul Robinson
Im sure karl kennedy is untouchable along with susan.. He has been involved in several court cases about the show and seemily in favour of sacked actors ie kym valentine and the joe scully actor and still remains on the show, plus he is the only medical practitioner. Toadie also seems to be there for life..
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:34
jamesc_715
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Nobody is safe from the axe. Pat Evans, anyone?? But I think these characters are unlikely to be 'axed'.

EastEnders: Ian, Dot, Sharon, Shirley, Kathy and Phil.

Neighbours: Karl, Susan, Paul, Steph and Toadie.

Casualty: Charlie and Duffy
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:35
Scrabbler
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I think you're grossly underestimating the impotence of soap producers.
When the actors get too expensive to hire and they run out of storylines for the characters then they swing the axe look at the likes of Curly and Martin off Corrie and Viv off Emmerdale
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:35
oranges71
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Corrie has some appallingly atrocious 'acting' but by far, the worst of the worst is Div Alahan. It is just incomprehensible how on earth he has lasted so long, producer after producer. I honestly have to mute his scenes.
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Old 05-06-2016, 14:35
emma daily
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William Roache as Ken Barlow in Coronation Street? Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead in Casualty? Kate Ford as Tracy Barlow in Coronation Street? Anthony Cotton as Sean Tully in Coronation Street? I think he is living proof that if you hang around long enough at your job you literally can't be sacked, you don't need to be good at it. I can only assume these people have serious dirt on other high profile actors and producers etc that have worked on their shows. They probably know who all the nonces were or something!
Despite the believe on this forum, i dont believe sean is untouchable, i think he is a character similiar to curly watts who has no connections to the street who goes from storyline to storyline without purpose or meaning, but eventually will be written out in an unspectacular way and then beg bosses to write him back in every few years.
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