I am a fan of the Mitchells (including Phil and Grant), but I reckon revolving a big week around them yet again with at least one of them in danger risks overusing the characters and burning them out.

EE is in third place some nights behind CS/ED, and I reckon the constant dramas with one or two of them in danger risks scaring off the viewers. I also think as well, it's going to drive regular and casual viewers away from the show too. I know this week has been so far horribly weak with focus on Kim's salsa class and other Grade C characters, but wouldn't be a good thing to split the stories around and perhaps even a new family introduced?

I will be watching next week, but I reckon people are tiring of the Mitchell dramas.

What do you think?

I think all soaps rely too heavily on one family.

CS - The Platts
EE- The Mitchells
Em - The Dingles

Don't watch the rest sorry.

The Mitchells are old school tho.

No messing about, they deal with things with violence.

Why people love Tarantino movies.

Exactly what i was going to say

The US soaps are no different and rely on one big family as well

Doesn't bother me personally

It's either the Mitchells or the Carters.

That's the choice. Or tune out.

I am no fan Philth, and I also know Kim is a very patchy character. I do agree that perhaps the Mitchells have been overused lately but that was inevitable with the return of Grunt and no matter how much I dislike Grunt and Philth they are very popular characters. Ronnie and Roxy will be featuring heavily for a few months but then they will be gone. I personally like the Ben and Jay stuff, and have enjoyed the stuff surrounding Pauls death.

I know what you are getting at with Kims salsa class but I wouldn't class a story that centres on Patrick, Dot and Denise as third class and feel your are being a bit unfair there tbh.

I don't really understand what people want from soaps these days
When there is no big action stuff people on here complain they're boring, when there is action packed stuff they accused of trying to plump up ratings and sensationalism it begs the question what the hell do you's want??

The Mitchells are still more entertaining than watching the dreadful salsa classes, Carter family parties and general filler nonsense, but even I am getting rather sick of the endless "life-threatening" situations and dramas they keep finding themselves in. They've had three car crashes in as many years, started countless feuds, and are now being held at gunpoint or kidnapped on a regular basis. It's like Hollyoaks.

Ronnie and Roxy being written out is a good move, but the Phil/Sharon/Ben/Jay/Louise dynamic really needs looking it. We are seeing the same old stuff over and over, with virtually no thought paid to character development. How many times will Phil survive being shot or smashed over the head, only to go back to being just as nasty to everyone as he was before? Phil either needs to be taken in a completely new direction or a long break from the show. Ben also needs to develop a relationship with Kathy again and stop acting like a mini-Phil. Sharon really needs some friends and allies outside of the Mitchells; Gavin could have provided this but we know what happened there. Her toxic relationship with Phil also does neither of them any favours. Grant's return has been a big flop.

They're still pretty much the lynchpin of the show, but if they carry on with the constant feuding, threatening to kill people, destroying people's property and "lives hanging in the balance" they will become boring. Something they have never been. They need to drop the "Mitchells are invincible" stuff and start writing them as actual human beings again.

I couldn't agree more

People are not satisfied with whatever they are given.

Love them! I think Louise and Courtney are great too and given time Mark might also be.

I'd take them all over the Carter's who tbh I've never fully engaged with. If the show is losing out to Emmerdale in the ratings I'd blame it on the Carters not the Mitchells. The Carters dominated for so long and the rape story was just awful. If anything turned people off it was that. The Mitchells have been in the show 26 years. If anything I would say they keep viewers tuning in as we have known them longer. Peggy, Grant, Phil, Ronnie and Sharon are all iconic characters.

I also love Honey. She is by far the best female character in the show. So underrated.

How many Mitchell or Mitchell related characters are there at the moment, I can think of:

Phil,
Grant
Ben
Jay
Louise
Courtney
Mark Jr
Ronnie
Roxy
Amy
Matthew
Billy
Honey
Janet
William
Sharon
Dennis

17 characters that I can think of, that's a lot of Mitchell related people, more than any other family I think?

I agree with this. Whilst they are entertaining, they need to up the dynamic a bit and perhaps make them normal. Phil is very ill and past his best, I do agree Sharon needs friends outside the circle and I want Ben to develop the bond with his Mum and even big brother Ian. I am also a fan of Louise and Courtney too - especially the former, as we're seeing a more human side to her.

I think we need some realism with the family. I don't want them like The Carters...I want them human. I also want Ben happy - ie he gets a flat with Jay.

This will be more entertaining than Salsa school and I apologize if I call Kim and co third class, but sadly they are background characters with a third class story at the moment.

To the poster who said the Carters are making people switch off, I think the damage was done under Birkwood. Axing Pat was the start of the slippery slope and I think the Branning domination hit the nail on the coffin. Also, I don't think the BBC look after the show much. A Sunday omnibus could boost the figures especially in a big week.

I enjoy the Mitchell clan so dont see a problem.

I'm not in favour of any family being the sole focus (save for silly filler plots around them) tbh. I'd rather a mix of big storylines with different families as it was in 2014. The only time I didn't mind a family dominating was the Slaters in January of this year as Kat and Alfie were previously sidelined and pushed out by DTC so it felt like they'd earnt it when they came back briefly. Plus, their storylines/scenes were consistently strong which is rare when there is non-stop focus on the same group of characters for ages.

The problem with the Mitchells is that most of their big storylines over the past year have been character-trashing ones:- from how awful Phil and Sharon came across in the Bobby storyline to plots taking unexpected turns but ultimately going nowhere satisfying (Phil knowing about Kathy for 4 years) or being dropped altogether (Vincent the police informer). Then there was the outright rewriting of their past to support crap characters like Gavin and old mother Hubbard. Even if I was a huge fan (I do like them when they're not propped up by tired clichés) I couldn't get excited by any of this material.

Unlike 2015, 2016 has seen some good material as well. I liked most of Peggy's exit and it was great to see proper Sam back again. I was also fine with the story of Phil's liver disease but they dropped the ball on that ages ago. The story of Ben being attacked and Paul's death started well but then descended into farce when it became all about vigilante justice.

Grant's return hasn't done anything for the ratings and has been too stop/start for me to care. I would've left him at that one-off episode for Peggy's exit. All this Mark business has done is undermine the character of Michelle. He's hanging around doing nothing.

They can stop relying so heavily on them.

I do like Courtney though.

It really is time to give them a break. The only thing I've enjoyed is Jay, Honey and Billy and some of Ben.

A lot of their s/is are just repetitive. And let's face it there's no drama...Phil always comes out on top and can never die. Nor does he ever stay broke for more than a week.

As for the Barbara Windsor tribute and Grant's return...a big flop, just as Marks arrival is likely to be.

I think it's cool how much she looks like Martine McCutheon.

All the ingredients are there but most of the time the recipe is a mess. It's annoying as for me they are still the most interesting family but have been ill served by all the Gavin and Vincent rubbish, and all the short term OMG plots have done them no favours. They need a rethink and to go back to character driven drama.

I'm not completely opposed to the Mitchells and like some of them. I think they have delivered some great plots and moments in the past but I cant be doing with all the "I'm a Mitchell" repetitive nonsense or this faux gangster rubbish that has been invented for them. The story with Phil's return to alcoholism and liver damage has been engaging and the superb Steve McFadden has delivered acting wise, Peggy's death offered some fantastic individual episodes, but most of their other recent plots have just being repetitive or damaged the characters.

I dont care that Ronnie and Roxy are leaving because I think they are tired and done with and I think they should refrain from introducing any more full time Mitchell characters for the time being. The Mitchells may be considered one of EastEnders leading families but that doesnt mean we need a vast supply of them, quality over quantity as ever. Additionally, no more "feud plots" with new families and definitely no more feuds that are invented from the past. I think if they continue to develop Jay, Ben and Louise well as their own characters the Mitchells could have a good future on the show and feel less tired but I dont want them to be the new Phil and Grant or the new Roxy and Ronnie or whatever, I want them to be their own characters.

That wound up longer than I expected

You and I agreeing? Very strange

Coronation Street in particular has involved the Platts in every major storyline for God knows how long.

As I've said on other threads, this year alone every big story has involved the Platts in some way.

The problem isn't just 'burn out' of the characters but it also brings into question the credibility of the characters and the show more widely. Within a few days we went from Kylie's death to Nick gleefully deciding to open a new business and locking horns with Robert. Now he's happily settling down with Leanne while the other Platts cluck around.

Didn't know you had it in you!

100% agree with this post