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How do you feel about EastEnders' change of tone?


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Old 29-09-2016, 20:19
lou_123
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EastEnders has definitely had a change in tone lately. I like how the characters are being nice to one another and interacting more, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been utterly bored by the storylines (If you can call them that) the last few weeks and I still think the show is at a real low point.

How is everybody finding EastEnders at the moment?
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:22
SoapFan1992
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I think it's a huge improvement over the self indulgent rubbish DTC served up
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:26
Mr Patrick
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I actually like it it feels like a real community with their day to day
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:28
Skittle Bomb
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Todays episode and the direction in particular the ending was very much similar to the way the show did things in the 80s.
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:30
Menime123
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I actually like it it feels like a real community with their day to day

This. It feels very much like filler at the moment, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of storylines have come to an end (or need time to breathe) and we're in that lull before things start ramping up again towards Halloween.

Filler, but good filler. Plus Dot has a storyline. Happy days.
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:31
I've Got Class
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Absolutely loving it.

You can't win with people on this forum. They don't like sensationalism so call for a return to the show's roots, when the show finally regains its traditional feel they call it boring.

The drama will arrive in due course. The everyday episodes are the most important thing about the show and right now they are top quality.
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:36
vald
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I'm loving it. Real people rather than a bunch of Panto villains trying to outdo each other. No doubt we'll get some drama soon but I hope it doesn't feel as forced as it has in the last few years..

And duff duffs that don't have the obligatory close up of someones gawping face.
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:39
Scrabbler
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Absolutely loving it.

You can't win with people on this forum. They don't like sensationalism so call for a return to the show's roots, when the show finally regains its traditional feel they call it boring.

The drama will arrive in due course. The everyday episodes are the most important thing about the show and right now they are top quality.
I agree with your last sentence. The show cannot serve up high drama every episode, things need to be built up and characterisation is important.

The episodes are not perfect, but they have drastically improved. I felt like I had gone back in time tonight, we used to be treated to sermons by Dof on a regular basis.
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Old 29-09-2016, 20:45
Pop Princess
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It needs to find a balance and I am sure it will. The change in tone has just been very dramatic from one extreme to the other almost instantly. The Dot scenes were great but others dragged a bit. I just hope it doesn't get too nice. Losing people like Babe and Claudette is a shame as among the warmer scenes you do need a couple of villians.
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:06
Goosebee
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Absolutely loving it. I do think the story pace is a little slow however I think this is the transition coming across and will pick up when SOCs own ideas are being implemented however the characterisation is on point. So many little nuances in the way the actors are interacting, what's being conveyed with dialogue and more often what's being conveyed without dialogue. Characters that were so I likeable under DTC seem to have life and seem to be becoming real people. I'm actually really interested in them and his feels very much like groundwork for making the show great again.

I thought I loved DTCs era and parts of it I did but this is on a different level. In three years he didn't manage to make me care about certain characters and now there is only one character I passionately dislike. The use of the whole range of the cast is better. The interaction. It feels much meatier we just need the stories to compliment it.
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:10
grangehilllover
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I like it. I don't know exactly how to word it, but it feels more calmer and relaxed and I like the way it's not drama after drama with plotholes etc. Like people have said, it feels like how it was in the earlier days and I like the way how mini plots aren't exaggerated, such as Martin and the house-Carmel agreeing to pull out instead of Martin going on a rampage or knocking the lights out of Kush.
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:21
sw2963
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Compared to the other two soaps tonight it's ironic that EE is labelled the depressing soap
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:28
bass55
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It's been a rather dramatic shift in tone, but the show needed it.

I have to say I'm really enjoying these down-to-earth episodes we're getting at the moment. I can't remember a week of EastEnders like this for more than a decade. It genuinely feels like the show is being taken back to its roots. Sean O'Connor is going to be a very different producer to his predecessor.
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:36
jazzydrury3
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Haven't watched tonight's epsiode yet, but have started watching it 4 nights a week again, something I hadn't been doing.

Everybody seems to getting on well, for how long who knows, but the show needs a happy medium.

Under DTC everything so bloddy dark, dramatic and sensational, while at the moment SOC has gone the other way.

I guess ideally in a few months, we get a happy medium.
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Old 29-09-2016, 21:46
AcerBen
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I'm enjoying it at the moment but I hope we don't lose the big storylines. I don't want it to turn into Corrie.
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Old 29-09-2016, 22:23
Leeah
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Absolutely loving it.

You can't win with people on this forum. They don't like sensationalism so call for a return to the show's roots, when the show finally regains its traditional feel they call it boring.

The drama will arrive in due course. The everyday episodes are the most important thing about the show and right now they are top quality.
This enjoying it for first time in ages
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Old 29-09-2016, 22:25
Leeah
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Compared to the other two soaps tonight it's ironic that EE is labelled the depressing soap
Lol init
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Old 29-09-2016, 22:40
Paul Wilson
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Good stuff and bad stuff, really. I think the change in tone has been slightly overdone to be honest, and Monday's and Tuesday's episodes were crushingly dull. That said tonight was much better. A genuinely moving duff-duff, Stacey and Martin scenes are usually pretty good and were great tonight, Pam and Honey's gormless grins when Les walked in were hilarious, and man that HR lady was gorgeous!
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Old 29-09-2016, 22:58
Oliver_Tomlinso
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Compared to the other two soaps tonight it's ironic that EE is labelled the depressing soap
Very rare that EE is the light relief in a soap sandwich
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Old 29-09-2016, 23:19
Tomski12
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This is the first time since Slater week (and maybe Peggy's death week) I've consistently enjoyed a full week of EE. I just hope some proper storylines start in the next 2-3 weeks, by Halloween at the most. But EE is in a good place at the moment.
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Old 30-09-2016, 00:19
joe gillott
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I like them but outside of the Cokers storyline and Phil's transplant nothing else stands out as a big storyline. I'd like another to kick off soon especially since the Cokers are leaving. I don't agree with how many he has axed straight away especially newer characters with potential and Masood as I'm very sad to see the last of them go. But storyline wise, I don't mind but we need a couple of other big stories also going on.
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Old 30-09-2016, 01:41
NoughtiesMusic
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There's something so charming about it atm. SOC is seemingly taking EE back to basics, without turning it into Lorraine Newman's "love and warmth" snoozefest. The sensationalist plot driven, shock value material of Bryan Kirkwood and even DTC to an extent are really not figuring into these episodes.

DTC was brilliant at doing big and dramatic storylines/episodes, but he was inconsistent at times, with certain disappointments like Halloween and Christmas 2015 and the entire Gavin plot.

I'd like to think that SOC has a few massive moments under his sleeve, though. Looking forward to new characters. Doesn't appear to be any announcements, but I can be patient.

Honestly, if DTC hadn't made someone like Claudette a murderer, SOC would've probably kept her on. Her scene with Vincent on the balcony of The Albert was definitely the new EP at work.
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Old 30-09-2016, 02:49
Harlowe
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It's strange because as a long term viewer you can tell the vast improvement of the writing, characterisation, development and overall tone of the characters and episodes, yes the content is very slow paced and not dramatic and it still feels like the show is struggling in areas but you can feel and see the change which I really don't think I've witness in a long time.

The big stuff will hopefully not be far behind but the episodes that are filler need this type of consistency.
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Old 30-09-2016, 03:02
Dan4
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I'm enjoying it. Feels very different. It seems like they have a good understanding of the characters. Dot was used well in tonights ep and Kim was very funny as alwwys - blue disability badge lol

I like it's simplicity and that it's character driven, 🙂
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Old 30-09-2016, 07:24
jumpingbudgie
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I'm loving it at the moment. The storylines may be pedestrian, but after 2 or more years of big sensational drama, a few weeks of relative calm where it gets back to characters interacting with each other in believable ways is a welcome turn. I get the feeling that, with characters being offloaded and various moves around the Square taking place, that pieces are gradually being put into place for the next big storylines. I like that approach - stopping and taking a breath and getting the lay of the land before moving forward is sometimes the best way to make real progress.
There has been some damage done to the audience perception of some key characters recently because of the need to prolong sensational drama in my opinion. I think that the length of the Lucy's murder whodunnit plot was probably a mistake - stories like that are good in the short term, but to have so many characters the focus of suspicion for so long can inevitably lead to audience disassociation from them. We need to get to know these characters again, and the best way to do that is to take some time to watch them lead ordinary, identifiable lives before pitching them into the next big 'soap' drama.
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