Thought as we approach year end and reach a transitional and spectacular time for soaps it might be interesting to see what everyone thinks about the current state
of them. Here's my round up- it would be great to see what everyone else thinks.

Eastenders: The show has probably seen the most dramatic change in pace of all soaps in the last few weeks but in my opinions it's really working. I do feel we need a bit more
content to storylines but at the minute I am very much viewing the show as being manoeuvred into the position SOC wants it to tell the best possible stories. He has had a lot of bad decisions to rectify and the characterisation is really working.

Although the stories have started to change pace and there is less constant drama this is really working for the show. It has made some highly emotive moments such as the loss of Whitney and lees baby and Paul's trial feel so much more impactful. I am starting to believe in the characters and ultimately starting to care about them too. The biggest testament to me is that I have actually enjoyed watching characters I have no liking for (Sonia/Tina/Vincent/) with some really funny and witty scenes working exceptionally well. I also like the fact that conversations seem longer and more everyday.

I also agree with a lot of the departures. I do believe however that Lee could have been saved with better writing. I hope the pay off is there when he departs.

There are a lot of characters which I'm really starting to believe in now. Martin is fast becoming my favourite- i think he is played exceptionally well. However I'm also really enjoying Steven, Kush Ben Jay (I wish he would move these two out
Of the Mitchell house and into a lads pad) and surprisingly Shakil. In terms of females Bex is coming into her own. I really like Belinda and Stacey, Kim and Denise. I also think Kathy has huge potential.

At the moment I still fear Jack and Donna could potentially be axed. They are now for
Me the two that I see without any real purpose even though I like both characters.

Hollyoaks: Again, another show which has got consistently better in the last few months. I think it's really helped that some of the longer running storylines are wrapped up or finishing (GHK- Nico-Cameron-Cancer) coincidentally jades death was probably the best episode of any soap I have seen for a long time.

The one thing I really love about Hollyoaks is it's stylistic gambles. Having dead people appear in scenes doesn't work so well with the other soap but it really does with this. Despite the show getting better my biggest concern is that the pacing is still so wrong. Big and heavily promoted storylines disappear for weeks on end (Ellie and Nick, Nancy) -'and the balance of comedy of seriousness is often very misguided.

I also think that the Hollyoaks cast is probably the biggest marmite cast at the minute. There are some amazingly accomplished actors (Warren, Sienna, Jade and Alfie). And then some which are awful. (Liam, Tegan, Nico,Courtney).

The biggest revelation for me this year has been the Nightingales. Exceptionally well developed I really care about the entire family - particularly the four kids and Neeta. All are played by excellent actors and I think they could really be one to watch.

I'm disappointed with the news Joe is leaving. I feel freddoe will now pretty much join the Nightingale clan- which is fine with me as I have never shared the issues others have with him. I am however disappointed as I really liked this turning point for Mercedes.

Coronation street: I probably have the least to say about this as I only watch off and on but I just can't seem to get into it. I thought last weeks episodes were average and I don't find myself warming to any of the characters or wanting to know more about them.

There are decent enough actors. Jack P Shepherd probably being my favourite but there is just nothing to keep my coming back to the show. I can dip in and out without really caring if I miss an episode or not.

Emmerdale: Another show I watch off and on. It's getting huge praise at the moment and I must say last week was done really well. For the biggest disappointment was the death - I thought it was rather predictable.

The biggest difference between this and coronation street is probably that there are characters which intrigue me. I really enjoyed Aaron Robert Lachlan and Emma in particular. All characters I would want to learn more about.

Casualty: Something feels really flat and I'm not sure what. Is it the fact that none of my favourite characters seem developed at all? (Ethan/cal/Max/Alicia/lain) We had some great stuff with Ethan and Cal this year and now it's back to arguing over Alicia who seems to have had a personality transplant since coming back. In addition max has never really been developed. Something is missing from the show though I can't quite put my finger on it - perhaps it's that generally there is too much Jacob.

So that's my thoughts. More extensive for some than others but what is everyone else thinking?

Right, this could go on for quite a while here goes;

Emmerdale For me, this is the most consistent soap, and has been for quite some time, it's also my favourite. They must be running out of space to put their awards and rightly so! However, although the past ten months in my opinion have been very good for the most part, their have been some 'rough patches' at times. Here's my in depth analysis

The year started off on a high I feel, Aaron's Abuse storyline was very powerful, well written, and the performances from Danny Miller, Lucy Pargeter, Gary Mavers and even Isobel Steele (which considering she was thrown in at the deep end with a challenging storyline) were amazing, I really feel Emmerdale did this storyline justice. I also enjoyed the fallout from Paddy & Tess' affair at the beginning of the year following Tess' death, (which by the way was incredible as it was a complete 'bolt from the blue' moment) In March, I enjoyed seeing Laurel & Ashley getting remarried which was romantic but also heartbreaking, this marking the start of the tragic love story in a way with him & Laurel, you know there's only one way it can and will inevitably end

David's testicular cancer storyline I thought (and this may be different to the general consensus on here) was handled reasonably well. David is (for the most part) a 'happy go lucky' kind of guy, so the 'comedy' aspect fitted well for me as it was true to his character. I think it showed that everyone deals with it differently, and in this case the character of David used humour as a way of coping, as many people do "If you don't laugh you'll cry" springs to mind. However, there was also a serious side to the storyline, so I felt that overall there was good balance

From April/May time I feel that the show went through a brief 'rough patch' which did coincide with the change of producer, so that could've been the reason. Megan giving birth in the woods and Sam being shot accidentally by Joanie was bordering on ludicrous, those were some of the most bizarre scenes I've seen in Emmerdale in quite a while! I also wasn't keen on the Belle/ Dr Bailey storyline (In fact I hated it at first!) however, more recently Belle's mental health storyline has been portrayed very well I feel.

Another storyline I enjoyed was Chrissie trying to track down her biological father. The twist with Lawrence & Ronnie being lovers was very good, but now Ronnie seems to be hanging around like a 'spare part' and they don't seem to know what to do with him. More recently, the arrival of Rebecca White has shaken things up a bit, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her character. Chrissie's 'transformation' into a bitch has been interesting. Although it's justified as to why her character has gone down that route, it was rather sudden, so I'm glad that more recently they have 'toned her down' somewhat of late.

Holly's drug addiction story arc has been another one of my highlights from the year so far, I think it's been portrayed very realistically, and the performances from Natalie J Robb in particular have been outstanding. I also liked how the storyline highlighted how quickly others close to the addict can be put in danger too, such as Victoria being targeted by Holly's drug dealer. The storyline came to a very tragic and sudden end, but sadly a very 'real' one too. The show did very well to keep this under wraps until broadcast, and it made the scenes all the more powerful when they aired.

I've loved Charity's return, and the 'will they /won't they?' with Cain. Although Charity's scheming can sometimes be repetitive, her one liners and her general persona make her a very entertaining character for me.

On the subject of entertaining characters, I've also enjoyed the character development this year with Emma. She's got a way with quite a lot this year, (namely changing Sarah's test results, and smashing up the bar of the Woolpack to make Chas think that her PTSD has returned) and has gotten away with it. These actions have shown how unhinged the character really is, Gillian Kearney has been very convincing in the role. On the surface, she seems like a kind, caring nurse but underneath is something more sinister, which makes for a very interesting character!! Sadly, I feel that the character has now run her course, and it's only a matter of time before Emma gets her comeuppance, but she's certainly been fascinating to watch.

Tracy and Vanessa turning out to be sisters, I wasn't keen on this to be honest, it felt too contrived just to give those characters ties in the village, but I suppose that could be a benefit as they've built a unit around those characters with the introduction of Frank, but generally, I wasn't 'crazy' about this storyline.

Nicola & Dan falling for each other was unnecessary, and just added to the list of couples that have cheated on each other, something that Emmerdale really need to cut down on!! In addition to this Kerry cheating on Dan with Ross leading to yet another tedious 'Who's the Daddy?' storyline was zzzzzzzzzz. However, on the plus side it enabled Laura Norton (Kerry) and Liam Fox (Dan) to prove themselves with some serious material, and show that she's capable of more than just comedy plots.

Finally, I loved the car pile-up stunt, and so far have been impressed with the aftermath. For the rest of the year, I'm excited to see Ashley's demenita storyline progress further, where they take the character of Emma (surely the character's on borrowed time, but we'll see) and also where the Pierce & Rhona stuff goes, as they seem to be hinting at a controlling relationship similar to the recent talked about storyline on the Archers. Looking forward to seeing how that unfolds

So, in summary I think it's been a good year for Emmerdale, they've had some strong storylines and plenty of interesting, layered characters, but there have also been a few 'rough patches' here and there. Overall, from January to now I'd give it 8 1/2 out of 10.
I would go on to discuss Corrie, but A) I haven't watched properly all year, just dipped in and out and B) I think I've gone on long enough!

Neighbours: My favorite soap this year with Paige being my favourite character.

Coronation Street: I've enjoyed it with Sarah and Bethany being my favourite characters.

EastEnders: Been very good from what I've watched this year.

Emmerdale: I personally haven't watched Emmerdale much this year without my favourite character Debbie not being in it (apart from the 1st of January).

EastEnders started are brilliantly with the 'Slater fortnight' in January. I'd grown tired of Kat and Alfie previously but their brief return stint was fantastic. Jessie Wallace absolutely shone in those scenes. Sadly this quality didn't last and the show became bogged down in the endless Bobby saga and Carter tedium, yet again. Claudette's 'death' and return from the grave was bizarre and it's been completely brushed over. Gavin is the worst villain the show has ever seen. Peggy's death was good, if slightly rushed.

The summer was absolutely appalling.

I've been thoroughly enjoying it since September, however. SOC's work has been a refreshing change from the murdering and retconning of the DTC era.

EastEnders and Emmerdale have been the best soaps in my opinion overall. EastEnders was fantastic at the start of the year although it slumped in the summer but its getting better again now.

Emmerdale has ben the most consistent.

I actually think Eastenders has had one of the worse years of all the soaps, its had a few good moments, Stacey's storyline in particular but overall its been a really shit year, I mean its starting to strengthen a bit but still nothing of significant is happening to say wow its been amazing.

Corrie's had its up and downs but its has definitely pick up the latter end of the year.

Emmerdale, probably the strongest soap out of all, KO left it in a healthy state so not a lot work needed doing.

Hollyoaks is the one that has improved and picked up the most this year, so many strong stories and episodes, Jade's cancer story stands out the most.

After watching since the start, this year has been the catalyst for me switching off for good. I've not watched for weeks now, and can honestly say I'm not missing it.

corrie is not as good without Kylie Platt

but Gemma is amazing!

Probably not much detail but:

Eastenders - never watch it, can't really imagine ever watching it again right now. Last thing I liked was probably Shabnam's story.

Corrie - has some great characters, like David and Todd, but the storylines just don't really work for me. I never really get drawn in to anything. They overplay the comedy as well.

Emmerdale - the only one I watch regularly, and it's been very up and down, but definitely better recently. Most of 2016 up to Holly's death was pretty bad, but suddenly they pulled this amazing storyline out of the bag, so there's a lot of potential there. All of the Emma/James/Moira/Barton boys stuff has been great and isn't over yet. Ashley's story has been very bleak but well done mostly. Rhona/Pierce has loads of potential. Rebecca turning up has made the Whites more interesting again. The big crash week was hit and miss though - 2 good episodes (Emma, Ashley) and 3 crap ones (Robron, Marlon/Paddy).

There are bits I don't even bother with any more - Tracey/David, Robron. But basically I either usually enjoy it, or I switch off and find something better to do.

Eastenders - I don't watch but did for the week Peggy was back (my favourite soap character ever) which was great but I wish they hadn't killed her off. Probably the last time I watch as now she's gone I've no reason to dip in. Don't feel able to comment on the rest of it.

Coronation Street - absolutely dire. Has been for years and I was losing interest in it for months but I was prepared to give it a chance to improve under KO, until she made the crackpot decision to put the world's most boring soap character in history at the front of the show. Magnolia Maria - a character so dull she makes watching paint bubble and blister under a heat gun exciting, instant switch off several weeks back and absolutely no desire to watch again, haven't missed it in the slightest.

Emmerdale - the only one I watch now, when it's good it really is good and when it's bad it really is bad. It's been hit and miss IMO since the beginning of the year:

The good: Lawrence/ Bernice/ Chrissie/ Locklan/Ronnie, Ashley's story, Tess's shock death, Rhona/Pierce, James/Emma/Barton boys/ Moira, Cain/Charity, Holly's death, Charity's return and move into the pub, Belle/Ellie, the crash stunt itself and the Emma/James and Ashley episodes

The bad: Paddy/Tess, Marlon/Carly, Kerry/Ross, Nicola/Dan, Chas stabbing Diane, the dissapointing outcome of the crash and the virtually non existent aftermath, Debbie's absence, Rakesh setting the house on fire, the Paddy/Marlon/Rona/Pierce crash week episode

And the truly abysmal: all of the seriously unfunny crap comedy, David and the appallingly parasitic Tracy, Zak/Joanie, Belle/Bailey in fact any of the random couples/constant break ups, Rebecca White, anything and everything involving Aaron and Robert including the retconned rubbish at the start of the year of Aaron's so called "abuse", his 60 a day sounding sister, Robert suddenly pretending to care about Andy just to have an excuse to restart his feud with the Whites, the diabolical Monday episode of crash week which belonged on fanfiction.net. and Robert swanning around the village without a care in the world after trying to kill various residents.