Ever since 2006 EastEnders has been on the decline, year after year we are force fed crap storylines like Kathy's resurrection, Denise falling pregnant to Phil, Max's revenge on whoever tried to have him killed or arrested that week, Ronnie getting married again, Ronnie and Roxy falling into water again (I guess new year 08 has been far enough away that tptb can regurgitate that story point) Jack sleeping with another Mitchell, Dot being a loner and getting nostalgic for a little willie... I mean for gawd sake is it that difficult to make EastEnders feel fresh again, bring back Chrissie, bring back Kim Medcalf, bring back Robbie Jackson, bring back the life and soul of the square Little Mo!!!

Honestly EastEnders is barely on life support at this point, I wonder if Ian will go bankrupt or have another breakdown soon, he's due one!

More incoherent rambling nonsense.

"Ever since 2006 EastEnders has been on the decline" 😂😂😂

Yea it's been in decline for over a decade

Oh dear.

Just because it's been a decade doesn't mean it can't decline over that period, like going by your logic if it lasts more than 3 years it can't be declining anymore. But I have to give you points, well done for knowing that a decade is ten years, shame the rest of your reply couldn't show the same level of intelligence...

You said you want the show to feel fresh.... Yet our asking for more characters to return? You also only put that you necessarily don't like.. Many people like the stories you have said were rubbish.

Robbie Jackson was a waste of space, I doubt he's the answer (or at least part of the answer).

Personally, I think it's time for a smaller family unit to offset some of the focus on the EE legacy families (the Mitchells, the Fowlers, the Beales). I wouldn't have mind Star and her mum being brought back. Her mother seems like a complete nightmare, which would make great drama, and the actress playing Star is talented so there's potential there. In fact if they did bring them back, maybe there would be a possibility of getting Jay's name knocked off the sex offenders register.

Having said that, I don't think bringing back one single character is neccessarily the answer. I think what's needed is balance (no more Carter centric episodes filled with nonsense, please) and good storylines. Since 2006 EE has produced some excellent episodes and storylines. Stacey's bipolar storyline of 2009 was fantastic, as was Syed coming out (2010). The episode in April 2010 where everyone finds out Syed is gay and has been having an affair was fantastic. Brilliant acting all round, especially from the actors who played Amira, Christian, Masood, Zainab and Syed. Similarly Whitney's abuse storyline was fantastic. I also thought the storyline about the sexual abuse Ronnie had suffered as a teenager was fantastic. It was short and perhaps came out of nowhere, but everything was revealed in good timing and there were great scenes with Ronnie and Roxy. The Stacey/Max affair was brilliant. All of the above storylines are fairly non-convoluted, but they featured good actors, the pacing was well balanced and just right, and the writing was strong. Serious issues such as religion/culture, sexual abuse and mental health were handled with integrity. EE had the opportunity this summer to focus on an interesting storyline about homophobic abuse when Paul was killed but this was undermined and badly handled: the story ended up being used as a vehicle to parade Grant Mitchell around as a 'tough guy'. Talk about asking viewers to suspend reality...Similarly Kathy's return was crap because it was badly written. It was a headline grabbing story with no substance and fully of gaping holes and has forever destroyed the character.

There are some interesting story-arcs on EE at the moment: Lee's depression has been slow-burning but devestating to watch and Denise's storyline is also interesting, especially as she has been criminally underused. But plenty of other characters are being underused and potential is withering away. I personally think they need to do more with Louise rather than have her standing there as a sassy, bitchy teen. She made a comment ages ago about fancying her maths teacher - that could be interesting. A teacher/pupil storyline, not really been done before, but if written well could actually develop the character. Because right now, she's not actually doing much. With Ronnie/Roxy going there's a gap in the Mitchell family, and they really need to develop Louise or indeed bring back Sam Mitchell. Johnny Mitchell seems to be doing a lot of standing around and being generally useless. They need to get him with Steven (in an affair storyline preferably) or Ben quickly. Similarly, Abi has been purposeless since April. As has Donna. As has Vincent. There's characters screaming to be used, but are being ignored.

I don't think it's a decline - it's a literal regime change. The new producer is clearly trying to get the audience to a place where there is a clean slate, where we aren't demanding or expecting huge plots every week - you will never be as good if you keep up the sensationalism as audiences will always expect bigger and better.

The show is going back to basics and is attempting to re-acquaint the audience with the characters (and throw in some character development for good measure). Some really needed it - Jane is much more like her old self now (pre-Lucy death) and Lauren hasn't shouted at anyone in forever. This of course allows smaller background characters to take a step forward too, such as Honey, Denise etc, who haven't had much to do for the longest time, and allowed focus on smaller storylines such as Dot and her eyesight.

It feels as if the show has been ramping up slowly towards bigger drama, as granted, not a lot has been going on. But Phill seems to be reaching a conclusion, Lee is about to come undone, Denise isn't far off giving birth and we have had a few curveballs thrown at us like The Vic robbery and Michelle Fowler returning.

The show is not as bad as it was during Kat's affair storyline with Derek. That's the real benchmark for me. I know a lot of people are sick of waiting for something to happen, but the show is taking a breather and attempting to reset - and in the process letting characters have their moment without even having a real storyline.

It can be dull, but I am expecting a payoff. I do wonder if they're bringing everyone together as a community in order to tear them all apart with a big storyline, or to bring in a new family that'll rub the entire square up the wrong way. But I do love how Stacey has grown as a mother and wife, I love Jane being her old self again, it's nice to see Kathy fully integrated and making friends, it's nice to see Sharon have no idea if she's coming or going, I like the idea of building Phill Mitchell back up from scratch and I like that Ben is still feeling very lost after Paul's death, etc etc etc.

It's been in decline since 1985!

Yet, seems to have a pathetic relationship with her youngest son...

I agree. Although I have considered switching off during an episode in the past, the first time(s) I have actually done the deed is this year, usually when the ghastly Carter family are on, for me the decline well and truly stepped up when they were introduced. Not only are their stories boring, but so are the attempts at shoehorning them into every scene humanly possible (even Michelle's first words were her talking to Lee Carter, then there's the criminal Linda and Peggy scene, then Mick and Grant and so on), not to mention the terrible actors. If they aren't all written out soon then I think EE will be cancelled in the next couple of years.

Write them all out? As in literally everyone? Something like a terror attack maybe or my favourite a huge gas explosion? What sort of new characters would you like to see? Did you mean the Carters really? Yes they've been utterly boring since the rape storyline. I think Janine should return with cash for the Vic and TPTB should send the Carters packing even if it means Danny Dyer going too. Can you imagine Janine taking over as landlady? She's probably EE's best ever character.

🙆🙆 Could not agree more! I 100% agree. I don't mind taking a rest from this rollercoaster ride that has been.building.up and up but then failing to go over the edge, or the unbelievable storylines. I would rather a more realistic storyline for example normally.on a soap, someone dies you cry at a funeral seen some flashbacks etc and then the day.after its all forgotten, I understand storyline's need closure but just a tad more realistic.

Anyway Merry Christmas, I'm excited to.see what.2017 will bring to.EE.

Irony believe we.Will see.EE being cancelled anytime soon, personally, I hope I'm correct.
And maybe it's just me but.minus Lee I love the Carter's, I do miss Nancy and can't stand Babe. I truly love seeing Linda and Mike, it's refreshing to see a couple who are.each other's rock. It's nice to.see.a.Happy marriage.

Great post. Couldn't agree more

There`s just not really any interesting characters left. I mean seriously does anyone wait for the next episode to see what Shirley`s up to or what Denise is up to.

Looking back when there was Den, Dennis, Chrissie, Andy etc most people were excited about the next episode. Same goes for Stacey`s storylines from when she first endered the show until her Max-Bradley storylines.
However even her character has got boring now.

The Kat Alfie storylines were exciting 10 years ago but even when they come back now they are dull storylines.
The old Phil, Janine,

There were some boring episodes back then as well but at least the families involves and storylines kept the whole year going.

I mean the biggest storylines lately are Carters or Lucy`s death. Well I don`t think anyone really cared about the Lucy character enough to even care about that story.

More boring moaning about Kim Medcalf. Anyone would think that she was the best actress ever. Bringing back old characters don't make programs more fresh. Little Mo being the life and soul of the square? I thought she was annoying

I agree that getting Janine back would be great and her trying to run the Vic would be funny. The only Carter I don't mind is Aunt Babe so it would be great if she were to stay working for Janine and the rest of the Carters be quietly written out. Her and Janine would make a good team

If you don't like it turn over and don't watch it ,life isn't all about murders every day ,eastenders is changing and I think for the better I don't care who the boss is ,I have watched this show since day one and never miss an episode,long may it continue

I'm really enjoying the show again. The Christmas episodes were the best we've had in years. Onwards and upwards

A murder a day? One or two a year will surffice Lol

Bring back Robbie Jackson!!!!!! And that will stop the decline of EE? Seriously?????

Yes admittedly it has been a bit slow lately but it looks like it is building up to something happening over NYE/New Years Day in relation to Ronnie & Roxy and hopefully beyond that whatever the repercussions will be

Good grief...Kim Metcalf and Robbie Jackson...two of the biggest bores going. Give me the wonderful Shirley and Denise, Vincent, Martin, Kush and Mick, Honey and Stacey. In fact anybody but them two.

You can keep your gangsters and thugs, there are plenty of shows that focus on those types. We have a good cast and things are just starting to get exciting....exciting without being totally farcical. The show has been a joke for months, time it had it's feet back on the ground.

Good post I agree. I'm also delighted that Phil got a liver that didn't come from one of his relatives (like the awful Ferreira plot line).

Eastenders has been much better recently than earlier this year. We just need more ongoing storylines for more of the cast.

So to keep Eastenders fresh you propose bringing back old characters.

Hardly.

2007-2010 EastEnders was one of the greatest eras the show has ever had. But February 2010, the show was receiving its biggest audiences since 2003. The storylines, cast and writing was fantastic. It was far from perfect, but I'd refer to that era as a turn around rather than a decline.

2011-2013 the less said the better.

December 2013 - February 2015 deserves some praise too. Again, far from perfect, but DTC and his team did so much for the show and well and truly rescued it.

Since then, it really has been hit and miss. It can be dreadful for weeks, then they'll pull something fantastic out the bag.

I wouldn't say it's been in decline because each era since then has had its ups and downs. It's not as good as it was in the 90's or early 00's though, which was the greatest era a soap has ever had, in my opinion.