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FFS bringing back Michelle Fowler is a mistake IMO - EastEnders


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Old 29-12-2016, 21:00
sarahcadhill
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Michelle Fowler is an iconic character but she's NOT Michelle IMO. FFS who is this impostor?? Jenna Russel is an OK actress but EE bosses can't expect me to welcome the iconic and legendary Michelle Fowler easily????? Susan Tully played Michelle for 10 years and they should have NEVER recast her IMO. Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt must be furious and pissed off the bosses stupidly recast Michelle IMO.

FFS BIG mistake!!

Rant over!!!
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:02
EmmaEngland
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I think she is doing a fine job.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:02
Kirk Angel
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lol
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:03
duckylucky
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I think she is doing a grand job . I quite like her
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:03
al_capo
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They have obviously brought her back for a reason, rumours are that Grant and Mark are returning so she fits in. Maybe Susan told them that she would never return, so they would have no choice but to recast. I would give her more than a few episodes before writing her off. People said the same when Martin was recast but he's better than the original imo.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:06
vald
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It was about time. It should have been done years ago. And what's it got to do with the other actors...They get well paid to do a job and that's what they should be getting on with, not interfering in Executive decisions.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:07
0...0
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I'm 50/50 on it. Depends on what storylines she has. In an ideal world Sue would be back but I'm sure the new actress will make her mark. I'm sure I read somewhere that Adam and Letitia were happy about it as they know Jenna from old. Not that it matters. They all have to do what the producer wants.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:22
Andybear
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Michelle Fowler is an iconic character but she's NOT Michelle IMO. FFS who is this impostor?? Jenna Russel is an OK actress but EE bosses can't expect me to welcome the iconic and legendary Michelle Fowler easily????? Susan Tully played Michelle for 10 years and they should have NEVER recast her IMO. Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt must be furious and pissed off the bosses stupidly recast Michelle IMO.

FFS BIG mistake!!

Rant over!!!
You're not the only EE viewer - there are several million, many of whom weren't born when ST was in it. Why should they cater to just you?
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:27
Danny_Francis
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Michelle Fowler is an iconic character but she's NOT Michelle IMO. FFS who is this impostor?? Jenna Russel is an OK actress but EE bosses can't expect me to welcome the iconic and legendary Michelle Fowler easily????? Susan Tully played Michelle for 10 years and they should have NEVER recast her IMO. Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt must be furious and pissed off the bosses stupidly recast Michelle IMO.

FFS BIG mistake!!

Rant over!!!
I think the word iconic and legendary gets thrown around way too easily these days, Michelle certainly played a big part in the show's history but to describe her in those terms is wrong IMO. If Peggy could be recasted for the eventual greater good why can't Michelle? I loved the Fowlers back in the day but Michelle wasn't as important as say Pauline or Arthur. Even Mark Fowler, my favourite member of the family changed face. I don't agree with them recasting Martin either but the show had to move on, you have to give the new Michelle time. It's been so long that a fair amount of the audience won't even remember the original.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:33
kaiserbee
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The return of her character has meant I've tuned back in to EE for the first time in over ten years.

Time will tell if the show keeps my interest, but I am intrigued as to where this character is going to be taken. So I think it's been a brave and positive move.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:33
grangehilllover
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I think she's doing a good job so far.

Oh, and Susan Tully gave her blessing to the recast and helped Jenna, Sean and the writers about who Michelle was. And why would Letitia and Adam be pissed of with one of their friends joining the show taking on the role from another friend? Letitia Dean and Jenna Russell went to stage school together and have been friends for more than 30 years. Adam Woodyatt has also been a close friends as well.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:34
BadLadAsh
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I wasn't around when the first Michelle was but I can understand why people are pissed off, it would be like recasting Kat or Stacey!
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:35
Harlowe
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Change takes time, Michelle is back this a new interpretation of the character, she won't be the same, because she isn't, people need to let go of this notion that everyone is going to hate her because she not Susan Tully.

Jenna Russell is doing a fine job, I'm not expecting everything to click in place within a week, writing and development will take time to settle in, some people are just too impatient and won't accept change.

Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt according to the media have known Jenna for 30 years so why would they be upset, I think SOC went the right way about it, he approached Susan Tully and work with the actors to make sure she was the right pick.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:37
Jimmy Connors
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I think it's too early to judge yet, though half the time I do have to keep reminding myself who she actually is.

I hope they don't go down the very predictable route of hooking her up with Max.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:38
Paris Le Roc
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I think the word iconic and legendary gets thrown around way too easily these days, Michelle certainly played a big part in the show's history but to describe her in those terms is wrong IMO. If Peggy could be recasted for the eventual greater good why can't Michelle? I loved the Fowlers back in the day but Michelle wasn't as important as say Pauline or Arthur. Even Mark Fowler, my favourite member of the family changed face. I don't agree with them recasting Martin either but the show had to move on, you have to give the new Michelle time. It's been so long that a fair amount of the audience won't even remember the original.
Michelle is iconic, she is regarded as iconic by pretty much everyone who worked on the show and the media for the past week have described her as iconic. Every single producer since 1997 tried to lure Sue Tully back, every single one of them. They wouldn't have wasted their time doing that if Susan hadn't of left her mark. Michelle was the face of the story that launched EastEnders to the success it became with her pregnancy storyline. The press never took any notice of the show until then, after that it was front page news for weeks. I'm sure Jenna Russell will be great as Chelle but don't play down the character or her history just to sell your own opinion of the facts.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:44
Danny_Francis
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[quote=Paris Le Roc;84997535]Michelle is iconic, she is regarded as iconic by pretty much everyone who worked on the show and the media for the past week have described her as iconic. Michelle was the face of the story that lunched EastEnders to the success it became with her pregnancy storyline. The press never took any notice of the show until then, after that it was front page news for weeks. I'm sure Jenna Russell will be great as Chelle but don't play down the character or her history just to sell your own opinion of the facts.[/QUOTE
IMO it was Den and Angie that helped set the wheels in motion firstly. Afterall iconic and legendary labelling stems from opinion I think Michelle was big for her era mostly and that's it.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:45
gavin shipman
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I really like Jenna playing Michelle. I'm intrigued as to what's going to happen with her as she's sure to be a long timer otherwise why recast such an iconic character after twenty years.
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:03
cobis
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Michelle Fowler was involved in the storyline that really made the tabloids take notice of Eastenders - who was the father of Vicky - other than that she was selfish, whiny, miserable, cruel - leaving Lofty standing at the alter, then deigning to marry him only to have an abortion without even having the courtesy of letting him know what she was intending to do - this wasn't one of her one night stand pregnancies this was her husband! she always had a condescending attitude to her family even though they supported her through every disaster and crisis which was mostly of her own making, off screen she appears to have continued in her self absorbed behaviour - Vicky was difficult so she was packed off to live with Pauline, she has some kind of crisis of conscience and makes Peggy's death all about her by choosing this time to reveal Mark jnr's true father, doesn't bother to show up to her mother's, brother's uncle pete or Lucy's funeral (she can be forgiven for Arthur as she had just given birth to Mark)

I am glad they have recast Michelle, I don't consider her to be iconic but she is of course one of the originals, however unless there is a very good reason why she has abandoned her son and current husband at Christmas she is unfortunately the same self centred self absorbed person she has always been and I am hoping that Sharon, Ian or Martin or all three point out a few home truths to her!
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:06
Adrian_Ward1
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She's ok to be fair too Soon to judge. They will definitely pair her and Max
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:11
Michelle Jones
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I think the word iconic and legendary gets thrown around way too easily these days, Michelle certainly played a big part in the show's history but to describe her in those terms is wrong IMO. If Peggy could be recasted for the eventual greater good why can't Michelle? I loved the Fowlers back in the day but Michelle wasn't as important as say Pauline or Arthur. Even Mark Fowler, my favourite member of the family changed face. I don't agree with them recasting Martin either but the show had to move on, you have to give the new Michelle time. It's been so long that a fair amount of the audience won't even remember the original.
Hmm not quite sure you can compare the recasting of Peggy when the first one was in it for just ten, yes TEN episodes, to the recasting of Michelle who was in it for ten years!!

I do agree though about giving the new one a chance at least. Even though so far every line she speaks I imagine Sue Tully saying it and thinking "would Michelle have said that?" But I think as time goes on that'll stop! Lol
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:15
Mr Patrick
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Michelle Fowler is an iconic character but she's NOT Michelle IMO. FFS who is this impostor?? Jenna Russel is an OK actress but EE bosses can't expect me to welcome the iconic and legendary Michelle Fowler easily????? Susan Tully played Michelle for 10 years and they should have NEVER recast her IMO. Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt must be furious and pissed off the bosses stupidly recast Michelle IMO.

FFS BIG mistake!!

Rant over!!!
Jenna Russell who plays Michelle is actually a good friend of Adam and Letitia for years so I don't think they are furious
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:15
Danny_Francis
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Hmm not quite sure you can compare the recasting of Peggy when the first one was in it for just ten, yes TEN episodes, to the recasting of Michelle who was in it for ten years!!

I do agree though about giving the new one a chance at least. Even though so far every line she speaks I imagine Sue Tully saying it and thinking "would Michelle have said that?" But I think as time goes on that'll stop! Lol
Lol fair enough maybe that wasn't the greatest example
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:25
sw2963
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I suppose the closest would be Sam Mitchell and people were able to accept Kim.

I thought Kim was great but she wasn't Sam for me. I wonder if Jenna will be the same for me.

I wasn't invested in Martin or Ben as characters as I was with Michelle as I too was a teenage girl back in the 80s and related to her struggles.

Daniella's Sam arrived as part of the Mitchell clan and was involved in the Butcher era so it was a part of EE history too imo.

I am happy to give Jenna's Michelle time to embed with her onscreen family.

Time will tell.
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:26
xItzDannyx
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Michelle Fowler is an iconic character but she's NOT Michelle IMO. FFS who is this impostor?? Jenna Russel is an OK actress but EE bosses can't expect me to welcome the iconic and legendary Michelle Fowler easily????? Susan Tully played Michelle for 10 years and they should have NEVER recast her IMO. Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt must be furious and pissed off the bosses stupidly recast Michelle IMO.

FFS BIG mistake!!

Rant over!!!
BIB - James Alexandrou played Martin for 11 years but they still recast him and it's worked well.

Michelle's been on-screen for less than a week. So far all she's done is visit family members, so isn't it a bit too soon to judge? Yes Michelle was a big character due to the fact that she was an original etc, but she was only in the show for ten years, which is just under a 1/3 of the show's time on air. If the producers want to bring a character back and the original actress doesn't want to return, they should be allowed to recast - it's not like they went against Susan's wishes as she agreed to the recast!
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:28
mrs.deschanel
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Michelle Fowler was involved in the storyline that really made the tabloids take notice of Eastenders - who was the father of Vicky - other than that she was selfish, whiny, miserable, cruel - leaving Lofty standing at the alter, then deigning to marry him only to have an abortion without even having the courtesy of letting him know what she was intending to do - this wasn't one of her one night stand pregnancies this was her husband! she always had a condescending attitude to her family even though they supported her through every disaster and crisis which was mostly of her own making, off screen she appears to have continued in her self absorbed behaviour - Vicky was difficult so she was packed off to live with Pauline, she has some kind of crisis of conscience and makes Peggy's death all about her by choosing this time to reveal Mark jnr's true father, doesn't bother to show up to her mother's, brother's uncle pete or Lucy's funeral (she can be forgiven for Arthur as she had just given birth to Mark)

I am glad they have recast Michelle, I don't consider her to be iconic but she is of course one of the originals, however unless there is a very good reason why she has abandoned her son and current husband at Christmas she is unfortunately the same self centred self absorbed person she has always been and I am hoping that Sharon, Ian or Martin or all three point out a few home truths to her!
You are absolutely right. Yes Michelle was one of the originals and was at the forefront of the biggest storyline in a soap but she was an absolutely horrible person. She was vile to her family, her husband, her best friend (because getting knocked up by her Dad wasn't enough - she had to have a go with her husband too) .... I never could stand her. It's been over 20 years. Give the new lass a chance and see if she grows on us. We are on Martin number 3, Janine number 3 (if she comes back), the Beale twins have had new heads more than once, Lauren was recast, Peggy was recast, many people prefer Kim Medcalf to Danniella Westbrooke as Sam etc. It's not even been a week and it's like EE have committed a cardinal sin. She doesn't seem that bad to me and she has that frumpy look Michelle had . Chelle was always a scruffy looking frump with a face like a slapped arse. Why she's been put on a pedestal of perfection is beyond me. Probably an unpopular opinion but I watched EE from the first episode and remember the pregnancy and who dunnit really well - I don't think if you are young you can comprehend 3 TV channels that went off at night and how massive soaps were then. Everyone was talking about it. No one got any work done in school on reveal day. It was pre internet, pre spoilers, pre everything and we were obsessed with finding out. Even so I didn't not see Michelle as untouchable as an icon. Maybe because I never liked her because her face was always tripping her?
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