Me too.


Really good way of putting it. The inconsistency actually really reminds me of Hollyoaks as well. That's what they do, have one Big Issue Storyline so they can make claims to be taken "seriously", then pad out the rest with really tacky trashy lightweight stuff. Or they did when I gave up watching.

Like most of the soaps now, ED is broadcast too often and, as a consequence, has too many characters and too many storylines on the go at once.

They could do with a cull of pointless characters/poor actors, including Leyla (annoying character played by a woman who can't act very well), Tracy and David and their Tardis-like shop which is now a cafe/restaurant (how long before they start hosting weddings, parties and Bar Mitzvahs?) creepy Kasim who also can't act, Jimmy and Nicola (once fab characters, now just stuck in a "Groundhog Day" scenario of off-again, on-again)
and definitely get rid of RobRon..or keep Robert (fab actor who is genuinely creepy, yet hot all at once) and dispose of Aaron who is a seriously depressing and drippy character who adds nothing to the show....oh, and send his weirdo sister with him!

It's a shame that Val went, she did have excellent comic timing, as does Kerry, who is wasted on the endless "old slapper" storyline. Her and Dan are good together, she really lifts his performance and if the writing was any good, they'd be setting those two up as a long-term couple in the village.

The Holly death and Ashley dementia storylines have showed a real sensitivity that is often missing from other soaps, which tend to focus on the more sensational stories. But ED is losing the plot(s) at present, there is too much going on, none of which is particularly interesting.

Although I get the feeling that something is brewing between Emma and Leyla.....we could do with another grisly and "accidental" death! (Not Emma though, she should stay forever!!)

Thanks.

I've never watched Hollyoaks so I don't have any comparisons to make.

The summer was filled with these lightweight stories and was absolutely dire, things happening without real consequence and without feeling real (except for Holly's return)- it was like watching a version of Emmerdale that was detached from itself. Just odd.

The recent turnaround has been very welcome with Holly's death at the helm and the recent Barton tragedy. And obviously the Ashley dementia has been almost carrying the show through the producer changeover. I remain hopeful for the future of the soap as some big mistakes are being fixed or moved to a place that they can be fixed.
I don't mind filler so much but some depth would be nice. It at least feels less detached than in the summer.

ETA: It's also worth suggesting to the writer's that not everything going on in character's lives has to be part of a bigger story. People just having a conversation can be more effective than a pointless plot as part of a self contained storyline.

I feel this is the whole point - there is value in just ordinary stuff, it doesn't always have to be sensational/emotional/shocking. That was, I think, where Betty and Edna came in handy.

I cannot agree with the poster who said that Leyla was pointless and the actress couldn't act - she is given the most stupid things to say which does not help! On the other hand Kasim - . . .

I love Leyla! I think the problem is that when the show's not working, it's easy to pick on particular characters, but actually, it's not Kerry's fault or Leyla's fault or Kasim's fault or Nicola and Jimmy's - it's the storyliners'. The material the characters are getting just isn't good.

The only exception I'd make to that rule is Tracy. She really is the most pointless and unlikeable character I can remember on ED, and she is on the screen all the time. There's nothing they can do to improve her apart from ditching her.

I totally agree. Just some realistic character interaction would work for me rather than these strangely forced scenes (Pete & Leyla / Ross & Rebecca)
Pete & Leyla could be a strong coupling but they don't seem to want to invest in that really.

Also I think Leyla is a really strong character and is doing fine just now - I like the actress too.
Kasim can go, he's being an arsehole.

Emmerdale is still my favourite to watch, but I will agree that lately there has been some sloppy/lazy writing. Part of the appeals of soap is history and realism. So to have characters change overnight, then change back etc really throws you off. Plus some storylines that happen but then seemingly don't matter at all anymore when a new storyline conveniently needs to have them forgotten. I would rather they stop with the OTT drama for ratings or headlines because this is what happens, its hard to keep that up while also maintaining solid continuity and believability no matter how good your actors are.

I'm really fed up with the directlon they have taken Cain and Moira.

They were once a great couple but this year they appear to have run out of ideas for them so they inevitably split them up, They keep dangling a carrot at the fans that they might get back together but there doesn't seem to be any ending in sight at the moment.

Iain McLeods video says that Thats hardly unique is it?

I am a Coira fan but I think I'd rather see them split permanently than us having to suffer anymore of this nonsense.

My main beef with the show at the moment is that no couple seems to be able to be happily together for more than two minutes and it is soooo tedious.

Agree but what makes it even worse is that they cannot even get that right as with each split you know it's just a matter of time before the couple are reunited. Splitting and reuniting is endemic on ED and it is so very, very dull.

Just watched the Christmas day episode... Snow all around. Come Boxing Day, none in sight. Children playing in the park, not one bit of ice or a snowflake of snow.

And why is Charity asking Lisa "what happened with you and Zak?" when she was there last night when Zak came back to the house and told them he and Joanie had split up? She heard the entire conversation

So amateur, honestly.

... and now we have Jimmy sleeping over at Dan's? The man who slept with his wife?

OK.

Dan didn't sleep with Nicola did he? I recall that they just kissed but may be wrong. All this kicking folk out etc., is just dull.

I agree that it's down to the stories not the characters. Less of the headline grabbing who's the father/x ( insert name of character) dead?!?/ affairs/ murders/ stunts. We're ve seen what can happen when the actors are given an excellent story with the Ashley one and Holly's death. Give us more of that!

To be fair, it was snowing when they filmed the outdoor scenes for the Christmas epThey probably don't t film it consecutively so there maybe wasn't much they could do about that - they won't have Hollywood budgets!

I am getting fed up with Emma and Kerry story lines. I thought the whole point of Kasim was to out Emma. What happened? As for Kerry, I cant understand the point of the compo story line. The other one I can't stand is the pairing of Tracy and David. I would have thought since Laila is Jacobs natural mother, and the fact that Laila and David had history, they might get back together. I always liked them. Rant over

Well, he kissed his wife but I said the same thing when I saw it.

The trouble is, scenes are being skipped to make room for everything they want to tell in the two week long period they appear to be giving storylines before moving onto something else.

Seeing Jimmy talk to Dan is an important link between scenes and we should have seen it - hell, there's enough episodes to fit it in!
It might not be dramatic but without it there's no context for future scenes or relationships - all so characters can be where they need to be to complete the plot points laid out for the episode.

I think Kasim' s role is to bring out Finn's s inner Emma::

Now that you've said this, Finn looks more like Emma's natural son than the other two. Ross looks too old and Peter looks older than her. Closer to Jame's age IMO.

Emma is gay??

Whoops, seems my memory is about as good as the writers!

There's so many affairs/one night stands/random snogging that it's hard to keep up


Yes, cheap dig by me, but still... they could've at least put some cotton wool up on the roofs

Exactly. We all knew Jimmy and Nicola were going to work things out, just as we all know that Zak and Lisa, Cain and Moira and Dan and Kerry will more than likely all find their way back to each other, eventually. It's hard to invest any real emotion into any of these splits because it's obvious that none of them are really permanent. Yet the writers still persist in dragging these plots on and on and on.

She's a murderer. It was obvious that was what the poster meant

How much do writers get paid?

Couple split up due to an affair or some type of lie that snowballs.
Couple end up sniping back and forth for months, before it tails off and they fade back into the background.
Couple come back to the forefront whilst they make up, then nothing again for months.

It's a pile of shit - same old, same old. There's actually no point to any of it. It just goes round in circles with nothing being achieved. There's no purpose, no development, no meaning to any of these splitting up/getting back together stories.

They could've turned the negatives into a positive - such as Lisa getting a new lease of life, shown to be having fun and actually show her as a strong character by telling Zak to do one. Instead, the inevitable is going to happen because "they're meant to be together" - well, if that's the case, don't break them up in the first place, FFS.

you is very naughty!!! TBF I thought it might be fake until I noticed the fields were covered