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Could EastEnders ever pull off a 'Bobby Ewing' Shower moment? |
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#26 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,607
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Quote:
It's the point where a show noticeably goes downhill in quality after a change in an attempt to stay fresh. Usually there is some big stunt that makes it clear that the writers have run out of good/new ideas.
The name comes from when The Fonz (Eehhhhhey!) on Happy Days literally jumped over a shark while water-skiing. TV Tropes explains it better (I take no responsibility if you click the link and then find you've been reading TV Tropes for two hours or something): http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...umpingTheShark |
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#27 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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One thing I can't get my head around about that was how did it impact Knots Landing? Was the whole of Knots Landing a dream after he gets out of the shower? And then when Val and Gary came back for the reboot where they coming from Knots Landing or somewhere else?
So confused..... So we effectively had this weird situation where Bobby was still dead in KL's universe although not mentioned. I don't even want to think about hiw them appearing in the reboot works out. They screwed with most of the continuity on that anyway so.... |
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#28 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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My understanding is not that it relates to declining quality, it refers to an event or storyline that stretches credibility too far, is not convincing and seems to have been done in desperation... two recent examples are dead Kathy and Michelle Fowler's head transplant.
Different viewers definitions of that would vary, some accepting recasts, some not for example. But bringing a cgaracter we actually saw die on screen back would be generally accepted as shark jumping I think. I think the declining quality link comes from it often stemming from an act of desperation by the producers to reignite interest or/and increase ratings. Just as happened in Dallas, ratings fell and they believed they needed Duffy back to get them back up by any means necessary. And, re the OP, it really didn't work in Dallas. Yes, they had renewed interest but it was short lived. The show limped on for another 5 years or so but it was pretty much a joke. The fact thst it is still referred to in derosion 30 years later k i nd of reinforces that. It is what most people remember about Dallas, that they did this stupod, unbelievavbke thing which is sad I thinkas it over shadows the quality of the show prior to that. |
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#29 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Didn't Crossroads also do this during it's revival?
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#30 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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There would be uproar if they did
![]() As they actually accepted that it was a dream Which could happen
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#31 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
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Quote:
My understanding is not that it relates to declining quality, it refers to an event or storyline that stretches credibility too far, is not convincing and seems to have been done in desperation... two recent examples are dead Kathy and Michelle Fowler's head transplant.
Witness protection would have worked better. |
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#32 |
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Join Date: Jun 2016
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No, let dead dogs lie, we need brand new characters. There's so much fresh talent about and I'm sick of seeing the same old faces.
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#33 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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Dead Kathy being alive was plausible.... right up until she tried to explain it as some bizarre insurance scam.
Witness protection would have worked better. |
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#34 |
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: here
Posts: 4,803
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Quote:
KL jusr quietly cut all ties to Dallas after the dream season with Gary never visiting or mentioning the family agaim although he was still mentioned in Dallas and indeed appeared, along with Val, in the final episode, albeit as part of JRs It's A Wonderful Life apparition.
So we effectively had this weird situation where Bobby was still dead in KL's universe although not mentioned. I don't even want to think about hiw them appearing in the reboot works out. They screwed with most of the continuity on that anyway so.... |
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#35 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,894
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Quote:
Dallas couldn't pull it off let alone EastEnders!
However Dallas isn't EastEnders and EastEnders could not pull it off for the reasons given by the user I have quoted below. Quote:
Dallas was able to pull off the "Bobby's in the Shower" thing because it had series that wrapped most of the stories for all the characters up at the finale, so it was easy to reset to before Bobby "died" and say all those things didn't happen as the viewers had also had some time to forget the details.
EE doesn't work like that so after a certain point, it would be to complicated to reset the entire square - for example a hard reset like Dallas's would require undoing and bringing back any other leavers (for example Lee Carter as we know he's going) or otherwise explaining how they disappeared suddenly, without trace on New Year's Day. Not to mention putting everyone else back to where they are now, and getting rid of any new characters. If on Friday, Jack was to wake up in the hotel to be told by Max that Ronnie and Roxy had run off together with all the money from the house sale and Amy and Matthew. That might just be believable but any longer would just be stretching it. Last edited by LaneKent : 03-01-2017 at 21:38. Reason: spelling and grammar |
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#36 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,236
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Yes, that is my understanding of it too. It's the moment something happens that is so stupid or credibility streaching that it destroys the believability of the fictional universe.
Different viewers definitions of that would vary, some accepting recasts, some not for example. But bringing a cgaracter we actually saw die on screen back would be generally accepted as shark jumping I think. I think the declining quality link comes from it often stemming from an act of desperation by the producers to reignite interest or/and increase ratings. Just as happened in Dallas, ratings fell and they believed they needed Duffy back to get them back up by any means necessary. And, re the OP, it really didn't work in Dallas. Yes, they had renewed interest but it was short lived. The show limped on for another 5 years or so but it was pretty much a joke. The fact thst it is still referred to in derosion 30 years later k i nd of reinforces that. It is what most people remember about Dallas, that they did this stupod, unbelievavbke thing which is sad I thinkas it over shadows the quality of the show prior to that. |
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#37 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
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I'd like to see Phil stumbling into the bathroom and dropping dead when Den leers through the shower curtain 'Ello Princess'.
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#38 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
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That's why I don't think it worked in the long term. Damaged the show.
And that was after a relativy short period with fairly contained ots and a relatively small (about a dozen regulars) cast so easier to manage the 'reset' As somebody else stated, in a continuing, year round drama with many more chatacters all with independent storylines, it would be virtually impossible to write. Aside from the credibility side of it. |
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#39 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Basically it was Knots Landings very own Sliding Doors moment.
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#40 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Quote:
Didn't Crossroads also do this during it's revival?
St Elsewhere was also revealed to have been an imagined world of anautistic child in it's last episodebut again, that was just a final twist. |
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#41 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Quote:
That's why I don't think it worked in the long term. Damaged the show.
So it really did work for Dallas in the long-term as it would of ended around 1987. But it would not work for EE at all. Personally I loved the Dream series and was glad that Bobby Ewing was gone and was gutted when he came back. I nearly stopped watching but I stuck it out to the bitter end of the original series somehow and liked the 2012 continuation series. The TV movies were dreadful though. |
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#42 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,236
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Quote:
They were told the show would be axed within a year if they did not bring back Patrick Duffy AKA Bobby Ewing. Yes it lost viewers by bringing back Bobby as they felt cheated. However it lasted for 5 years, and kept getting continuation movies and eventually a television series that ran until 2014. It would probably be going on now if Larry Hagman hadn't died.
So it really did work for Dallas in the long-term as it would of ended around 1987. But it would not work for EE at all. Personally I loved the Dream series and was glad that Bobby Ewing was gone and was gutted when he came back. I nearly stopped watching but I stuck it out to the bitter end of the original series somehow and liked the 2012 continuation series. The TV movies were dreadful though.
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