DS Forums

 
 

Could EastEnders ever pull off a 'Bobby Ewing' Shower moment?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 03-01-2017, 16:16
AuntieSoap
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,607
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
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.
AuntieSoap is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 03-01-2017, 18:06
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
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.....
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....
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 18:17
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
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.
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.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 20:21
PDS1985
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Swindon
Posts: 13,387
Didn't Crossroads also do this during it's revival?
PDS1985 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 20:54
owen10
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 30,246
There would be uproar if they did
But there was no uproar in America when Dallas did it

As they actually accepted that it was a dream

Which could happen
owen10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 20:57
Aura101
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,563
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.
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.
Aura101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 21:00
Zarla
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 1,886
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.
Zarla is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 21:21
owen10
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 30,246
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.
They did a Witness Protection storyline in Home and Away when everyone thought Peter Baker was killed off. But he was only working undercover
owen10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 21:37
Lady Voldemort
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: here
Posts: 4,803
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....
Basically it was Knots Landings very own Sliding Doors moment.
Lady Voldemort is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 21:37
LaneKent
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,894
Dallas couldn't pull it off let alone EastEnders!
Dallas actually did pull it off - in the context of its show formula. It was facing the axe if they didn't bring Bobby back. By bringing back Bobby they managed to make the show last another 5 years and then have at least 2 spin off movies over the years. Finally a continuation in 2012 (21 years after the original had gone off air) lasted 3 seasons - and only ultimately failed because Larry Hagman died.

However Dallas isn't EastEnders and EastEnders could not pull it off for the reasons given by the user I have quoted below.

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
LaneKent is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:07
sw2963
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,236
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.
That's why I don't think it worked in the long term. Damaged the show.
sw2963 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:16
0...0
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: I like to singy singy singy...
Posts: 17,646
I'd like to see Phil stumbling into the bathroom and dropping dead when Den leers through the shower curtain 'Ello Princess'.
0...0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:26
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
That's why I don't think it worked in the long term. Damaged the show.
Yes, I agree.

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.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:28
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
Basically it was Knots Landings very own Sliding Doors moment.
Yes, that's a very good analogy.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:31
kitkat1971
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
Didn't Crossroads also do this during it's revival?
They did but it was the last scene of the series so not done to save the show and bring anybody back, but as a final twist.

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.
kitkat1971 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 22:58
LaneKent
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,894
That's why I don't think it worked in the long term. Damaged the show.
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.
LaneKent is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2017, 23:12
sw2963
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,236
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.
Let's agree to disagree.
sw2963 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 21:11.