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Emmerdale needs a shake-up


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Old Yesterday, 09:50
Noxy
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Although I watch all three main soaps, Emmerdale is currently my least favourite. There are a few good things going on - Rhona/Pierce, Ashley's dementia - but most of it is aimless at the moment.

The first main issue I think is that the cast is a bit stale. The same characters get all the stories and the same characters get nothing. Most characters get very little do, whilst the same characters - Emma, Finn, Pete, Leyla, Tracey, Chas, Aaron, Zak - are in the show day in, day out.

There is a lot of deadwood - Paddy, Charity, Rodney, Nicola, Jimmy, Vanessa, Ross, Joanie, Harriet, Tracy and Frank all need to go. The majority of the cast have no screen time or no storylines - that is not a good place for a soap to be. I would suggest the cast is too big anyway and needs to trim back. Paradoxically though, it could also do with some new blood. The show is bursting with child characters yet you only see a handful of them. Let's not forget the amazing invisible twins Cathy and Heath! Strong actors like Brenda, Bob and Bernice are just given nothing to do. Will they ever develop Bernice? Why is she so uninvolved in Ashley's dementia storyline? Will we ever meet Dee Dee?

Robron, the Whites, Kerry - all going absolutely nowhere.

It's all very tired and unimaginative at the moment.
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Old Yesterday, 10:05
Adrian_Ward1
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I do think Some of the Cast need Looking at in terms of storylines etc
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Old Yesterday, 10:12
glen20
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As I've said in a different thread, Emmerdale is good but there's a total imbalance of character utilisation. Megan, Herriet, Bob and Brenda have basically turned intonamed extras whilst Robron, Ross, Chas, Moira and Cain are seldom off-screen.

I also dislike the way in which Nicola, Jimmy and Bernice have turned into pathetic comedy characters. I remember when Nicola used to be bitchy and cunning, Jimmy was running Home Farm and Bernice was an excellent landlady of a country pub... now all three are shadows of their former selves.
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Old Yesterday, 10:19
Adrian_Ward1
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There are characters like Ross Robert Chrissie Jimmy Nicola who go round in circles
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Old Yesterday, 11:10
cyrilandshirley
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It's not so much that it's aimless - there's is lots going on, crash bang wallop fire rape etc - it's that it's brainless.
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Old Yesterday, 11:33
molliepops
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I think there is a lot going on and maybe some actors appreciate less storylines occasionally for various reasons. I would like so see less of some and more of others but that's how soaps go we can't all have the soap tailored exactly to us.

Most upsetting thing at the moment is Lisa allowing Zac back ! But if it means stabilising the dingles again I will have to live with it.

I think having Megan have a special needs child and also Rhonna they have painted themselves into a corner and don't know how to proceed with those characters.
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Old Yesterday, 11:40
Soapfan678
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Paddy, Charity, Nicola, Jimmy, Vanessa, Ross and Harriet are not deadwood at all. These characters just need a good story.
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Old Yesterday, 12:08
Kenzie70
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Think there's lots going on in Emmerdale at the moment and is still by far the best out the main three soaps. Eastenders is picking up a wee bit, but Corrie is still awful.

Emmerdale is still good viewing at the moment, in my opinion.
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Old Yesterday, 12:10
SegaGamer
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Don't agree at all. Emmerdale is still the top soap at the moment.
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Old Yesterday, 12:14
Danny_Francis
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I think it's still enjoyable to a degree, but it's been better. The show does need to be utilising it's cast more for storylines, the storylines and writing needs to step up a bit. It may be my favourite soap, but it isn't the one I'm enjoying most at the moment
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Old Yesterday, 12:33
samcains90
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It definitely does, and that is coming from someone who is actually enjoying it more than last year.

When it's on, it's on. The dementia storyline among others are well written, well researched and well acted.
Then there's a lot of lightweight, mindless drivel to fill in the gaps as though all of the effort is being put into the good storylines. It's like they're alternating between good, character driven stories and sensationalist and outlandish plots to see what works best. When it's actually more likely the case that the other stories are an attempt to liven up the show from it's "darker" episodes. But what you actually get is a jarring experience with massive dips in quality every now and again.

The Zak & Lisa thing seems to be an example of a major difference of opinion between soap producers, but also seems to have been put on the B-side of the stories to make it look less like backtracking. Or something. I know what I mean!
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Old Yesterday, 12:36
Adrian_Ward1
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Will the producer make any axings
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Old Yesterday, 12:44
sorcha_healy27
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When they do it right Emmerdale is superb. Last night the Pierce Rhona stuff was chilling to watch. Classic excellent Emmerdale.

However the Zak /Lisa shite in contrast was abysmal
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Old Yesterday, 12:47
Noxy
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Will the producer make any axings
I wouldn't bet on it to be honest. I remember when he first took over Emmerdale, he said his attitude to Emmerdale was 'if it ain't break don't fix it'. At the time I found this reassuring and I think it made his transition from Kate Oates pretty seamless actually. But he's been there a while now and, whilst I don't like soaps changing dramatically, if they don't change at all they go stale - which in my opinion is what is happening to Emmerdale right now. It's all over the place.
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Old Yesterday, 12:49
Michelle Jones
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I love Emmerdale but yeah I do agree too many of the same characters are getting the bulk of the storylines, and there's too much going round in circles.

I mean what's the Chas and Paddy thing all about ffs? They've been out once before and it didn't work so why would they try again after all this time? It's just a bit lazy on the scriptwriters behalf. And I'm annoyed Chas isn't with that nice copper who she started seeing then got cold feet about it. Can't remember why that was now but It would've been a change for her to go out with someone who actually lived in a different village to her!!

Finn, who's about as much personality as a Woolpack bar stool (and just as wooden!) is getting way too much screen time IMO. Why should we care about him and Kasim when Finn looks like he couldn't care himself! Dull dull character.

Charity needs to move on from Cain, FOR GOOD this time because that s/l has been done to death aswell now. How about her and Chas go out on the piss in Leeds (yes that's right, a night away from the village!) and they bump into that nice copper and his friend who's also a copper, they get chatting and Chas decides to give it a go with nice copper and Charity starts a relationship with his friend. Charity going out with a copper, now that could be interesting!
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Old Yesterday, 12:50
al_capo
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As I've said in a different thread, Emmerdale is good but there's a total imbalance of character utilisation. Megan, Herriet, Bob and Brenda have basically turned intonamed extras whilst Robron, Ross, Chas, Moira and Cain are seldom off-screen.

I also dislike the way in which Nicola, Jimmy and Bernice have turned into pathetic comedy characters. I remember when Nicola used to be bitchy and cunning, Jimmy was running Home Farm and Bernice was an excellent landlady of a country pub... now all three are shadows of their former selves.
Ross is rarely off screen? Did you actually watch the show last year? He was barely on!!!
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Old Yesterday, 12:51
al_capo
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There are characters like Ross Robert Chrissie Jimmy Nicola who go round in circles
Not really, Ross has gone from trying to kill people to being a good dad to Moses and making up with Pete, whilst being there to comfort the mother who tried to kill him.
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Old Yesterday, 12:58
Noxy
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Not really, Ross has gone from trying to kill people to being a good dad to Moses and making up with Pete, whilst being there to comfort the mother who tried to kill him.
And continuing to be an odious shit, don't forget the odious shit bit.
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Old Yesterday, 13:03
al_capo
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And continuing to be an odious shit, don't forget the odious shit bit.
Oh ofcourse he is, that's why I think he's great. Even when he's civil with people, he still seems to have an agenda, he just doesn't like anyone. He doesnt even seem to be that close to Finn anymore...Pete is Ross' best mate.
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Old Yesterday, 13:15
cyrilandshirley
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I love Emmerdale but yeah I do agree too many of the same characters are getting the bulk of the storylines, and there's too much going round in circles.

I mean what's the Chas and Paddy thing all about ffs? They've been out once before and it didn't work so why would they try again after all this time? It's just a bit lazy on the scriptwriters behalf. And I'm annoyed Chas isn't with that nice copper who she started seeing then got cold feet about it. Can't remember why that was now but It would've been a change for her to go out with someone who actually lived in a different village to her!!

Finn, who's about as much personality as a Woolpack bar stool (and just as wooden!) is getting way too much screen time IMO. Why should we care about him and Kasim when Finn looks like he couldn't care himself! Dull dull character.

Charity needs to move on from Cain, FOR GOOD this time because that s/l has been done to death aswell now. How about her and Chas go out on the piss in Leeds (yes that's right, a night away from the village!) and they bump into that nice copper and his friend who's also a copper, they get chatting and Chas decides to give it a go with nice copper and Charity starts a relationship with his friend. Charity going out with a copper, now that could be interesting!
I like Finn, and don't find him wooden at all. The storyline, on the other hand, is shit.
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Old Yesterday, 13:21
Oldnjaded
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Overall I still enjoy ED, but a lot of 'filler' sls are the inevitable and implacable result of 6 eps a week.

I think some of their dramatic and in depth sls are the best I have ever seen, long may it last. Ashley's story is the obvious example but I've also enjoyed seeing Pierce/Rhona come to the point they inevitably arrived at last night. Most of us knew from day one that he was a wrong'un but ED took their time and built the story up slowly, and with a lot of tension, to the point we came to last night. All very realistic imo.

I also think they do a pretty good job with character rotation, (given that all viewers have a different opinion on which characters they want to see on screen and those they don't and TPTB have to cater to all of them).
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Old Yesterday, 13:29
John Dough
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The programme could do with fewer episodes each week as there are simply too many atm which inevitably leads to thinly written nonsense just to make up the quota.
C St. should lose an episode a week as well but ITV seems to think that quantity beats quality there as well with a sixth weekly episode looming.
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Old Yesterday, 13:31
Mark_Washingto1
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I agree with the OP, Emmerdale is not very consistent anymore. They have flashes of greatness like Ashley's dementia and the crash but other than that we get weeks on end of Kerry's antics, Jimmy and Nicola's poor imitation of a 1980's sitcom or Finn pining over a guy in a coma. When Kate Oates was in charge things weren't perfect but the show was generally watchable, didn't feature all the comedy fails and characters like Kerry were a lot more tolerable.

I don't think their needs to be a major blood bath as far as casting goes, I'd get rid of Jimmy, Nicola, Megan and eventually the Whites and Emma. But the main person that needs to go is Iain MacLeod, IMHO Emmerdale has become like Hollyoaks was under him weeks of crap with a few flashes of greatness.
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Old Yesterday, 13:42
Oldnjaded
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The programme could do with fewer episodes each week which atm inevitably leads to thinly written nonsense just to make up the quota.
C St. should lose an episode a week as well but ITV seems to think that quantity beats quality there as well with a sixth weekly episode looming.
Cheap quantity will always win out over expensive quality when money and profit are the only real considerations, as we have already seen. Nothing to be done about it unfortunately. Although personally I am now actually reading books more than I'm watching tv and loving it, so it's an ill wind and all that.
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Old Yesterday, 13:51
Hollyoaks14
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I agree with the OP, Emmerdale is not very consistent anymore. They have flashes of greatness like Ashley's dementia and the crash but other than that we get weeks on end of Kerry's antics, Jimmy and Nicola's poor imitation of a 1980's sitcom or Finn pining over a guy in a coma. When Kate Oates was in charge things weren't perfect but the show was generally watchable, didn't feature all the comedy fails and characters like Kerry were a lot more tolerable.

I don't think their needs to be a major blood bath as far as casting goes, I'd get rid of Jimmy, Nicola, Megan and eventually the Whites and Emma. But the main person that needs to go is Iain MacLeod, IMHO Emmerdale has become like Hollyoaks was under him weeks of crap with a few flashes of greatness.
Emmerdale is nothing like Hollyoaks?
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