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EE: Extending families is getting too much


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Old 06-12-2006, 17:12
JohnVB
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This year, under Kate Harwood (know she's gone now), we've had...

*Wicks - Pat suddenly has a whole new family she never knew about. Getting Deano to look through old photos to check he was telling the truth was beyond silly.

*Brannans - Suddenly Bradley just turns up as family to Jim, although never mentioned before. Then the rest of his family just suddenly turn up in the square, Max etc... Also, when Bradley met

*Foxes - Patrick and the Five Hectors? Bit too much, isn't it? More meeting a parent you don't recognize.

*Slaters - No mention of Sean for years and years. No mention of Stacey before her arrival either.

Wicks again - Deano and Carly don't recognize their mother (tonights episode).

Whats wrong with simply bringing in a new family? Too much of a risk after the Ferriars? I think it's getting too much, and after all of these examples, surely it will happen more. Other soaps don't take this route to introducing characters so often, and there is probably a reason why - it's crap.

I'm loving EE at the moment, Pauline has been amazing. I've always hated Ruby but even her last week was great. But, this is a huge fault which distracts me... anybody else feel the same?

Last edited by JohnVB : 06-12-2006 at 17:15.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:16
CPFC
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i agree.

although i can see that Harwood was trying to introduce a deep rooted family ethic to the show, it just seems unfeasible that Jim had this long lost son, and Stacey a long forgotten brother.

Even more unrealistic is that they follow their family members to the square. If I moved away, would I expect my mum, dad, cousins etc to move in a few houses away from me in few years?!
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:19
tom green
 
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4 words emmerdale the dingle family
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:24
Turquoise
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That's true. I heard that the Dingle family is so big and complicated even they can't work their family tree out.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:26
iheartme
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What about the Mitchells with all thier husbands and wifes and ex wifes and ex husbands and children and cousins and second cousins. I think Jamie is a Mitchell because he is Peggy's third cousin once removed or something stupid like that!
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:29
Chrissy 2005
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What's the problem?

The Trueman's have had no family extension, The Foxes are a brand new family, and all of Max, Bradley, Jean and the 5 Heactors have been mentioned previously.

The Slaters and Brannings are certainly realistic, Wick's okay maybe not so okay but it was a desprete way of getting Pat quick connections in the Square.

As for the Foxes and Patrick it turns out they arn't connected and it was just a very interesting plot, as for Shirley if someone your father hated and walked out on you when you where a baby would you reconise them?
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:29
JohnVB
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Originally Posted by tom green
4 words emmerdale the dingle family
I totally see your point, but disagree. The additions from the Dingle family are done in humour. We all know that there are loads of them. It's not something new and unexpected.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:34
JohnVB
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Originally Posted by Chrissy 2005
The Slaters and Brannings are certainly realistic, Wick's okay maybe not so okay but it was a desprete way of getting Pat quick connections in the Square.
No. Just, no.

Certainly realistic? No mention of Stacey until four years of the family being there? Then a further two years before the previously unheard of Sean arrives? Come on, do you really believe that THAT is realistic? Really, REALLY?!

As for the Wicks family, DESPRETE is the word.

I've grown much more ‘attached’ to other new characters and the characters already in place than these 'additions'.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:34
iheartme
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What about the Mitchells with all thier husbands and wifes and ex wifes and ex husbands and children and cousins and second cousins. I think Jamie is a Mitchell because he is Peggy's third cousin once removed or something stupid like that!
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:37
JohnVB
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Originally Posted by iheartme
What about the Mitchells with all thier husbands and wifes and ex wifes and ex husbands and children and cousins and second cousins. I think Jamie is a Mitchell because he is Peggy's third cousin once removed or something stupid like that!
More examples of EE using this silly way of introducing characters. But I'm talking about this year. I think it's far too much that almost every addition to the square has come from an exisiting known name.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:45
Pete Callan
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Originally Posted by Chrissy 2005
What's the problem?

The Trueman's have had no family extension, The Foxes are a brand new family, and all of Max, Bradley, Jean and the 5 Heactors have been mentioned previously.
Umm, when? Before Jean's arrival back in December 2004, she'd never been mentioned, nor had Stacey who cropped up a month before.

We had no knowledge of Bradley before he arrived, and even though Patrick has been in the show for 5 years, not once has he mentioned he was in a group.
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Old 06-12-2006, 17:59
Chrissy 2005
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Originally Posted by Pete Callan
Umm, when? Before Jean's arrival back in December 2004, she'd never been mentioned, nor had Stacey who cropped up a month before.

We had no knowledge of Bradley before he arrived, and even though Patrick has been in the show for 5 years, not once has he mentioned he was in a group.
I remember reading on Walford Web a few weeks ago that Jean and Brian was briefly mentioned by Charlie, I think ti was a thread about Kat and Zoe Foreshaddowing.

Bradley was mentioned in December for one thing as I remember, Jim reluctantly agreed to visit him and went of with Dot for a week.

I'm sure I remember Patrick talking about his days as a musician to Yolande not long after they married, did I imagine it
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Old 06-12-2006, 18:01
Confessions
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Who really cares? Like every family we all have members related to the other side.

The Slaters and Brannings are realistic and long term viewers know Jim had two sons and two daughters. The Slaters had no reason to mention Jean or Stacey before her arrival but Jean's husband Brian did get mentioned thoughout the Kat & Zoe storyline because Kat told how she went to stay with Brain and his mother Kat's anuty Violet when pregnant.

I'm sure Patrick has mentioned his group a few times before too.

Last edited by Confessions : 06-12-2006 at 18:02.
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Old 06-12-2006, 18:36
sean_brom
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Originally Posted by Confessions
Who really cares? Like every family we all have members related to the other side.

The Slaters and Brannings are realistic and long term viewers know Jim had two sons and two daughters. The Slaters had no reason to mention Jean or Stacey before her arrival but Jean's husband Brian did get mentioned thoughout the Kat & Zoe storyline because Kat told how she went to stay with Brain and his mother Kat's anuty Violet when pregnant.

I'm sure Patrick has mentioned his group a few times before too.
I totally agree, every family has members thay do not always see. As for Jean never been mentioned in years the day Stacey turned up in the square she said "mum has gone all funny again". I think it made the show better that Sean was not mentioned because it was a side of Staceey's life that we did not no. If a family comes in a brings in every member at once you will only complain that the show has had to many new people at once.

I am also sure Patrick has mentioned his band in the past.
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Old 06-12-2006, 19:06
Eternal Life
 
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I hated the wicks first but now I love Kevin
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Old 06-12-2006, 19:11
iheartme
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Originally Posted by sean_brom
I totally agree, every family has members thay do not always see. As for Jean never been mentioned in years the day Stacey turned up in the square she said "mum has gone all funny again". I think it made the show better that Sean was not mentioned because it was a side of Staceey's life that we did not no. If a family comes in a brings in every member at once you will only complain that the show has had to many new people at once.

I am also sure Patrick has mentioned his band in the past.
He was mentioned breifly last christmas when Stacey went to Jean's and she saw that photo with the bottom folded over (that jean recenlty ripped up). She unfolded it and whispered 'alright Sean'.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/east...20051209.shtml
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Old 07-12-2006, 00:13
Filiman
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I think what people get annoyed about is the shear volume... its ok to introduce these extensions to the family every so often, but not all at once which is basically what Harwood did. It just shows extremely poor management on her part. Why she didn't introduce one of these new "families" in 2005 is quite beyond me, and certainly would have made for a much smoother transition, instead of all these "new starts" and breaks in the shows continuity.
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Old 07-12-2006, 00:24
SULLA
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I guess we will see Bert's grandson soon
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