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Eastenders writers ' conference
Topic Started: 6 Jul 2014, 17:39 (7,939 Views)
Shaz1022
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@dominictc: The sun is shining but we're locking ourselves away for a few days for another Enders longterm conference. Watch out 2015.

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MrJames
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These conferences seems to come around very quickly. The strange thing about Soap is how it never ends. You can get excited about the things to come, but there is never any true climax because you just roll on the the next thing. Nothing like a season finale or a book ending.
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Will Slater-Mitchell
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I would imagine 2015 will be a big year, given it's the anniversary year.

2010 aswell as having the official anniversary in February, had a really strong year throughout with big plots.

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The Local Butcher
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I sure hope they're working on some decent long term plans for 2016. The past has thought us that it's hard to be on point when the direct need to build up to a particular moment is gone. You don't want another 3 year lull between the pay-off of one anniversayr and the build up to the next one.
Warning: Posts made by The Local Butcher may contain sarcasm, frustrated expressions of fatigue in the face of Eastenders' neverending insanity, desperate and ill-conceived attempts to be funny, controversial opinions and nuts. Not necessarily in that order.
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KathleenSlater
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2015 is going to be HUGE..

We will have the Lucy murderer reveal, the fallout of Shirley and Mick reveal, Phil and Sharon's wedding (if they are together in 2015), Ronnie giving birth etc... I reckon 2015 is going to be a cracking year with many big twists :)
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TellyAddict
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You're forgetting the biggest story of them all. The long-awaited resolution to the epic Billy stealing the post saga.

Five years I've been waiting for this.
Posted Image
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Shaz1022
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A few more Carters on the way ....
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TimWil
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I think Ronnie will give birth by the end of the year.
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Shaz1022
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I hope they are going to address the fact that block story telling doesn't suit the show at all . Having characters disappear for weeks and months on end while the audience waits to see what happens is ridiculous . Also why keep bringing back actors that are not available for a few months . Samantha Womack , Lacey Turner , Laurie Brett . Either actors are available or you don't bring them back just yet . The show is a mess and bar one week , we' ve been watching filler since David left .
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Mrs Peel
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TellyAddict
6 Jul 2014, 21:49
You're forgetting the biggest story of them all. The long-awaited resolution to the epic Billy stealing the post saga.

Five years I've been waiting for this.
LOL ... I can see the trailer ... "Five years in the making ... a blockbuster of a finale ..."
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Will Slater-Mitchell
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Shaz1022
6 Jul 2014, 23:43
I hope they are going to address the fact that block story telling doesn't suit the show at all . Having characters disappear for weeks and months on end while the audience waits to see what happens is ridiculous . Also why keep bringing back actors that are not available for a few months . Samantha Womack , Lacey Turner , Laurie Brett . Either actors are available or you don't bring them back just yet . The show is a mess and bar one week , we' ve been watching filler since David left .
I agree.

It's completely ridiculous.

It's like the show is now subservient to it's big names and will now do whatever the actor wants to get them on.
It's a crap position for a soap to be in.

They should come back and just do EastEnders, none of this popping in for a bit and going off again.
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Mrs Peel
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There was a time when if you were contracted to do EastEnders, you were prohibited from taking time off from the show for other productions. This was why Steve McFadden had to take a sabbatical in order to do panto in 2003. I do remember June Brown, Steve McFadden and Tamzin Outhwaite getting permission to have six weeks off in order to film one-off dramas for the BBC, but TPTB were pretty stringent about those rules.

Matthew Robinson started that rule, and it lasted through the Berridge era. If a new or returning character had already committed to pantomime before signing for EastEnders, this was honoured (Letitia Dean in 2000 and Leslie Grantham in 2003) and actors whose contracts weren't being renewed could also do panto - which is what Martine McCutcheon did in 1998.

I agree with Will, the show needs actors who are fully committed. Danny-Boy Hatchard will be making a film soon, and Danny Dyer expects time off for film commitments. This is not contributing to the quality of the show.
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Shaz1022
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Will Slater-Mitchell
7 Jul 2014, 00:14
Shaz1022
6 Jul 2014, 23:43
I hope they are going to address the fact that block story telling doesn't suit the show at all . Having characters disappear for weeks and months on end while the audience waits to see what happens is ridiculous . Also why keep bringing back actors that are not available for a few months . Samantha Womack , Lacey Turner , Laurie Brett . Either actors are available or you don't bring them back just yet . The show is a mess and bar one week , we' ve been watching filler since David left .
I agree.

It's completely ridiculous.

It's like the show is now subservient to it's big names and will now do whatever the actor wants to get them on.
It's a crap position for a soap to be in.

They should come back and just do EastEnders, none of this popping in for a bit and going off again.
Exactly and either they are available or they are not. It's time for DTC to make sharper decisions including his returnees and casting choices . There is no point burying their heads in the sand . Yes the show is marginally better than when Lorraine Newman was in charge but not by much . Viewing figures will testify to that and a few articles with backhanded compliments are not going to change that fact .

I know I'm a world class moaner (I'll be the first one to admit it ) but only because I want the show to improve .
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Charper
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TellyAddict
6 Jul 2014, 21:49
You're forgetting the biggest story of them all. The long-awaited resolution to the epic Billy stealing the post saga.

Five years I've been waiting for this.


Fantastic haha.

Last I seem to remember of that storyline was that he got some drugs from the post, he saw Janet playing with the parcel and looked guilty.

Mrs Peel
7 Jul 2014, 00:26
There was a time when if you were contracted to do EastEnders, you were prohibited from taking time off from the show for other productions. This was why Steve McFadden had to take a sabbatical in order to do panto in 2003. I do remember June Brown, Steve McFadden and Tamzin Outhwaite getting permission to have six weeks off in order to film one-off dramas for the BBC, but TPTB were pretty stringent about those rules.

Matthew Robinson started that rule, and it lasted through the Berridge era. If a new or returning character had already committed to pantomime before signing for EastEnders, this was honoured (Letitia Dean in 2000 and Leslie Grantham in 2003) and actors whose contracts weren't being renewed could also do panto - which is what Martine McCutcheon did in 1998.

I agree with Will, the show needs actors who are fully committed. Danny-Boy Hatchard will be making a film soon, and Danny Dyer expects time off for film commitments. This is not contributing to the quality of the show.


I agree. It jolts the flow of the storylines. It's annoying how little we've seen of Ronnie since murdering Carl. And Bianca dipping in and out of the show due to Patsy Palmer having annual breaks are annoying - it led to a repetition of her going to prison with no proper storylines for the Butchers going.

Fair enough those few who take Panto breaks for a couple months but taking leaves during the main year just puts storylines on hold until the main player is back.
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MrJames
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Shaz1022
6 Jul 2014, 23:43
I hope they are going to address the fact that block story telling doesn't suit the show at all . Having characters disappear for weeks and months on end while the audience waits to see what happens is ridiculous . Also why keep bringing back actors that are not available for a few months . Samantha Womack , Lacey Turner , Laurie Brett . Either actors are available or you don't bring them back just yet . The show is a mess and bar one week , we' ve been watching filler since David left .
I'd argue two weeks have been strong - Sharon's attack week and Ronnie's exit week.

Elements of the filler weeks were strong too - Billy's mini-story wasn't dreadful, it's always great to see Roxy doing her thing and we can see some nods to some future stories (Dean/Linda, Tina/Tosh, Emma/Max).
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The Other Slater Cousin
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Are people saying that the show is "a mess" because David isn't there?

He was a great character, but hardly as influential to the show as some say.
"I loved it in the Olden Days because you talked more. There’s more action now. You know, we would do scenes in the Rovers of me, Bet and Doris Speed with a cup of coffee each before we opened the pub, talking about absolute rubbish. But it was something, and it was what people do." - Betty Driver
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Dave Sullivan
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The Other Slater Cousin
7 Jul 2014, 11:21
Are people saying that the show is "a mess" because David isn't there?

He was a great character, but hardly as influential to the show as some say.
I think its just people missing him which is fair play but I agree he was great but the show went and will go on without him.

I don't the show is in a "mess" every week has had plotlines or introduce a "Chekovs Gun" which lead into a bigger thread later on: Billy having Janet back lead into a exploration of Mick's character. Last week had Aleks' marriage secret exposed which came from that week focused on him, Tosh and Tina a month ago. I think the show is better than some believe it is currently yes we seem to be having a quieter time recently but not every week can be loaded to the hilt with secrets sometimes we need character focus and exploration.
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Mrs Peel
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The Other Slater Cousin
7 Jul 2014, 11:21
Are people saying that the show is "a mess" because David isn't there?

He was a great character, but hardly as influential to the show as some say.
This time around, David was an important character, but only because - of all the male characters - he was, until his departure, the closest thing to the concept of the old Alpha male who featured strongly in EastEnders (and who's much missed).

I would say, for that reason, David, this time, was an important character; but in his first stint, he took seventh billing after Grant and Phil Mitchell, Ian Beale, Frank Butcher, Mark Fowler and Ricky Butcher.

Seriously.

In the 90s, David was essential for establishing Bianca's relationship to the Beale family and to enable Cindy Beale's departure.

The fact that David, this time, was emblematic of the traditional flawed Alpha male shows how weak male characterisation is at this moment in time. EastEnders isn't alone, because Corrie has the same problem.
Edited by Mrs Peel, 7 Jul 2014, 12:40.
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The Other Slater Cousin
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I mean, don't get me wrong, I really loved David and it's a massive shame he was only around for such a short while, but the show has survived without bigger characters than him.

I wasn't sure if people were saying the show had been bad since he left in reference to him actually leaving or just as a reference point to the last time they remembered a good episode.

Two of my favourite episodes of the year was the episode of Sharon's attack and Linda visiting her childhood home. Both happened after David left. I think the problem is that it's summer, and quality always dips a bit. I suppose they don't want to have a big, important plot going on while no one is watching. It's unfortunate but it's understandable.
"I loved it in the Olden Days because you talked more. There’s more action now. You know, we would do scenes in the Rovers of me, Bet and Doris Speed with a cup of coffee each before we opened the pub, talking about absolute rubbish. But it was something, and it was what people do." - Betty Driver
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luisgarcia
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TimWil
6 Jul 2014, 23:35
I think Ronnie will give birth by the end of the year.
With any luck, that will be the end of her.
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