Eastenders script writers crap/ not crap?

[miss giggles]

Groucho! Methinks you have found your true vocation in life! Give this man a job damn you!!

 

[binka]

i stopped watching it last summer when two girls i lived with who liked it moved out, it was just ridiculous. i watched it sporadically, then had to watch it properly when i went to my parents over christmas: i couldnt believe they were still running with the den/sharon/dennis shit from the previous year!

i do watch it occasionally now because one of my new housemates is in to it and has quit her evening job so is in the house more.

coronation street is so far ahead in every respect.

 

[miss giggles]

I think the terrible northerner is a bit of a London in joke no? You know, rude, complains about the beer and all that. It made me laugh, but only for two episodes.

 

[bonjour]

The height of Eastenders, or one of them as I can remember, was the Steven Owen ashtray murder with all the framing on Matthew etc...

But now it's heading towards Sunset Beach storylines.

 

[rutabowa]

I think the terrible northerner is a bit of a London in joke no? You know, rude, complains about the beer and all that. It made me laugh, but only for two episodes.

i think the character is developing nicely.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

1. Any strategy for a soap based on bringing people back is hopeless.

2. They used to have a good scriptwriter called Christopher Reason - I remember, because if I particularly liked an episode I'd look to see who wrote it and it'd usually be him. Anyway, according to a letter he later wrote to the Guardian, he jacked it in because when he was writing some of the Spain episodes he had Grant sitting by the pool reading a book and the producer wouldn't allow it - because "EastEnders don't read books".

Mind you, he wrote some more episodes after that so he can't have been entirely disenchanted.

 

[binka]

i always assumed there was a team of writers on each episode, and they just roatated the named scriptwriter each episode?

 

[Groucho]

Groucho! Methinks you have found your true vocation in life! Give this man a job damn you!!

We 'Urbanites' could write better scripts than EE has recently been offering up. It would be good to see the Radio Times entry for the Urban75 episode:

Minty and Gary get munted. Sonya misses an interview due to a bad comedown. Grant injects coke into his penis, while Dot is caught by the old bill whilst dogging in the car lot with a mysterious stranger (who will turn out to be Frank Butcher)

 

[Pigeon]

Janine Butcher

I fancy her.

I know it's wrong.

 

[Laidback_Dave]

i remember eastenders from 20-21 years back. it was dark, dingy and very gritty which made it all the more interesting.

but now it's just unbelievable and downright bad. no believability in the storylines, bad acting, bad actors and if there is one tv programme which over uses the theory of suspension of disbelief it has to be eastenders.

it's become another brookside/crossroads

 

[Orang Utan]

I fancy her.

I know it's wrong.

It isn't - she's hot.
I've got a thing for Sonia
And Little Mo.
But not her brassy sister, Kat, ugh.

I disagree with the OP saying the Johnny Allen character being played by a good actor He's terrible!


What EE needs is more relentless misery - it's been too happy/comedy recently like it's trying to compete with Coronation Street, but it doesn't do it well - bleakness is its strength and it needs to pump it up.
I was briefly encouraged by the very brief appearance of Stacy's mum in some harrowing scenes but it's been forgotten about already.

So my suggestions - things are going too well for Billy, so his wife and baby need to die, not before him finding out the baby isn't his too.
Some horrible disease for Pauline and her family deserting her.
Phil to have a breakdown and hit the bottle again and do unspeakable things.

 

[DJ Squelch]

So my suggestions - things are going too well for Billy, so his wife and baby need to die, not before him finding out the baby isn't his too.

Honey's gorgeous although the fact she's with Billy Mitchell is rather off putting.
Very rarely watch EE for more than a couple of minutes these days, apart from when Grant & Phil get together, it really is dire.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

it's

all

shite

turn over or preferably off

 

[_angel_]

1. Any strategy for a soap based on bringing people back is hopeless.

2. They used to have a good scriptwriter called Christopher Reason - I remember, because if I particularly liked an episode I'd look to see who wrote it and it'd usually be him. Anyway, according to a letter he later wrote to the Guardian, he jacked it in because when he was writing some of the Spain episodes he had Grant sitting by the pool reading a book and the producer wouldn't allow it - because "EastEnders don't read books".

Mind you, he wrote some more episodes after that so he can't have been entirely disenchanted.

actually attended a scriptwriting class with him.



*pointless derail*

 

[miss giggles]

1. Any strategy for a soap based on bringing people back is hopeless.

2. They used to have a good scriptwriter called Christopher Reason - I remember, because if I particularly liked an episode I'd look to see who wrote it and it'd usually be him. Anyway, according to a letter he later wrote to the Guardian, he jacked it in because when he was writing some of the Spain episodes he had Grant sitting by the pool reading a book and the producer wouldn't allow it - because "EastEnders don't read books".

Mind you, he wrote some more episodes after that so he can't have been entirely disenchanted.

That's just a classic example of how badly wrong they get it. Eastenders don't read books, but they run off to South America and mange perfectly well in a country where they don't speak the language or understand the culture, without giving it any thought at all.

The problem is, they don't even know or understand the characters they're supposed to be writing about. That's why the whole show doesn't make sense anymore.