Time to review Tuesday and Wednesday's visit to the Dales and whilst people may describe the past two episodes as merely 'filler' episodes with not much going on, I'm inclined to disagree. It's nice to have a break from the Wyldes every now and again (as much as I love them) and so instead, the focus has turned to setting up some new stories for different characters.
First of all, we have Leyla - her mother has died and we've learnt she doesn't get on with her sister. Whilst the actress who plays her may not be the best out of a good cast, she is certainly capable and I have felt sorry for her as she deals with her mother's death. Her past certainly sounds intriguing, especially as to the reasons why she doesn't get on with her sister, Alicia. I look forward to hearing/seeing more as Leyla has been a rather dull character so far, who hasn't been expanded or fleshed out that much. I hope David continues to be there for her, as they both make a very convincing couple. Their chemistry on screen is certainly credible. Yesterday, we seen the arrival of Alicia, played by Natalie Anderson (she used to be in the Royal). Her arrival was seen as 'big news' on Digital Spy a few months ago, with even a midnight embargo but I don't think it was worth all the secrecy! I wasn't too keen on Natalie's performance last night. She overdid her performance and I hope she tones it down a bit. There's no need to exaggerate how bitchy or nasty she may be... it should be naturally shown on the screen, not be forced to be seen.
Next we seen the arrival of Hannah Barton's new love interest, Isaac played by Jake Roche, son of Coleen Nolan and Shane Richie. No first impressions on his acting ability so far, as we only seen him in a couple of minor scenes but it's nice to see that Hannah Barton will finally be developed as a character, after so long in the background. Her bullying story didn't last long enough and was disappointing, so I hope this story is better. She seems to have little confidence and low self esteem and I hope this is focused on a lot more in this particular story.
Meanwhile we have more scenes between Rhona, Paddy and Marlon. I love the character of Rhona. She's so likeable, has warmth and a great sense of humour. I always smile at her scenes with Paddy and Marlon. The banter between them is extremely well written. In particular, I loved Rhona finding the DVD addressed to Marlon from Olivia Newton John! I get a horrible feeling though that Rhona is going to start messing with Paddy and Marlon's feelings... it looks to be heading that way and I'd hate for that to happen. I don't want to start disliking Rhona, as she is a nice character! I don't think it will be intentional if she did start making them both confused, but I'd hate to see Marlon and Paddy suffer, their friendship strained as they argue over where they stand with her!
Ryan is in prison... and to be honest, I hope he stays there. I know he's innocent and all, but he's so dull. I do like James Sutton who plays him, but Ryan doesn't have any interesting character traits whatsoever. Nathan and Natasha are more exciting and even though they are guilty of Mark's murder and framing an innocent party, I hope they get away with it and Ryan is jailed for life as an exit! (I feel so bad for saying that).
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Emmerdale is on fine form
At the moment, I do believe that Emmerdale is on fine form and it's currently my favourite out of the four British soaps. What makes it so good? Well we have some brilliant character development going on, some great character interaction between unlikely characters, fantastic storylines and some convincing acting to boot. The show seems to be flowing well overall. We have stories and characters at the forefront, with subtle stories building up and brewing in the background, waiting to unfold in the weeks to come and the cycle seems to continue in a seamless way. Characters and stories stay consistent, with a fair amount of screen time being devoted to each character in the Dales. All of this is the perfect recipe for a perfect soap.
My favourite storyline of the past six months or so has been Aaron Livesy coming out as a gay man and embarking on a relationship with Jackson Walsh. The acting from Paddy and Aaron has been top notch and I had a tear in my eye when Aaron came out in front of a packed court room. A credible and convincing human story that anybody facing up to their sexuality can easily relate to, and I love the fact the story is still ongoing as Aaron tries to come to terms with the kind of relationship he's having with Jackson. It's not like Aaron's struggle of being gay has been packed up and forgotten about. It's ongoing and will have further repercussions for his character, despite him being out and seemingly proud.
We've had a similar human story involving Nikhil confessing his virginity. Like Aaron's story, this will have impacted many viewers at home watching as they relate to his circumstances. In my opinion, what makes a soap opera so great is the balance between the stories that click with the audience as these stories help us empathise and sympathise with the characters and the stories that are escapism, that are ridiculous and entertaining, which brings the audience away from the troubles they are facing in their actual lives. The current plot with the Wyldes could be an example of this, as Nathan has framed Ryan for his dad's murder, despite Natasha doing the deed all along. This storyline has been brilliant from the start and Lyndon Ogbourne has been brilliant playing the conniving and smug Nathan. The actor has moulded Nathan into a perfect 'love to hate' character.
I hope Emmerdale keeps up its high quality. I have a feeling it will continue to do so.
My favourite storyline of the past six months or so has been Aaron Livesy coming out as a gay man and embarking on a relationship with Jackson Walsh. The acting from Paddy and Aaron has been top notch and I had a tear in my eye when Aaron came out in front of a packed court room. A credible and convincing human story that anybody facing up to their sexuality can easily relate to, and I love the fact the story is still ongoing as Aaron tries to come to terms with the kind of relationship he's having with Jackson. It's not like Aaron's struggle of being gay has been packed up and forgotten about. It's ongoing and will have further repercussions for his character, despite him being out and seemingly proud.
We've had a similar human story involving Nikhil confessing his virginity. Like Aaron's story, this will have impacted many viewers at home watching as they relate to his circumstances. In my opinion, what makes a soap opera so great is the balance between the stories that click with the audience as these stories help us empathise and sympathise with the characters and the stories that are escapism, that are ridiculous and entertaining, which brings the audience away from the troubles they are facing in their actual lives. The current plot with the Wyldes could be an example of this, as Nathan has framed Ryan for his dad's murder, despite Natasha doing the deed all along. This storyline has been brilliant from the start and Lyndon Ogbourne has been brilliant playing the conniving and smug Nathan. The actor has moulded Nathan into a perfect 'love to hate' character.
I hope Emmerdale keeps up its high quality. I have a feeling it will continue to do so.
Monday, 9 August 2010
Coronation Street - 09/08/2010
So tonight we visited the cobbles for our usual Monday double bill of Coronation Street. But we may ask ourselves what is the point of these double episodes on Mondays and Fridays now?! The double episodes on a Monday alone used to be very effective as there was always a good cliffhanger that encouraged the viewers to tune back in at 8.30 to see what happens next... but now the '7.30 cliffhanger' has become what I can only describe as, very lame! Tonight's cliffhanger involved Lewis kissing Deirdre. Gripping, eh!? and the deed was done right in front of a blindingly obvious CCTV camera! How refreshing to see that Deirdre hasn't truly changed though... she will always be tempted to stray away from Ken and do a bit of dirty cheating. The sooner Lewis is found out though, the better! I find him extremely irritating and I can't say the storyline is gripping me all that much, as the exact same story was done in Emmerdale only a few weeks ago! (and it was better too) I guess the only thing I can hope for is that Audrey will knock him into next week when she finds out he's a con artist! Now that would be great to watch!
However, I was thoroughly entertained with other parts of the episode. I adore Natasha and will admit to a bit of a crush on her! The actress, Rachel Leskovac played serial killer Kelly in Holby City all those years ago and once again in Coronation Street, she is demonstrating her brilliant acting talent. She's been in the show ages though and she's been so criminally underused, it's unbelievable! Why can't Nick see how lucky he is to have a woman like Natasha?! She is probably the most attractive woman on the Street! Admittedly, she is a bit needy but I really feel for her at the moment as everything seems to be going wrong for her. Nick won't move in with her or help her buy the salon, Gail doesn't offer to help, and on top of that her pregnancy test reveals positive! And let's not forget, Maria's constant jibes towards her about how Nick isn't the type for commitment! Natasha looks so hurt and vulnerable, I am feeling really bad for her! All she needs is a hug! Rachel is playing it so well though.
Fiz jetted off abroad, leaving John devastated. I didn't like the 'stealing Colin Fishwick's identity to teach' at first, but now I'm finding it very funny especially John's constant saying "All I want to do is teach!".. I've never known someone so passionate about teaching a bunch of teenagers that they'd steal someone's identity! Charlotte, his partner in crime is also bonkers but brilliant! I've found her so funny. After everything that's happened, she's still determined to get her claws into John. She believes they have a future together! What a delusional human being! I hope she comes back though as a regular character ideally, please!
On a final note, some brilliant interaction between characters in these episodes between the likes of Maria and Rita and Jack and Molly. I loved Jack's appearance and how he served as a voice of reason, making Molly see sense and making the right decision in regards to looking after herself and her unborn child.
To Thursday's episode...
However, I was thoroughly entertained with other parts of the episode. I adore Natasha and will admit to a bit of a crush on her! The actress, Rachel Leskovac played serial killer Kelly in Holby City all those years ago and once again in Coronation Street, she is demonstrating her brilliant acting talent. She's been in the show ages though and she's been so criminally underused, it's unbelievable! Why can't Nick see how lucky he is to have a woman like Natasha?! She is probably the most attractive woman on the Street! Admittedly, she is a bit needy but I really feel for her at the moment as everything seems to be going wrong for her. Nick won't move in with her or help her buy the salon, Gail doesn't offer to help, and on top of that her pregnancy test reveals positive! And let's not forget, Maria's constant jibes towards her about how Nick isn't the type for commitment! Natasha looks so hurt and vulnerable, I am feeling really bad for her! All she needs is a hug! Rachel is playing it so well though.
Fiz jetted off abroad, leaving John devastated. I didn't like the 'stealing Colin Fishwick's identity to teach' at first, but now I'm finding it very funny especially John's constant saying "All I want to do is teach!".. I've never known someone so passionate about teaching a bunch of teenagers that they'd steal someone's identity! Charlotte, his partner in crime is also bonkers but brilliant! I've found her so funny. After everything that's happened, she's still determined to get her claws into John. She believes they have a future together! What a delusional human being! I hope she comes back though as a regular character ideally, please!
On a final note, some brilliant interaction between characters in these episodes between the likes of Maria and Rita and Jack and Molly. I loved Jack's appearance and how he served as a voice of reason, making Molly see sense and making the right decision in regards to looking after herself and her unborn child.
To Thursday's episode...
EastEnders 09/08/2010
Tonight's episode of EastEnders was one of the best episodes in a long while. EastEnders is known for being 'depressing' and usually it struggles with the balance of drama and humour, but tonight we seen the serious (the scenes between Phil and Rainie) and more of the light hearted scenes that brought about a giggle or two (Kim's audition at the nail bar and Tiffany with Janine).
First of all, Steve McFadden (Phil) and Tanya Franks (Rainie) were the stars of tonight's episode. Their acting was nothing short of outstanding and they could really teach the rest of the cast a thing or two. Steve McFadden plays the 'drunk' very well and I was left feeling quite disturbed of his portrayal as a man drunk and high on drugs. I was left scared for Rainie as she mocked at Phil's predicament!
The woman I feel sorry for though is Shirley... time and again, she plays 'mother hen' for both Heather and Phil. Shirley has done a lot for both of them, but she hardly gets anything back in return. She offered Phil a stable family unit, by supporting both him and his kids and what does she get in return?! Phil has never fully appreciated Shirley and I think it's about time she left him to it and got on with her own life, maybe showing him in the process what he's missing! Heather does seem to appreciate Shirley more, but she needs to learn to stand on her own two feet as well! She really annoyed me tonight. She can't expect Shirley to put her life on hold, to help her out all the time. Friends are meant to be there for each other, but everyone has their own lives to lead! I think Heather needs to start realising that...
Conversely, Kim was on top form in this episode. I think she's brilliant! I love her confidence and her humour and I'm glad that she seems to be a regular cast member in the Square now. Roxy seemed to like how confident she was, so maybe a good friendship could blossom between those two especially if they start working together.
Carol and Bianca's jibes towards one another was equally entertaining, but I do think it's silly that Carol suspects Bianca of doing the dirty on Ricky. I get the feeling that the writers don't know what to do with Bianca and Ricky now that they're happily married and settled with kids. Nobody is allowed to be happy in soapland for too long, so they go down the typical route of 'possible cheating'.
It was nice to see Ryan and Janine return to Walford. Janine's mind games towards Stacey are starting to get a bit tiresome now though and if that was the lesbian kiss that we were promised between the both of them, then what a let down to all straight males out there! The best scenes involving Janine tonight were with Pat, Peggy and Tiffany in the Vic. There's a whole lotta history between her, Pat and Peggy so a scene between all three of them was a masterstroke! I'd love to see a three hander episode involving them one day! I loved the mention of Barry from Peggy - some excellent references to the past there and Janine never fails in holding up that facade that her and Barry were actually "in love"! The classic bit of dialogue has to be between Janine and Tiffany though. Janine "What have I told you about lying?", Tiffany "That sometimes it's only necessary".
A rather brilliant episode in my book.
First of all, Steve McFadden (Phil) and Tanya Franks (Rainie) were the stars of tonight's episode. Their acting was nothing short of outstanding and they could really teach the rest of the cast a thing or two. Steve McFadden plays the 'drunk' very well and I was left feeling quite disturbed of his portrayal as a man drunk and high on drugs. I was left scared for Rainie as she mocked at Phil's predicament!
The woman I feel sorry for though is Shirley... time and again, she plays 'mother hen' for both Heather and Phil. Shirley has done a lot for both of them, but she hardly gets anything back in return. She offered Phil a stable family unit, by supporting both him and his kids and what does she get in return?! Phil has never fully appreciated Shirley and I think it's about time she left him to it and got on with her own life, maybe showing him in the process what he's missing! Heather does seem to appreciate Shirley more, but she needs to learn to stand on her own two feet as well! She really annoyed me tonight. She can't expect Shirley to put her life on hold, to help her out all the time. Friends are meant to be there for each other, but everyone has their own lives to lead! I think Heather needs to start realising that...
Conversely, Kim was on top form in this episode. I think she's brilliant! I love her confidence and her humour and I'm glad that she seems to be a regular cast member in the Square now. Roxy seemed to like how confident she was, so maybe a good friendship could blossom between those two especially if they start working together.
Carol and Bianca's jibes towards one another was equally entertaining, but I do think it's silly that Carol suspects Bianca of doing the dirty on Ricky. I get the feeling that the writers don't know what to do with Bianca and Ricky now that they're happily married and settled with kids. Nobody is allowed to be happy in soapland for too long, so they go down the typical route of 'possible cheating'.
It was nice to see Ryan and Janine return to Walford. Janine's mind games towards Stacey are starting to get a bit tiresome now though and if that was the lesbian kiss that we were promised between the both of them, then what a let down to all straight males out there! The best scenes involving Janine tonight were with Pat, Peggy and Tiffany in the Vic. There's a whole lotta history between her, Pat and Peggy so a scene between all three of them was a masterstroke! I'd love to see a three hander episode involving them one day! I loved the mention of Barry from Peggy - some excellent references to the past there and Janine never fails in holding up that facade that her and Barry were actually "in love"! The classic bit of dialogue has to be between Janine and Tiffany though. Janine "What have I told you about lying?", Tiffany "That sometimes it's only necessary".
A rather brilliant episode in my book.
Welcome to my Soap Blog!
Hi all,
Welcome to my soap blog where I will be posting regular reviews on some of our favourite soaps, home and abroad!
First blog will be up later...
Welcome to my soap blog where I will be posting regular reviews on some of our favourite soaps, home and abroad!
First blog will be up later...
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