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Old May 11th, 2016 #161
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Post The real beating heart of TV

You don’t watch soaps, do you? Surely as a good Guardian-reading type you’re more into a Scandi-cardigan crime drama … But if you are ready to admit to it, you’re not alone. Coronation Street and EastEnders regularly reel in 6 million viewers, which is pretty impressive in a world where linear TV is supposed to be fading as fast as Peggy Mitchell.

Creating soaps is a relentless business, from storylining to the acting that makes it look so easy. Throwaway, even. If traditional 9pm dramas such as Line Of Duty and The Night Manager are booming, why should the weeknight, early evening offering be thought of as a lesser art form?


“There’s a real snobbery towards soaps, which is sad,” EastEnders’ outgoing executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, told the Radio Times this week. “Everyone knows that soaps prop up the schedules and that new dramas are shown off the back of them, on both the BBC and ITV. But there’s still this attitude of, ‘Oh, it’s just EastEnders’.”

It would be a shame if the new EastEnders set became a victim of BBC budget cuts because the soap – and the genre – deserves more. Treadwell-Collins leaves it fighting fit and evolving like its audience, whether that means airing more issue-based storylines, bringing Grant Mitchell back or serving cocktails in jam jars.

For every actor who sees a part in a soap as a means to an end, there’s another who truly loves the non-stop pace, the difference you can make with just one episode and the opportunity to burst into living rooms and give the viewers a prod. Some of the finest TV actors cut their teeth in soaps. Suranne Jones, who won a Bafta for her part in Doctor Foster, can convey so much emotion with just one look, a skill she displayed back when she was Coronation Street’s hoop-earringed virago Karen McDonald. Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire, Raquel in Corrie, has described soaps as “a double-edged sword”, adding: “You have to rise above such ludicrous prejudice.”


It’s not just the homegrown offerings that are star factories: Neighbours and Home And Away, which were exported to the UK in the 80s selling Australian sunshine and all the escapism that goes with it, have spawned more than just Kylie and Dannii Minogue. Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie, Chris and Liam Hemsworth: all got their first taste of success in the Aussie soaps.

Soap operas have long been a much-loved element of the British TV schedule, since the days when legends such as Hilda Ogden, Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner ruled the screen. EastEnders shook up the scene with its gritty storylines in 1985, joining Phil Redmond’s Brookside as part of a new breed of harder-hitting drama. It was Redmond who brought a new realism to the genre. Brookside tackled the big issues of the day, along with a good dose of sensationalism. Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) and Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson) shared the first soap lesbian kiss and Sue Johnston’s powerful portrayal of Sheila Grant’s recovery from rape showed her experience as a complete story, not just an isolated incident that was brushed under the carpet.

EastEnders, the enfant terrible of soaps, brought Colin and Barry’s relationship, Nick Cotton’s drug addiction and Mark Fowler’s diagnosis as HIV positive. Today, under Treadwell-Collins, the soap has worked closely with mental health charity Mind on Stacey’s post-partum psychosis storyline.


There’s still a sense of community around them, from the loyal viewers who know every detail of their favourite characters’ past to the more promiscuous types who’ll be reeled in by the big hits, such as EastEnders’ live Who Killed Lucy Beale? reveal. Moments of subtlety count just as much as Twitter explosions. Behind Danny Dyer’s cockney rhyming slang and propensity to close his eyes if he ever needs to administer a threat lies the real Mick Carter, the supportive husband and loving dad who squeezed his son Johnny tightly as he came out.


Soaps are a place where equality rules. Old and young each get their moment, and the women take centre stage. When Emmerdale revealed that one of its characters would be HIV positive, it was Val, a woman in her 50s who had contracted it during a holiday fling in Portugal. Not only did it buck stereotypes, but Val also raised awareness of safe sex for her age group.

As Peggy Mitchell proves, every age gets its moment in the soap spotlight and older characters aren’t just written off – their aren’t many corners of the TV schedule where that is true. Soap women are matriarchs and warriors: throw infidelity, baby loss, cancer and anything else you dare at them, but eventually they’ll put on their lippie and get back out there, in the great tradition of Bet Lynch.

Like it or not, soaps are the cockroaches of the TV schedule and they’ll be screaming: “Get outta my pub” for many years to come.


http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...ders-emmerdale
 
Old May 12th, 2016 #162
andy
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Very clever and fools no one except yourself of course.Your belief that immorality began in the 50's is absurd it has been documented since the begining of time.Particularly so during the victorian era.The only post modern aspect of it is that this immorality has been more widely publicised in the last 100 years than at any previous time.This has more to do with the means of communication becoming more widespread than any increase in sluts or moatys.Take a look around scum beget scum your old enough to have observed this in your own locale over at least two generations.
Your desire to save every last being with white flesh is anti Aryan and will not enhance the race.Further saving and perpetuating such tainted genes is actually harmful to the race.I do wonder if you do not have some grotesque skeleton in your own lineage that drives your misguided desire to save anything.
Another issue I have been investigating is the proportion of single mothers,lone mothers whatever exploding in the 1970's to the situation we have today,Well in 1922 due to first world war losses,sicknesses,illness arising in the subsequent period along with broken men,desertions,moral failure the British Fascisti claimed that 28% of households with children were without a man as the head of the household by their analysis of the 1921 census.
Granted not at today's levels but evidence enough that such things did not start in the 60's and certainly not when eastenders started.
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Old September 19th, 2021 #163
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https://forum.davidicke.com/index.ph...comment=330993


Link contains a clip of a recent Eastenders episode and is tackling vaccinations. The Asian shopkeeper and the Caribbean customer are jubilant that the customer has received both doses. The stereotypical chavvy white woman states that (paraphrased) she isn't putting any old crap in HER body and can she have 20 fags, please?
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Old September 19th, 2021 #164
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Stopped watching UK soaps 25 years ago. I remember when EastEnders first started with it with the queer (can't remember his name) and his bum-boy Barry. The first black I think was Dot's friend Mr. Tavernier. Can't remember the first Paki, I'd stopped watching by then.
 
Old November 1st, 2021 #165
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All the soap crossovers as EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street join forces for COP26
As Casualty, Coronation Street, Doctors, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Holby City and Hollyoaks join forces, here's what you can expect to see...


Earlier this month it was announced that Britain's favourite soaps would join forces in a bid to raise awareness of climate change.

Casualty, Coronation Street, Doctors, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Holby City and Hollyoaks have all filmed scenes that include characters from other soaps, or references to their storylines in order to mark the monumental COPP26 conference in aid of climate change.

The unprecedented event will see a Hollyoaks villager pop up in Walford while Holby City's storyline seeps into the conversation of those involved in the Chester soap. Meanwhile, a viral social media video featuring two of Emmerdale's residents will be shown to Corrie characters


Tiffany watches a clip of Coronation Street's Maria tackling Tracy in a showdown about air pollution



Also to come, someone from Doctor's makes an appearance on the Cobbles and Casualty will be discussed in The Woolpack. Finally, punters at The Queen Vic will discuss a social media clip from Weatherfield.

But what are the specifics? And what should you be looking out for? Here's a roundup of everything we know going into the landmark soap event...

Emmerdale's Liam is set to go viral as Amelia helps him spread the word about his new green-fingered mission. Their ‘Doctor Dig’ video soon goes viral on social media and will kick off the soap crossover in tremendous fashion.


Over on Coronation Street, residents watch a viral video involving two familiar faces from the Dales – could this be Liam and Amelia's social media sensation?

In EastEnders, Tiffany becomes engrossed in a clip of Coronation Street's Maria tackling Tracy in a showdown about air pollution.

Plus, Kim reads an online article about Cindy from Hollyoaks and how she has been upcycling her clothing as an alternative to fast-fashion.

The idea for the crossover comes from Emmerdale’s Executive Producer, Jane Hudson.

Show boss Jane Hudson explained everyone is adhering to social distancing rules
Emmerdale boss Jane Hudson is to thank for the idea

She said: "Never before have all five soaps and both continuing dramas come together and united in telling one story. And we certainly haven't seen characters pop up in other shows before. This is a real treat for our audience, whilst also allowing us to get across a very important message."



Kate Oates, Head of Continuing Drama, BBC Studios added: "I’m thrilled that our soaps and serial dramas have all come together to help highlight the issue of climate change amongst our millions of viewers."

While Lucy Allan, Executive Producer, Hollyoaks said: "It has been great to work together on an engaging way to, hopefully, inspire conversations about issues that are so important."

The special soap crossover scenes will air throughout the week, starting on Monday 1st November.
https://ww w.ok.co.uk/tv/soap-crossovers-eastenders-emmerdale-coronation-25331681
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Old November 1st, 2021 #166
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Care to supply a link to substantiate your insinuation that every household in the US had a car in 1938?






Um, one of those Eastenders fans concerned about the storyline is Anne Diamond. Granted, she ain't going to be voting for one of our parties any time soon but she certainly isn't one of these welfare types you keep chuntering about.


The rest of your post doesn't even make sense, as usual
.
Does now though
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Old November 1st, 2021 #167
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He's funny! It makes me laugh to see how far he'll go to try and prove whatever point it was he was trying to prove.
The only thing he never tries to prove is that he didn't give evidence against Tony Lecomber at Crown court in 1985. He just ignores that accusation because he is a total grass.
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