At the readies and at the 1:45 mark:-
The man who played probably the most iconic character in EastEnders' history virtually proclaims it an amateur production in what was clearly a throwaway remark.
Look, let's not pretend about Leslie Grantham, the actor. Julia Smith knew the man had a spent conviction for murder when she hired him. And we know that when he left, he was less than pleased with the way his exit was edited and spent the next fourteen years referring to the programme, in less than salubrious terms, as DeadEnders.
We know that when he returned the last time, it was because the price was right. Anyone can be bought, and everyone has his price.
But this time, Grantham is right on the money about the programme.
What else would you call a production who hires people with absolutely no acting experience whatsoever, who maintains an ex-waitress on the public's tab solely because her brother happens to be an Academy Award-nominated actor and whose only professional acting experience prior to EastEnders was a bit part in the sibling's film he wrote, produced and directed? What else would you call a programme who hires people fresh from the high school drama club, or the weekend dramatic society? What else would you call a production who hires a porter from Billingsgate fish market because he's buff? What else would you call a production who hires a steroidically-enhanced piece of beefcake with a mouth-breathing problem and a speech impediment on the basis that he looks good in underwear? What else would you call a production who uses scripts written by untried writers who are part of their own training scheme?
Amateur.
A role is created for the younger sister of a departing star for no reason whatsoever except for the chance of maybe enticing the star to return, which she will do when the roles for her-character-by-any-other-name dry up. That's amateur.
The show is dominated at the moment by various storylines converging to produce the death of a character who was a living version of an animated cartoon villain from the 1950s. The landlady of the pub, who's whoring herself about looks like, yes, a caricature of a streetwalker. And we've recreated Romeo and Juliet in the image of two, spoiled, entitled cousins, who have no redeeming qualities except that they are pretty, and within one week of their spot-fuck, they're in lurrrrve?
As Den would say, "Sor'it out."
Even the critics are slating the Lauren and Joey shit as "tedious." Jaci Stephen in her column yesterday was hoping for their characters' deaths. I do also.
Leslie Grantham may have left the programme last time under a cloud, but he was with the show when it was the most innovative, original and realistic continuing drama to appear on British television. And it was that without sensationalism, without teenage angst and without the Brannings.
I remember when EastEnders and Brookside, another innovative and original continuing drama unafraid to tackle issues prevalant in contemporary society, were smacking Corrie's ass. Whoever thought Brookside would be cancelled?
Well, it was, and for much the same reason EastEnders is incurring now - too many teens, too much tit, too many pretty boys and girls without talent or experience, too much of one family (the Corkhills) and too little professionalism.
The man who played probably the most iconic character in EastEnders' history virtually proclaims it an amateur production in what was clearly a throwaway remark.
Look, let's not pretend about Leslie Grantham, the actor. Julia Smith knew the man had a spent conviction for murder when she hired him. And we know that when he left, he was less than pleased with the way his exit was edited and spent the next fourteen years referring to the programme, in less than salubrious terms, as DeadEnders.
We know that when he returned the last time, it was because the price was right. Anyone can be bought, and everyone has his price.
But this time, Grantham is right on the money about the programme.
What else would you call a production who hires people with absolutely no acting experience whatsoever, who maintains an ex-waitress on the public's tab solely because her brother happens to be an Academy Award-nominated actor and whose only professional acting experience prior to EastEnders was a bit part in the sibling's film he wrote, produced and directed? What else would you call a programme who hires people fresh from the high school drama club, or the weekend dramatic society? What else would you call a production who hires a porter from Billingsgate fish market because he's buff? What else would you call a production who hires a steroidically-enhanced piece of beefcake with a mouth-breathing problem and a speech impediment on the basis that he looks good in underwear? What else would you call a production who uses scripts written by untried writers who are part of their own training scheme?
Amateur.
A role is created for the younger sister of a departing star for no reason whatsoever except for the chance of maybe enticing the star to return, which she will do when the roles for her-character-by-any-other-name dry up. That's amateur.
The show is dominated at the moment by various storylines converging to produce the death of a character who was a living version of an animated cartoon villain from the 1950s. The landlady of the pub, who's whoring herself about looks like, yes, a caricature of a streetwalker. And we've recreated Romeo and Juliet in the image of two, spoiled, entitled cousins, who have no redeeming qualities except that they are pretty, and within one week of their spot-fuck, they're in lurrrrve?
As Den would say, "Sor'it out."
Even the critics are slating the Lauren and Joey shit as "tedious." Jaci Stephen in her column yesterday was hoping for their characters' deaths. I do also.
Leslie Grantham may have left the programme last time under a cloud, but he was with the show when it was the most innovative, original and realistic continuing drama to appear on British television. And it was that without sensationalism, without teenage angst and without the Brannings.
I remember when EastEnders and Brookside, another innovative and original continuing drama unafraid to tackle issues prevalant in contemporary society, were smacking Corrie's ass. Whoever thought Brookside would be cancelled?
Well, it was, and for much the same reason EastEnders is incurring now - too many teens, too much tit, too many pretty boys and girls without talent or experience, too much of one family (the Corkhills) and too little professionalism.
Wow, some pretty hard hitting comments there! Was that about the way he was treated last time (although I understand he was embroiled in some sort of scandal himself, which was a factor in him being killed off), the fact he was killed off, eg TPTB didnt like him, the crap storyline, or a reflection on todays crap show?
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