Louise Berridge quits EastEnders

[Steven]

Just as a point of interest, Louise Berridge, the executive producer of EastEnders, has just announced her resignation.

It's interesting. Lots of people said she should resign because it's not as good as it used to be, she said she wouldn't, but now she has.

Full story here: www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds15865.html

What do we think? Will this make any difference to EastEnders as we know it? Does it just need some fresh blood at the helm?

[si]

If my calculations are correct, aren't we now into the period in which the ratings were really in a steep decline in terms of what was filmed then and we're seeing now?

I've been enjoying Eastenders recently. I think Kat's leaving was totally pointless and made no effort to hide the real reasoning behind it and Mrs Miller is doing my nut, but Sarah The Stalker, Mrs Den versus Vicki's boyfriend and Peggy's guest showing were/are great TV.

Maybe her leaving was a little premature?

[David Hunter]

Eastenders? Oh is that still on?

[Anna]

I thought it was just me that couldn't be arsed to switch it on any more. Obviously not. I still watched the Peggy/wedding one though. Why/how did Kat leave?

I should really watch it, shouldn't I?

[Steven]

To be honest, I'm surprised this whole thing with EastEnders has gone as far as it has. Let's face it, every so often the current most popular soap has a 'blip' where nothing works and people tune out of it, and another soap becomes a media darling for a while.

God knows Coronation Street was a standing joke for ages not all that long ago, and no one deemed it worthy of holding a candle to 'Enders.

I will admit, I am not, and never have I been, a particularly big fan of EE, and I don't think it necessarily deserves a lot of the praise it gets. But I don't think it deserves as much criticism as it's had recently either.

At the moment it's a bit boring. But so was Emmerdale for a very long time, and that's only recently come into its own. I really wouldn't be surprised if six months down the line, regardless of who is at the helm, EastEnders is back well above water again and everyone's forgotten the mass 'EastEnders has lost the plot' hysteria, and then Coronation Street will take its turn to have a blip (it might be on shaky ground already, Todd's leaving episode was quite poorly done, and it was only Sue Cleaver's superlative acting and a couple of surprisingly good reaction shots from Tina O'Brien that saved it for me).

[milkmonitor]

The problem with Eastenders is the writing. It's shit. Andy 'He's behind you!' The Gangster is one of the worst characters ever portrayed in the show. He's completely unconvincing (nothing particularly wrong with the acting, just the way he's been written) and the whole show has become one big farce. Alfie went from cheeky, small time crook to cute 'n' cuddly teddy bear. Sam went from being a bit of a rebel to a crime-dabbling slapper with a new head. When she was first re-introduced with a brand new face she was just there for men to sleep with to get back at Phil.

At the moment it's just a parody of itself. Overacting and hilariously improbable storylines are the main offenders. I'm glad Berridge has gone, although I don't think it's necessarily all her fault. The whole thing needs to be looked at from an objective point of view. Someone needs to get the writers together and say, 'Look, this just wouldn't happen in a million years. Even Hollyoaks would find this too far fetched'. The characters need to be be planned out properly and stop having personality transplants in every episode.

That is my 'two cents'.