NEW CHARACTERS - bad idea?

[JN1F!]

I seriously think EastEnders need to stop bringing in so many new characters. How are we as viewers supposed to keep up with who's who???!!!!
In the last 6 months or so we've had Stacey, Jake and Danny Moon, Johnny Allen, the Millers, and soon Johnny Allens family are gonna turn up aswell! I reckon EastEnders should try nurturing their more long-standing characters. Bringing Phil back is a good idea, and Peggy and Kat. I just feel like I have no empathy with any of the characters at the moment, cos EastEnders are chopping and changing the cast like its going out of fashion!
Okay, sorry, just needed that little rant. Thanks for listening!

[Torrie]

Too much change is a bad thing, but I think that the new characters coming in at the minute are to compensate for the large number which have left or are leaving - in a relatively short space of time we've had Lynn, Kelly, Spencer, Vicki, Paul, Andy & Den leave permanently, Dennis, Sharon and Kat temporarily and now Kareena, Ronny, Tariq, Ash, Adi and Juley are set to go. And Zoe and Sam may also be on the way out! That's a lot of characters to lose. Stacey seems pointless to me, but the Millers are good because they are (regardless of their problems) a proper family with two parents and youngish kids - unlike the Ferreiras who were too old to still be under daddy's thumb! I like Jake and Danny so I don't mind them joining and I like Johnny too, but we need to see his family life so he doesn't become just another two dimensional gangster.

[Treacle]

Half of them left ages ago, the show needs to keep it's fresh blood coming in.

It still has old heavy weights such as:
Pauline, Dot, Jim, Yolande, Patrick, Sam, Charlie, Big Mo, Little Mo, Alfie and Zoe etc people who the viewer can identify with. Chrissie is also a great character.
This latest new arrival Tina is going to cause quite a stir.

[littlemo]

Yes it is nice to have new characters, and they haven't popped up from nowhere, because most of them are part of a family. Like Danny and Jake Moon, Stacey Slater, The Millers (not that new, but still fairly). There's Johnny Allen who came in on his own, and now we've got Tina and Ruby, but only time will tell if they are going to be a welcome arrival.

I like the old characters to have good storylines, that is important. But I don't think it's new characters are bad, I think most of the new characters who have arrived lately have been good characters. I think Stacey is great, and the Millers.

[Treacle]

I like the Millers and they aren't new either, they joined in September! :)

[Debs]

i think the new characters coming in are brill. i love new characters and seeing what happens with them

[Treacle]

I want to see more new characters.

[JN1F!]

Lol! Guess Im on my own on that one then!

[Katy]

no i dont like all the new characters because they get all the good storys. Its about time some of the older characters get a major storyline

[.:Kitz:.]

i can see all sides of this discussion. Basically, it's important to keep in old characters with good lines but the new characters are also important in keeping the show running and interesting......well, that's my opinion anyway!!

[Joanne]

I remember quite a few years back when the Hutchinsons' (?) joined. With the exception of Sarah the others became my favourite characters but I couldn't stand them for ages when they first arrived. Now I tend not to judge too quickly as the majority do tend to grow on you - the exceptions being the Ferreiras. Will never like the Millers though unless they clean up - Keith and Rosie always look so filthy and smelly.

[Treacle]

Who are the Hutchinsons?

[Joanne]

I put a question mark by the name cos I wasn't sure if I'd remembered the surname right - and obviously I didn't. Terry Irene Tony and Sarah.

[Joanne]

How stupid am I? Terry was Tiffany's dad right and Tony and Sarah's dad was Ted - kath's brother. Anyway, these 2 families didn't do much for me when they first joined but ended up being my favourite story lines. Point being new characters that you least expect to grow on you can end up doing so.

As for Tony Hutchinson, isn't he in Hollyoaks?

Sorry Everyone!

[Torrie]

Terry was Terry Raymond, I think and he married Irene Hills who was Tony and Sarah's mum.

[hellsbells]

New characters only work if they're a)decent actors, b)given proper, decent, believable storylines that involve us actually getting an insight both into their background and their personalities and c) interact properly with other, long standing characters rather than just milling around with other new characters who we know nothing about.

[Treacle]

Well Johnny Allen is integrating well.

[Toxic]

I think all these characters is a bit much..i like Stacey and the Millers but i'm not sure about Jake, Danny & Johnny Allen & co..

[Siobhan]

I am sure we all felt this way when the Slater arrive but they had fantastic story line, Kat and Zoe, Mo and Trevor.. and some have gone and we want them back.. give the new people a chance.. we may end up loving them and demand they return if any of them took a break