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View Full Version : Eastenders To Return To Gritty Roots



Bryan
30-05-2006, 12:33
Found this post on Digital Spy:


Right this may not be 100% correct but it's what i saw, and i do kind of believe it.
Found it on another forum.
Right, i saw Kate harwood on Entertainment today (after GMTV) and Kate said at the soap awards (backstage) that they were going to go back their "Gritty ways" come summer. I think that must kick off with Jean returning and Denise's ex who's an alcoholic. I love Grittyness and EE are good at it.

I for one hope this is the case, having downloaded many of the classoc episodes recently, they by far outdo the current tosh on screen!

alan45
30-05-2006, 13:02
Found this post on Digital Spy:



I for one hope this is the case, having downloaded many of the classoc episodes recently, they by far outdo the current tosh on screen!

If only this were true then I think a lot of the older viewers would return to watching EE. We have had so many promises with each new producer that its hard to believe any of the rumours that come from Elstree. I remember how Kathleen Hutchison:bow: :rotfl: was hailed as the magnificent saviour who was Hailed as going to save ee. I for one am still waiting.
So with a huge pinch of Sodium Chloride I will give this story a guarded welcome

BlackKat
30-05-2006, 13:09
Depends if it's well written gritty or not. They tried gritty with that dreadful Leo/Demi thing (ie, the squat, the drug overdose etc) but it was just hilarious. However the Jean week last December was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to her return.

Luna
30-05-2006, 13:52
ok im confused who is jean??....im losing my touch i know

di marco
30-05-2006, 13:53
ok im confused who is jean??....im losing my touch i know

jean slater, staceys mum :)

BlackKat
30-05-2006, 13:53
ok im confused who is jean??....im losing my touch i know

Stacey's mum. :) She's coming back for a series of episodes around June-July time.

Richie_lecturer
30-05-2006, 17:02
I'd love it to be true, but I think EE has lost its gritty roots forever. Until they stop dumbing down the show and aiming it at tweenies, it will be as gritty as a dodgy lamb burger.

callummc
31-05-2006, 01:35
do they mean gritty or misery,the 2 dont allways mean the same thing

Chris_2k11
31-05-2006, 01:45
Gritty Roots ey? :hmm:

Funny that because I aint noticed any snow on the streets of Walford lately :confused: :o

Meh
31-05-2006, 02:01
Maybe if they go back to their 'gritty routes' they might just get back their lost viewers. EE writers have totally lost their audience - if they wanted to aim it at kids they should show it between Blue Peter and Newsround.

All the storylines I'd consider to be gritty I very much doubt the politically correct BBC would show anyhow. No wonder they spew out crap such as shannis etc.

In fact, look at the winners of the awards (http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/backstage/cast/interviews/interview_content/interview_soap_a.shtml). Anyone see a pattern?

alan45
31-05-2006, 02:25
Maybe someone made a spelling mistake in the word GRITTY after all S & H are quite close to G & R















Think about it:D

Meh
31-05-2006, 02:29
Maybe someone made a spelling mistake in the word GRITTY after all S & H are quite close to G & R


You might now be far off there Alan. I'm waiting for the first EE episode to be broadcast in text speak only.

alan45
31-05-2006, 02:42
You might now be far off there Alan. I'm waiting for the first EE episode to be broadcast in text speak only. Then the Beeb would have to admit it really is only fit for CEEBEEBIES

Richie_lecturer
31-05-2006, 19:20
Let's see if the bosses keep their word. They don't have the guts to put it right, back to what it was until a few years ago.

As Alan says, they might infact be planning to make it more **itty, not gritty. It that's the case it will only be a continuum of their work over the past three and a half years. :rolleyes:

willsmummy
31-05-2006, 20:28
I hope they do it, and not by bringing back any more past characters, which is what they have kept on doing over the last couple of years with Dirty Den/Phil and Grunt etc. I know Ross Kemp needs to pay his mortgage, but it's getting a bit silly.

If you ask me, they missed a golden opportunity to get a decent comeback in Nick Cotton, as at least he was sneaky and underhand, and you could really dislike him, not like some of the half arsed "gangster" rubbish they keep ion trotting out.

alan45
31-05-2006, 20:35
I hope they do it, and not by bringing back any more past characters, which is what they have kept on doing over the last couple of years with Dirty Den/Phil and Grunt etc. I know Ross Kemp needs to pay his mortgage, but it's getting a bit silly.

If you ask me, they missed a golden opportunity to get a decent comeback in Nick Cotton, as at least he was sneaky and underhand, and you could really dislike him, not like some of the half arsed "gangster" rubbish they keep ion trotting out. Ah yes Nick Cotton was a genuinely scary guy:eek: not like the pantomime gangster that was Andy Hunter or the born again Grunt Mitchell and Johhny Allen... Unfortunately Nicks character does not fit in with the new dumbed down PC Eastenders:wall:

Siobhan
01-06-2006, 11:00
Ah yes Nick Cotton was a genuinely scary guy:eek: not like the pantomime gangster that was Andy Hunter or the born again Grunt Mitchell and Johhny Allen... Unfortunately Nicks character does not fit in with the new dumbed down PC Eastenders:wall:

I was just discussing this yesterday with Bry.. EE needs a character you can hate, and I don't mean for bad acting. I mean like Nick, fantastic actor, well played but you want to shout at the TV and hate his character cause he was dirty and underhanded...

You also need to bring back in a 25 - 30 crowd like Mel/steve/lisa/mark/bianca/tiffany... they worked really well.. Get rid of deadwood and bring back the old eastender with real eastenders

Johnny Allen
01-06-2006, 13:27
well Im all for it, to go back to it's gritty roots would be a good move, but can I just say EE actually needs to bring in a real villian, Johnny Allen had potentional and they ruined him, Andy was awful, it needs a villian really despiable.

Richie_lecturer
01-06-2006, 17:03
I was just discussing this yesterday with Bry.. EE needs a character you can hate, and I don't mean for bad acting. I mean like Nick, fantastic actor, well played but you want to shout at the TV and hate his character cause he was dirty and underhanded...

You also need to bring back in a 25 - 30 crowd like Mel/steve/lisa/mark/bianca/tiffany... they worked really well.. Get rid of deadwood and bring back the old eastender with real eastenders
Very well said. I especially agree about the 25-30somethings too. These are desperately needed in the show. It needs the type of characters you've just mentioned to put some backbone into the show.

Meh
01-06-2006, 17:15
You also need to bring back in a 25 - 30 crowd like Mel/steve/lisa/mark/bianca/tiffany... they worked really well.. Get rid of deadwood and bring back the old eastender with real eastenders

I agree. There's been a shift from 25 - 35 crowd to the teenager crowd. Maybe the BBC were thinking a change of audience to get the ratings up. Whatever it was, it backfired.

Maybe they should revive Eldorado from the ashes and shove the teeny storylines in there.

As for Nick Cotton, I get the feeling that the BBC will be killing him off soon, which seems the way with the BBC at the moment.

Richie_lecturer
01-06-2006, 17:17
Even though they're not killing Nick off this time, they're probably weakening him to the point where he is killed off, which I'm sure will happen within the next 2-3 years.

Siobhan
01-06-2006, 17:19
They could have an Eastender teen soap, stick them all in there.. They have tried replacing the missing group with Dawn/mickey/gus but it doesn't work as they are been persued by a younger crowd who they mix with i.e deano and co

DaVeyWaVey
02-06-2006, 00:52
I think it's a great idea for EE to go back to its gritty roots, i am a teenager but even though the shannis/kalfie stories were good, EE would be even better if it went back to gritty, i am backing the gritty idea all the way. What EE need to do is bring in good actors with good gritty storylines that a range of the audience will enjoy....they need to get the 25-35 age group back as some people have already mentioned, EE are lacking this age group at the moment. Also EE need a good superbitch and a villain we love to hate.....
Overall, if they do this and go back to its gritty roots, EE will definetly be back on top. :)

Florijo
02-06-2006, 10:45
I really wish they would but I don't think they ever will. They had a chance to do something better with the Naomi character but she was just a plot device to split Martin and Sonia up. Totally absurd storyline. When was the last time EE covered a real life issue in a good way. Even the week with Stacey and her mum was pretty rubbish compared to EE of old. I'm sorry to say but I think gritty, more mature EE has gone for good.

Babe14
02-06-2006, 11:20
I'll believe it when I see it. Personally I think that it is too late and they have shot themselves up the backside.

doginthepond
14-06-2006, 00:09
I sometimes wonder that if Brookside hadn't been axed and remained hard-hitting then there would be more of a benchmark for the rest of the soaps to aspire to.

I love the soaps as much as the next person but I agree they have been watered down way too much.

Hollyoaks is still hard-hitting yes, but is that considered mainstream?

I am sorry, i have just waffled a load of rubbish havent I?

Richie_lecturer
14-06-2006, 12:37
No you haven't. You've raised some very good points there. Well done. :)

DaVeyWaVey
14-06-2006, 19:24
I sometimes wonder that if Brookside hadn't been axed and remained hard-hitting then there would be more of a benchmark for the rest of the soaps to aspire to.

I love the soaps as much as the next person but I agree they have been watered down way too much.

Hollyoaks is still hard-hitting yes, but is that considered mainstream?

I am sorry, i have just waffled a load of rubbish havent I?

No, you have said some good valid points. If Brookside was still on our screens and as still gritty as it used to be, i am quite confident that EE would have remained gritty and wouldn't have gone through their bad patch in 2003/2004 because EE would have been inspired by Brookie's grittiness and would want to beat them on their storylines and on their ratings so EE would try and do something more grittier than Brookie and then Brookie would then try and do something more grittier than EE and the pattern would go on, so EE would have remained gritty, i hope you get what i mean. :)