View Full Version : Ex eastenders talks about scriptwriters
bakedbean
25-07-2006, 16:11
Former EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman has blasted show script writers claiming they "must have been on crack" when they penned her storylines.
Pregnant Tracy-Ann, 37, played the venomous Chrissie Watts for one year and bowed out of the show last Christmas after her alias murdered on-screen husband Den Watts (Leslie Grantham).
Of the storyline, the actress told the Radio Times: “It didn’t make logical or emotional sense - but they said, ‘That’s the soap convention, dear, get used to it’.
“I was worried when four-year-olds said to me, ‘I saw you kill Den.’ I don’t agree with censorship but there has to be a level of responsibility."
Speaking of her time with the show, she went on: “Let’s say they were interesting times. Each executive producer brought in new writing teams. It was a challenge, particularly when the storylines made you laugh out loud. You imagined the writer must have been on crack when they wrote it.
“Because of the ratings war, soap stories become increasingly outrageous, violent and sexual, and less an everyday tale of normal folk. There was a point where every character had been involved in a murder."
She added: “I learnt a lot. In 18 months I knocked up four years of acting experience."
God i miss Chrissie she was Eastenders in 2005:crying:
Johnny Allen
25-07-2006, 16:17
I get annoyed with these actors, I mean Tracy Ann is a very talented actress but if wasnt for Eastenders its unlikely she would have got noticed. I have never seen Eastenders as overly violent or to sex orientated. And can I just say the Den storyline was great fun, and EE cant always be based on real life, soaps have to have elements of melodrama and realism to work.
Former EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman has blasted show script writers claiming they "must have been on crack" when they penned her storylines.
Not just her storylines. These are the same folk who brought us Barrys death, Basketball Team, The Boreerrias, Kidneygate, return of Den, Jack the War Hero, Return of the Magnificent Mitchells :rolleyes: not to mention the character changes of many characters.
Yes I fear they are all crack addicts in Elstree now judging by how poor it has now become.
soaps have to have elements of melodrama and realism to work. Both of which have been sadly missing of late.
Pinkbanana
25-07-2006, 16:32
Not just her storylines. These are the same folk who brought us Barrys death, Basketball Team, The Boreerrias, Kidneygate, return of Den, Jack the War Hero, Return of the Magnificent Mitchells :rolleyes: not to mention the character changes of many characters.
Yes I fear they are all crack addicts in Elstree now judging by how poor it has now become.
Thats really funny A45, ie Kidneygate :rotfl: , and there are elements of truth in what she's saying, but she is a ex enders who got axed, so she could be a little tiny bit er.... bitter about it? (that's what came through for me when reading her comments). Hence the writers on drugs comment.
I personally am loving enders at the mo! So I must be one of the current er.... 4 million still watching it!:rolleyes:
bakedbean
25-07-2006, 16:44
[QUOTE=pinkbanana] and there are elements of truth in what she's saying, but she is a ex enders who got axed, so she could be a little tiny bit er.... bitter about it? QUOTE]
She never got axed she decided to leave herself when her contract was up
Pinkbanana
25-07-2006, 16:50
[QUOTE=pinkbanana] and there are elements of truth in what she's saying, but she is a ex enders who got axed, so she could be a little tiny bit er.... bitter about it? QUOTE]
She never got axed she decided to leave herself when her contract was up
Well her contract wasn't renewed then.....same difference in my book.:D
But I stand correct bakedbean.
bakedbean
25-07-2006, 16:54
Nah she decided that when her contract ran out she would leave becuse she felt that Chrissie could no longer go on.
Pinkbanana
25-07-2006, 16:58
Nah she decided that when her contract ran out she would leave becuse she felt that Chrissie could no longer go on.
Well I guess her storylines would have been rather limited in prison! :lol:
Unless she joined bad girls!
DaVeyWaVey
25-07-2006, 17:22
I read this today in the Sun...and i honestly can't believe Tracy-Ann would say anything like that about Eastenders, i would have thought that she would have thanked them for the fame she has been given because of her role in the show. She has become a very popular actress since leaving Eastenders, and she needs to thank EE for this not saying stuff about the writers at Elstree, i am very surprised!
I disagreed about what she said in the article, i don't find Eastenders too sexually orientated or violent, it does need to be over the top at times so viewers don't get bored but i think Eastenders is still showing realism really well.
Tracy-Ann said that about the writers being on 'crack' before, as a joke on the Paul O grady show. I totally agree with what she has said. Storylines now are just getting more and more outrageous.
Pinkbanana
25-07-2006, 18:35
Tracy-Ann said that about the writers being on 'crack' before, as a joke on the Paul O grady show. I totally agree with what she has said. Storylines now are just getting more and more outrageous.
Apart from the Patrick and Pat getting jiggy with it in the car lot portacabin, I think the storylines this year have been realistic, not sensationalist.
But in fairness to the scriptwriters if they didnt do Outragous then there wouild be lots of repetition of Storylines which could lead to more criticism so in a way there in a no win situation.
Apart from the Patrick and Pat getting jiggy with it in the car lot portacabin, I think the storylines this year have been realistic, not sensationalist. Yes Gwant the new man all touchy feely, Phil Beetroot getting out of prison, Johnny Allen becoming a softy, Sonia becoming a part time Lesbian yeh very realistic
NOT
Pinkbanana
25-07-2006, 21:02
Erm..... remember its a soap!!! And for a soap its has some qualities and humour of every day life (well as much as you can have in soapland, I guess) .... not like other soaps with mad cults and blowing up show houses and lurking from one major disaster to another.
If you disagree, fair enough, but you dont have to be so rude, with you very big not sign, petal.:D
Erm..... remember its a soap!!! And for a soap its has some qualities and humour of every day life (well as much as you can have in soapland, I guess) .... not like other soaps with mad cults and blowing up show houses and lurking from one major disaster to another.
If you disagree, fair enough, but you dont have to be so rude, with you very big not sign, petal.:D I was just responding to your post where you said that the Patrick/Pat scenes were the only unrealistic bits about EE. I was quoting some others. I know its only a soap but there is no need for them to insult the viewers intelligence. Sorry if you didnt like the size of my NOT but remember size isnt everything:D
Richie_lecturer
25-07-2006, 22:17
Dear oh dear. First Lou Beale, then Bianca Jackson, and now Chrissie Watts criticise the sacred cow that is EE. Well deserved criticism as well I think, hence why I no longer watch the show.
Former EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman has blasted show script writers claiming they "must have been on crack" when they penned her storylines.
Not just her storylines. These are the same folk who brought us Barrys death, Basketball Team, The Boreerrias, Kidneygate, return of Den, Jack the War Hero, Return of the Magnificent Mitchells not to mention the character changes of many characters.
Yes I fear they are all crack addicts in Elstree now judging by how poor it has now become.
That's what happens when you legalise crack. :p
I really think they should change their dealers they are mixing too much **** with their crack
The one thing I disagree with is about 4 year olds watching EE - sorry but my 4 year old doesn't watch EE (and neither do I anymore). She does need to remember that as "bad" as her storylines may have been - if it weren't for them, she would still be doing voice overs for Always Ultra so should be thankful for being given the exposure required to land her more roles.
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 12:20
she would still be doing voice overs for Always Ultra so should be thankful for being given the exposure required to land her more roles.
Really, she did the voice overs for Always Ultra?! Never knew that, you live and learn! lol
Well then she should show some graditude to the show. I'd rather be remembered as the woman who killed dirty den, rather than the voice that flogged some female winged product.:D
I really do hate all these 'actors' who after 6 months on Enders start taking themselves too seriously, and think that the show is beneath them, and leave it totally deluded that they are going to be the next big thing. Glad therefore, a lot of them crash and burn..... never to be seen again :D (apart from in the odd stint in panto, or opening a public loo somewhere). :lol:
Richie_lecturer
26-07-2006, 12:27
She voices some of the current Sainsburys adverts on the radio as well, maybe on TV too?
BlackKat
26-07-2006, 12:32
She does also praise the show's strong points in the interview -- for when it deals with issues (examples she gives are AIDS, breast cancer and homelessness) as well as its strong females.
I don't think she's been that critical when you read the full interview. All she's doing is saying it like it is, and she does say that she loved the acting experience as well as playing Chrissie.
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 12:37
She does also praise the show's strong points in the interview -- for when it deals with issues (examples she gives are AIDS, breast cancer and homelessness) as well as its strong females.
I don't think she's been that critical when you read the full interview. All she's doing is saying it like it is, and she does say that she loved the acting experience as well as playing Chrissie.
Yeah, its probably cause I haven't read the full article, but by human nature people are going to pick up on the negative points and er.... she must have known that saying that all the writers were on crack would have especially got picked up on!!!
Well lets see were she is in 5 years time:D Hoping she isnt banging on Enders doors, wanting to reprise her role! lol
The reason they leave after 6 months or less is because they are axed or given crap storylines. Eastenders, which I won't be watching for much longer, is rapidly going down the pan.
The producers/Scriptwriters have ruined it by assassinating characters by:
Lack of viewing time
Non Existant Storylines
Crap storylines
Turning characters into Nymphos, wineos, attention seeking brats, Jokes, waste of space, pointless, idiots etc.
At the mo the only ones who are making it watchable for me are Max/Tanya/Bradley/Stacey but how long before they become victims of this ridiculous character destruction.
Someone mentioned about a certain excellent soap having house collapses all the time etc. Eastenders have gone one better, assassinating characters, some before they even get a foot in the door.
This is not Eastenders anymore it is rapidly becoming something totally unrecognisable.
If you ask me they who run it aren't on crack but have cracked completely and utterly.
If you want evidence of how crap this soap has become just take a look at the number of long term devoted viewers who have or are about to stop watching
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 12:40
The reason they leave after 6 months or less is because they are axed or given crap storylines. Eastenders, which I won't be watching for much longer, is rapidly going down the pan.
The producers/Scriptwriters have ruined it by assassinating characters by:
Lack of viewing time
Non Existant Storylines
Crap storylines
Turning characters into Nymphos, wineos, attention seeking brats, Jokes, waste of space, pointless, idiots etc.
At the mo the only ones who are making it watchable for me are Max/Tanya/Bradley/Stacey but how long before they become victims of this ridiculous character destruntion.
Someone mentioned about a certain excellent soap having house collapses all the time etc. Eastenders have gone one better, assassinating characters, some before they even get a foot in the door.
This is not Eastenders anymore it is rapidly becoming something totally unrecognisable.
If you ask me they who run it aren't on crack but have cracked completely and utterly.
If you want evidence of how crap this soap has become just take a look at the number of long term devoted viewers who have or are about to stop watching
Well....er stop watching it, if you have such a problem with the show. Its so easy to jump on the bandwagon and bash enders these days, isnt it? :D
You are not the only one who is entitled to an opinion and if you can't take criticsm about your soap and discuss it in an adult way then I suggest you stop using these boards.:D
If you bothered to read the post correctly you would see that it isn't all criticsm as I have mentioned areas which I find slightly watchable for
NOW
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 13:00
I was watching Eastenders before you were even thought of.
Also you are not the only one who is entitled to an opinion and if you can't take criticsm about your soap and discuss it in an adult way then I suggest you stop using these boards.:D
If you bothered to read the post correctly you would see that it isn't all criticsm as I have mentioned areas which I find slightly watchable for
NOW
I find you being the immature one with the above rant. I find what you have written both patronising and uncalled for. I was making a valid point, why watch a programme you're obviously rather critical of?
I find you being the immature one with the above rant. I find what you have written both patronising and uncalled for. I was making a valid point, why watch a programme you're obviously rather critical of? Well it would be a bit hypocritcal to critcise it and not watch it. I agree with babe 14s sentiments. EE WAS once a great show but over the last few years it has dumbed down for a less discerning audience.
Its so easy to jump on the bandwagon and bash enders these days, isnt it? :D It sure is. The scriptwriters and the storyliners have practically built steps up on to the bandwagon:rotfl:
I was making a valid point, why watch a programme you're obviously rather critical of?
And I was making a valid point/s with my previous post. Like I have said there are some areas of the soap I still like for now and this is why I still watch, also so I can be critcial if I feel something isn't being done correctly. How can I write a constructive and fair view of something if I don't watch it?
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 13:09
Well it would be a bit hypocritcal to critcise it and not watch it. I agree with babe 14s sentiments. EE WAS once a great show but over the last few years it has dumbed down for a less discerning audience.
So you watch a programme just to criticise it? Mmmm...... too much time on one's hands.....
Well it would be a bit hypocritcal to critcise it and not watch it.
Thanks:) and this is exactly what I have just said:)
I was watching Eastenders on Gold the other day and you can see how much it has gone down hill over the past 5 years or so.
Pinkbanana
26-07-2006, 13:12
[QUOTE=Babe14]I was watching Eastenders before you were even thought of.
QUOTE]
Really? I dont think so. I dont think there is any need to make your rant personal.:D
So you watch a programme just to criticise it? Mmmm...... too much time on one's hands..... I did not say that, so please do not try and twist what I said.:angry: I watch the programme. Therefore I am in a position to criticise it where and when nessecary as I do with other programmes.
Really? I dont think so. I dont think there is any need to make your rant personal.:D
I think that you need to read the rules about being polite to other users, as I have noticed that you are being rude to others as well.
Play nicely guys please :D :D
We all have our opinions and are able to state them on here without being attacked for it.
I have watched EE since the beginning and am now down to watching one episode every couple of weeks, and until it gets better IMO then it will stay that way.
DaVeyWaVey
26-07-2006, 13:20
I have watched Eastenders since 2003 and i think Eastenders was really bad throughout that year and 2004 but i still stuck with it and i thought Eastenders was a great year in 2005 and in my opinion, i don't think it's gone downhill and i think it's at its best but then i haven't seen the 'glory days' of the show so i really can't compare.
I have watched EE since the beginning and am now down to watching one episode every couple of weeks, and until it gets better IMO then it will stay that way.
I do more or less the same except with me it's the omnibus or I watch whilst doing other things. To be honest personally I think you could go a good couple of weeks or so and still not have missed anything:)
Richie_lecturer
26-07-2006, 14:05
She does also praise the show's strong points in the interview -- for when it deals with issues (examples she gives are AIDS, breast cancer and homelessness) as well as its strong females.
Strong females, well I can't honestly think of many of those in EE recently. I can't remember the last time I saw a Carol Jackson style figure in EE.
Those three issues TAO mentions (AIDs, breast cancer and homelessness) are in the past, in the good old days of EE. They haven't tackled those (type of) storylines for a long while, the gritty issues that made it so good and the best thing on the box.
I stopped watching EE earlier this year so I can't really comment too much on current storylines/characters.
I do agree that Eastenders has really gone down hill the past few years. And these are the main points I can think of that could change for me to be more happy with it:
* Women are generally portrayed as victims - often through abuse that involves a sexual theme of some sort. Stronger female characters should be more readily presented, and also perhaps a future story line could involve a male being abused in that way - only Hollyoaks appears to have tackled such a theme which was handled brilliantly, and it happens just as much.
* I'd like to see more subcultures. Generally teenagers are presented as chavs or geeks. Only Coronation Street and Hollyoaks seem to embrace alternative lifestyles and have featured goths etc. recently, and this movement had become increasingly popular among teenagers.
* I think it was in a bid to attract more male viewers that Eastenders upped the gangster and crime plots, however this has in turn made a lot of plots consist of mindless violence and unrealistic events. However, this seems to have been reduced with the exits of Johnny Allen, Andy, Dennis etc.
* Should they have gay characters, they should be new characters with their sexuality established at the start. Derek was largely unrelative to the audience due to his age and lack of storylines, and Sonia / Naomi failed due to viewer's knowledge of the characters history. I see no reason for a strong backlash of gay storylines, as Emmerdale and Coronation street have shown gay characters to be popular and provided with great plots.
* Should they have gay characters, they should be new characters with their sexuality established at the start. Derek was largely unrelative to the audience due to his age and lack of storylines, and Sonia / Naomi failed due to viewer's knowledge of the characters history. I see no reason for a strong backlash of gay storylines, as Emmerdale and Coronation street have shown gay characters to be popular and provided with great plots.
Back in the good old days they had both Gay and Lesbian charactrs which worked well.
Colin/Barry were on older man and younger male. From what I can remember there was a lot of emotion involved in their main storyline.
Binnie/Della - A black and white female lesbian realtionship. Here we had a love triangle involving a straight male Steve who was in love with Della. I can see that Eastenders have tried to reproduce a similar storyline with Martin/Naomi/Sonia very unsuccessfully. Wrong characters used and very bad writing/Scripts.
And before Enders went to pot we had another gay realtionship
Tony/Simon - Two young males, one who was gay from the start, the other who was straight and then turned gay. Here very good storylines/scripts were produced inlcluding a pregnancy. From what I can remember Tony who was Irene's son slept with Tiffany (Simon's sister before he realised he was gay) who later found out she was preganant, but she had also slept with Grant, so we had a whose the father storyline here also.
soapyclean
30-07-2006, 08:09
Those were some of the best storylines, now the writers are struggling to come up with decent storylines.:banned:
Back in the good old days they had both Gay and Lesbian charactrs which worked well.
Colin/Barry were on older man and younger male. From what I can remember there was a lot of emotion involved in their main storyline.
Binnie/Della - A black and white female lesbian realtionship. Here we had a love triangle involving a straight male Steve who was in love with Della. I can see that Eastenders have tried to reproduce a similar storyline with Martin/Naomi/Sonia very unsuccessfully. Wrong characters used and very bad writing/Scripts.
And before Enders went to pot we had another gay realtionship
Tony/Simon - Two young males, one who was gay from the start, the other who was straight and then turned gay. Here very good storylines/scripts were produced inlcluding a pregnancy. From what I can remember Tony who was Irene's son slept with Tiffany (Simon's sister before he realised he was gay) who later found out she was preganant, but she had also slept with Grant, so we had a whose the father storyline here also. Compare that to the Sonia/Naomi yawnfest or the sensational :rolleyes: Lesbian Kiss. They also seem to have forgotten Sonia's alcholism:rolleyes:
Not just her storylines. These are the same folk who brought us Barrys death, Basketball Team, The Boreerrias, Kidneygate, return of Den, Jack the War Hero, Return of the Magnificent Mitchells :rolleyes: not to mention the character changes of many characters.
Yes I fear they are all crack addicts in Elstree now judging by how poor it has now become.
You missed the football team the walford wanderers out of that list, Alan.
You missed the football team the walford wanderers out of that list, Alan. How could I have forgotten that rivetting storyline. I also forgot about Barry's untimely death, no investigation by the procurator fiscal and the high speed cremation all on a public holiday in Scotland.:rolleyes:
Compare that to the Sonia/Naomi yawnfest or the sensational :rolleyes: Lesbian Kiss. They also seem to have forgotten Sonia's alcholism:rolleyes:
There is just no comparison, it would be an insult to try and do so:lol:
Sonia may as well not be there, the character has been destroyed beyond retrieval
callummc
31-07-2006, 01:02
maybe the wrters are going cold turkey at the moment and thats why this years storylines are more boring than when chrissy was there,her scrips might have made her laugh,but the scipts from this year have made me fall asleep watching,just glad i havnt had to read them
Mr Humphries
12-08-2006, 12:39
Its a shame she said all that now, because if they ever wanted to get her back in the show it would not happen now. Not that there is anything for her to come back too, but she was a truly great person in the soap.
I wonder what her opinion the soapline of Killing Dirty Den was, I mean they went to all that trouble of making us believe that he was never killed the first time, surely it would have just made sense to have written him out, because would could have at least had the grant vs den storyline and the peggy vs den and the final showdown between pauline and den.
Mind u the scriptwriters know best.
callummc
13-08-2006, 10:34
I gree mr humphrys but i know the scriptwriters were responsible for dens second death storyline and the ridiculas den -zoey crap but i did read somewhere that they didn't see the point in killing him off again after working so hard to bring him back and tried to convince the EP of that time "the hatchett woman" to write him out without killing him,but she wanted to make a name for herself didn't she so the writers decided to use some more old ideas and swapped the ashtray for doggie doorstop,and the rest has they say is history
Mr Humphries
13-08-2006, 11:51
It is all so unfair, love him or hate him, we could certainly do with him back now, to deal with the Mitchells.
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