Albert Snore (Eastenders)

Member Name: kittykat18

Product:	Eastenders
Date:	28/11/04 (1252 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Occasionally funny

Disadvantages: Repetitive story lines

What has happened to Eastenders?

I started watching the soap many years ago, one Christmas when Michelle was threatened by a crazed gun man. Since then I was hooked.I whiled away the evenings of my school years, avoiding homework, caught up in Grant and Phil's latest row, Pat and Peggy's bitchfighting, trips to Spain, gay kisses in Blackpool,and sexy David Wicks. Oh, the memories. The sight of Frank Butcher, naked apart from a red bow tie, will remain etched on my brain forever.

So, just what has gone wrong with my regular dose of escapism?

It has lost decent characters. Janine, the most hilarious evil spoilt teenager ever, Ethel and her little Willie (escorted to death by angelic Dot), Barry, Grant, the list goes on. Nobody worthy of replacing them has come along, apart from maybe Kat and Little Mo, who are both excellent actresses.

Sharon and "brother" Dennis-who cares? This story has gone on for far too long.

The tedious repetitive gangster story lines are making my teeth grind. Nobody cares. We care about people, real lives, families, relationships - not stupid men in suits thinking they are the chav version of the Mafia.

It's unrealistic. A typical job for an Eastenders character is bar maid (little Mo), shop worker (Billy, Dot), or thief (big Mo), yet they all live in houses costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, get taxis every time they leave the square, and eat all meals in the "caff". I want to watch people living in squalor, in council flats with no heating, infested with mice and lice. Now that is escapism.

Despite being set in the East end of London, there are only a few black characters (one a binman (Gus) and one a criminal (Jules)), and one odd Asian family (who despite having a Muslim name, celebrate the Hindu festival of Divali). Have the script writers actually been down the East End lately? It often feels like a middle class portrayal of how they imagine workingclasslife to be - everyone getting along, close knit families, pulling together.

All is not lost, however. Bring back Grant Mitchell, for a start. And Robbie Jackson, for that matter, who at last sighting had transformed into an Indian hippie.

My idea for a new story line would be a family of asylum seekers to move into the square. This would be topical and could allow the BBC to show the way communities react to "outsiders". Maybe Zoe could go out with one of them. Although the soap has had mixed race relationships, (Gus and Sonia, Janine and Paul), I can't recall a mixed religion relationship, or even much focus upon religion at all.

Sonia is considered a high and mighty intellectual for daring to look beyond the limits of Albert Square and train to become a nurse. That says it all for the prospects of Walfords children.

Watch out for Eastenders at Christmas- more hand wringing over Sharon and Dennis, yet more gangster rubbish, and some well placed misteletoe for Alfie and Little Mo. You heard it here first.

Summary: