March 2, 201015 yr Bushra, Billy and Charlie are all pointless imo. although I think Bushra would be ok if she was a permanent character..
March 6, 201015 yr Author 47 (35, down 12) Jack Branning 4.81, no 9s or 10s (4.47) http://i46.tinypic.com/16m4mj4.jpg In some ways I pity Jack. It must be tough having such a patchy memory, forgetting for months at a time that the majority of your family lives within fifty feet of you. Dad home after suffering a stroke, or girlfriend announcing once again that she wants a compensation baby - only Jack 'MDF' Branning would prioritise the latter. For the past year or two the writers of EastEnders have done their best to make Jack and Ronnie into a Rachel and Ross-style will-they-won't-they couple who viewers can get behind, except nobody actually cares (though, for the sake of our sanity, I would like to see them stick together - Ronnie needs to learn how to smile again). I think for somebody so heavily featured in the show - he had the highest overall episode count in 2008 and featured heavily last year too - it's rather an indignity to slide so far down a countdown like this, but Diederick Santer clearly fancies the pants off of Scott Maslen and that's enough to keep Jack ticking over, frequently narrowing his eyes whilst admiring a generic Mitchell sister or pretending not to acknowledge his traumatised brother. 46 (30, down 16) Jay Brown 4.81, one 9 (4.94) http://i48.tinypic.com/2i9r33m.jpg Walford's favourite lumpy-skinned chav manages the spectacular feat of not only sliding 16 positions in this year's countdown but also scoring more lowly than last year, whilst practically everybody else scores more highly thanks to the generosity/sheer loonyness of those who contributed to the rate. In fairness Jamie Borthwick has had to take a fair chunk of leave to work on his GCSEs, but nonetheless Jay has had an unspectacular twelve months or so, the 'highlights' being an encounter with a tremendously unattractive young lady of the night and a few shouty exchanges with his unsuspecting guardian Billy. He has displayed decent acting chops on a few occassions though which bodes well for his future on the show, and if Billy can drag being a loser out for the best part of twelve years who's to say Jay doesn't have a long, if unprosperous, future ahead of him? 45 Manda Best (now extinct) 4.87, no 9s or 10s http://i50.tinypic.com/15dw1gm.jpg It's a little difficult to fathom what future the writers saw for Manda given that during her brief year in the show she did nothing but piss around with pottery, pretend to be turned on by Minty and disappear for weeks at a time, as if exhausted by all the sighing she did. I actually think it was a bit of a wasted oppurtunity given that Josie Lawrence is reasonably talented but, this being EastEnders, they forgot that sometimes in real life people are happy, and soon Manda became a miserable drip. It's hard to feel too sorry about the whole affair though when you consider that she is responsible for the arrival into the square of the monstrous Adam Best. *World shudders*
March 6, 201015 yr 47 (35, down 12) Jack Branning 4.81, no 9s or 10s (4.47) http://i46.tinypic.com/16m4mj4.jpg Is that Jack or is it Max with Jack's hand pushing him down?
March 6, 201015 yr I'm glad to see Jack slide this year. Despite the obvious love that the writers and producers have for him, he just doesn't work for me. I still think that Scott Maslen is just playing the exactly the same role he did on The Bill. I do think he is much better when he is given material with his family, especially Max. Like you say Jark, it's ridiculous they've created this character who's part of the biggest family on the Square, but he has pretty much naff all to do with them. He only remembered he was related to Bradley for the last month of Bradley's life. He's also related to Carol, Jim, Lauren, Abi, Bianca and all her clan....you'd think that there'd have been plenty of scope for interaction there with all their various dramas, but instead he spends his days chasing Mitchell skirt. And I find Ronnie and Jack as a couple as appealing as genital warts. Similarly I only started liking Ronnie once they have her material outside of the Jack flirtathon, with the Danielle/Archie arc. It's a shame to see the EE writers immediately throwing them back together again. Jay has been under the radar recently, so I can kind of understand his fall. On the other hand, Jamie Borthwick remains one of the most talented of the young cast, so hopefully he'll stick with the show. Manda was a totally wasted character. Although I do prefer new characters to be slowly blended in rather than thrust to the limelight, they took that too far with Manda - she really did f*** all. Josie Lawrence is a talented woman, and Manda was a likable, unique and zippy character, so why the didn't utilise her I really don't know. I'd say it's been EE's biggest mistake of the past year.
March 6, 201015 yr Its a major flaw with EastEnders to be honest. The majority of the cast dont seem to remember they're all related to each other. The Jackson/Branning clan in particular are rather difficult to keep track of and quite often dont have enough scenes together as family units. Im sure there will be some inbreed child born eventually when the producers forget two people are related. Im fairly certain everyones related to Pat aswell. Jack as a character has failed imo. Not the worst character by any mean but considering the amount of screentime and storyline given to him he's failed to connect on so many levels. I cant really see the appeal of the Ronnie/Jack partnership either. Ideally, i'd like to see Jack leave, the Brannings dont need him and someone else can come along for Ronnie. God knows when was the last time I saw Jay on-screen. He's a good character though imo and if Billy sticks around for a few more years theres no reason Jay cant grown into an important character on the show. Manda was a wasted opportunity. She had some potential but being stuck with Minty & Garry was never going to lead to the most exiting of storylines for Josie, so her leaving was suppose inevitable. A shame, but no major loss.
March 6, 201015 yr Author Agreed with everything said by the two of you other than for the under-utilisation of Manda being the biggest mistake of the past year Shoat. She was never going to be a major player anyway, but she could've been a decent enough supporting character, just like Minty is, had they bothered. The biggest mistake of the past year is probably the way Tanya's departure and continued absence has been dealt with, or perhaps the Heather/Darren fiasco. Tony, that's up to you to decide!
March 6, 201015 yr I actually like the Branning family and the way they aren't always in eachothers faces but acknowledge they are related. Little things like Bianca in the cafe saying "Uncle Max". I like Scott but he really needs something interesting away from Ronnie now. As shoat says, he really is just the same character as he was in the Bill. As for Jay. Classic picture! Actor is GCSE's this year I think so that's why he is absent along - also case with Lauren I think. Was same when Peter/Lucy actors were studying.
March 6, 201015 yr Agreed with everything said by the two of you other than for the under-utilisation of Manda being the biggest mistake of the past year Shoat. She was never going to be a major player anyway, but she could've been a decent enough supporting character, just like Minty is, had they bothered. The biggest mistake of the past year is probably the way Tanya's departure and continued absence has been dealt with, or perhaps the Heather/Darren fiasco. Tony, that's up to you to decide! What else could they have done with Tanya though with Joyner on maternity leave? The only mistake they made was not making a proper excuse for her missing Bradley's funeral, but other than that I think they've handled it adequately. No Manda was never going to be the next Ronnie/Jack/Tanya/Stacey screenhog, but I still think she could have done a LOT more with her than have her making tea for Minty. They never really explored her link with Phil for instance, and I think they could have utilised her a lot more in the Heather/Darren reveal - surely Adam would have been INCREDIBLY pissed at her for covering for Darren, given his Libby obsession?
March 7, 201015 yr Author Of course she is! Queen Tanya of Booty does not disappoint her legions of fans by going off for a baby and never coming back! I'm positively salivating over the prospect of her return actually. I hope they just spring it on us rather than advertising it weeks before via the spoilers, so that I don't find myself unable to focus on anything because I'm so excited to have JoJoy back in my life. I think they could have utilised her a lot more in the Heather/Darren reveal - surely Adam would have been INCREDIBLY pissed at her for covering for Darren, given his Libby obsession? But that would've meant giving the horrific little scrotum more screentime so do NOT complain! Ryan, I do like the way they're not always together too (and let's face it, that wouldn't be realistic for adult siblings) but for long periods of time Jack has no contact whatsoever with his brother! And when Suzy was in it she barely saw either of them to the best of my memory. Speaking of Suzy there's a large, ancient poster for Pukka Pies in my local chippy with a woman sporting a black bob hairdo grinning whilst holding a pie and I'm sure it's Maggie O'Neill, only she's smiling and of course Suzy Branning never smiled so I can't actually be certain.
March 7, 201015 yr Jack is something to look at, but not the best actor in the world. Jay was an annoying chav, is he still in it btw? Manda I'm glad she has gone, yawn!
March 7, 201015 yr I like Jay and i think he is deu a proper storyline of his own now, he has proved in my opinion it can do the work.
March 7, 201015 yr The Lucy/Jay crush was interesting and I thought that could have really developed. In reality lots of families behave like the Brannings in they dont really behave like the effect each others lives at all. I dont think it was unrealistic. Edited March 7, 201015 yr by tonyttt31
March 8, 201015 yr ya i liked the lucy and jay thing that was going on but they have just forgotten all about it unless the scrpt writers build them up now and jay will stand by her Lucy and do the whole il bring the baby up like its my own, i cant see it happening but you never know.
March 17, 201015 yr Author I suppose I could continue tonight, but it's only been a week and a half - I'm never going to be the new Shoat at this rate!
March 17, 201015 yr I suppose I could continue tonight, but it's only been a week and a half - I'm never going to be the new Shoat at this rate! :lol: True!
April 17, 201015 yr Author Let's DO THIS SHIT. 44 Dr. Al Jenkins 4.88 http://i39.tinypic.com/1622ljr.jpg I have to say, voters, that I find it a bit farcical that such a bit part player as Dr. Al could achieve a higher finish than say, Jack Branning, but what can you do? You voted with your genitals, clearly. At first it seemed like the good doc might be a good match for Tanya 'The Holy One' Branning who was suffering in the wake of a nasty bout of Max, but that soon fizzled out. To EastEnders' credit they kept Al's morale up for the most part when he could quite easily have become a manic depressive, what with being terrorised by Roxy looking like a blow-up doll in her stripper nurse attire, but his storylines were the height of vapidity and never really got off the ground. Quite amazingly Adam Croasdell secured a role on the US sci-fi series Supernatural immediately after leaving the show and to his credit he's praised it since and said he'd return if they did more with his character, though it's doubtful as in any given year Walford doesn't actually have its own doctor. 43 Liz Turner 5.00 http://i40.tinypic.com/2qkmrtk.jpg One of life's true fighters, Liz has a refreshingly sunny outlook on life for somebody who has a missing alcoholic criminal for a son and has been forced to endure life in Spain, so it was no wonder Patrick sunk his claws in before you could say you can't associate with the Fox family, you're white! Perhaps more importantly Ma Turner was the first successful OAP character to be introduced to the show in one hell of a long time. The downside is that screentime for Liz tends to equate to screentime for Libby, so perhaps it's for the best that she's being unceremoniously shipped out of Walford soon. The question is will she be a deadsy upon departure? 42 Ryan Malloy 5.00 http://i39.tinypic.com/6xq7ib.jpg Now I think Ryan is a character who has suffered from the timing of this rate. For a long while he seemed like a completely pointless addition to the show, doing nothing but threaten to leave Walford only for his sister to beg him to stay for some unfathomable reason. That, or hopping into bed with Ronnie whenever she felt like expanding her womb. Mercifully the writers have taken something of a slow burn approach to his relationship with Janine and recently they've emerged as a truly likeable couple, albeit one sure not to enjoy a smooth path to happiness thanks to Janine's penchant for murder and Ryan's rather unconvincing and infrequent stabs at morality. Nonetheless, a grower of a character who may yet continue to emerge as a future mainstay of the show's cast.
April 18, 201015 yr Ryan probably deserves to be a bit higher now after his storylines with Janine. Liz, although she hasn't done much, I would prefer her to be a bit higher, and I don't really care about Dr. Al. :lol:
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