Brilliant episode! The most gripping since the New Year's Day one, I think, with brilliant acting from pretty much every corner! The ending was so cheesey yet brilliant at the same time! :lol:

I loved tuesdays episode. Another cracking performance by Lindsey coulson. Patsy palmers's acting has seen a huge increase of being good. Ever since Billie died. Despite being heavily pregnant at the time, i praise her majorly her for still working and doing a good performance. Will miss Bianca but like with Peggy's departure (even though bianca is coming back), it will shake the family up for a bit as Bianca holds that family together.

Im assuming last night was bianca's last episode until her return, i was actually shocked to see her on screen last nite as i thought she had gone, they have handled it very well considering there had to be some re working done as patsy gave birth earlier than expected, i will miss bianca as i have always been a huge fan of her both times she was in the show and i think she is a fantastic actress who can deliver power house performances when need be, so i cant wait til she comes back from maternity leave. Ricky has been great this week aswell and i like his interaction with Max, the great thing about max and tanya splitting up is max has become more involved with other charactors and he is one of my favourite charactors in the show and he is very believable aswell and that is down to good acting from jake aswell.

 

Great seeing sonia back aswell, i know natalie said she wouldnt return full time as she wouldnt leave her baby but i hope she does more occasional visits as for me she just belongs in eastenders and again is a good actress. Lindsay Coulson has been great the last few nights and these are the kind of scripts that lindsay needs to completly shine. Tuesdays episode was brilliant and i loved the carol and bianca scenes and again i have to point out tuesdays episode was written by the mighty Simon Ashdown who in my opinion never ever fails to deliver strong scripts.

 

My only worry about simon ashdown is whats gonna happen when the day comes he leaves the show as one day he will eventually retire etc, dont get me wrong there are other great writers involved in eastenders who can deliver good scripts but simon ashdown has the little bit more magic to him and to me i feel he fully understands the charactors he writes for and knows every single detail about them and i think some of the other writers miss out on that. Simon needs to take a few writers under his wing and hopefully bring them up to his level as if eastenders had a few more writers like him we as fans would truly reap the rewards as viewers.

 

Before i stop babbling on, what do you guys think of eastenders picking up any awards at next weeks national tv awards???

I think Ricky Norwood is in with a good shot at taking Best Newcomer for Fatboy. There seems to be a bit of hype around him.

 

I agree wholeheartedly about Simon Ashdown. There's an interesting interview with him on the BBC Writers' Room website where he talks about who his favourite characters are to write for and he mentions Stacey and the Branning clan in particular, and you can always tell he knows the characters like the back of his hand, particularly Max.

 

I honestly think the Branning-Jackson clan are the best family the show has ever had. Max, Tanya, Bianca, Pat, Carol - all just wonderful. And I'd be well up for Sonia putting in more frequent appearances too.

 

OH and I forgot to say - ALL HAIL QUEEN GLENDA! Her 20 second cameo in Tuesday's episode where she decided not to get the door and instead to carry on painting her nails was quite spectacular.

The Branning - jackson family indeed are great but i think for me the slaters will always be tops as i loved stacey, loved kat first time round and likewise 2nd time round, little mo big mo, jean all brilliant and sean and charlie along with lynn were ok to, my only fault is why they never brought belinda in full time is beyond me.

 

Ya there seems to be a lot of hype around fatboy for the nta;s and although if he wins its one for eastenders im not his biggest fan, i was sure jackson from emmerdale could pip him to the win, this year more than any id love eastenders to lift the best soap gong but im not confident of it happening.

I was suprised to see Bianca too. But they film scenes out of order so they obviously filmed that scene before having her baby.

 

Now i am looking forward to seeing Whitney's upcoming storyline.

Whitney is a weird charactor for me, im never sure if i like her or not, she is the kind of charactor that if she left the show i wouldnt be overly bothered.

They've never made proper use of Whitney since the Tony abuse storyline came to a close. She's become a bit of a trollop, which really shouldnt have happened.

 

Anyway, loved this weeks episodes. The Carol/Bianca scenes at the end were just brilliant. Sonia's return felt a bit pointless but nice to have her back all the same, I wouldnt mind if she poped up for irregualr appearances here and thre or even returned full time.

So rumours are intensifying now that a new family will be announced this week, and that it could be Derek Branning and co. I hope it's true because I'm feeling like the show needs some fresh blood, specifically a strong male character and a couple of new 20-somethings.

Wasn't that rumour around about a month ago? I thought I saw you post it...

 

The most exciting storyline for me this week will be

Tanya and Greg moving to the Square!

So excited to have her back proper full time and I hope she gets some great storylines in the coming months!

I'm sorry, but they were only LOOKING at that house LAST WEEK. Talk about complete lack of realism.

So rumours are intensifying now that a new family will be announced this week, and that it could be Derek Branning and co. I hope it's true because I'm feeling like the show needs some fresh blood, specifically a strong male character and a couple of new 20-somethings.

Because what Eastenders needs right now is more Brannings! I love the whole clan and all the interaction they're having these days but it's pretty much ONLY them and a few others around at the moment.

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY BRANNINGS.

 

I'm sorry, but they were only LOOKING at that house LAST WEEK. Talk about complete lack of realism.

What? They were looking at it (and decided to buy it) during the week beginning 3rd Jan. Three weeks could conceivably be a realistic time span between buying and moving into a house.

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY BRANNINGS.

What? They were looking at it (and decided to buy it) during the week beginning 3rd Jan. Three weeks could conceivably be a realistic time span between buying and moving into a house.

 

There is absolutley no way two and a half weeks is a realistic time frame for eveything to go through.

It is if there's no chain.

Yeah I'm not sure adding MORE Brannings is a good idea. They're easily the best family on the show right now, so I'd rather not dilute them with a whole new untested branch. Besides they've only just got around (years late) to actually integrating the Max side and the Bianca side of the two families together, let's cement that first.

If we MUST have an additional Branning, just bring Suzy back.

Well LO AND BEHOLD a new family is on the way in! Not more Brannings though...

 

Singer and actor David Essex has joined the cast of EastEnders, taking on the role of Alfie's charismatic uncle Eddie Moon. Eddie will arrive on Albert Square later this year with his children in tow, marking the beginning of a new era for the Moon clan.

 

Fans of the BBC soap are already familiar with Eddie's son Michael (Steve John Shepherd), who had a brief stint on the programme last year and returns to Walford later this month. Eddie's fractured relationship with Michael will be one of the plot points explored after he makes his debut on the Square. Although Eddie is now a happy family man, his difficulties with Michael hint at a past he'd rather forget. As the latest Walford drama plays out, fans will be left to wonder whether Michael could stand in the way of Eddie's chance of happiness, or if father and son could grow closer.

 

Essex previously landed the part of Honey Mitchell's father Jack Edwards on EastEnders in 2005. However, a last-minute recast later took place when show bosses expanded the role of the character - causing a clash with Essex's music commitments. Speaking of his new role as Eddie, Essex commented: "Being an East-Ender myself, I'm really excited to be joining the Square. Eddie Moon is a great character and I can't wait to get to grips with the role and work with such a fantastic cast. I'm really pleased that I've been able to make filming work around my tour dates this time."

 

EastEnders' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood added: "David Essex is a brilliant signing for EastEnders. He is a unique talent with a legion of fans, and he will bring warmth and charisma to the role of Eddie Moon. His arrival, alongside the return of son Michael, brings a new generation of the Moon family to Walford." Essex has an extensive career in music, film, television and theatre, having performed on stage and screen and achieved 23 top 30 singles in the UK alone. It is understood that casting is still taking place for the roles of Eddie's other children.

 

I don't know if that means the rumours about the Brannings weren't true or not. A few different people have said that ex-Hollyoaks actress Sinéad Moynihan has recently been cast 'as a love interest for a new Branning' so I guess we might see two new families on the Square this year.

I do wish Eastenders would stop flogging the Moon family to death :( Haven't we had Alfie's brother, Nana, cousin and second cousins already? Remember Jake and Danny? SHEESH.

Jake was a decent character! Danny and Spencer were indeed awful but this is a whole other branch of the Moons. It's just a name at the end of the day - apart from interracting with Alfie they'll be pretty much an all-new family.

Oh :( Anything which means a comeback for Michael Moon is NOT GOOD.