Quite a good ending for Max . I think it was time for him to go as his character had run it’s course but he really was a legendary Eastenders character that can’t be denied !

Loathe Max.

 

Always have.

Max had run his course but i loved alot of his stuff through the years, he is a character that could work again after a break.

@1362010275168342018

 

Really interesting interview with Melanie Blake who has been an agent for many soap stars over the years. She's written a novel about a fictional soap but has drawn on real life events! Thought I'd share some behind-the-scenes stuff she's talked about in the interview regarding EastEnders:

 

How did you get Danniella Westbrook back into EastEnders in 2009? By that point, Sam Mitchell had last been seen in 2005, played by Kim Medcalf...

"In 2009, a mutual friend of mine was a make-up artist and suggested that Danniella would be great for me. I hadn't heard of her for years, but she was living in the countryside. She had been clean and sober for years and had kept out of the spotlight.

 

"We got together by phone and we got on. She was basically just doing the school run and baking. I met up with her and she was so beautiful. You would never know what she'd been through and she took my breath away.

 

"I asked: 'Do you want to come back? Are you ready for everything fame can do?' I asked if she was really sure and she said yes. So we decided to bring Danniella back.

 

"I decided to do a photoshoot of Danniella in a limo with hay and jam, to show that she was a country bumpkin! We put it in the tabloids and that day they printed it, saying that Danniella was happy in the country.

 

"I put in an email that day to Diederick Santer, who was at EastEnders at the time, and I sent him a link to the article saying: 'Look who's back. I just want you to know that Danniella is really well and in a really good place'. Then I put 'dot dot dot' – just like a soap script – 'and she wants her job back'. I was as ballsy as that.

 

"Diederick sent me an email almost within the same day and said: 'That is really interesting to know'. We didn't hear anything for a little bit, but a phone call came in to Danniella and we knew the interest was there."

 

How about Kathy's shock return to EastEnders?

"Getting Gillian back was very difficult. It took years and about 12 different attempts to do it. Bryan Kirkwood, who I love, nearly went for it but I think he was overruled and it couldn't be done.

 

"Bryan actually went on to create a whole family and character for Gillian in Hollyoaks. It was only afterwards that EastEnders realised what they were missing and they went for her. So she kind of dumped him in it! She's the nicest woman you could ever meet, but that's showbiz."

 

You've mentioned on Twitter, in a chat about Ronnie and Roxy from EastEnders, that agents should immediately pull their talent from the soap if they're being controversially killed off. Have you ever tried that tactic?

"It's never happened to me, but if it had, that's what I would do. Any agent that hasn't done it should be ashamed for letting it happen. As their agent, I would not have let them go in. I'd have said: 'Sue us!' Then the producer would have been fired and they would have got their jobs back.

 

"But agents don't do it because they don't want to rock the boat, they want to get more people in the show and they're frightened of the networks. I was never scared.

 

"It's not easy to go head-to-head with the bosses. With Beverley, there were many times where I would go in and we would have big showdowns with the bosses. You might think that'd mean I wouldn't get anyone else in that show, but you've got to support that woman.

 

"Lots of other agents don't because they're frightened. I'll do whatever it takes for them because I've got their back. And have I got their back by writing this story, because it's a bit of an exposé? Judging by their quotes, I think I have."

I’m not surprised they tried to get Kathy back multiple times. Not sure it would have been good under Kirkwood though.

I'm glad it didn't happen sooner - it was such a TV moment when Kathy stepped out of the cab with no warning on the 30th anniversary episode.

I know the story goes that Tony Jordan had a fight with Gillian's husband so Kathy was killed off in retaliation (lol) but a writer, even one that had been with the show as long as Tony, would not have that much power. What probably happened is Gillian was offered to come back at the same time Ben was reintroduced in 2006 but she was too busy with Footballer's Wives and EastEnders thought the only way to stick with their storyline plans was to kill the character off. John Yorke, who I'm sure was a BBC boss at the time, since said it was the show's biggest mistake.

 

Obviously it had to be an off-screen death but what we got was such a non-event. The only thing I can remember is a rushed scene squeezed into the end of an episode where Jane tells Ian "Kathy's dead" - so deadpan it could give "Oh no. Poor Libby." in Neighbours a run for its money. It wouldn't surprise me if this was one of the many things that lead to Wendy Richard's decision to leave the show.

 

I remember reading that Diederick Santer toyed with bringing her back but decided against it (shame as he would probably have been the best in terms of storylining it). Interesting to hear Bryan did too but makes sense knowing one of the first things he must have done when returning to Hollyoaks was create a character for Gillian and a whole family for her. You definitely got the sense that EastEnders would have been kicking themselves seeing Gillian in a matriarchal role like that. I think we all realised Gillian dropped Hollyoaks for EastEnders - she definitely wasn't going to let that opportunity slip for a second time!

Also I liked her response to what she would have done had she been the agent of Rita Simons or Samantha Womback in response to their characters being killed off. She seems like a real gutsy woman, has she ever considered running for EastEnders executive producer haha? I think the show desperately needs someone like her in charge.

PM addressing the Nation tonight at 7pm, EE could be pushed back a bit.

PM addressing the Nation tonight at 7pm, EE could be pushed back a bit.

 

Ugh I hope not, an hour is long enough surely

Given that everyone already knows everything he’s going to say, I don’t know why they’re even bothering.

Loathe Max.

 

Always have.

 

Me too. Vile character and the producers fancy him. They make him irresistible to all women. He should have died instead iofAbby, and yet they sacrificed TWO young female characters for boring old Max.

These producers certainly don't love him given he's had sod all to do since 2017 and was axed from the show.

So Sharon really is leaving the Vic? For the Carters? Ok then :nocheer:

 

I don’t know why Bobby’s so bothered. A night in watching the with Kathy is way more appealing than spending any time with Peter. Who was not arsed at all that Ash could lose her job.

Yeah this Peter is actually REALLY irritating and a prime example of "nice to look at" but not a likeable person at all. I don't know if that's their intention now with him but he can leave tbh; he's been back for a year now and made zero impact.

I don't think it's intentional as much as they just cba fleshing out the character again :lol:

I'm really not here for them putting the Carters back in the Vic so quickly. It pays dust to Linda's alcoholism storyline and Mick & Linda have already had nearly 7 years, which is I think the longest uninterrupted run in running the Vic than anyone else.

 

I don't think Sharon is right either - it needs a family unit and Sharon on her own does feel empty.

Yeah I was quite surprised at Mick and Linda wanting the Vic back, like the reason they left and sold it was because of Linda but she's all fine now? Okay then

I think they should use the opportunity to bring in a new family to run the vic just like they did with the Carters, Sharon doesnt fit there anymore and the Carters have run there course with the Vic.

I feel like I must of either blinked and missed it or I just can’t remember when and how Kat and Kush broke up ? Now Kat and Phil have a thing and Kush and Whitney have a thing how they move on fast . <_<