We all love a bit of nostalgia. That's why we're here! So when a long running TV soap announces the return of an old character, it creates a lot of excitement. But unfortunately a lot of character returns have left me feeling rather underwhelmed which is so disappointing for someone who's been watching some of these shows for many years. Some of them that come to mind are Corrie's Todd, Neighbours' Melanie, Jane and Glenn, EastEnders Mel and Michelle, and Emmerdale's Kim. Even Janine's return isn't impressing me and she reminds me more and more of a panto baddie than a classic soap villain.
Is there anyone else out there who thinks that once a character leaves a soap then that should be the end and they just shouldn't bother coming back?
Anyone think we might be adding Cindy and Ian to this list?
Talking of soap returns, has anyone seen Sam Mitchell's return on EE this week? She's only been in it for two episodes but already I'm hopeful that this is a return that's not going to flop (though if it does, I'm sure you'll all remind me!) They really did bring back the right actress to play Sam because I don't think Danniella Westbrook could have the same level of toughness and cattiness that Kim Medcalf brings to the table. Well done Kim and welcome back. You've been missed!
In my opinion, it's Kathy Beale. Don't get me wrong, I love Kathy, she was always one of my favourite characters and Gillian Taylforth is a brilliant actress. I was delighted with her surprise comeback. But seven years after she was brought back, what has she really done? I feel that she is mainly just a background character now which is such a waste when she used to have some great storylines in the past. I think the show's current writers don't understand how much of a legend Kathy Beale is.
I thought Alan was a lovely guy but it was David Wicks that Carol had a real spark with. And I think it's safe to say that David was Carol's true love - and Carol is the only woman that David ever came close to loving! So I think that's why they didn't bring Alan back because they wanted Carol to get back with David which she did... for a while! It's true that Carol seemed different during her last stint on the show. She'd never had the easiest of lives but she'd always come back fighting. Now she just seemed defeated by life. I like Carol but I don't think that they should bring her back again because I can see the character further deteriorating.
I also didn't like Billie being killed off and I think that Alan and his gran Blossom's return for the storyline was awful. We barely saw them and at most they only had a couple of lines each! For those who hadn't watched EE in the nineties, they'd never have known that Alan and Blossom were pretty major characters back then or how popular the Jackson family were. Truly disappointing.
I really didn't like the Jackson family when they returned to EastEnders around 2008/9 something like that. When I heard they were coming back - Bianca, Carol, Billy etc. I was very excited because they were one of my favourite families. Everyone criticized carol for having a whole load of kids with all these different men but the Jacksons along with stepdad Alan were a very strong unit. And it was good as a black woman, to see a man especially a young black man, be a committed family man because that's not something you always see on TV which does annoy me. Stable black families do exist! But when they returned Carol and Alan had split up which I didn't like because I felt that Carol and Alan were good together. Plus Carol had gone from being a very strong, determined woman to an angry, bitter, lonely person. And I hated the decision to kill off Billy. I'm sorry but I think the writers destroyed a really good family
I agree with two of you here about Mel Owen and Michelle Fowler but I think a lot of us knew that when the role of Michelle was recast, it was never going to be the same. That's no disrespect to Jenna Russell who acted her socks off but there are some characters that can only ever be played by the original actor, and Michelle Fowler is one of them.
And Kat and Alfie are two other names I can add to that list. Writers ruined a great couple that the fans loved, plus as individual characters, I just don't find them as lovable. Also Kat and Phil - oh please!
You said it in your post, Egg... Mel Owen and Michelle Fowler. These were two iconic soap characters that EastEnders' writers completely ruined. I think they wanted to take us on a trip down memory lane with a bit of nostalgia, and it would have been had the characters bore some resemblance to the Mel and Michelle that we remembered. You can't stay exactly the same after two decades but this was ridiculous. And killing of the entire Owen family! What???
I hear Sam Mitchell is returning this time played by Kim Medcalf which is great because she's my favourite Sam actress but I really hope they don't balls it up!
I'm not really the world's greatest soap opera fan but if you ask my mom who is a huge Bold and the Beautiful fan, she will say it's Taylor's return that probably shouldn't have happened. She's been brought back from the dead like twice??? But while she was once a very strong woman, and you'd have to be if you're dealing with Brooke, when she returned she seemed different, more needy like she needed to have a man in her life and if it wasn't Ridge then any guy would do. And also, what the hell has she done to her face??? Taylor used to be so beautiful!
All right well this isn't a soap character but rather an actual soap itself. I just have one word - Crossroads! Most of us who grew up in Britain in the seventies and eighties will remember that Crossroads was one of the most watched shows on the telly. Actually the sixties as well as I believe the show was created around ten years before I was born. I know the show gave everyone a giggle with it's wobbly sets and Benny and his hat, but it was very watchable and definitely very popular. I think the end started to come about when they gave the show a revamp ditching a lot of the old characters and bringing in some newcomers that most people didn't take to and ratings started to drop so the show was axed. We were all very excited when it was announced back in the early 2000s that Crossroads was being brought back. My goodness they needn't have bothered. It was shockingly bad! I think the only original characters who came back were Adam and Jane and to be honest, they needn't have bothered as it wasn't long before he murdered her! Really bad move. 😡 Jane and Adam were two of the main characters from the show's hey day so for the writers to create this storyline was disastrous.
A really good example of something that was better left as a fond memory. When Crossroads was axed for the second time it was a relief!