When H&A had good quality, well written storylines

[pippa_ ross]

Unfortunately we seem to have he gist of this conversation slightly but we are talking about when it had good storylines compared with today and obviousy because of that there are going to be references to todays episodes It's great that Geoff and Annie are like they are it makes a change but the producers/writers seem more intent with sensationalisim than proper storylines today.

[I love music]

Unfortunately we seem to have he gist of this conversation slightly but we are talking about when it had good storylines compared with today and obviousy because of that there are going to be references to todays episodes It's great that Geoff and Annie are like they are it makes a change but the producers/writers seem more intent with sensationalisim than proper storylines today.

I HATE sensationalism too but unfortunately that seems to be the trend in all soaps these days. British soaps, particularly Corrie, never used to be like that but now even Corrie has serial killers, people falling off cliffs, etc. The one trend I DO like that H&A seems to have started tho is the music. For instance, I was half watching Eastenders earlier and they were playing a song through several scenes.

[Nik]

I dont think they build up the tension like they used too. I remember the tension around who raped Chloe, and it was built up slowly and it wasnt rushed, they just go at every thing really fast these days. It's the amercan influence, sort of if its not fast and furious its no good, its a bit shallow at times . They spoilt the stalkers return by showing Zoe in the end of season cliff hanger and then we never saw her for months, that was pointless. like a lot of what of what they do today but but I wish the would not rush it so much. Its not a yankee soap, thank god, they are so crappy and shallow, and should not try to emulate them. I think it has to move with the times but also stay true to its roots and that's a difficult act and they don't always get it quite right. The way they wrap things up has been very scrappy in the last year or so and has sometimes spoilt really good story lines. I don't think they get tenion like they used to genrally though, I still get shivers thinking about Chloe surrounded by those mouse traps, nothing has come close since. Irene getting draged of to the Psych unit was very good but that was more to do with Lynne's acting than anything else, other suppposedy sensational incidents have not made much of an impression. On the other hand perhaps there are now so dramatic and sensational incidents every week that I have become immune to them.

[Taz]

I get what you mean about tension Nik, they either don't do it or they over do it, like Jack and flaming Martha where the tension is so over done I want to cut the elastic and be done with it (and I hope the elastic pings back and the pair of them fall off a cliff ) I think another problem is that there is less attention given to getting viewers to invest emotionally in the characters in the way we did way back in the day, so people care less when things happen to them and so the writers have to come up with more and more gimmicky, OTT stuff to get people watching. If people cared about the characters then it would not have to be as extreme as some of the stuff they come up. I like some of the OTT stuff, it can be fun, but week in week out it gets a bit boring. I also agree they don't wrap things up, Ric's diabetes and Sally's OCD have been all but forgotten, as has Matilda's eating disorder, everyone deals with trauma far too easily. Its very trite and it never used to be like that.

[Dazz]

The last couple of weeks with the "Milco" and Cassie story lines have been really good strong and powerful. Although the stories with Jack, Martha, Mattie, The Brotherhood cult and the trials of Annie, Geoff and their poppa were good as well.