Soap Discussion - July 2013

Last blog for the month and it's a soap one.

Coronation Street: It's been a mixed month for the show. With dreadful storylines including the badly handled race plotline with Lloyd and Paul and Tracy/Rob vs. Peter/Carla, it's a good job that David's growing vendetta towards Nick and the reveal of Hayley having cancer have been more prominent. The latter storyline is certainly poignant, showing the beginning of the end for easily the best partnership on the show and if watching the storyline is hard now, it's going to be worse as the months progress. I really am going to miss Hayley as a character.

EastEnders: Pretty boring month to be honest. On the plus, both Max and Lauren took themselves off screen and it's nice that Jean has been given a romance as well but aside from Ian scheming against his family, Carl continuing to pile on the pressure and Alfie and Roxy getting engaged, very little of interest happened. The fire at Scarletts seemed unnecessary and the Dexter/Ava/Sam plotlines were pretty boring as well. With the confirmed exit for Lorraine Newman, hopefully the show will get itself back in order and be a bit more interesting over the next few months.

Emmerdale: Oh Gennie - talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, eh? It's amazing that in nine months Cameron has now bumped off three characters but Gennie's death needs to be the one that becomes his undoing and preferably soon as well. As exits go, it was violent but not as violent as some people seem to be making out though. I liked Gennie but the actress wanted a good exit and the show gave her one here. Other than that this month we also had Brenda shaving her head and the hand fasting ritual with her and Bob and of course, Cameron and Debbie sleeping together again. Definitely one of the show's strongest months.

Hollyoaks: A pretty good month as long as you're Browning, Ste, Sinead, Trevor, Nancy/Darren/Sienna or a Roscoe. Other than that, underuse for everyone else but still a good month. Trevor is shaping up to be a better baddie than Browning ever could be and Sienna's tearing apart of Darren and Nancy has been pretty interesting as well to watch. A part of me also feels a bit bad for Ste and Sinead but given that most of their actions are self-inflicted, it's hard to sympathise that much to be honest though. In terms of the gay couples on the show - George and Vincent seem imminent (great storyline with the latter by the way), Esther/Tilly are nice and so are John Paul/Danny at the moment. Also, the sooner Will is uncovered as Texas's killer the better because Ash seems inches away from being bumped off by her psycho boyfriend.

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Soap Discussion - June 2013

And it's been an interesting enough months in the main four soaps, hasn't it?

Coronation Street: Mainly it's been about the surrogacy plot gone predictably sour with Tina deciding to keep Izzy and Gary's baby and renaming the boy from Jake to Joe after her father. I'm glad that the show isn't trying to make us side with Tina because while I'm not liking the likes of Anna and Owen making her life a misery, I do think she's in the wrong here over the baby situation. Meanwhile, I'm loving the return of David's evil side even if he seems to be mostly venting rage towards Nick instead of Kylie but perhaps that isn't the worst thing to do. Well, aside from that recently upcoming spoiler but evil David is rather entertaining at the moment. And the plot with Roy beginning to lose it is another masterstroke for the show at the moment.

EastEnders: This has been the most talked about month the show has had in a while. In tonight's episode and after seven years, Tanya Branning/Cross/Jessop will leave the show and Lauren's spiral into alcoholism will play it's part in that. Lauren's been both frustrating and compelling enough to watch over the last fortnight and the arrival of Kirsty's volatile ex-boyfriend Carl and the exposure of her pregnancy lie has added a little to the story as well. Plus we've had the sixth incarnation of Peter Beale, a bizzare snake plot with Dot, Bianca and Alice both charmed by Carl, Michael spilling the beans about Tommy's parentage, Danny's returning and Janine being her usual scheming self and the opening of Scarlett's as well. The only real dull plot has been Sam and Ava to be honest.

Emmerdale: A solid enough month. I'm all for Debbie getting her comeuppances and all that (let's face it, she's been in need of a smackdown for a while now) but not at the advantage of someone like Robbie. That guy is one of the worst characters on the show and it's mystifying that he's still here at this rate. Can't Cameron y'know, just kill him off? I don't think anyone would hold it against him. Other than that, it's been storylines involving Belle being a bitch to her mates and necking dodgy vodka and Katie getting her own back on Declan by shagging Adam.

Hollyoaks: It might not have been a Red Wedding but Mercedes and Browning's special day was always going to be as volatile as those two combined and this month didn't disappoint, did it? I don't quite like the idea of Myra knowing that Browning killed Lynsey (when he wasn't attempting to rape the other Lindsay), mainly because her hammy acting really has become more and more off putting with each episode but I am liking Mercedes/Browning more and more as a couple and they've been one of the better storylines this month along with the reveal of Vincent's backstory, Anna's return (and the consequences it's had for Patrick, Sienna and Will) and Tony's battle with cancer. Better plotlines that Ste's drug dealing and Sinead taking up too much screentime as per usual. Or Sienna's creepy behaviour with the Osbournes. Oh and some nice John Paul/Doug and Esther/Tilly moments this month as well.

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Soap Discussion - May 2013

Last blog of the month and it's a soap one, so here goes nothing ...

Coronation Street: Easily the show's strongest month and probably the most discussed soap this week, due to Stella getting the Rovers back and reopened, Karl continuing to get away with murder and of course, Tina finally giving birth to Izzy and Gary's baby with all hell breaking loose over a kiss as well. It's nice to see the show on good form and it's nice that this storyline has been better handled than expected (though we did not need Gary trying it on with Tina for tension with him and Izzy) and it's better viewing than Tracy and Rob's boring attempts to fleece money from Carla as well. Though I will admit as boring Rob/Tracy are as a couple, it's nice to see that Carla isn't the pushover they think she is and I could certainly do with some more drunk Sally, especially when she puts Norris in his place.

EastEnders: Not a brilliant month but probably not as bad as the bashing it's getting in the papers recently though. I guess the stories have been flat though - Lauren's continued downward spiral, Phil finally finding out about Sharon's pill addiction (marginally better done on Hollyoaks and Emmerdale) and dealing with it in his usual style along with a rather dull exit for Ray and the tedium of Kirsty pretending she's pregnant by Max as well as Sam/Ava/Dexter. Okay, thinking on it, it has been rather bad this month after all. Oh well, Janine vs. Michael was sort of fun and at least Lola finally got her baby back as well but at the moment, it does seem like the show is treading water.

Emmerdale: Another soap, another prescription pills addiction with an annoying character in the shape of Rhiona but on the plus side, at least her addiction is making Vanessa a more sympathetic character but that's only a slight thing. Other than that, there's still Debbie's tiresome behaviour to contend with (and will this show just get rid of Robbie already?) as well as Kerry endangering Andy's kids and being a thorn and his and Amy's side as well. Still, it's definitely been an interesting enough month, though how much longer can they stretch out Cameron being a murderer as well?

Hollyoaks: It's been nearly a week since all of the Roscoe lot have rocked up as the new family and I'm not sure if it's early to determine whether or not they'll be a success though. Robbie's been on the show for a month and already it feels like he's been exhausted of storylines with the latest one being his part in the Price Slice robbery but I suppose as a unit, there's potential there with them. It's certainly been a busy month with Will murdering Texas on their wedding day and framing Leanne, Theresa nearly shooting Dodger, Sinead giving birth, Tony concealing his cancer from Diane, Nancy's addiction to prescription pills, Mercedes and Browning scheming again. Basically, it's been pretty eventful. No wonder it's done so well at the last soap awards then.

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Soap Discussion - April 2013

Coronation Street: An extremely solid month for the show. I never thought Karl and his worming back into Stella's good books would actually make for interesting TV but surprisingly enough it's managed to so far and that's good because Tommy and Gary's rivalry over Tina and Chesney/Katy/Ryan have been less interesting plotlines to watch as a result.

EastEnders: Does anyone care about Kirsty tricking Max into thinking she's with child? Yeah, didn't think so but on the plus side, at least Janine has return and the rivalry with her and Michael has been more engaging to watch. Also more engaging has been the fallout from Liam's gang activity, even if the actor playing Kane is still dire and Sharon and Jack predictably breaking up was surprisingly entertaining enough too. Bet he won't be happy when he finds out who she's living with now.

Emmerdale: And the award for most improve soap really should go to this one. Last year, most of the stories were enough to bore me rigid but here, things have genuinely gotten more interesting or entertaining such as Brenda's health deteriorating, the growing closeness with Moira and Cain, Debbie nearly getting trigger happy with Chastity and the whole fallout from Charity nearly catching Jai out over Archie's paternity and being blind sighted by Rishi's cover story.

Hollyoaks: So long Jacqui. Aside from John Paul, you were the best of the McQueen lot and I can't help feeling that your rushed exit and this show's insistence on Mercedes being kept means that we've been shortchanged. On the plus side, at least you've one dream even if you didn't get Tony in the end. As for the rest of the month, Will needs to die pretty swiftly instead of Texas, Robbie is annoying and Sinead is surprisingly tolerable, despite her penchant for getting into more lorry related accidents and Patrick truly is a nasty piece of work given his scenes with Anna. The less said about Clare's kidnapping schemes the better though.

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Soap Discussion - March 2013

A rundown of some of the month's soap highlights as I might not be able to post tomorrow.

Coronation Street: A solid, even an engaging month both with the fire at the Rovers courtesy of Karl and the impending outcome of the whole Tyrone vs. Kirsty saga in general. 2013 so far has been a solid year for the soap with both of these stories generating the right amount of screen time and while it's looking likely that Kirsty will get her comeuppance, Karl has managed to shape up from a deathly dull character to an interesting villain almost overnight. The only downer of this month was the whole Ryan/Katy/Chesney plot but the less said on that one, the better.

EastEnders: It's been getting criticism in the papers for it's ratings slip and it's increasingly dull plots and this month was certainly not a marked improvement. The gang plot with Liam might remind us how good Patsy Palmer can be when the writers both giving her a storyline but the gang themselves are played by such bad actors, it often makes the entire plot difficult to take serious to be honest. Other stories of non interest including Tanya and Phil going on a date and the writers insistence on stretching the latter's custody of Lola's baby beyond credibility.

Emmerdale: And the award of most moronic henchman of the year goes to Robbie. Let's face it, it's been a year and the writers have struggled to do anything of real interest with him, so having Cameron nearly kill him in last night's episode would've been a godsend had Chas not interrupted him for once. Thankfully there were better plots this month with the fallout of Charity and Declan's one night stand with Jai and Brenda's storyline as well has been handled pretty well. Like it's other ITV stablemate, this show seems to getting it's groove back pretty nicely.

Hollyoaks: Finally, the neverending saga that is Brendan Brady finally came to an end and with it, the swift exits of Cheryl, Walker and Seamus (two of them thankfully being bumped off as well). I know there are some fans who act like Brendan was the saviour of the show but to be honest, I think it will survive well enough without him and the show dragged out his neverending cycle of violence and angst as it was anyways. Besides, they've already drafted in Clare once again (as part of a plot with Browning and Mercedes) and it seems that Patrick is actually a nasty piece of work if his number on poor Anna is something to go by, plus Trudy is also setting Jacqui up for a fall and there's Nancy's addiction to pill as well. Proof that the show can survive without Brendan Brady.

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Soap Discussion - February 2013

Last post for the blog and it's a soap one ...

Coronation Street: While the show might have been in the papers for worse reasons this month, at least the quality of the programme seems to be in a decent place. Tyrone and Fiz's plan to run off mightn't have gone to plan but at least the outcome of the former's storyline with Kirsty will reach it's conclusion within the next month. More pressing was the show giving Gail yet another reason to get on her high horse of Nick and Kylie and while Gloria continues to be an unlikeable character, the brief appearance of Timothy West as her ill fated lover, Eric was fairly entertaining. The less said about bratty Faye though the better.

EastEnders: Is Alfie Moon really the sort of fella that two women like Kat and Roxy end up scrapping over? Are any of the men in Walford really worth fighting for? This seems to be a theme this month with Zainab and Ayesha over Masood (and both of them left) and Tanya and Kirsty over Max as well. Maybe I'm missing something here. On a creepier note, I knew Phil's attachment to Lexi would go and take a sinister turn and his attempts to sabotage Lola's attempts of being a mum are stretching my patience. I know this show and realism don't go hand in hand but every once in a while it would be nice if the writers at least attempted it.

Emmerdale: The show is getting better, especially given the Edna and Brenda storylines but it does seem like the writers are struggling a bit with Cain and Moira as a couple and I'm not sure if we really needed to have Charity sleeping with Declan but then again, soaps don't like to have couples actually communicate their problems and come up with solutions to both character's actual marriages to Jai and Katie. Still, it's better than Debbie's continuous obnoxious behaviour or Belle's timely teen rebellion.

Hollyoaks: I know I'm going to be unpopular for saying this but I can't actually wait for Brendan to leave. Although there were times this month where I felt bad for him (Kevin's recent claim being one of them), his stories in general have exhausted and tested my patience and when his relationship with Ste isn't going around in circles, then Walker's scheming and Seamus's skulking around has also continued to bore me. On the plus side, Mitzeee got a decent if rushed exit, the consequences of Esther's bullying saga have been dished out and the Osbournes financial woes haven't been too tiresome to watch and I kind of like John Paul and Doug as mates/friends with benefits. Now can we please find out what happened between Jacqui and Trudy before the former leaves next month?

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Soap Discussion - January 2013

Last blog for January but enjoy nonetheless ...

Coronation Street: So it was the wedding from hell with Tyrone and Kirsty. I don't know why but the fact that now the street seem convinced that Tyrone is the abuser in their relationships doesn't seem that shocking. In fact, it's rather unfortunately predictable but it'll only be a matter of time before Kirsty gets her comeuppance though and this storyline (in spite of a needless affair subplot with Tyrone/Fiz) is still the best storyline on the show at the moment. Anything involving Gail's surprising gullibility surrounding Lewis or the bratty Faye just doesn't cut the mustard to be honest. Even the plotline with Sophie and Jenna could be a lot better to be honest.

EastEnders: Well, Dot came back, everyone seems to mostly know about Lauren and Joey, Denise snogged Ray and Ayesha seems to be hot for Masood while Alfie and Roxy are making a go of things despite Kat still being around the Square. Then there's also the Kirsty/Max/Tanya triangle which has been interesting enough and frustrating in equal measures. I actually don't mind Kirsty as a character but I still kind of wish she had been a character brought in who wasn't connected to the Brannings. Speaking of Brannings - how anticlimatic has the (lack of) fallout with Derek's demise been? I never liked the character but I thought killing him off would've made more of an impact. I guess not.

Emmerdale: Not exactly the most exciting of months, was it? Chas seems to be hated by everyone in the village, especially Carl's son who took to stalking her for about a week, Debbie is quickly morphing into her own father with her attitude, Charity and Jai's marital problems aren't exactly making either of them sympathetic and I couldn't be bothered with that whole Alicia/David/Priya triangle either. Overall, a pretty uneventful month for watching the show.

Hollyoaks: I've already covered the bullying plotline with Esther in a previous blog, so you all know that it was the most important plot in this show during this month but there were a few other gripping ones. I'll never like Ste and Brendan as a couple but with the returns of Seamus, Walker and Doug, at least the writers are setting up some interesting plot strands for Brendan's inevitable departure. That being said, I'll be sadder to see Mitzeee go than Brendan, although I've liked their friendship and their scenes together in the last few episodes have been better than Will/Dodger/Texas/Theresa, Bart and Joel's anticlimatic exits and the McQueens plots ranging from financial problems, Mercedes/Browning getting engaged and that embarrassing rubbish when Myra thought she had the 'shadow'.

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Soap Discussion - December 2012

And here's a look at the events of December in soap land.

Coronation Street: So it wasn't really the soap wedding of the year with Nick and Leanne after all then? I think it's a bit unfair that when they start to be kind of enjoyable, we've got the likes of Peter, Carla, Eva and surprisingly even Kylie all being kind of deterrents in this relationship but then again, it is a soap after all and even this show needed something bigger than the ongoing triangle with Kirsty/Tyrone/Fiz as well or the growing attraction between Sophie and Jenna to contend with for the month.

EastEnders: Ding dong, Derek's dead and boy, in such an anticlimatic manner as well. I was expecting something a lot more dramatic after they spent his last week making sure half the square wanted to drop him from a great height. Christmas in Walford wasn't really that much really - Kat's tedious affair with Derek was revealed, Max seemingly forgot to tell Tanya that he had another wife (Kirsty could be interesting though), Bianca was skint once again and both Shirley and Lauren were their usual unpleasant selves as well. On the plus side, I bet the BBC were happy with the ratings though.

Emmerdale: Okay, another overly Dingle centred month where virtually any sympathy for Debbie and Charity has long been evaporated given the monstrous and entitled manner in which both of them are behaving. On the plus side, while Alex wasn't the most interesting of characters on the show, at least his death will actually facilitate Cameron's even more inevitable downfall.

Hollyoaks: A big month. Let's see - John Paul returned with a secret, Ste ditched Doug for Brendan while the latter's father made an unwelcome visit to Chester as Esther's bullying storyline continued and Jacqui found out about Rhys/Sinead/Cindy while Dodger's other father (Patrick) and sister (Sienna) are two potentially interesting characters and there was some lighthearted banter with Mitzeee and Maxine, which is not enough to make you forget the sheer implausible result in both Mercedes and Browning being back on the street.

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Soap Discussion - November 2012

Coronation Street: One of the show's strongest months with some actually decent plots, mainly being decided to add Fiz into the mix as Kirsty's violence towards Tyrone continued to escalate during this month. Actually, this is the first time I've liked Fiz in a while and given her history with Tyrone, it kind of makes sense to have become part of this storyline. Other good ones saw Stella's annoying mother get the boot, Maria and Marcus somewhat outed to their partners (though I'm not keen on them romantically at all) as well as Nick/Leanne getting engaged and Kylie trying to come up with her own way to dissuade David from wanting kids. What is it with the blokes on this show nowadays wanting babies?

EastEnders: Another month that decided to make the Brannings the centre of the universe once again. Let's count the ways, eh? The continued implication that one of them is Kat's mystery lover, Joey and Lauren hooking up (Dennis/Sharon 2012 - anyone?) and getting into a car crash, Derek meeting an ex of his as well as Carol and Bianca returning and Tanya annoying Cora by contacting her just discovered sister, Ava. I know the Brannings are a good source of storylines but coupled with this month, next month and this year in general, I think I'm beginning to get exhausted of the characters. Oh and Christian and Syed left in a suitably melodramatic way as well but I'll kind of miss them though.

Emmerdale: I don't know why but the idea of Katie being trapped in a mine seems more unintentionally funny than it probably should do. I have no doubt she'll make it out of there alive though. The girl's knack for survival is rather admirable at times but it's nice to see that this show is improving a bit though. Even the renewed relationship with Cain and Moira is more enjoyable than it was first time around and Edna's attempts to save her poor dog Tootsie is actually rather touching as well. As for Paddy and Marlon renewing their friendship, it's better than them squabbling I guess.

Hollyoaks: I love when a soap crash gets rid of a character who you utterly despise (Maddie) and one you do like, even if the recent writing for them hasn't been great (Rhys). It's enough to make up for killing off two characters that you don't care about (Neil, Jono) but aside from that, this month really did belong to Claire Cooper, who's been brilliant as a grief stricken Jacqui and the exit of Ally, introduction of Sienna and Patrick as well as Mitzeee's sister, Maxine and the continued detail into Esther's bullying plot has made this one of the show's stronger months as well.

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Soap Discussion - October 2012

Penultimate blog of the month and it's a soap one.

Coronation Street: A good month for this show. Even though Ryan is still painfully wooden and borderline brain dead, given how easily taken in he was by Tracy, I did find the scenes with him leaving Sophie to her fate rather effective and it's nice that after being underused for most of the year that Sophie now has an interesting storyline of her own. As for the stuff with Maria and Marcus, I don't like it to be honest, despite actually liking both characters and their friendship but I'm trying to keep an open mind here.

EastEnders: This week we had a Halloween party in the Vic but living in Walford, it's like that all year round. This month hasn't been that different what with Lola getting her baby taken off her and Phil Mitchell learning he's a grandparent (another thing for him to mess up then) while Christian and Syed's start to married life seems to be jinxed with both Danny and the latter ruining the family finances once again. Still, both of these storylines are better than the show's ill-adviced attempts of recreating the Sharon/Dennis storyline for 2012, via Lauren and the increasingly unlikeable Joey.

Emmerdale: Finally, an excellent month for the show and just in time for the 40th. Given how much of a bastard Carl King has become over the last few months, I'm not too surprised that he ended up being killed off. Though I am surprised that a character as gormless and dull as Cameron managed to do it. Still, the fallout of Cameron and Chas's uninteresting affair has been more exciting than the double weddings and births we've had this month. Hopefully, this means the show is finally back on track because this has not been a good year for it.

Hollyoaks: Okay, the bullying storyline with Esther has been one of the strongest storylines we've had over the last month and it definitely seems to be getting more severe but am I the only one who thinks Sinead has become the main instigator in this storyline? Other highlights have been Brendan and Cheryl visiting a counsellor, Nancy and Darren sorting their differences out, Riley's death, Rhys and Cindy's affair plot (though it's making Rhys into a right knob) as well as Lynsey's funeral and Doug and Ste coming to blows over the latter's horrid mother. Overall, an impressive month for storylines.

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Soap Discussion - September 2012

And here's a soap blog ....

Coronation Street: Not the best month we've had. Still don't really care about Gary and Izzy's surrogacy storyline (which still seems rushed) and the arrival of Stella's overbearing mother Gloria hasn't proved too exciting but at least Kirsty has given birth to a baby she called Ruby and the storylines with her and Tyrone continue to be interesting as she struggles with motherhood and the return of her parents while turning everyone against Tommy and Tina.

EastEnders: Actually a pretty solid month for storylines. Carly briefly returned and took Shirley out of Walford with her, Kat's affair was revealed to Alfie (and her mystery shagger narrowed to a Branning, naturally), Sharon was revealed to have an addiction while continuing her flirty banter with Jack, we got a new character in Danny, giving Christian and Syed some storyline before their exit in November and of course, Janine's paranoia got the best of her and she left Michael and Scarlett as well. Already I miss her.

Emmerdale: I wish the writers would realise just how little chemistry both Laurel and Marlon actually have because their whole relationship has been mostly a source of tedium for the last month, especially with the merging of Marlon's destroyed friendships with Paddy and Rhona and well, basically, it's just rubbish to watch. At least Carl being back to his mercilessly scheming ways with Chas and Cameron provided some entertainment this month.

Hollyoaks: This year's Later finally pushed Brendan into darker territory than I think he can recover from but on the plus side, it also revealed more about his childhood and the inevitable war between him and Walker is looking good. It was also nice to see some more on Joel's backstory but did we really have to suffer the gormless idiots that are Bart, Jono and Neil and their boring antics in Amsterdam? It's just as bad as Maddie's pathetic campaign against Esther, Ally's myriad of lies and Doug's new found clingy attitude with Ste as well. On the plus side, the Rhys/Cindy tryst despite coming out of nowhere is fun to watch and Mercedes new levels of craziness in order to get back at Riley and Mitzeee has also been rather compelling to watch in it's own way.

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Soap Discussion - August 2012

Last blog for the month of August.

Coronation Street: It's been an interesting enough, but more so with the Tyrone/Kirsty storyline and Tommy and Tina's growing involvement in it as well. Much as the writers have drawn some sympathy for Kirsty, it does seem like we're getting to a point now where she has to pay for her mistreatment of Tyrone. Aside from that - the whole surrogacy plot with Katy/Izzy/Gary seems a little too rushed, Kevin/Paul's bickering wasn't that amusing and does anyone really care about Tracy going berserk about Steve and Michelle getting back together? Didn't think so.

EastEnders: Now this really has been an interesting month. I'm not the biggest of Sharon fans and while maybe she should've been brought back the week before everything well to hell and Shirley found out about Ben killing Heather, her subsequent episodes have actually been pretty good and the whole aftermath of Heather's killer reveal has provided some excellent drama for the show. Far better than Janine's growing paranoia towards Michael or the show's insistence of dragging out the mystery of Kat's secret lover. Plus Derek actually managed to be a bit sinister and force Anthony to leave the Square. One wooden Moon boy down, another to go. Oh and the stuff with Ian and Lucy has also been interesting to watch.

Emmerdale: A better month than some it's had this year but it's still the weakest of the soaps right now. I don't care about Alex/Moira's secret trysts and I'll care even less the more salacious the writers try to make it and at this point, I'd almost pay myself to ship Marlon/Laurel/Paddy/Rhona off to New Zealand so I didn't have to listen to them prattling on and on. There isn't a single character in this story who comes across as well and similarly Chas replacing Cameron with Dan also didn't paint her in a good light, even if that tedious affair plot is seemingly done with.

Hollyoaks: Is Mercedes really such a great woman that men would kill for her? If you're creepy Dr Browning, the answer is yes apparently. I'm not shocked that he killed Lynsey but his motives for doing it do seem a little lame. And then on top of that, Riley seems to be into Mercedes again but then again, that fella was never the sharpest tool, was it? It's not been a great month for this show, apart from the Walker reveal (which I liked) - Doug pretending to be straight, more tedium with the sixth formers, Amy's way too low key exit, Dodger/Texas. None of those stories has anything really going for them.

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Soap Discussion - July 2012

Last blog of the month, so expect the usual here ...

Coronation Street: I have to hand it to Phil Collinson. He really managed to come up with an affair even less convincing and compelling that Kevin/Molly with Sunita/Karl and the fallout of this tryst has been oddly amusing to watch. It's amazing how much of a bitch that Sunita has been reduced to as a character but perhaps I would feel far worse for Dev and Stella if I actually their characters, which I really don't. Elsewhere, Ryan returned in a fitter body with a complete character transplant, Izzy miscarried, Roy and Mary became chess partners, there was a pointlessly brief rivalry between Steve and Lloyd, Leanne got Simon as Carla and Peter left, Rob came to take over the factory and Kirsty struck out at Tyrone again. At least her storyline managed to be interesting, the rest not as much.

EastEnders: Even if you're a perpetual loser in life (otherwise known as the Billy Mitchell syndrome), every now and then, you might get a moment to actually shine. Let's face it, this isn't a show that's either aspirational or life affirming but there was something rather satisfying in seeing Billy getting his moment with the Olympic torch while Lola was giving birth in Fatboy's place of work. Elsewhere, trying to make a mystery out of Kat's latest bout of infidelity seems tedious when we could be seeing more of the Shirley/Jean friendship that came out of nowhere or more on Janine/Michael struggling with parenthood or even more on Joey vs. Derek or even more on Cora, who has become an increasingly interesting character to watch.

Emmerdale: Memo to the producers - knock it off with the pregnancies already! One is enough but three of them with Debbie, Gennie and now Rachel after a one night stand with Jai was not something the show particularly needed at this point. Actually, it's been another reasonably dull month though. Ashley and Zak's problems aside, the arrival of Amy's vile mother hasn't done much to make this an interesting month.

Hollyoaks: An excellent month - Lynsey being murdered really kicked this show in the right direction and while Texas isn't as strong in the role that Lynsey was in a few month ago, it's nice to see that the return of Silas has improved things greatly, especially with the promise that he might come back for more. I'm thinking that Browning fella who seems too fixated on Mercedes might have bumped off Lynsey but Will being involved in the storyline was a little surprising. As for the sixth former, they're still a weak point but I did like George and Esther's week in London and the whole storyline involving Carmel trying to deal with her injuries has been a good one.

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