Emmerdale

[Plym]

lmao?! as if Meena is back
where is she sleeping and eating? surely a serial killers face would be all over the news

[BehindBreakaway]

Not gonna lie. I am LIVING for mad Meena

[aaliyahman]

Meena in the church was...something.

I was hoping/thinking it was Queen Jamie who was scaring Dawn.

Sam's reaction to Samson is typical. I wonder if we are going to have another gay Dingle or are they actually going to play this one right and just make Samson a man who is talented in makeup (more so than Mandy).

[BehindBreakaway]

Meena in the church was...something.

I was hoping/thinking it was Queen Jamie who was scaring Dawn.

Sam's reaction to Samson is typical. I wonder if we are going to have another gay Dingle or are they actually going to play this one right and just make Samson a man who is talented in makeup (more so than Mandy).

Me and my partner said this. We would much prefer he stay straight as well. Especially in 2022

[Plym]

lmaooooo it's all so cringe

[BehindBreakaway]

I'm LOVING it. It's definitely cringe but I'm living. It's Kim checking if he's breathing with her compact mirror level of camp.

[Plym]

she's walking around swinging a gun, billy needs to run and drop kick her against the car. game over meena

[BehindBreakaway]

There was at least 6 times they could have got the gun away. However all that's useless now she had the kid hidden hidden

[aaliyahman]

This will probably go down as the worst killer performance of all time. It's the singing for me that takes it over the edge and the different 'voices' Meena tries to play.
She really is a god awful actress. I love how she's always Robo-Meena though, she beats Ben down and now Harriet the Copper too, snatches a kid because we *know* everyone is indoors, Cain sulking, the Reception, Liv and Vinnie, and of course, the stale Hop is bouncing.

I'm just angry they've shot Layla, she's one of my favourites.

The child can't be far, Meena isn't Road Runner and can't have done all of that (and beat down the limo driver) in an hour.

The kid will be in the cricket pavillion.

[BehindBreakaway]

I get that it's over the top and ridiculous. But that's why I kinda love it. It's been a while since a soap had a proper 'mad maya' from Corrie type person.

Is it believable. No. Is it fun. Hell yeah

[Plym]

pitchfork her in the head

[BehindBreakaway]

Bet she's still alive. It's only Wednesday

[aaliyahman]

I get that it's over the top and ridiculous. But that's why I kinda love it. It's been a while since a soap had a proper 'mad maya' from Corrie type person.

Is it believable. No. Is it fun. Hell yeah

Mad Maya omg

[Thriller]

It was all a bit ridiculous last week, entertaining in parts but really stretching the believability factor. The stuff on the viaduct was farcical, Billy and Dawn could’ve overpowered her so many times then called the police… as if Lucas was going to be far.

Then the police immediately jump to Meena’s tune when she says Liam pushed her despite everything they know about her… at least that didn’t last long.

She should’ve gone out in Mad Maya style and had one last rampage through the village.

[Blondini]

So as a result of ITV's shake-up EastEnders is now pitted directly against Emmerdale at 7:30 each night. This might work in their favour next week with the Gray storyline coming to an end(?) but how does this help either soap in the long run? Yes, there's catch-up and box recording facilities but a lot of people are just going to choose one programme.

Enders is still quite poor in comparison, as well.

[BehindBreakaway]

So as a result of ITV's shake-up EastEnders is now pitted directly against Emmerdale at 7:30 each night. This might work in their favour next week with the Gray storyline coming to an end(?) but how does this help either soap in the long run? Yes, there's catch-up and box recording facilities but a lot of people are just going to choose one programme.

Enders is still quite poor in comparison, as well.

It's a mistake. EastEnders should have moved to 7pm

[Artoo]

I think the BBC are going to use it as an opportunity to drive streaming numbers up, which potentially is the future of Eastenders. I really wouldn’t be against two one hour episodes dropping each week.

[aaliyahman]

What is going on with this show. It still feels like we are treading water. What is the angle Meena will use with Charles, that's so tedious and boring.
It's also a shame to see Pierce's son finally make the vicars son not a miserable bore and then it was over.

[Thriller]

They’ve dragged Meena out far too long now… I feel like she’s going to manipulate and eventually murder Charles as a last hurrah and twist of the knife to Manpreet.

I don’t think EastEnders will be a threat to Emmerdale, but having them clash is weird.

[aaliyahman]

Oh ffs, now it's Manpreet's fault. My eye's rolled out of my head.
Liv got done in for speaking back to an old timer in prison yet Child Killer Meena hasn't had a scratch, come on, keep the Bad Girls continuity right Emmerdale.

[Artoo]

I don’t think EastEnders will be a threat to Emmerdale, but having them clash is weird.

Corrie - 4.6m
Emmerdale - 4.2m
Eastenders - 2.6m

(Live viewers).

[Thriller]

Wow, no threat whatsoever. Are the BBC trying to kill it off as a main channel show so they can justify moving it purely on to iPlayer, even though they've just spent £80m on a new set?!

[Artoo]

Wow, no threat whatsoever. Are the BBC trying to kill it off as a main channel show so they can justify moving it purely on to iPlayer, even though they've just spent £80m on a new set?!

I don’t think so, but ITV has certainly forced their hand in deciding what sort of priority Eastenders is for BBC1 and what the future holds. I’m hoping the BBC outlines an overall roadmap for the corporation’s future as part of its centenary celebrations, so maybe we’ll get a view on what’s going on later in the year.

I do think the BBC should do something bold like making it a 10pm show though (earlier debut online) - we’ve never had a late night soap for adults, and Eastenders has always been quite a dark show. I’m not saying we need sex and nudity but I wonder what they could do without the watershed. It’s one way to reinvent the soap genre I guess.

Emmerdale pulling in as many viewers as Corrie though is pretty great for them. I guess it justifies ITV’s decision to do a consecutive soap block - and it really wouldn’t surprise me if they introduce two thirty minute episodes of Corrie on Tuesdays/Thursdays to lock in 90 minutes of soap a day (especially seeing as Corrie just confirmed a big set extension).

[Thriller]

Emmerdale has really held its own in recent years, while Corrie and EE experience slumps on both sides (more drastic for the latter) - it'll be interesting to see if the new slot has an impact either way.

20 years ago when What's On TV mag used to publish weekly ratings of the previous week I remember it always being Corrie on around 14m, EastEnders 12m and Emmerdale 10m... so much has changed in that time that 4m in 2022 actually seems decent.

[Artoo]

Yes, Emmerdale was always sort of the third soap too. I remember when it only used to be on twice a week

But it does go through some rough patches - it’s highs are great but when it gets in a slump… I don’t know what it is about soaps over the last decade or so, but usually the story idea is much stronger than the execution. Is it because they need them stretch it out over so many episodes? Or the writers just aren’t as good as they used to be?

I wish Emmerdale would build their old crowd up again though. Every country village needs the likes of Betty and Seth.