Soap Watch

Soap Watch

UK TV Start Dates

Welcome to the first addition of UK TV Start Dates. 

Soap Watch

Soap Watch

I did miss last week's edition due to the destruction of Coronation Street but it's back and expect lots more news.

Soap Watch

Ratings Roundup

We all watch TV, but sometimes it surprises me how many people watch the same shows!

On Saturday 13.21 million of us sat and watched The X Factor, down about 200,000.
On Sunday a colossal 15.25 million watched Paije be eliminated from the competition. It peaked at 16.42 million!

Over on Strictly, 11.35 million watch the celebrities dance at Blackpool and had a peak with a massive 13.21 million.
On the results show, 11.07 million watched Felicity Kendall be voted out the competition. 






Over in Soapland, Coronation Street and Eastenders usually battle it out for the top, while Emmerdale slightly lags behind, followed by Neighbours and Hollyoaks.


On Thursday night, Emmerdale's 1 hour long show was watched by 7.5 million people. While at the same time just 5.8 million watched Eastenders. Brings a smile to my face. Jack Duckworth's funeral on Corrie gained 9.1 million viewers.


My question is, why do we all watch the same thing? I watch all of those shows said above minus Eastenders. Why do the British Public watch the same thing? Why do you watch them? What do you like best?

Soap Watch

Check out the trailer for Corrie's 50th as well as the schedule for the week of celebrations. I shouldn't really be calling it that since there's nothing to really celebrate. Watch out for that tram. 

A set worker was sent to hospital a few days ago after receiving an electric shock from christmas decorations. She was thrown from her ladder but is said to be recovering. We hope she's alright! Nothing much else going on in the street really. But, are we excited for the tram crash? Make sure YOU watch and make sure you tell everybody you know to watch too! This really isn't to be missed! 

Thomas Law who has played Peter Beale since 2006 is rumored to be leaving the show. He recently filmed scenes which showed him leaving the square but apparently it's open for him to return. Thomas will be making his stage debut in a production of Peter Pan in Salford.

In other news it's been reported that the actors taking part in the cot death/child kidnap plot have broken down in tears while filming the traumatic scenes. Filming stopped for an hour as the cast and crew found it hard to film without getting emotional. Wow, it must really be heartbreaking. The scenes will be shown around New Year.

The Wylde's are coming to an end soon enough. Check out this interview with Lyndon Ogbourne who plays Nathan Wylde about his final story line in the soap.

By know we should all know Warren Fox ISN'T dead. He's very much alive and we still don't know how! This will all change when Hollyoaks airs a special stand-alone episode featuring flashbacks to the fire at the club. Jamie Lomas who plays Warren Fox took to his twitter and said viewers will find out how he got out, what happened afterwards and exactly who's badly burnt body it was they found? All very intriguing. I'm excited to see how he's alive. 

Well, that was emotional. Ringo Brown is dead. Steph ran him over on her scooter, she's distraught and just been arrested. Donna is crushed. Sad days in Aussie. I feel, I have to say this. Neighbours have been doing extremely well over the last few weeks, even months. Less and less silly storyline and more serious stuff that actually interests viewers and makes them care and not switch off. Take not Susan Bower. I've also discovered, Neighbours does incredibly well on YouTube, with each episode receiving over 10,000 views! It's not dead yet. 

Soap Watch

In the cobbles, earlier this week ITV launched 'Corrie Nation'. It's a new online game which allows fans to create, populate and grow their very own Weatherfield! It is the first social networking game to be created by a British soap! Players are encouraged to complete tasks to gain access new levels and buildings and characters and iconic items in Corrie's History!
In the picture we have Julie Hesmondhalgh (Hayley Cropper), Antony Cotton (Sean Tully), Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) and Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole) with cartoon versions of their characters.
In other news Simon Gregson got married at the weekend so congrats to him and his wife!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned Eastenders was planning a baby terror plot for New Year which involved Kat Salter and Ronnie Mitchell. Now more details have been announced. Ronnie will steal Kat's baby after her own dies of cot death. During the New Year's celebrations, Ronnie discovers her baby is dead. After rushing to the Queen Vic, she hears Kat's baby crying upstairs and swaps the babies. That's hard-hitting stuff. 

Not much going on in the Dales. They've been filming the Christmas Day episode recently and it's going to be a dramatic one by the sounds of things for Chaz, Carl and Eve! Dramaaa!

Plenty of news from Hollyoaks. Let's crack on. First of all, the fire! Steph died. We all cried. Yes I am indeed back to watching Hollyoaks. I'll give it a few weeks. Anyway, yes sadly Steph died, but the fire wasn't all that great. They jumped all over the place and it didn't work really. Confusing at times to be honest. 
Moving on. Hollyoaks has confirmed that it will air a late-night special episode on 16th December. The episode will involve Claire Cooper (Jacqui McQueen), Andy Moss (Rhys Ashworth) and Anthony Quinlan (Gilly Roach) taking centre stage in the extra episode, which will feature a dark storyline focusing on Darren Day's dangerous character Danny Houston. It will also see the return of Allison Burrows (Kathleen McQueen).
Hollyoaks also confirmed a special stand-alone episode will air on 1st December, focusing on Warren Fox's mystery come-back after seemingly dying in a fire last year. All will become clear in a series of flashbacks. The details of the flashbacks however are being kept under wraps until transmission. 

Who bloody pushed Paul Robinson? Rebecca did! I called that. It had to be either her or Declan. Anyway moving on, Kate will get a new love interest and I'm guessing it's going to be with Detective Mark Brennan, who's been working on the Paul Robinson case. He's just signed to be with the soap another year and also said to be getting a love interest with an established character! See i've put two and two together because I'm clever like that. 
In another Neighbours news, the 2010 series finale is set to be dramatic roller-coaster claims series producer Susan Bower. Apparently, the Scully house will be on fire and a big cliffhanger will end 2010. A number of characters a re leaving the soap and details are being kept secret. The episodes will be shown in the UK in early 2011.
Also, make sure you watch this week, as it's one resident's final days! Sad times are ahead of us. 

Soap Watch

If you saw yesterday's post about Corrie's Tram crash you would have seen this image:

I didn't give an explanation to what is going on this image but now I can. This is from Tram night. Tina starts her new job at The Rover Return becoming the 52nd barmaid. Obviously with it being Corrie, her first shift does not go well.


An explosion is heard while in the pub and as Tina rushes out, she sees the horrifying scene of the tram crashing off the viaduct and into the flat where her boyfriend Grahame currently is. The image shows her running down the street.
Also Barbara Knox who plays Rita Sullivan was awarded with an MBE last week and revealed that she told The Queen "if she's not doing anything on 9th December, watch Corrie, it turn's 50!" Brilliant! 










Eastenders star Steve McFadden who plays Phil Mitchell was arrested on 3rd November for harassing the mother of his child. He was bailed and has to report to a police station early next year.

Adele Silva who has played Kelly Windsor several times is returning AGAIN next year it's been confirmed. She originally started in 1995 and left in 2000. She then came back in 2005 and left in 2007. She is set to return to make former lover Jimmy King's life a misery as you do. Personally I would rather not see her back, but we'll see what happens.

Gerard McCarthy who played cross-dresser Kris Fisher is returning later this month. McCarthy left the show earlier this year, but is set to return during the aftermath of the fire. Hollyoaks is currently loosing a lot of cast members due to new series producer Paul Marquees axing them to create a change. 










New cast member Sandy Winton who plays High School Principal Michael Williams has said it's sad to be loosing so many cast members. It was recently announced that 6 characters would be leaving the show over the next few months. Winton pointed out that Sam Clark who play plays Ringo Brown's exit will be the one to watch and it's very emotional and memorable. 
In other news, one of the cast members leaving, Erin Mullally's character Declan will become money obsessed in his job of running Lasiter's. It's been said he will argue with ex-girlfriend Kate and won't have time for his daughter India and turns into step-dad Paul Robinson who was recently pushed off the muezzin as part of the 6000th episode celebrations. 

Soap Watch

Details of Jack Duckworth's exit storyline of have been revealed. Vera Duckworth, Jack's on-screen wife who died in the show 2 years ago will make one final appearance as Jack dies. She won't be a ghost, more of a spirit apparently. Wether it's a good idea or not? Depends how it plays out on screen really. Also it was revealed Jack will sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" in his final scene and he'll die in the same armchair as Vera did which is weird if you ask me, but I'm sure it'll be an emotional one. 










It was announced today that a long-standing extra for the series has died. Ina Clare was aged 77, and just a few months ago, her character was thrown a party in Queen Vic by a work colleague. Tributes were payed via twitter by some cast members and the episode shown tonight was dedicated to her and her death will be acknowledged on the show.

It was a dramatic week in Emmerdale last week as the "Who Shot Mark Wylde" storyline finally came to an end. After Cain Dingle kidnapped Nathan Wylde, who many believed was the killer, his sister Maisie turned up convinced he was the killer, not her step brother Ryan who had just been found guilty of the crime. Maisie attacked her brother forcing him to confess, while Cain brought Natasha and Will to the barn. Natasha was forced to confess all in-front of her children after months of lying. Maisie phoned the police and Natasha was finally arrested. This is the beginning of the end for The Wylde's as they'll all be leaving by the end of the year. This week brought in the most viewers the soaps has had in a while so big success there. 

With Hollyoaks: Later finished for another year, The Village is about to change forever this Bonfire Night, as an arsonist targets Il Nosh and a fire rips through the restaurant and neighboring buildings. This storyline paves the way for multiple exits from the soap. It's being kept under wraps who will die, but it was revealed that Steph will risk her live to save Amy Barnes and her children. A must watch for Hollyoaks fans!










Not happy times for Neighbours I'm afraid. On Friday just gone, Neighbours audience was at an all time low. 386,000. That's awful considering it used to get 20m an episode back in the day. I knew that ratings were low, but this is really bad. This is part of the reason why Channel 10 which has showed Neighbours since it started, is moving the show to it's digital channel 11. Here in the UK, Neighbours is viewed by a collective 2m a day as the episode is shown 3 times during the day. It's not looking very good for Ramsay Street. 

Soap Watch

In Corrie, Bev Callard who plays Liz McDonald is leaving the soap after playing the character since 1989! The pub landlord will bow out of the soap next year. In other news apparently a relative of Roy Cropper will join the show next year. The character will obviously cause trouble for Roy and Hayley. Finally, has Tracy Barlow's return plot been revealed? Apparently, she will be cleared off killing Charlie Stubbs during a retrial and returns to the street to cause chaos to Gail Platt, the McDonalds and her parents. 

Over in the square, the show will air in HD for the first time on Christmas Day it's been revealed. The show recently destroyed it's pub for the switch to HD.










In the Dales, not much going on other than the verdict in Ryan's trial for killing Mark, which he was framed for by Mark's wife who actually did it and his twisted son was a surprising guilty! I'm sure they'll be plenty more twists and turns in the story!

That basically. Also last Saturday Hollyoaks turned 15. So happy birthday! There'll be on-screen celebration but next year there will be for their 'Sweet 16th'










All quite in Australia I'm afraid. 

The Beginning of Soap Watch

I'm a massive soap fan, so I thought I might make regular posts on upcoming storylines in the 5 major soaps, Coronation Street, Eastenders, Neighbours, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. 

Departing character Steph (Carla Bonner) will get a shock when her son Charlie is snatched while out with his step sister Summer (Jordy Lucas). The storyline will mean a shock return for a not yet named character who wants to cause pain to both Steph and Libby (Kim Valentine). I for one am stumped over who it could be! Also Sam Clark who plays Ringo Brown has predicted Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) will return to the soap. 

Over in Eastenders, it's been announced the new year will be filled with tragedy as a newborn baby dies. The plot will involve either Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) or Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack). 

In Hollyoaks, an old villain is returning from the dead. Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) was last seen apparently dying in his club after it was set on fire by crazy Claire Devine (Gemma Bissix). Warren made his escape after seemingly dying when the roof collapsed. Now he's back and he want's his club back which is now run by Cheryl Brady (Bronagh Waugh).


In Corrie, obviously we have the upcoming tram crash for the 50th! But before then, Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) has an angina attack when wife Claire (Julia Haworth) pressures into moving away form the street. Also the aftermath of David (Jack P. Shepard) running over Graeme (Craig Gazey).

Drama, Drama, Drama is ahead for the Wylde's in Emmerdale as Nathan (Lyndon Ogbourne) is kidnapped just before his step brother Ryan's (James Sutton) trail for the murder of their dad, who was actually killed by Nathan's mother, Natasha. Also, all the Wylde's will be leaving the show by the end of the year. 

Lots of Soap Characters are leaving!

Soap Characters come and go (not in the case of Ken Barlow) and recently alot have been going.




In Neighbours 6 cast members have announced they are leaving the show. 

First up is about to married Ringo (Sam Clark) Donna (Margot Robbie) are leaving. 










Then longtime cast member Steph (Carla Bonner) is leaving after 11 years. 






Now, Rebecca (Jane Hall) is leaving after 4 years. 







And her on screen son Declan (Erin Mullally) is leaving also. 








Finally, Zeke (Matthew Werkmeister) is also leaving. 














Over in Emmerdale it was announced that Viv Hope (Deena Payne) will be leaving the show after 18 years. 


To go with all those, Hollyoaks recently had a cast clear out with more to go when the fire strikes. 


And over in Corrie, obviously they have the big tram crash which is set to kill of big names! 


Major soap clear out. 


What do you think? Are you upset with the people that are leaving?

New Hollyoaks Titles

LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL!





The music just makes me laugh so much! Kinda reminds of like folk dancing or something. Weird times. Also apparently they have a 'Previously' too? That's new and needed. I think all soaps should have those, like Neighbours does. It would make them so much more accessible to new audiences. I've noticed that they havent included the older cast again, which I think is not nice. I know Hollyoaks is a 'teen' soap but the older characters hold the show together and the majority have been in a long time. 


Overall, I don't like them.