Betty's Back

Hit US show Ugly Betty returned to UK screens last week but despite having the same mix of comedy characters and over the top story lines the start of season three was a long awaited disappointment.

Since Channel Four decided to hold back on showing the new season to UK audiences I have been eagerly anticipating seeing Betty back on our screens. The shows side splitting comedy and extravagant story lines have always offered light hearted relief compared to more serious and downbeat TV dramas.

Whilst all the ingredients are still there; the classic cast entourage of Wilhelmina, Christina, Alexis and Daniel etc... and the backing of Betty's loyal family the opening episode's plot lines seemed weak and unappealing. The constant recycling of Wilhelmina's attempt to take over Mode and take down the Meade empire is now wearing thin and the inclusion of celebrity face Lindsay Lohan added nothing to the show.

One positive from last Wednesday's episode was the classic comedy pairing of Mark and Amanda. Over the last two series they have developed from funny background additions to arguably the best parts of a flagging brand. Their unusual friendships, one liners and quick wit offer occasional moments of the side splitting laughter that the show now seems to lack on a more regular basis.

The drop in standards has not gone unnoticed by audiences here and across the pond. Last Wednesday's airing in the UK got 1.83million viewers, a significant drop from the first episodes of seasons one and two. In the USA Ugly Betty has been moved to Friday nights by ABC, a move which could result in the loss of more viewers.

Despite my criticism of the show's return I will persist with the season; the basis of a great comedy still remain and if it can re-ignite the same comedy genius that made it a hit in the first place Ugly Betty could return as one of the best comedy US imports to hit our screens in recent years.

(Picture from msnbc.com)

Soap posts: Gay affair set to rock Walford

EastEnders bosses are set to cover another sensitive subject when practising Muslim Syed Masood (played by Marc Elliot) kisses and then embarks on a gay affair with local resident Christian Clarke (John Partridge).

The storyline, which begins to unfold next week, is sure to spark criticism and complaints as the soap tackles the issues of sexuality and religion. But as a fan of the show I am pleased that bosses are once again tackling a sensitive issue and it was a plot development I had not expected.

The London based soap is known for depicting high-profile and risky storylines (the most recent being the Tony and Whitney abuse plot last year) and this summer plot will be sure to provide emotional drama as the characters and their developing relationship are explored further.

The topic of sexuality has rarely been covered in EastEnders apart from the openly gay character of Christian and a lesbian plot a few years ago involving Sonia and best friend Naomi. But also linking this to the issue of religion will allow EastEnders to tackle a prominent social issue in multi-cultural Britain.

Since the their arrival in 2007 the Masood family have been a superb and highly entertaining addition to the cast. The family have often been used for comedic purposes in the past (for example the hilarious relationship between husband and wife Zainab and Masood) so tackling a serious and sensitive issue is a welcome change in direction for the characters and the family as a unit.

Picture from BBC

Soap posts: Hollyoaks lights up the screen

Once again teen soap Hollyoaks has dragged me back. With the soap being on a quite unexpected and steep fall from grace since the turn of the year I was unsure whether to bother watching the climax to this week's episodes on Friday night.

But I was certainly not disappointed as I tuned in to witness The Loft inferno and demise of bad boy Warren Fox. The return of local super villain Clare Bates saw The Loft nightclub ravaged by fire as she looked for revenge on Justin Burton. But when Justin's girlfriend Hannah turned up at the scene of the crime looking for Justin she was unwittingly dragged into the drama as Clare held nemesis Warren captive.

As fire destroyed The Loft Justin saved Hannah and left Warren to meet his grisly end, all that was left of Clare was a single red shoe (surely a sign of her return as she yet again as she escapes another near death experience - think back to when her car plunged into a lake for her to drag herself out and walk off into the distance)

Hollyoaks may not be known for it's top notch acting but it can certainly delivers spectacular scenes. Once or twice a year Hollyoaks creates an episode that keeps me hooked, back in 2008 the dramatic death of newly wed Max Cunningham and revenge of long lost son Niall Rafferty were good examples.

This week's fire scene was dramatic and impressive, although the lack of fire engines and police to the scene until it was too late was a questionable plot device. All actors and characters involved played their parts well, with Warren Fox getting the dramatic send off his character deserved.

He has been a integral part of the show over recent years, involved in the majority of criminal activity that has besieged the village during his time. But as a murderer (of both old nemesis Sean Kennedy and wife Louise Summers) Warren was always going to get his comeuppance. He may have been a bad boy that viewers loved to hate but Jamie Lomas' character had run his course.

Whether Hollyoaks can hold my interest long enough to keep me watching is another thing but yet again they have delivered on high paced spectacular scenes and dramatic deaths.

Picture from WhatsonTV

Eurovision 2009

So it wasn't quite her, or the UK's time, as sung by our entry Jade Ewen, 21, last night in Moscow but finishing fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest is an achievement after years of being stuck rooted to the bottom of the leader board.

Ewen, with Andrew Lloyd Webber gave a powerful performance of Its My Time and she fully deserved to finish were she did, if not higher. Graham Norton, and myself included, was even getting annoyed when the UK was awarded only one point, something we would have taken as a monumental victory in previous years.

The top spot went to Norway's Alexander Rybak, 23, with his annoyingly catchy folk pop tune Fairytale, who achieved a record 387 points. The singer, who looks like a squeaky clean extra from High School Musical, seemed destined to win after his first twelve points.

New host Graham Norton had claimed there was a chance of a landslide victory and he was correct. But I must admit that the song, though annoying and cheesy, was extremely catchy and Rybak backed up his solid vocal performance whilst playing on the violin. As the twelve points started to roll in no one else really had a chance.

But even though Jade didn't quite manage to clinch the crown for the United Kingdom she can be proud to finish fifth with 173 points, Britain's highest finish since 2002. And the United Kingdom actually doing well was not the only new element at the 54th Eurovision Song Contest as Graham Norton took over from Terry Wogan as host. The Irish comedian and TV presenter delivered some of tongue in cheek humour whilst watching over the song contest; the worries of a Eurovision without Wogan can now be forgotten.

The spectacular contest held in Moscow was far more enjoyable to watch than previous years, with the majority of songs less trashy and the voting a lot less predictable. Finishing fifth is a commendable achievement and long may it continue as the Eurovision rolls into Norway for 2010.

Picture from popsugar

British Soap Awards 2009

The British Soap Awards (or the BSAs) are the soap genre's Oscars; an evening dedicated to rewarding those who work within soap and as I soap fan, it is a enjoyable evening where we get to see the stars of the small screen come together and celebrate soaps.

Even though I enjoy watching and remembering the highlights of the past year the BSAs lack the suspense of The Oscars or Golden Globes because with the ceremony recorded the Saturday before, I end up knowing exactly who is going to win what before it is broadcasted on the following Wednesday. This is obviously my choice to see who wins beforehand but I must admit it does slightly spoil the surprise.

Presented by Phillip Schofield (a perfectly enjoyable host minus the flat jokes), this year's ceremony started off with the novelty awards for sexiest male and female, ones which each year seem to be presented to actors and actresses or clearly seem very annoyed and slightly embarrassed to be rewarded for their looks rather than acting ability. The winners this year were Scott Maslen (Jack Branning in EastEnders) and Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street).

We then moved onto the serious awards (well serious for the soap awards anyway). Some of the more notable awards on the night were Babara Windsor's acceptance of the Lifetime Achievement award. A worthy winner after providing years of drama, laughter and ties as the head of the Mitchell family. I was also pleased to see the Masoods being celebrated with Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood in EastEnders) collecting Best comedy performance and Best on-screen partnership with Nitin Ganatra (Masood Ahmed in EastEnders).

As a fan of EastEnders I was happy to see the London based soap collecting seven awards on the night, including the highly coverted Best soap. As an avid viewer of soaps, EastEnders is the only one that has managed to keep me hooked throughout the year.

Although some of the awards were rightly received in my opinion I still have to disagree with some of the decisions. Katherine Kelly (Becky Grainger in Coronation Street) was a unexpected victor in the Best Actress category. Although I am always entertained by Becky when I watch Coronation Street her performance seemed more at home in the Best comedy performance category. I would have preferred the Best actress award to go to Jo Joyner (Tanya Branning in EastEnders), Samantha Janus (Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders) or Carly Stenson (Steph Cunningham in Hollyoaks).

I don't want to seem completely biased towards EastEnders so I will add that I feel Hollyoaks deserved some recognition for a good year up until Christmas. Although the soap has dropped dramatically since then, storylines like Max's death and Niall's revenge were extremely enjoyable and deserved award success.

The BSAs may not have the glamour, glitz or talent of The Oscars, Golden Globes or BAFTAs but it is an entertaining night's viewing, where the public and a panel of judges can recognise and reward those in the world of soap.

For a full list of winners

Picture from gm.tv

Soap Posts: What a week in Walford!

Finally the time had come in Albert Square for Danielle to reveal the truth to her birth mother Ronnie. The seven month wait had been excruciating, watching Danielle so close but never uttering the truth to Ronnie. So as you can expect I was delighted when it came to Thursday evening and on the whole I wasn't disappointed.

I will start with the positives because Eastenders delivered a classic episode, filled with the emotion, drama and revelations that accompany any good soap event. The action packed hour had me screaming at the television, begging Peggy not to marry the evil Archie, laughing at the drunken rambles of Stacey (who delivered my favourite line of the whole episode when she politely excused herself as she went to be sick, leaving a distraught Danielle crying alone) and shocked and upset at the sudden death of Danielle. And even though I admit that I knew what was going to happen, the episode was defiantly worth watching.

I also have to praise the acting of all those involved. Peggy and Phil Mitchell (Babara Windsor and Steve McFadden) played they're parts well, adding to the usual Mitchell fighting spirit to the episode. But special praise has to be paid to Archie (Larry Lamb), Ronnie (Samantha Janus) and Danielle (Lauren Crace).

Larry Lamb gave a outstanding performance as the evil and creepy Archie, whilst Lauren Crace portrayed the tormented and heartbroken Danielle amazingly. Samantha Janus' acting left me speechless. She delivered a perfect performance, giving a believable and powerful portrayal as both the angry and confused Ronnie when Danielle finally revealed the truth and a heart-breakingly emotional Ronnie as she cradled her dying daughter.

The hour long episode was extremely entertaining though I found the first half an hour tedious at points. The sub story of Tanya and Max felt unnecessary and an annoying distraction for the main event, the wedding. The wedding itself was well written, with Peggy challenging Archie at the alter but in the end still going on to marry the controlling Mr Mitchell.

But the second half of the episode is what I had been waiting for, the reveal. Although it didn't have the classic feel of "You ain't my mother, Yes I am!" from the Kat/Zoe storyline, the moment was entertaining, although heart-breaking at the same time as a confused and angry Ronnie threw Danielle out of the pub, refusing to believe her claim that she was Danielle's mother.

When Ronnie finally found the locket and learnt the truth it provided classic drama and tension, I found myself on the edge of my seat as Ronnie ran after her daughter. But unfortunately, in true Eastenders fashion there was not happy ending. It seemed to take an eternity for Janine's car to plough into Danielle as a helpless Ronnie watched on but the emotional goodbye between mother and daughter was a powerful and memorable scene that will go done as one of the saddest soap moments I have ever witnessed.

But although it was terrifically emotional and dramatic scene I was extremely disappointed with the ending. It was a hugely upsetting and unnecessarily violent end to a storyline that had been frustrating viewers for months. Killing off the character of Danielle is a waste of an appealing and well portrayed character and many other interesting future story lines. Though I understand that the final scenes provided great drama and huge ratings for the BBC, I as a viewer would have liked to have seen a relationship build between Ronnie and Danielle.

My other main criticism of the whole storyline is the length of time Eastenders managed to drag it on for. The seven month wait for the reveal was unnecessarily long (especially as Danielle died only two minutes after Ronnie found out the truth) and at times extremely annoying. I understand it was a slow burning storyline that was best suited to explode at the wedding but Eastenders producers left the secret hidden too long, making Danielle's death even more frustrating as viewers waited so long for the reveal.

The reaction to the episode has been mixed. Whilst I have read a lot of praise on Internet forums for the episode many viewers seem upset about the ending in which Danielle tragically dies. The Sun ran a poll in which 90% thought that Eastenders made a mistake when killing Danielle and I agree with them.

Picture (Ronnie and Danielle) from The Mirror

Picture (Archie) from BBC

UPDATE: TV Posts

I posted last week that I planned to write about soaps every week. I have now decided to expand this to television as well as I am a self-confessed TV addict, spending hours sitting in front of the box watching the latest exploits of the housewives on Wisteria Lane or the sometimes over the top antics at Waterloo Road.