After a great 2007, with lots of engaging storylines, Hollyoaks don't seem to have been able to follow things up in 2008. Last year we had storylines about coming to terms with one's sexuality, eating disorders, a man's life being ruined by unfounded accusations and Clare's causing chaos.
So far in 2008 we've had poorly-researched storylines about teacher training, the village bimbo becoming a PCSO, and now a lazy "who's the daddy" storyline involving Tina. Sure the ratings may be holding up, but is Hollyoaks becoming complacent after one good year?
your forgetting the storylines about domestic violence (amy and ste), debt (jack), charlie's lukiema, incest (ryhs and beth), sean's murder, niall being a mcqueen, ob and summer, drugs (sasha and fletch), father kieron and john paul and there is still many more to come. i think 2008 is a great year
I think that the 2008 storylines so far are good. The viewers must also agree as they would't watch it otherweise, and there are many more storylines to come.
Originally posted by bidefax: After a great 2007, with lots of engaging storylines, Hollyoaks don't seem to have been able to follow things up in 2008. Last year we had storylines about coming to terms with one's sexuality, eating disorders, a man's life being ruined by unfounded accusations and Clare's causing chaos.
So far in 2008 we've had poorly-researched storylines about teacher training, the village bimbo becoming a PCSO, and now a lazy "who's the daddy" storyline involving Tina. Sure the ratings may be holding up, but is Hollyoaks becoming complacent after one good year?
Unfortunately ratings are are not holding up. According the BARB website there was no Hollyoaks episode that got over 2 million viewers for week ending 27/04/08. and that is taking into account the fiddling of the viewing figures adding the Channel 4 to Channel 4 + 1 viewing figures. Even E4 First Look figures are staring to slide. But on the whole Channel 4 are losing viewers and their figures are not as good as they once were.
With Deadwood seemingly happy to let long standing cast members leave and promot those with little talent or play boring and dull characters he will eventually head for disater and follw the same route as Brookside and get Hollyoaks axed for falling viewing fiugres. All he and his incomeptants do is re-hash old plots and make them worse, focus to much on teen angst and trying to make Hollyoaks something Phil Redmond never intended it to be.
"We should always be prepared for future technologies, because otherwise they will come along and clobber us."
Originally posted by bina191: your forgetting the storylines about domestic violence (amy and ste) - This has been done before in Hollyoaks with Dennis Richardson abusing his family and not forgetting in other soaps, debt (jack) How many times have we seen students de into debts, charlie's lukiema, Done on Nieghbour so a copy of that incest (ryhs and beth) Done on Brookside orginially, sean's murder There have been other murders in Hollyoaks, niall being a mcqueen- Have you watched EastEnders lately with all the secret and unheard of releative popping out the woodwork, ob and summer, There have been other relationships where couples have left together in Hollyoaks. drugs (sasha and fletch)Done better with Lucy Bensons storyline, and also Justin dabbled with drugs, Nancy tried LSD and used preseription drugs to help her revise, father kieron and john paul Only lightly original but not much hope it lasting and there is still many more to come. i think 2008 is a great year
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In short unless anyone has watched Hollyoaks from the very start how can they qualify to say Hollyoaks is good if they have nothing to compare how good it use to be with such storylines as Male Rape, Child Abuse and Drug Addiction.
"We should always be prepared for future technologies, because otherwise they will come along and clobber us."
While there are a lot of storylines this year - some of them are just done for sensational purposes and forget about the integrity of the character. I'm fed up of the who shall I sleep with this week storyline that the show sometimes resorts to. If there were decent storylines this year like there were a few last year I would watch it again with the same passion and not miss an episode. In my opinion last year was better than it has been in ages. I stopped watching the show for a good three years because it went down the pan. I was only enticed into watching it again by a certain storyline last year but in general I think the soap has lost the plot. At the beginning of this decade it had an amazing dynamic which it was able to beat last year. Now it has just gone back to being slightly tripe with the occasional good storyline or funny character.
Member #5 of Missing McDean: Team Snowflake. Founding Member of The Darren Osborne Appreciation Club. Member #4 Niall - Sinister -Sexy Club Member #16 We Love Mike Barnes Club Founding Member of The Getting Rid of McPriest Club Founding Member of The Max & Steph Forever Club
Originally posted by romcomqueen: While there are a lot of storylines this year - some of them are just done for sensational purposes and forget about the integrity of the character. I'm fed up of the who shall I sleep with this week storyline that the show sometimes resorts to. If there were decent storylines this year like there were a few last year I would watch it again with the same passion and not miss an episode. In my opinion last year was better than it has been in ages. I stopped watching the show for a good three years because it went down the pan. I was only enticed into watching it again by a certain storyline last year but in general I think the soap has lost the plot. At the beginning of this decade it had an amazing dynamic which it was able to beat last year. Now it has just gone back to being slightly tripe with the occasional good storyline or funny character.
I agree. Who really wants to hear Amy whine on about what's happening to her ot the "woe is me" angst by certain characters week in week out. Then you have the waste of spaces like Jennifer Metcalf who's brief seems to be pouting all the time and making catty remarks. No wonder the older cast members are jumping ship now as no doubt they are fed up with the way Deadwood is runing things.
"We should always be prepared for future technologies, because otherwise they will come along and clobber us."
Yeah i agree too, i seem to be losing interest, all the storylines seem to be dragging on and on and nothings really changing. I thought last year was really exciting but this year not so much.
Originally posted by bina191: your forgetting the storylines about domestic violence (amy and ste), debt (jack), charlie's lukiema, incest (ryhs and beth), sean's murder, niall being a mcqueen, ob and summer, drugs (sasha and fletch), father kieron and john paul and there is still many more to come. i think 2008 is a great year
I'm not saying there haven't been good storylines, including many of those you mention. Amy and Ste particularly - Ashley is fast showing her true colours as an actress and her recent performances have finally managed to upstage Loui Batley.
However, I would exclude OB and Summer from your list - she was a plant used to cynically manipulate the Hollyoaks audience and the departure of OB, a much-loved character, was hijacked to give Summer Strallen more publicity.
Also, the Rhys/Beth incest was just distasteful sensationalism and a recycled soap cliche (Brookside and Doctors have both done it).
it is hard not 2 use storylines that have been used before coration street have recycled again and again.
author 2 barnworth(based on a true story) there's one more angel in heaven like mother like daughter wot your sorry 4 sis i mean you never ask when you borrow my hairdryer so why shud my husband be any different
Originally posted by sassy123: i always thought hollyoaks was good in the early shows i personaly think its gone down hill then up hill i have been bored with it for a while now.
i know what you mean. i watched hollyoaks in the days of Rob hawthorne, Lukes rape and lisa self harm.. brilliant stories
then i got a little bored and then 2006/2007 saw the program pull out some amazing storylines
- JP/Craig - the anorexia - date rape - darrens gambling - Becca/Justin
this year just hasnt done it for me
- Nials revenge (its dragging honest) think great potential but wish they would get on with it
- Keiron (if its meant to deal with Religion am like where, if its about falling in love when you shouldn't, its been done, as much as i loved mcdean i really dont want to be sold another love story and am sure most people would have liked to see James as a actor to be in something that this time had nothing to do with his sexuality
- Rhys and Beth (i strongly disagree with incest but Bryan it was done better in Brookside) just couldnt feel for Beth - though i must give credit for the reveal episode here.
Sasha and Fletch - just not buying it.. great story but something is not gelling
but on the good side
- Amy and Ste (brilliant) - Nancy and Jake - Looking forward to Louise going bad - Newt and who ever Eli is (immaginary it has me hooked
but i still love Hollyoaks the best and hopefully best soap next year .. and sure the rest of the year will go with a explosion
Have to say i think its very average at the moment, The only episodes that have stood out for me are the Niall/ michela drug ones the Beth/Rhys reveal week and the episode on april 1st where John paul confided in Hannah and Kieron in Kris about what theyd just done brilliant acting that was from Gerard and Jake and of course Emma and James who are brilliant together yet totally underused, All in all i get the distinct impression Kirkwood has put his feet up and rested on his laurels after last year.
i like maria01 watched Ho in the days on lisa's self harming... Lukes rape nd Tony Mill killer which were brilliant
07 nd 06 were brilliant i was so hooked with dog explotion hannahs anorexia JP/Craig date rape Becca/ Justin
however the only real storyline to pull me in are rhys and beth amy nd ste Keiron nd JP Tina's baby
the others have been crap sorry but there have that i have been cuttin dwn my viewin of it i used 2 b a big E4 fan but now spend more time doin other things i hopin HO picks it up soon!
Cute Couples: Hannah & Gilly Jackie & Tony Steph & Max
Originally posted by bidefax: After a great 2007, with lots of engaging storylines, Hollyoaks don't seem to have been able to follow things up in 2008. Last year we had storylines about coming to terms with one's sexuality, eating disorders, a man's life being ruined by unfounded accusations and Clare's causing chaos.
i completely agree with you. i think that this year is ok but that last year was way better in the storyline stakes. i think HO is still good but it could be better So far in 2008 we've had poorly-researched storylines about teacher training, the village bimbo becoming a PCSO, and now a lazy "who's the daddy" storyline involving Tina. Sure the ratings may be holding up, but is Hollyoaks becoming complacent after one good year?
There are some good storyline's like Jake and Nancy, Niall's revenge and the Amy and Ste storyline. However there are bad storys like the Tina story and McPreist (boring as hell, McDean was so much better).
In all honesty it hasnt been as good as it was last year but it's still a great show. There have been some storylines ive really enjoyed and some not so much, it was always going to be near impossible to top last year but it's done ok.
I think the fact that it kicked butt at the soap awards should surely prove it hasnt gone wrong. I think Matt/Max departure is going to be a major blow though, im honestly gutted about it, it's going to be a hard one to recover from as he's been a central character for 10 years, I think one of the people the audience has really taken to their heart it could be bad if they dont honor that properely.
Max Cunningham Hero & Heart of Hollyoaks Rest in Peace!
Originally posted by Kitkat3008: In all honesty it hasnt been as good as it was last year but it's still a great show. There have been some storylines ive really enjoyed and some not so much, it was always going to be near impossible to top last year but it's done ok.
I think the fact that it kicked butt at the soap awards should surely prove it hasnt gone wrong. I think Matt/Max departure is going to be a major blow though, im honestly gutted about it, it's going to be a hard one to recover from as he's been a central character for 10 years, I think one of the people the audience has really taken to their heart it could be bad if they dont honor that properely.
I share your delight that Hollyoaks kicked butt at the soap awards however it kicked butt based on stuff that happend in 07 not whats happend this year so im not sure that can be used as an indicator to say things havent deteriorated i think youre right though most sensible people would say good but not as good.
I think 2008 has been a bit hit and miss. Some storylines have been good, others are obviously just grasping at anything controversial, such as the gay priest storyline. In an attempt to take hold of another real controversy, they've missed the point of the actual debate.
hmmmmmmmmm good debate not sure what i think, it would be hard to top next year but then when you think back to old hollyoaks it was better i have enjoyed the jake/nancy thing and amy and ste but thats about it i think that the incest story could have been a good one but they didnt choose the right actress they should have got someone who was a good actress especially with showing emotions because that was the whole idea behing the SL to show the power of love and the hold it can have over you, i didnt get that from her, i dont like slating peoples acting ability as i am no actress so i cant judge...
again with sasha and fletch the storyline isnt working coz we dont feel for the characters (like with hannah she was well liked so we felt for her) but this could grow!!! its only may folks so it has got time yet!!!
For me, it's not so much that the storylines are bad (apart from the surrogacy), it's the way they're paced. We get a certain storyline being the focus for two or three weeks, then it's dropped for a similar length of time, the current John Paul/Kieron affair being the prime example. If a viewer isn't all that excited by a storyline, they're going to lose interest- the 'out of sight, out of mind' theory. I, for example, don't dislike the Sasha/Fletch drugs plot, although it's not a particular favourite- but by the time it's back on screen, I'm fairly sure I won't remember and possibly won't care where it left off however many weeks previously.
personally i have got abit bored of hollyoaks recently, yes im always on here but i think thats almost cos im waiting for a big spoiler to excite me! my favourite of recent years was the andy sam date rape one i think
