[Charlotte]

I was just trying to think of storylines we haven't yet seen from EastEnders. I came up with a couple. We haven't seen self harm tackled to my knowledge. They never really done incest either. I think the closest they got was the Steve and his mother kiss. Of course though there was Harry and Kat but that was off screen.

Anyway it got me thinking. Let's say if Derek Branning had a 27 year old daughter who turns up in Walford and straight away we know something is up with her and Uncle Jack. Do you think it would be too much for the viewers to take if we found out they had been having an on/off affair since she was 20? not abuse but a genuine affair. I know it's a bit of an eye brow raiser but I have been liking Jack more and more recently. He really works so much when interacting with his family. Plus a decent storyline might finally give Scott the chance to prove his worth.

So anyway. Any storylines EastEnders haven't done but you would like to see them do?

[Bec]

Has there ever been an eating disorder storyline? Like anorexia or bulimia? I don't recall one off the top of my head but there probably was at some point.

[Charlotte]

Bec, on 08 February 2010 - 06:00 PM, said:

Has there ever been an eating disorder storyline? Like anorexia or bulimia? I don't recall one off the top of my head but there probably was at some point.

There was a girl called Kim around 2000 time who had a very short run in with bulimia but it was over after like a month. That is the only one to my mind.

Bryan Kirkwood did that great story with Hannah on Hollyoaks so I hope it is the type of thing he has in mind for EastEnders.

[lola]

I wish they would do continuations of the storylines already done .I would like to see Lauren go off the rails and have a drug problem ( like Rainie ) it would show the effects Tanya and Max have had on her and the Hit and run.

An eating disorder would be good , a bullying storyline ( peter Beale ) .I would like them to focus on the young cast a bit more and involve them in the adult storylines .

[Charlotte]

It would be good to see Peter get a decent storyline. Male bulimia could be an option for him. It is always females they focus on with this so doing it from a male prospective would be interesting.

[Poppy]

Bec, on 08 February 2010 - 06:00 PM, said:

Has there ever been an eating disorder storyline? Like anorexia or bulimia? I don't recall one off the top of my head but there probably was at some point.

Some of the Girls Like Lauren and Dotty are very thin and could carry an eating disorder storeyline off really well.
I think they should do a drug addiction storey line with a well loved Character like Peter Beale just to show how easy it is for Kids to get caught up in Drugs. With Peter being a runner theu could have him taking performance enhancement drugs.

This post has been edited by Poppy: 08 February 2010 - 06:13 PM

[lola]

Charlotte, on 08 February 2010 - 06:09 PM, said:

It would be good to see Peter get a decent storyline. Male bulimia could be an option for him. It is always females they focus on with this so doing it from a male prospective would be interesting.

Thats why i was dissappointed about Lucy storyline , why do they have thomas Law as a cast member at all they do not use him , he would do great with an eating disorder .

I would like to see him and Lauren tackle a storyline together ( not a pregnancy )maybe an eating disorder or bullying .

[froghopper5]

Charlotte, on 08 February 2010 - 05:59 PM, said:

Anyway it got me thinking. Let's say if Derek Branning had a 27 year old daughter who turns up in Walford and straight away we know something is up with her and Uncle Jack. Do you think it would be too much for the viewers to take if we found out they had been having an on/off affair since she was 20? not abuse but a genuine affair.

I think incest would be a really fascinating story for EE to do (especially after they did Whitney/Tony so brilliantly). I thought the Brookside story was brilliantly done, and they specifically brought in Nat and Georgia for that plot because they didn't think anyone else could be believed. I can't remember how soon they revealed it to the viewers, but you could completely believe they loved each other.

I don't know if it would be believable with Jack: it would require incredible acting and writing, and somehow forgetting his whole being in love with Ronnie. I guess maybe Jack is cold and mysterious enough for it to be realistic. Ryan too, maybe - we know nothing about him and he likes Janine which suggests something odd! But a member of a big family would have more impact.

[Ellie]

I'd rather BK didn't turn the show into Hollyoaks actually, how dreadful would that be. I don't want EastEnders to become like some public information film from the 70s.

When I think back to that dreadful era of Hollyoaks with the girl dying of Anorexia, it's just too much for me. EastEnders have always tackled issues but done it in its own way. Hollyoaks on the other hand can drag something out for eternity to the point it just is depressing, even moreso than EastEnders. BK's reign was a particularly depressing time of the show and I know it's bad now but it's just gone back to the shallow level it was at before it started doing all the issues it's not like it was ever that good to start with imo.

[Ronnie BranningXD]

Has there ever been a self harm storyline?

[JamieR]

Ronnie BranningXD, on 08 February 2010 - 06:41 PM, said:

Has there ever been a self harm storyline?

I don't think there has been one, no.

How about a storyline which explores MS? I have been watching Neighbours recently and they have been doing some brilliant things with their current MS storyline with Susan Kennedy. It's really heart-wrenching stuff. So, perhaps, giving it to a character like Patrick? Or Shirley? It might give the audience a chance to see a different side to a popular character.

[Ellie]

JamieR, on 08 February 2010 - 06:51 PM, said:

I don't think there has been one, no.

How about a storyline which explores MS? I have been watching Neighbours recently and they have been doing some brilliant things with their current MS storyline with Susan Kennedy. It's really heart-wrenching stuff. So, perhaps, giving it to a character like Patrick? Or Shirley? It might give the audience a chance to see a different side to a popular character.

They have touched upon MS before with Colin Russell but he left soon after his diagnosis so we never really got to scratch the surface with that one and it might be worthwhile tackling it again.

[LeonM]

JamieR, on 08 February 2010 - 06:51 PM, said:

I don't think there has been one, no.

How about a storyline which explores MS? I have been watching Neighbours recently and they have been doing some brilliant things with their current MS storyline with Susan Kennedy. It's really heart-wrenching stuff. So, perhaps, giving it to a character like Patrick? Or Shirley? It might give the audience a chance to see a different side to a popular character.

Kevin Wicks' son had MS, but he was never on screen and they talked about him briefly, so I guess you can say this hasn't been tackled.

Lorna in Waterloo Road had MS too, it was really interesting but I think it could of been explored more, as it ended about a 5 episodes later with Lorna killed herself. With EastEnders I think they could explore the condition more.

This post has been edited by LeonM: 08 February 2010 - 06:55 PM

[Ronnie BranningXD]

I would like them to tackle a storyline with an illess and having long term effects on a character i.e. a colostomy bag, how would a character cope with their image, their relationship. It could be a good storyline for Roxy, especially as shes high maintance (sp)

[Jade]

Ellie, on 08 February 2010 - 06:53 PM, said:

They have touched upon MS before with Colin Russell but he left soon after his diagnosis so we never really got to scratch the surface with that one and it might be worthwhile tackling it again.

What was wrong with Michael Rose's wife? I thought she had MS too? Or am I getting confused?
Have we done male sexual abuse? I know they touched on it with Dennis Rickman but I can not think of others.

[JamieR]

Male sexual abuse storyline would be interesting. They have done it in Hollyoaks, years ago, but that's the only soap opera that's tackled it I think.

How about a cot death storyline? Emmerdale's one was fantastic, and it could be brilliant for EastEnders. How tragic would it be if, after months and months of looking forward to a new baby, Jane and Ian's child dies.

[Ellie]

JamieR, on 08 February 2010 - 07:07 PM, said:

Male sexual abuse storyline would be interesting. They have done it in Hollyoaks, years ago, but that's the only soap opera that's tackled it I think.

How about a cot death storyline? Emmerdale's one was fantastic, and it could be brilliant for EastEnders. How tragic would it be if, after months and months of looking forward to a new baby, Jane and Ian's child dies.

They've done cot death before, they were the first soap to tackle it back in the 80s with Sue and Ali Osman. A fantastic storyline.

Jade you're right Susan did have MS, I remember she collapsed once in the Vic. I hated Susan though so no wonder I forgot lol.

[Walford West]

Yes, Susan Rose did suffer from MS Wikipedia article, although I seem to recall she was more of a recurring character than a central one.

As for cot death, this was one of the first "hard-hitting" storylines on EE back in 1985 - Hassan Osman was found to have died in the night, with mum Sue suffering the after-effects for a long time to come. It might be interesting to see such a story on a current character - Stacey, perhaps? Especially as it fits in with her possible abandonment issues - Brian, Sean (twice), Danielle,

Spoiler

Bradley

...

Edit: Snap Ellie!

This post has been edited by Walford West: 08 February 2010 - 07:24 PM

[tobee]

LeonM, on 08 February 2010 - 06:54 PM, said:

Kevin Wicks' son had MS, but he was never on screen and they talked about him briefly, so I guess you can say this hasn't been tackled.

Lorna in Waterloo Road had MS too, it was really interesting but I think it could of been explored more, as it ended about a 5 episodes later with Lorna killed herself. With EastEnders I think they could explore the condition more.

I thought he had cystic fibrosis?

[Ellie]

Susan started making sporadic appearances and lived off the square and then she, Michael and Matthew moved into what was the Jackson's old house where Dot and Jim live now. But yeah Walford West you're right I think she hardly appeared. I remember she struck up a brief friendship with Irene but we never saw much of them together. Susan was a dreadful character though and you get the impression even if she didn't have MS she'd still walk around under a cloud, not a million miles away from Pauline although at least with Pauline you'd seen her go from chipper cockney to miserable boot and knew she had a warmth to her - it was just difficult to find.