Merry (ahem!) Christmas from EastEnders...

The one soap bubble I'm most looking forward to this Christmas Day is EastEnders, of course.
It's always been that tradition to sit and see how the residents of Walford are spending the most wonderful day of the year, It usually isn't happily and this year, for a fact, will be no different.

However, I want to begin by musing over a story which will really kick off on Christmas Eve, as Stacey gives birth to her son.
It's been revealed recently that Stacey will suffer from postpartum psychosis, which leads to a heartbreaking rooftop scene, where the troubled mum goes to the top of The Vic, to be closer to God. It's also the same place where she lost her husband, Bradley.
We also know that Kush is secretly harbouring the secret that he is Stacey's sons father and not his best pal Martin. Even more heartbreaking is, of course, that Kush's wife, and Stacey's best mate Shabnam recently lost their own son through stillbirth.
With Shabnam now going through a medical worry of her own, waiting to find out if she can have more children, Stacey's upsetting storyline has lead me to wonder whether Kush, with Shabs' persuasion will go for custody of his son.

I think that this would be a hard-hitting plot, especially as Shabnam will also find out that her hubby is Stacey's baby's dad over Christmas.
Shabs is fragile, from losing her own son, and her fragility will be made worse should she discover that it's unlikely that she will be able to have any more children. Imagine her pain, especially as Kush was a driving force in her backing out of going for custody of her daughter, Jade, who's now living with grandmother Shirley Carter.

If Shabnam does stick with Kush, and with Stacey's postpartum psychosis, the feeling of hurt and betrayal could easily drive Shabnam to push Kush into using poor Stacey's mental health to gain the family she so desperately wants.

But what about Martin? He's already dealt with Sonia cheating on him in the past, so will he forgive Stacey and Kush, especially as he's so excited about becoming a dad again. James Bye has effortlessly stepped into Martin's shoes and I think that this would be a perfect opportunity for him to really shine, should Martin go off the rails after this latest set-back. Deep down, Martin is a real Fowler, he's a family man. But then so was Arthur, and he went off the rails at least once in his life...
I'd love to see Martin mix with characters he may not have been involved with since his return, say, Vincent for example. Another guy who wants to be a family man, but has come off the rails because of the way his life has led him.

That's if Vincent isn't the victim of the Christmas Day tragedy... I had wondered if it would be him, but I'm now changing my mind. Especially since last night's ep - which I'd like to just take a moment to appreciate drunk Phil once more! Steve McFadden plays a blinder, and as horrid as it was watching Kim worry for baby Pearl, the comedy moments of Phil creeping out, kept the scenes a little lighter. His one liners to Sharon, and her massive disapproving looks were a chuckle!
Phil also revealed to Vincent that his dad actually 'did a runner', and you could maybe see Vincent believe him? Or at least see a seeded doubt.
I've always wondered if Claudette was the one who killed her hubby, after he possibly had an affair (maybe with Aunt Sal!). But now it seems that he could have ran off... Either way, Claudette has a vendetta against the Mitchell's.
Vincent ended last night's episode by telling his mum that Phil Mitchell is a dead man, tomorrow... We know that there will be a showdown, but I'm wondering if someone innocent will be caught in the crossfire. Fatboy, maybe? He's been about at the Hubbard's household quite a bit, and we know that he's leaving the Square.

We know it definitely won't be Phil, as he has a new battle of his own coming up in the New Year. Cirrhosis of the liver. Will this be the storyline to get Phil back on the wagon?
I think it's an amazing storyline to tackle, and as far as I believe, it's not yet been done in soap before. This could also see the Mitchell's really pull together again, after fraying over the past few months. There's no other family who forget their differences in a crisis like this one - and with Phil's teenage daughter Louise on her way home, maybe this time next year, Christmas at the Mitchell's will be a happier affair... But then again, maybe not!

I'll leave you with one final thought...
Remember that Bobby Beale is still about, and I'd look out for that one this Christmas Day, too... That's one kid definitely on Santa's BAD list!

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Christmas on Enders looks to mark the End of who?

Walford Christmases. Ah. it's all tinsel, community, and destruction. And I love it!
What more could you want after a bellyful of turkey than to sit down with a Christmas chocolate and a glass of wine to see our favourite soap characters revel in misery!

And Christmas 2015 is set to allow us all to do just that, as death and destruction are promised - with twists at each festive corner.

Enders' Executive Producer has revealed that the unlucky character who meets their maker on Christmas Day will be kept under wraps, promising that 'no one knows', and the soap has taken homage to Live Week back in February when planning the Christmas episodes.
We already know that Charlie Slater will be returning, only to tragically die in early 2016, but that's now obvious to be completely separate from the other tragic news.

With the Mitchell's and Vincent going head-to-head, my main runner has got to be that it's Kim's hubby who comes to a sticky end.

While the promo photo sees the police whisperer looking on top of things, as he tries to crush the Mitchell clan, I won't be so sure that he will actually pull off his dastardly deeds.
There has already been talk of Vincent's dislike of Christmas, after his father passed away at that time of year, so it'll add all the more poignancy, maybe? And we all know that no-one ever beats Phil Mitchell, even if he has fallen off the wagon. Ronnie, who has been forced to save herself from a prison sentence, and help Vincent set Phil up has already killed before, and even though it looks like she's turned her back on her family, I don't buy it.
To add to the tragedy, should Vincent be the grim reapers Christmas Day victim, his mum Claudette will disown him over the next week, as she finds out that he is actually a police informant...

But while Vincent is my man for now, there's also danger over at the Beale's, as Staircase-Bobby's behaviour worsens, leading to himself and little Dennis Jr going head-to-head, triggering a catalogue of incidents, leaving lives hanging in the balance.
Jane and Ian are determined to keep the truth about Lucy's murder underwraps (even though half of the Square already know it was Bobby!) Sharon (who's also in on the not-so-secret-secret) will do anything to protect her own family.

It's been revealed that Ian gifts Jane with a new car for Christmas, is this the same car Vincent is standing on, crushed beneath him?

Let the twists and turns begin...

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It was a Soapy Christmas!

So we've eaten all we can and drank more than we probably should, and those TV Christmas classics have been re-run one too many times! Did you all have a good Christmas?

Now it's those awkward few days inbetween Christmas finishing and New Year's Eve, where nobody really knows what to do with themselves... So how about we have a catch up over what was good and was was a lump of coal over the festive telly period? Yep? Then let's go... 

Christmas TV is manly about the soaps, of course! I actually watched all four of the main ones on Christmas Day. I've always been an EastEnders fan first, Hollyoaks comes in second and then Corrie. I don't normally watch Emmerdale, only dipping in and out every so often.

I think every soap fan everywhere was waiting for the big EastEnders one. Yes, Linda finally told Mick that Dean raped her and the scene between the two was highly emotive. I think during that one episode, in 65 minutes, we saw every emotion in Mick. We were promised 'nuclear' when it kicked off, but that was saved for Boxing Day. And for me, that's where the big day episode fell a tad short. I hate saying that, because the dynamic of the episode, the acting from the cast and the strong storylines were more than great, but I felt the episode lacked the big oomph we were promised. I felt as though if the Boxing Day half hour, and the last half hour of the Christmas Day episode were put together, then it would have worked a little better for the impact - what do you think?

Linda Henry, Kellie Bright, Danny Dyer and Matt Di Angelo gave beautiful performances and deserve the biggest round of applause. It was also a very good flip, having Shirley side with Dean. Ironic that the one time she stands by him is when she should really walk away. What will happen to Dean now? Will he get away with his crime?

Mick's been left heartbroken, as Linda's up and left him and her engagement ring behind, after overhearing Mick tell Tina and Stan about her rape. I think this plot still has a way to go. But nothing will ever be the same for the Carter's again. And  haven't even mentioned the fact that Mick now knows Shirl's him muvva! But he doesn't seem to care about that right now. He has bigger things to worry about, and rightly so.

The other main stage on Christmas Day over on EastEnders was the Beale/Branning's family Xmas. And the present left for baby Beth. It was Lucy's jewellery box, and I swear it was left by Abi. She's twisted enough to do that... These two families are going to step right up to the forefront for the NYE episodes where the hunt for Lucy's killer is dramatically stepped up.
We know that there's going to be a massive car smash and someones going to end up dead during the New Year's Day ep. Is the crash and the death linked? I say so...

To me, it looked like Emma Summerhayes in the passenger seat of the car, and she has been giving Abi driving lessons... So I say that the pair crash, and Emma, who will have found out who Lucy's killer is, ends up dead before managing to tell all. Dum Dum Dummmm (or Duff, Duff, Duff!!)

My cousin has also come up with her own theory on Lucy's killer, and now thinks it could be Cindy. The limelight's been off the teen mum, but Jessica (my cousin in question) has noticed her make sly looks over dinner tables, etc, at the mention of it. I guess we'll all know in just over eight weeks time, when the 30th celebrations begin!

Overall, Enders got a 9/10 Christmas mark from me!

Hollyoaks gave us an hour special on Christmas Eve and JP and Ste's wedding was a hoot! A hoot which ended in Sinead revealing Ste to be her baby's dad, and then getting herself run over by Sienna and Dodger. Merry Christmas!

Sinead needed an emergency operation, and her baby is fine and well... I skim over that because I don't think that was the man point of the plot. Sinead's accident gave way to Diane reuniting with her daughter, after disowning her following the reveal of Sinead and Tony's affair. It also allowed Tony to be the one left with nothing and no-one, and opened Ste up to John Paul, where he was honest about sleeping with Sinead and another man... A big storyline to continue into the New Year.

The accident with Sinead also left Dodger being tied up once again by his psycho twin and taken back to the basement of their mothers house. Fate, Sienna believes, intervened and the pair are destined to be together. With Dodger leaving soon, I can't see this ending happily for him. Especially as it's now been revealed that Will Savage will be making a return and have a helping hand in Dodger's exit. Will, who's currently behind bars, is appealing his sentence for murdering his wife Texas, and mother Anna. He was the surprise Christmas returnee!
Imagine a Will and Sienna team-up? I shudder at the thought!

A heads-up - watch out on NYE's hour long special... A big secret is revealed to one poor Oakster - and it leaves more than one person devastated and lives are sure to be ruined for good.

Hollyoaks got a 7/10 from me this Christmas... 

Coronation Street was a good one on the day. As always, Corrie brings light with the shade. Steve's depression and Kylie's leaving were the main stories, and they were done really well. Now that Kylie has departed, having been kicked out by David and picked up by her ex, and Max's dad, Callum, what will become of the Platt family?

Callum will surely be back in town, and rumour has it that he's going to be fighting David for access and possibly custody of little Max. As his biological dad, Callum has right's over David - but is Callum really interested in his son, or does he just want to cause trouble?

David's brother Nick had a very Merry Christmas with his new fling, Erika, who is Liz McDonald's pal. What do you think of Erika? I like her, and think she could be a great new character, but I'm not sure she has staying power. She and Liz are too alike, and there's only room for one! I do like the change she's bought to Nick, however. He needed that. The character was beginning to wain in my opinion.

The unhappier end of Christmas was Roy Cropper ending up behind bars, after attacking Gary Windass, who was robbing the cafe till. Having had enough of being bullied by the local hood-rats, Roy lost his temper and attacked Gary, not knowing it was him, with a bat.
This will open up new stories for Roy, who no doubt is still grieving Hayley. I like his friendship with the new Nasir matriarch, Yasmeen. She's a strong-willed, out there kind of woman, and I think she's a little like Hayley in that respect...

Steve's depression is also about to be realised, leading up to the big bus crash. During the Christmas ep, I found myself giggling at Steve's actions, and then feeling frustrated watching him, which I imagine are the emotions people go down if they're living with someone with the kind of depression Steve's dealing with. You know something's not quite right, but the person is still that same person you know underneath. The funny side to Steve is still there... I'm looking forward to seeing him get the help he needs, and how his family cope. His relationship with Michelle has already become victim to his depression, and she will soon try to move on with newcomer Hamish, played by James Redmond. But once she finds out about Steve's plight, she'll surely rush back to his side..?

Corrie got a Christmassy 8/10 from me!

As for Emmerdale, I feel a little bit of a fraud if I sit here and write lots about it, as I said earlier, it's not a soap that I religiously watch - but rather dip in and out of. The Christmas ep, however, was comedic and dramatic. Bernice turning up in Andy's bride, Katie's, wedding dress to win him back was brilliant!
I know that Sammy Winward, who plays Katie, is set to leave Emmerdale next year - and how she leaves is a talking point for fans.
Having just given Belle, who I hear is suffering with schizophrenia, a job, many are thinking that an accident could occur and Katie could end up no-longer in the land of soap living!

The Christmas Emmerdale won a 7/10 from me...  

So all in all, this festive season, the soaps did well, didn't they!

Here's to the New Year fireworks... And I don't mean the ones in the sky!

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What will YOU be watching over Christmas?

It's that time of year where we begin the mad rush towards Christmas - work deadlines become ten to the dozen, shopping needs to be completed and any spare time we end up being lucky enough to have means catching up on sleeping and (of course) testing out the latest type of Mince Pie that's been created for Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda (or any of the other brand supermarkets out there...)

Hence, the lack of Telly Jolly postings over the course of this last week and a half..! I'm sorry - did you miss me?!

I have, however been speaking to the lovely people over at Ladbrokes who have given me some interesting telly info, on what their customers are most looking forward to watching over the festive week ahead.

On the big day itself, the nation will be watching an average of 4.32 hours of TV, and soap-wise,
EastEnders Lucy Beale’s murder twist is the soap storyline that viewers are most looking forward to this Christmas.

The twist in Lucy's murder mystery is tipped to be the most anticipated Christmas plot - with the New Year being a big turning point, as the suspects - which at the moment is the ENTIRE cast (apart from Stacey - she was already in prison at that time!) - are cut to just eleven.

Steve Mcdonald’s depression storyline over on Coronation Street is the second most anticipated soap plot for this Christmas with 13% of people saying it is the soap storyline they are most looking forward to. Steve's depression is said to cause the New Year bus crash, which will leave a huge number of characters in danger...

I'm also looking forward to Hollyoaks' big Christmas Eve special... Where Ste and John Paul get hitched. But, beware - look out for a shock face from the past lurking somewhere, too!

We all know that the specials all come out to play at Christmas, and the Ladbrokes survey proved that Downtown Abbey is the show that most women (my mum included!) are looking forward to on Christmas Day, where men are excited for the Doctor Who special...

Mrs Brown's Boys comes in highly ranked, with 14% of people looking forward to seeing Mammy and her family!

Miranda is also back with a special finale, and Ladbrokes customers are sure that the awkwards funny-lady will be accepting Gary's proposal this Christmas. as 19% think she'll choose him over Mike, who only gets 5% of the vote.

So, with 80% of us apparently choosing to watch the Tellybox on Christmas Day, what are you most looking forward to setting your beady eyes on?

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EASTENDERS Christmas Trailer - The Truth Will Out!

The EastEnders Christmas trailer is here! 

The dramatic, explosive, gripping promo proves that the festive period over in Walford is not to be missed.

As Mick furiously trashes the Queen Vic, Dean threatens Linda over her baby secret, Ronnie warns Nick to beware and Emma Summerhayes makes a mysterious phone call telling the person on the other end that she knows they killed Lucy. 

The other shock scene is a car - dramatically crashing right across the Square. 

Who's in the vehicle? Has Emma caught out the right killer? How will Linda expose Dean? 

Find out in the 65-minute extravaganza on Christmas Day, 9pm, on BBC1.

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HOLLYOAKS goes feature-length for Christmas!

Hollyoaks fans are in for a right Christmas treat this year - as the soap has promised two hour-long episode for the festive period. 

Now, I know that some of you will think it's too early to be dreaming of a White Christmas, but hey - it is nearly October!

The two special episodes will air on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, and while there hasn't been much news around what the big stories will be, it's been whispered that Ste and John-Paul will take centre stage in the Christmas Eve special. Will the pair have a Christmas themed wedding? 

Ste is currently fighting a cocaine addiction, while trying to support John-Paul, who is facing his rapist, Finn O'Connor, during the teens trial next week.

The NYE special is expected to be all about the 'secrets and lies' which have happened over the course of the year. Will the true paternity of Lindsey's baby be revealed? 

A show source told Digital Spy: 

"These episodes should be a real treat for fans this Christmas. They almost have a movie-esque feel and will feature a lot of story content in two big weeks for the show."

It's expected that a whole new approach will be taken in the writing and filming for these episodes...

Sounds good, eh?!

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