As a former fan of this show, it's rather sad for me to admit that this show has definitely gone downhill with lazier writing.Before, EastEnders use to tackle a variety of things but made sure that it was built up instead of just popping out of nowhere. The cast also seemed more believable at the time and they've always managed to keep their viewers interested and entertained by clever pacing, twists, characters, performances and overall pacing.Unfortunately, even EastEnders cannot stand on it's two feet for that long anymore. It has gotten to be pretty lazy with repetitive affair plots, pregnancy plots etc. For how repetitive the writing can be, it can also make it pretty unrealistic and that applies to he newer cast as well which is a shame because some characters like Vincent are really good.Do I think this show can still improve? It depends on whether they can cook up something fresh or new because otherwise I'd say they need to take a break.

Eastenders really is in a bad state since Dominic Treadwell-Collins took over, although I do admit he did fine for a little while bringing the show back from a low state, but at this moment I feel it's the worst it's ever been.Poor castings who cannot act and are solely based on their looks and are usually male and topless within a week, a lot of the better actors and actresses underused and then axed which is disgusting and those who can't act given more scenes.Terrible and overrun stories in where we are forced to feel sympathetic to characters such as rapists who get no comeuppance whilst also being shoved down our throats by their overbearing family the "Carters" in this case, which brings me to screen hogging, we get episodes even weeks of the same characters going over and over the same subject there is no variety anymore.Big changes are needed, DTC out and bring back the older iconic characters to the forefront and make better use of the younger cast who are capable of acting.

On February 19th of this year, 'EastEnders' marked its 30th anniversary by airing that night's episode live. I didn't bother to tune in. 'EastEnders' to me is a completely different programme now. All its plots seem to consist of now is adultery and violence, with shouting in lieu of acting. It is easy then to forget just how good the show was at its peak from 1985 - 2000.Everything takes place in Albert Square, a small street in the bustling area of Walford where its main attractions are the Queen Victoria public house ( or The Vic as it became known ), the local fruit and veg stall or the local café. The first episode kicked off with the residents of the square witnessing an old man named Reg Cox being carted off in an ambulance following a brutal beating which subsequently led to his death. Within a matter of weeks after its debut, viewers got to know just how dangerous a place Walford was and each week would tune in to see how the characters lived another day.For years, 'EastEnders' tackled many taboo subjects with such conviction and aplomb, such as Arthur Fowler's battle with depression, the death of Ali and Sue Osman's son Hassan from cot death, Michelle Fowler's underage pregnancy following a one-night stand with Queen Vic publican Dirty Den Watts and Mark Fowler's diagnosis with HIV. Perhaps one of the most famous moments from 'EastEnders' was when Den handed Angie divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986 after he found out she lied to him about being terminally ill. The Christmas special gave the soap its highest rating of 31.1 million viewers.My favourite characters included downtrodden Arthur Fowler ( excellently played by Bill Treacher ), Anita Dobson's alcoholic landlady Angie Watts, gormless Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt ), unlucky in love Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley ), Mitchell brothers Grant and Phil ( Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden ) but my two main favourites were Pat and Frank Butcher ( wonderfully played by both Pam St. Clement and the late Mike Reid ). Both Pat and Frank brought a much needed dose of pathos and humour to the surroundings and during their time on screen gave us many memorable moments. Who can forget Frank turning up on Pat's doorstep naked ( save for a revolving bow tie )? Reid's character proved so popular he was used in a hilarious advert for Oasis juice.When Reid died in 2007, it was decided that Frank would be written out. After all, Reid had made the character his own to such an extent that to replace him would have been impossible. In 2012, Pat was killed off when Pam St. Clement decided it was time to quit. Icons of 'EastEnders' were no more.As I said earlier in this review, I don't watch 'EastEnders' ( or 'Life Enders' as I call it now ) these days. The story lines now are so wooden that you can smell creosote whenever you watch it. I think it's high time UK Gold raided the vaults and gave us all a trip down memory lane.

Coarse, vulgar, repetitive, clichéd, unimaginative, tawdry, aggressive, nasty, this feeble excuse for entertainment seeks out the worst aspects of human nature and magnifies them across a community, never contrasting them in any meaningful way with any of the characteristics that make living in human society tolerable, let alone joyous. New writers seem to buy into the milieu immediately (yes that word, I don't apologise for erudition) by recycling plots, adultery, rape, murder, gangsters, family betrayal, sexual abuse, etc. etc. etc. in this supposedly ordinary London square. In the UK they used to call these 'continuing drama serials', but this truly is 'soap' in the American sense, trite observations on supposedly current societal shifts, hypocritical public defences of 'shocking' and 'offensive' material broadcast in the early evening on a public channel, the constant refrain that 'we merely reflect society' as if that is any defence to the constant depiction of ever coarsening human relations. If I make the mistake of being on this channel as the theme music starts up, my mouth dries and my mood sinks as I reach to turn the TV over, or at least change channels! Save yourselves from this opiate for the foolish, run, run fast, run far and keep on running!