Soapland at Christmas

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

WITH the clocks due to go back on Sunday, it’s an ideal time to look at the three key storylines that are set to strike the three top soaps at Christmas this year.

     It is a common tradition for the soaps to roll out the big guns in an attempt to draw in the viewers, especially for when it comes to the big 25th date itself.  EastEnders knows how to do it, as it’s been the top rated soap on Christmas Day for nine years in a row.  The burning question is, will they make it the perfect ten this year?  Or will Corrie steal glory for the first time since 2001?  Or could Emmerdale spring a surprise and come out on top?

WARNING: Potential spoilers do not read on if you don’t want to know!

EastEnders – Farwell to an Albert Square legend

GOODBYE: How is Pat heading out of the Square?

IT SEEMS like a regular theme.  Christmas in soapland brings a familiar character leaving.  This year, that honour goes to Albert Square icon Pat Evans.  Actress Pam St Clement is hanging up her alter ego’s famous earrings after 20 years in the role.  The likelihood is that Pat will be killed off but how is still up in the air.  The rumoured ways are a horror fire in the B&B or, perhaps more likely, a tragic short battle with cancer.  The final scenes are set to reunite the Butcher family with Ricky (Sid Owen) and Bianca (Patsy Palmer) returning as are Pat’s sons, Simon and David Wicks (Nick Berry and Michael French), last seen in the mid-nineties.  Either way, it is certainly set to be another tearjerker of a Christmas in the Square.

Coronation Street – Teenage heartbreak on the cards

HEARTBREAK: Sophie and Sian's relationship looks set for a unhappy ending

ONE of Corrie’s most popular storylines over the past two years has been the lesbian relationship between Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson).  This Christmas, it looks like the romance could potentially hit the skids.  Last week saw Sophie end up kissing workmate Amber Kalirai (Nikki Patel) and in an act of guilt, decided to pop the question to Sian, setting up a civil partnership ceremony for the festive period.  Whilst it is known that the storyline will get to at least the day of the ceremony, it seems that they may not get to say ‘I do.’  The rumours are that the event will be called off as Sophie decides that it’s Amber that she really wants.  However, Amber might also decide to get her own back and make the secret kiss a public matter, leading to a potential jilt.  With Sacha Parkinson set bid farewell to Weatherfield as Sian at the start of 2012, it looks as if this love story sadly won’t get the happy ending that it deserves.

Emmerdale – Happy Families, unlikely!

WHEREAS EastEnders and Corrie’s plot lines have broken cover, Emmerdale is still being kept mostly under wraps.  However, it looks as if their main plot will centre round the continuing illness of Debbie Dingle’s (Charley Webb) daughter Sarah.  In desperate need of a bone marrow transplant for Sarah to survive, she and Sarah’s father Andy Sugden (Kelvin Fletcher) decide to take drastic action that could have several drawbacks in the long term.  It is possible that this could also connect with the birth of Amy Wyatt’s (Chelsea Halfpenny) baby at Christmas, and whether the dad of the newborn Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) will oppose to this decision.  It seems an extremely and complicated based storyline at the moment, mainly as it hasn’t really been fully unveiled.  Soap addicts should remember though, Emmerdale never really does simple and basic storylines, especially at Christmas.

     One thing is certainly agreed, Christmas Day will once again be far from quiet in the land of soaps.  Just what side will the public tune into this year?  There’s only 59 days to go until we have our answer.

British Soap Awards 2011 - The nominations

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

NEXT Saturday, the stars of Britain’s five premier soaps will gather at the BBC Television Centre in London to celebrate, reflect and reminisce the big events in soap over the past twelve months.  Several talking points have been raised following the release of the British Soap Awards nominations last week, so it’s only fitting to have a look at some of the contenders and possible winners or losers.

PROMISE: Will Danny's acting skills finally earn him an award?

     The viewing public once again have their say in six of the awards, which are the most hotly contested.  In ‘Sexiest Male’, Keith Duffy and Chris Fountain of Coronation Street (Ciaran McCarthy and Tommy Duckworth), the latter has only been present since last month, will go up against EastEnders’ Scott Maslen (Jack Branning) and Emmerdale’s Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy).  The ‘Sexiest Female’ award also swayed in favour of Corrie with nominations for Alison King (Carla Connor) and Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) with competition from EastEnders’ Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell) and Hollyoaks Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen).

     In ‘Villain Of The Year’, EastEnders heads the running with Charlie Brooks (Janine Molloy) and Don Gilet (Lucas Johnson) but they will have their work cut out with Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) from Corrie, beating obvious candidate Graeme Hawley (John Stape) and Emmet J. Scanlan (Brendan Brady) from Hollyoaks.

     A strong field for ‘Best Actress’ features Corrie’s Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald), Jessie Wallace from EastEnders (Kat Moon), Emmerdale’s Jane Cox (Lisa Dingle), who won honourable praise for her recent rape storyline and a surprise nod for Claire Cooper (Jacqui McQueen) from Hollyoaks.  In ‘Best Actor’, Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) from Corrie and Shane Richie (Alfie Moon) from EastEnders will compete alongside popular figures Danny Miller and Emmet J. Scanlan.

     The remaining awards are determined by an expert panel.  They have made some questionable choices in the past but they believe they know they are doing.  One of the most anticipated awards will be for ‘Spectacular Scene of the Year.’  The clear favourite is Corrie’s Tram Crash with opposition from EastEnders’ Queen Vic Fire, Emmerdale for the extreme car crash that left Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) paralyzed and Hollyoaks for its lift shaft stunt.  In ‘Best Single Episode,’ Corrie’s Live Episode is also the obvious choice with no rather stiff competition for it whilst the ‘Best Storyline’ is contested by Corrie for Kevin Webster’s (Michael Le Vell) affair with the late Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) which destroyed the closely-knitted Webster clan, Doctors for Karen’s abortion and Emmerdale hoping to cause an upset with Holly Barton’s (Sophie Powles) drug addiction.  Despite a national outcry, EastEnders’ Baby Swap storyline is nominated.  If it wins, many would expect outrage and fury from fans and media commentators alike.

OUTSIDER: Steph's Hollyoaks exit last November was a tearjerker

     For ‘Best Comedy Performance’, it’s a close call with the favourites being EastEnders Tameka Empson (Kim Fox) and Hollyoaks Alex Carter (Lee Hunter).  Despite not being put forward for Best Actress, Jane Danson (Leanne Barlow) is still preferred by many to win the ‘Best Dramatic Performance’ award.  She will be hard pushed by Danny Miller, his third nomination overall, Claire Cooper and EastEnders Lindsey Coulson (Carol Jackson).  The ‘Best Exit’ award will sometimes shed a tear or two, and this year is no exception with Corrie’s Bill Tarmey (Jack Duckworth), Emmerdale’s Andy Devine (Shadrach Dingle), EastEnders Lacey Turner (Stacey Branning) and Hollyoaks Carley Stenson (Steph Roach).  It isn’t surprising that Turner would be considered favourite but Stenson’s exit in November’s Il Gnosh fire was very well-handled and could be Hollyoaks best chance at success this year.

SNUB: Sophie and Sian's Corrie romance is popular, but not enough for an award

     One new award is for ‘Best Young Performance,’ a simple renaming of the dramatic performance for a young actor or actress.  The main contenders are all nominated, Corrie’s Alexander Bain (Simon Barlow), EastEnders Maisie Smith (Tiffany Butcher), Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle) and Hollyoaks Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham).  The real surprises come from the ‘Best On-Screen Partnership’ nominations.  Although well-known contenders Katherine Kelly & Simon Gregson, Jessie Wallace & Shane Ritchie and Emma Atkins & Jeff Hordley are in the running, it’s very surprising to see only one same-sex duo in the list, Kieron Richardson and Emmet J. Scanlan for Hollyoaks.  I emphasise that because the last year has seen a sharp rise in focusing on storylines with same-sex relationships.  So it’s very shocking that EastEnders Christian Clarke and Syed Masood (John Partridge & Marc Elliott), Emmerdale’s Danny Miller & Marc Silcock (Aaron Livesey & Jackson Walsh) and Corrie’s lesbian couple Brooke Vincent & Sacha Parkinson (Sophie Webster & Sian Powers) weren’t considered to be nominated considering all of their heightened popularity from viewers.

     Finally, the ‘Best Newcomer’ is also widely contested between four popular new faces.  Corrie’s Paula Lane (Kylie Turner), EastEnders Ricky Norwood (Fatboy Chubb), Emmerdale’s Pauline Quirke (Hazel Rhodes) and for Hollyoaks, you guessed it, Emmet J. Scanlan, five nominations for him.  To conclude, all five soaps are nominated for the viewer-voted ‘Best British Soap’ as usual and the ‘Special Achievement’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement’ will be unveiled on the night.  Although no clues have been given yet, the Lifetime honour is rumoured to go to Corrie again for either Bill Tarmey or William Roache (Ken Barlow), who has been in the soap since day one.  Once again, This Morning host Phillip Schofield presents the ceremony.

     In closing, this year’s awards are so close for contention.  Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale have nominations in every category, Hollyoaks managed to get more than many experts first predicted whilst Doctors only got two nominations, perhaps sealing that it will go away empty handed.

The ceremony takes place next Saturday and will be broadcast on ITV1 next Wednesday.  May the best soap win!