[Amy]

Viewers believe EastEnders has lost its appeal and want to see the show improve its storylines, a Daily Mirror poll has revealed.

Figures showed 57% of viewers think the show has lost its appeal - with 16% describing the slump as "dramatic".

Researchers interviewed 2,157 people. Of that sample, 909 watched EastEnders.

The survey found 29% of people wanted gangster Andy Hunter, played by Michael Higgs, to be killed off.

Only 15% thought that the programme had improved over the 12 months.

The poll, conducted by YouGov, found that 48% are watching less than they were a year ago, compared with 8% who were tuning in more frequently.

More than half - 53% - want to see better plots while 36% think that the characters need to improve.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We are happy that year in year out, our audience share has been steady. That shows the audience is sticking with the show."

Article from Ananova

[Victor2Win]

*** message Deleted ***

[Amy]

If you can't be nice Victor2Win then don't post anything there is no need for name calling or swearing.

[golden~rose]

i think eastenders has slightly lost it. but im still dedicated to it
there has been times where the storylines needed improving and at the moment the producers have a tendency to drag the storylines---the main reason causin eastenders to become boring!!!

[Hooly One]

They need new characters, big storylines and they need to axe a couple of characters off.

I also read in a mag that shane richie is planning on leaving later this year and that jessie wallace wants to leave as well.

[golden~rose]

yeah i read that too. jessie said that if her character gets boring then she will leave, especially after shane does. eastenders will be facing loos, especially after these two big characters leave!!

[She Devil]

It has lost the plot. I don't like this affair between Den and Kate, I find it repulsive.

[golden~rose]

yeah, the story just doesnt sound real anymore!! everything seems dragged and unrealistic!!!

[AndyJK]

The last time I watched Eastenders regularly was probably the storyline where Bianca's affair with Dan was exposed (that must have been 8 years ago at least.) If I've watched it since it's usually been out of curiosity or around someone's house having no choice.

The storylines nearly always have the characters sulk around spitting poison at each other with Kat being the worst of a particularly bad bunch. I find her repulsive in every way and it beggers belief what appeal she holds to fans of the program. And don't even get me started on Shane Ritchie. It's a miserable piece of television set in a miserable part of London. If you ask me, Eastenders should have been cancelled a long time ago. I find it disgraceful that I'm paying for these pointless overpaid, underworked 'actors.'

I prefer the Australian soaps where at least you have some nice looking people who smile, some great characters like Lou Carpenter & Harold Bishop who are likable and all set in beautiful scenary where it's always sunny.

[Red Moon]

It turned me off about 10 years ago....then so did most of the programming other than Big Brother

[golden~rose]

wow, eastenders popularity is dropping, i just force myself to watch it, my eyes are never glued onto the tv screen though!!

[Red Moon]

Next years Big Brother could turn the house mates in the bedsit into mindless TV watches by playing them Eastenders 24 hours a day 7 days a week....

It would be a warning to us all

[golden~rose]

lol rm

[Kerry1]

Eastenders has got bad. I heard that Mickeys family is moving into the square and are all trouble makers, so hopefully this might liven the programme up a bit.

[mizzy]

aw there has just been a really nice bit in enders tonite with ian and that girl cant remember her name painting ians new house bright yellow whilst dancing to prince charming by adam ant where ian kissed her but then they spoil it by her saying its not wot she wanted then it ended with her going to see her terminally il lhusband i only know that coz i read it lol

[mizzy]

btw andy jk my fave soaps r home n away n neighbours i love them both and they r the only 2 soaps i actually log off for lol

[She Devil]

I haven't seen neighbours and home and away for years.

[mizzy]

she devil i bet u wud catch up straight away h and a was off our screens 4 a whole year but once it had been back on 1 week it was like it had never been off lol as 4 neighbours harold bishop and lou carpenter r still in it the kennedys darren starke etc i bet u remember all of them? honest u shud watch it just to see lol

[golden~rose]

ive been watching home and away recently but i never watch neighbours, dunno why!!

[AndyJK]

Originally posted by mizzy
btw andy jk my fave soaps r home n away n neighbours i love them both and they r the only 2 soaps i actually log off for lol

Even if I don't watch Neighbours for months, I can easily slip into it again purely for escapism, with the wonderful sunshine and cheerful, charismatic characters.

I began watching Eastenders last night as it followed a programme I had been watching (probably the Olympics), but as soon as it reached a cringeworthy, toe-curling scene with Ian Beale flirting with some girl whilst decorating to the strains of Adam Ant's "Prince Charming" in an attempot at humour was too much, and I was forced to dive for the remote and switch it over.

[mizzy]

lol aw i thought that was quite funny but yes i know wot u mean about neighbours but why oh why did they have to split up susan and karl kennedy? lol

[Kerry1]

god are they still in it?

[mizzy]

yup they r im gonna start up a new thread about ozzy soaps lol