It’s no secret that EastEnders isn’t exactly at its best at the moment.
Instead of a coherent soap it’s more a collection of random stories happening to random characters at any one moment.
It’s almost as if the producers shoved a load of storyline ideas and a load of character names into two tombolas and just pulled out one from each to decide what happens.
Male rape? Ben Mitchell? Done. Walford attacker storyline? Ben Mitchell? Also done!
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Alcoholism? Linda Carter? That works. New brother who is also dying? Mitch Baker! Great job lads.
If only it was working – but it just isn’t.
The old ploys like bringing back beloved and iconic characters have been tried.
EastEnders needs drastic action to get back to its best
Janine Butcher’s return has failed to live up to expectations with bosses lumbering her with a bizarre crush on Mick Carter.
However on the flip side, Sam Mitchell’s return has been nothing but brilliant.
And part of that is that bosses looked back into the past – into what worked before and took the best elements.
They need to do that again – and they need to use when EastEnders was at its best.
In particular – those wonderful years between 2006 and 2010 when it all seemed so magical.
Forget Den and Angie – Stacey and Max’s affair was a masterclass in long-form storylines and an explosive Christmas episode.
What could be better?
New characters arrived in the form of Roxy and Ronnie Mitchell and they were incredible.
They joined instantly iconic newcomers like Sean Slater, Shirley Carter and Ritchie Scott.
And if that’s not enough then there was the Masoods, Tiffany Butcher and Whitney Dean arriving as well as the iconic Heather Trott and the hunky Jack Branning.
Janine in EastEnders 2006-2010
Janine was in the Square – and she was Janine. Cunning and evil, just as we like her.
It wasn’t all about hellos either – there were some major goodbyes.
EastEnders icon Pauline Fowler said goodbye to Walford forever, and Archie Mitchell was killed off in a huge whodunnit.
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The soap knew its identity, it knew fans wanted diversity in both characters and storytelling.
And it delivered along with decent writing, tight-plotting and creativity.
The soap needs to shake off its current malaise and bring that back to the fore if it stands any chance of surviving.
EastEnders usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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