Coronation Street: This show has continued to improve over the last few months and the residual consequences of the tram crash storyline have been gripping stuff. It served as a motive for Claire being the one responsible for Tracy getting her head caved and there was an interesting sense of community spirit as everyone helped her escape the police. Tracy's going to have find some other way to vent her rage now. Also when we weren't dealing with Janice being burgled or Fiz's growing financial woes (and the unwise choice of helping to claim Joy Fishwick's will), there was John having a breakdown. He's really sensitive for a killer, ain't he? Gary's continuous breakdowns are also apt but the writers do need to give him to do as well and Eileen's stealing off Owen was surprisingly short lived. Highlight of the month was Sally's means of trying to dissuade buyers from her house. Take that, Kevin Webster.
EastEnders: For a show that won Best Soap at the NTA's last week, I'm struggling to think of one of the many big storylines in January 2011 that was actually likeable. I'm not gonna further comment on the baby swap storyline because it's so damn tedious that I don't want to care. Similarly I can't bring myself to care about Christian and Syed's boring quest to have a baby with Roxy because the writers can't be arsed to actually develop them as a couple. Nor do I care about Phil's near but not deadly heart attack or his tiresome feuding with Ian. Plus, if I go into the Carol/Connor and Phil/Glenda/Ian affairs, I might just throw up and unlike Heather's fecking sneezing about the place last week, I would be convincing. Overall, this was a month that gave and gave bad storylines in spades.
Emmerdale: Maybe the producers were feeling left out with the tram stuff but did they really think a fire storyline was going to ignite the same talk? Probably but it wasn't as good and given that both Terry and Viv were long time characters, they deserved better an exit. Plus, I don't believe Katie's really worth the effort, Henshall, though he didn't have to do much to convince the village that Andy was responsible though, did he? Better thought out storylines was Lisa's rape by creepy Derek, Maisie and Will's more subdued but effective exits and the recent antics with Faye, Cain, Charity and Jai, even if it does make Cain look like a dolt. Also, why do I get the bad feeling that Aaron and Jackson are effectively doomed? Those recent video diaries of Jackson's are not a good omen and neither is the arrival of Flynn, who I did find rather cute by the way.
Hollyoaks: A really great month for this show, even if I couldn't care less about Mercedes cheating on Riley with his dad. Overall, I'm loving the inclusion of Mitzee into the Brendan/Ste plot, enjoying the weird but interesting partnership of Brendan and Warren, the fallout of Jasmine/Jason's GID storyline with the Costellos and even little Tom trying to defend Jack from an intruder. For a soap that's heavily youth obsessed, it can be quite brilliant with storylines that other soaps aren't at times. Even the return of the rather annoying Gaz for a brief time couldn't deter the greatness of this month, though Nancy's moaning about Darren being a new dad was a little tiresome. Plus, no overkill on the McQueens as well certainly helped matters.
Fair City: I won't be talking about this soap every month (or maybe I will) but I have to admit that I like it when a soap gives us an odd coupling and Turlough and Neasa perfectly fit that trope. Not only have I managed to actually like Turlough and feel bad for him but it was nice to see one male character on the show not treat Neasa like a bimbo either. Too bad Bob has to be a perennial spanner in the works with his inane glee in trying to wreck both Turlough/Neasa and Carol/Louis whenever he got the chance to. And while I'm finding the whole trying to normalise the other Bishop brothers a bit too rushed, points to the show for the brief Come Dine With Me subplot with Niamh, Orla, Yvonne and Carol as well this month.
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