The best soap arcs/eras

[willy crossit]

I have never really followed any soap closely. I dip into Corrie occasionally, I followed Hollyoaks for a bit at uni (mainly cos it was on after Simpsons and enjoy the odd Casualty ep. I know there are current and former soap fans on here - what's your favourite storyline/arc/era of your favourite soaps? And is there anything you'd put up there as being on the same level as yer critically acclaimed 'prestige TV' shows?

[Dex Sawash]

I like Skins, does that count?

[Attila]

For me, the glory days of Casualty were about 10 or so years ago (when Simon MacCorkindale played the head of the hospital, Harry Harper). Some really demented and silly storylines and mad characters. I'm still waiting for Guppy to come back, like someone who's just emerged from 'The Jaunt,' as I think his character just faffed off one day.

Both Casualty and Holby used to be shot on videotape, rather than film; I miss those days. Gave it a way different feel than it does now.

[biggytitbo]

When Jack Duckworth grew a horn.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The only thing that livens up soaps is BASTARDS. Everyone watches when a BASTARD is in it, then when it becomes about a comfort eating self harmer no-one cares.

I will watch if there is a BASTARD but I will not if there is not a BASTARD. Clear?

[biggytitbo]

When Mavis Wilton became an anal sex evangelist.

[Attila]

On the other hand, catching up with last night's Casualty here, and it's just turned into 127 Hours. Splendid lazy Sunday morning watch-over-breakfast fare.

[Alternative Carpark]

I read in a book once that there was a Crossroads plotline where Amy Turtle was accused of being a Russian spy called Amelia Turtlovski.

[Phil_A]

Phil Mitchell on crack. The pinacle of Eastenders and perhaps all of human civilisation.

[Dr Syntax Head]

I was also going to mention the Phil Mitchell self destruction. The Max and Tanya ongoing hate marriage resulting in him being buried alive was pretty grim.

It's easy to mock soaps but there have been some really harrowing domestic abuse ranging from full on violence to insidious mental manipulation that gets a bit real. I like to think that soaps have in some way raised some awareness of an issue many would chose to ignore.

[buttgammon]

The Phil Mitchell crack storyline was extraordinary - it even topped tramp Ian Beale. The Max stuff was great too, especially when it dredged up all of the horrible stuff about how Jim was so awful to him in his childhood. Jake Wood is a terrific soap actor, he gives everything.

[ollyboro]

Anyone remember Terry "Terry" Sullivan joining a cult in Brookie? The cult leader (Simon?) had them all shagging eachother in the cul-de-sac. He then got them all to starve themselves. When he was caught bang to rights ramming a pizza in his mouth his excuse was he was eating for them all.

[Gulftastic]

The Jordache saga in Brookie was great, but also marked the point when that show's long and painful descent into farce began. They became addicted to SHOCK! plots. Prior to that, it was easily the best soap on telly. But I can never hate it as it brought Anna Friel into my sphere of interest.

A more recent great arc was the misadventures of John Stape in Corrie. An accidental serial killer. The thing was written as black comedy, and was a soap first, a real rarity in this day and age.

[biggytitbo]

There was an alien kidnapping plot in Crossroads.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

There was an alien kidnapping plot in Crossroads.

Was this the one coinciding with Willie Thorne's cameo?

[biggytitbo]

No, that would be far fetched.

[dr beat]

In Brookside cult leader Simon was a Manc who kidnapped Barry Grant, who claimed "you lot haven't been the same since you won the Double".

[kidsick5000]

Anyone remember Terry "Terry" Sullivan joining a cult in Brookie? The cult leader (Simon?) had them all shagging eachother in the cul-de-sac. He then got them all to starve themselves. When he was caught bang to rights ramming a pizza in his mouth his excuse was he was eating for them all.

Turns out Brian Regan had his own stunning storyline
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/brookside-terry-brian-regan-marked-3350897

[Emma Raducanu]

Jack and Vera will probably forever be my favourite soap characters. They were around during some rather warm, cuddly, quaint times when Ken Barlow banging Deidre behind the bins was the only drama.

They so much remind me of my own grandparents, of Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at home with my family, of lasagna for tea, of grandstand on a Saturday afternoon after swimming.

Tyrone saying goodbye to Jack when he'd died nearly made me cry a thousand tears.

Makes you proud to be British.

[DrGreggles]

Does Dream Team count?
If so, all of that.

[itsfredtitmus]

The only thing that livens up soaps is BASTARDS. Everyone watches when a BASTARD is in it, then when it becomes about a comfort eating self harmer no-one cares.

I will watch if there is a BASTARD but I will not if there is not a BASTARD. Clear?

Stanhope bit

[kidsick5000]

If you're over 40, Dierdre's affair with Mike Baldwin had the nation gripped.


Odd name, isn't it. Dierdre. Sounds odd, looks odd written.

[Dolly Clackett]

I was watching Classic Coronation Street on ITV3 recently and one of the episode's main arcs was whether Mike Baldwin would let Curly Watts write his Business Studies thesis on Baldwin's Casuals. Halcyon days.

[Cloud]

Fff, dunno.  I liked the Kat and her daughter who thought she was her sister thing in EE (culminating in "YOU AIN'T MY MUVVA!"  "YES I AAAAM!"), but seem to recall it was a heck of a drag leading up to it.

Deirdre and that conman 'airline pilot' (tie salesman?) on Corrie when she ended up in prison and even Tony Blair got involved in the #FreeDeirdre campaign, that was pretty good.

[Kryton]

Jimmy Corkhill's overall arc.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Ted Roach can keep his job if he apologies but just fucks off instead.

[non capisco]

Phil Mitchell on crack. The pinacle of Eastenders and perhaps all of human civilisation.

Absolute dynamite, this was. The best detail was after Phil had been sucking on the old glass cock for a couple of days all the pictures in his flat were suddenly hung wonkily. "AH...AM...SO...POWERFUUUUUL!" Tramp Ian was a huge disappointment after that saga, let's be honest. All I can remember about that was that he didn't want to take his wooly hat off.

Eastenders is always fucking hilarious when it turns its beady socio-realist eye onto the scourge of drugs. I remember with a huge amount of fondness the storyline where Nick Cotton returned to the square and started knocking out acid. Martin Fowler's trip consisted of seeing Nick Cotton through a fisheye lens effect leering at him and going "Good, innit?" in the launderette. That would have stopped me taking acid if I'd seen that as an impressionable teenager, it looked shit.

I need not mention the Gutbuster again oh I just have.

[Mr_Simnock]

[buttgammon]

Perhaps my favourite Eastenders moment of all time is Nick Cotton's arrival the last time he came back. "Hello ma," long pause... "happy Halloween!" I swear he found out that episode was due to be broadcast on Halloween and ad libbed it.

[non capisco]

I'm old enough to remember Dot and Pete Beale tying Nick Cotton to his bed in an enforced cold turkey scenario. If you didn't see this I expect you can conjure for yourselves the unflinching sense of challenging realism. Oooh, he wasn't happy. Peckish for some heroin, he was. Also Arthur Fowler going on a gameshow dressed up as a mouse.