SoapWorld: News In Brief August 24th

Tonight a BBC press release on Doctors, that despite what some may suggest was issued to everyone at the same time 1:12pm today to be exact and is neither exclusive to Diana Dors or Fanny Craddock; also a recap of today’s top story that actress Samantha Womack has had the terrible news her father topped himself in his lavatory. In related news we look at the bonkers fans of EastEnders character Danielle.

Big Names For Doctors.

Now I know Digital Spy have noted it as an “exclusive” but its as about exclusive to Digital Spy as a wet weekend in Scarborough. So lets cut the bull and move onto the actual facts.

Yes the BBC released a press release to everyone today to announce that former EastEnders actress Tracey-Ann Oberman will star as Cathy Harley on Tuesday 29 September and on Friday October 2nd former Coronation Street and EastEnders actor Ian Reddington appears as Tim Clayden. Storylines will of course appear in our Pick Of The Plots at the time but we can say there is suspicion that Cathy may be a murderer…

Dad Death for Enders Womack.

Samantha Womack – EastEnders’ Ronnie Mitchell – is reported to be distraught after the death of her father. The actress had previously had a difficult relationship with her sixty-year-old dad – who reportedly suffered from depression.

In June he spoke to The Sun of his distress at being cut from wedding snaps of Samantha and her new husband Mark Womack when they appeared in a magazine. The Sun reports Mr Janus was found dead in his bathroom after hanging himself.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper a neighbour of the deceased, John Austin, commented: “As far as we know he hanged himself.

“He was a nice chap and I got on with him. I saw him coming back with his dog on Friday evening. He seemed quite bright even though he had heart trouble.”

Soap Fanatics Pay “Tribute” to dead Danielle.

Ever since Danielle Jones – the long lost child of Ronnie Mitchell was bumped off in EastEnders earlier this year fans have been howling and whaling over her departure. Some have even gone as far as to suggest the character should be revived.

At the weekend a shrine to the fallen character played by Lauren Crace was placed outside the BBC Elstree studios in the small hours. It was soon however cleared away.

The shrine included pictures, flowers, cards and cuddy toys. Fans of Danielle had raised circa £300 for the tribute to the character who in an emotional storyline, which was watched by 11.5 million, upon its climax in April saw Danielle revealing to Ronnie that she was her missing child; only to be knocked down and killed moments later. Fans of the character have demanded her return to the BBC One soap with over 41,000 signing an online petition.

ATV soap critic Fanny Mount comments “It would be ridiculous for EastEnders to bring back this character, we saw her die; it isn’t a Den Watts situation at all. It isn’t the first time the soap had had such tragedies – and it won’t be the last. If producers did give in and restore the character the soap wouldn’t last the year as there has to be a believable and credible element to it which would be lost. She has to stay dead.”

The website that organised the silent candle-lit protest, which included a printed banner which read “Gone, but not forgotten. Bring Back Danielle“, stated:

“The purpose of the plan was to politely remind EastEnders bosses that we have still not received a response to the petition and we still have not forgotten about the unbelievably disappointing ending to what was a brilliant storyline.

 “So after much brainstorming I finally had an idea and I hoped that it would not only remind Enders bosses of our disappointment but also give the people working at Elstree a bit of a laugh as well.”

EastEnders boss Diederick Santer has made it clear the character will not be coming out of the coffin.

It isn’t the first time soap fans have gone “crazy” over storylines, however it is the first time fans have protested on such a scale to bring back a dead character. Other big soap protests in the past include Free Deidre in the 1990s when Coronation Street’s favourite spectacle wearing wife of Ken Barlow was banged up for a crime she didn’t commit; while over at Crossroads in the 1960s when Meg Richardson was sent to prison for dangerous driving viewers sent food parcels and rang the prison asking if they could visit the character.

And that is the news for Monday 24 August 2009. Ah maybe I should have put ‘Exclusive’ on the press releases I upload before anyone else…