How do we want to handle BBC vs PBS show threads?

[Chip]

I would like to expand the conversation and create threads for various characters. What are your thoughts about how to handle this with the huge narrative gap between the PBS and BBC episodes?

[M. Darcy]

I think you might have to have two separate threads for each character.  For example with Ian

you can't mention what's happening currently without talking about Lucy's murder and that is a big spoiler considering she is just a little girl in PBS land.

. While you can spoil tag future talk, it might get a little confusing to remember what time period you are talking about.  Of course, some things are always the same no matter the time period such as wow, Ian is an idiot. 

[Milz]

 

Of course, some things are always the same no matter the time period such as wow, Ian is an idiot.

 

ROTFLMAO!

 

I think as long as everyone knows that PBS is about 10 years behind the BBC, it will be okay to use spoiler tags or include a warning.

[Ohwell]

I agree with Milz's suggestion. 

 

Also, I might suggest to PBS viewers to never go to Wikipedia to look up a character, or an actor who plays a character.  You will get spoiled.  I did that because I was curious about the some of the actors.  I didn't realize that the write up would be so detailed, and I kept on reading and got spoiled about a lot of what happened in the future episodes.  I still watch the PBS show, and I just try to forget about what I read, lol. 

[Milz]

I actually like the EE spoilers because it gives me something to look forward to when the story lines get a bit slow. For example, I couldn't believe the Feirrarras and Millers were as bad as what I read on forums, and the like, so I looked forward to seeing exactly how bad they were (and they were that bad).

 

Anyhow, I wrote in the "Banned from the Vic" thread that PBS viewers will always be behind and we won't watch some UK shows because we won't get them here or because if we do get them it will also be delayed. I think for that thread, I don't think something like "Jim Smythe (AKA Barney) was on Mr. Selfridge" isn't very spoilerish. However, something like "Jim Smythe (AKA Barney the guy who held Marie hostage in the Vic after she told him Janie is Bert's daughter ) was on Mr. Selfridge" would deserve a spoiler tag for "the guy who held hostage Marie hostage in the Vic after she told him Janie is Bert's daughter".

[M. Darcy]

The person I was going to mention and then thought twice about it is

Jake Wood because I don't think at this point we know in PBSland that Jim even has a son. So even mentioning him would be a spoiler. Wait, do we know about him? Hmm. We know about Carol but do we know about Max? Ack. It is confusing the way people come and go on this show.

[Milz]

M. Darcy we know

Carol has brothers because we've seen them before at April's wedding. But no names were given. And we know Carol's brothers beat up David Wicks, but again, no names given.

[M. Darcy]

I started watching, hmm, around the time I think right before the Slaters arrived in the Square so if stuff happened before that I'm not sure (except what I read on Wikipedia).  Characters and actors leave and return so many times - there are many that were on before I started watching and left so if and when they return they are new to me.

Here's another question (maybe we need a section for questions) - Johnny Allen.  Was he actually one before 2005 or is it someone people talked about and never saw.  He seems to have a past there but Wikipedia says 2005 was his first appearance.  Hee, maybe I'm thinking too much about these characters.

[Milz]

Johnny Allen showed up in 2005. They gave him a "history" with Albert Square, because you see Den looking at him and telling Chrissie he thinks he knows that bloke. Pauline makes a comment about the Square seeing "his type" before.  Johnny asking someone about a Pat Harris. And Johnny Allen calls Dot, Mrs. Cotton. As far as I know, he was never mentioned before that time even in passing.

[M. Darcy]

Thanks!  That's what I thought.   Sort of like Dawn from Buffy.  And just as annoying.  I guess they needed a bad guy since Phil was on the run, and Den and Andy were about to get murdered.

Edited June 5, 2014 by M. Darcy

[Milz]

They've done that with other EE characters like Mo Harris and Tom Banks. When the Slaters move into the Square, Pauline and Pat see Mo. Pauline gives Pat a look and says something like "Uh-oh". Tom Banks shows up and Mark, Ian and Sharon acknowledge him as an old friend from when they were kids. But the show began when they were teens (Michelle, Sharon and Ian were about 16 and 15 at the time). So if Tom probably was a friend of theirs when they were younger than mid-teens.

 

I'm waiting for them to introduce a new character who's always lived on the Square, who knows all the characters, but we've never met before because they never figured into a storyline (Lots of houses on the Square and surrounding it presumably inhabited by Albert Square residents whom we've never met.)  That would leave a lot of viewers guessing if  Ella comes into the Vic asking if anyone's seen her dad and all the characters act like they know her and her family.

[Eatveggies]

Where is everyone's storyline at, mine is at abt Spring 2005. Kat just came back and so did Sam.

[TimWil]

On WLIW/Ch 21 in NY/NJ we're a few weeks before Christmas 2005.