Hollyoaks - Weekdays 6.30pm C4, 7pm E4

I am quite shocked - Sonny Valentine is gone for good - we will never again see his character on the show! Yep, the actor is rumoured to have been sacked and the character was packed away to 'an aunt'!

Also, Kris is gone too in the blink of an eye - only a quick mention from Darren. Luckily he shall return!

EDITED - Sonny I meant

Shame that Calvin has gone.

I didnt like Kris much at all. I take it Zoe and Will have also gone for good?

i think you mean Sonny don't you - Calvin was on yesterday.

We'll see.

Hope neither is true to be honest - though Sonny annoyed the hell out of me to start with, in the last couple of months he's become a pretty funny character, and his relationship with Michaela had potential.


Although Will's exit is kind of required by the storyline, I'd rather the others stayed and continued their student years, rather than just appearing for six months then making way for the new intake.

There are a few characters I'd axe before alot of the newer cast (well, with the exception of the newest cast member of course!) - and Darren Osbourne would be top of the list - been a pretty pointless character for a couple of years. Steph and particularly Craig would swiftly follow.


Anyway, another great episode tonight on E4, particularly with Myra finding out about the mixed up love lives of the McQueens.

P.S. Looking on the official site it looks like Zoe will return, while Elliott will move into the student flat.

Also interestingly Fletch is back in the cast list, so maybe he'll return soon - been absent since the revamp.

we already have seen. Calvin (the one who hasn't left) talked about Sonny (who has) going off to see an aunt.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a46356/hollyoaks-explain-missing-characters.html

Hadn't heard about Sonny but that confirms that then.


Kris is back on screen in the next few weeks - on the backstage vid he's there when Elliot moves in to the student halls.

Also, Zoe must be sticking around for a while - she mentioned next years calendar shoot is coming up soon.

With Sonny and Will gone at least, the new titles are out of date, as are two of the break stings.

They should just cut their losses and axe the opening titles now.

Well tonight's Channel 4 episode continues to prove that the current music just isn't working. It completely eradicates any sort of dramatic effect that the final scene has created. I don't know what they were thinking. And the titles are of course poor - I really want to see them ditched.

See thats what i tried to say at the start, how that music could ever do drama i don't know. Like Pad says, maybe getting rid of the titles, and just having the white Hollyoaks bit would give more time and more of an effect.

Maybe just have the full credits once a week, or for the omnibus. They could also use the old, not too dramatic ending...
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/oaks.mp3

I don't think it's as bad as some of you do - the old music wasn't always appropriate either.


However, I do agree to some extent but the solution is what they've pretty much been doing - use alternative music when appropriate.


I do think though digging out the sombre theme - or perhaps re-recording a more up to date alternative theme would help alot and give them more options for the credits. And also, as they've done numerous times in the past, having the credits play out over the scene rather than the credits background adds alot too at times - as long as the ECP doesn't get used!



As for the titles - I don't have a problem with them now we're used to them, and I wouldn't want to see us going the route of Home and Away. Again though, the option of just using the end sting of the titles, with perhaps a recap before them, should be considered when appropriate.

They've already done it on the break stings in one episode, so no reason why they can't do it on the titles too.


It'll be interesting to see though how quickly they update the titles considering it now should be as easy as chopping and changing as required - I don't know how long he's sticking around but I'd stick in Alex instead of Will, then Elliott in place of Sonny.


Hadn't even thought about the break stings - though as they are only using about 5 at the moment which involve around half the cast, shouldn't be too difficult to introduce some new ones using other cast members.

In fact, I quite like the idea of them completly changing the break stings every few months using different characters.

The problem is this is Hollyoaks - they clearly won't bother!