The ultimate taboo: Eastenders and Incest

Didn't watch it, having stopped watching EE quite a few years ago, but what a contrived thing to do.

I know they're playing up the 'you never saw his body hit the water/they never found the body' card, but there is no doubt that when Den was shot in the 80's, the character was being killed off; Den was dead.

There was never any plothole for him to return, they are just exploiting a co-incidental loophole which exists in the original storyline. And a very weak one at that.

A soap legend maybe, and maybe he should never have been written out (or did Leslie Grantham quit?), but he should never have been brought back. It's the sort of thing that American soaps do, British soaps have always been based more in realism.

Couldn't agree more - it was funny how Pauline started talking about Den, Sharon's framed photo of Den got knocked to the floor, AND Sharon went to lay flowers where he "died" - all coincidentally on the day he returned. They were asking us to part our belief curtains a little too wide last night.

Having said that, Grantham did have a certain "wow" factor when he stepped out of the shadows. I've long thought that soap operas would be a thousand times better if there was a media blackout on the forthcoming storylines. Logistically impossible, I know, but just how good would last night have been if we hadn't been expecting it?

There are some plotholes. Look back at footage of Den's last episode in 1985. He wasn't wearing the ring which was later discovered in the canal. Also, the body was never 100% identified as there were no dental records. It was just assumed it was him as it was the same build.

If anything, the way in which he left in the first place was the weaker storyline.

It was VERY contrived but I did enjoy the long sequence between Sharon and Dennis!

The rest of theshow just seemed like padding and re-inforcing to new viewers who this Dirty Den character was - they dont need to treat the audience like this with a total lack of respect.

Is it me or does Letitia Dean act best when she says nothing at? The amount of faces she pulled was amazing and was worth watching just to see her numerous 'looks'

Otherwise a very lame episode! But i suppose Ill have to tune back in tonight to see her 'reaction' LOL

I've seen tonight's episode, and it's got some cracking moments There'll be more chances to see Sharon's various facial expressions aswell.

16.8 million viewers for "hello princess", 16.2 for the episode.

Media Guardian Figures

It would appear that most of the correspondents on this thread do not normally watch the programme (misrepresentaions, failure to follow the storyline etc..)

Stuart

Actually, the fact is, it was always left open! They filmed scenes of Den fallign in the canal, but they were not shown so he could return. In protest, Tony Holland and Julia smith had thier names removed from the end credits.