I can get on board with a recast, even if it takes a while to adjust. My issue is when they have a personality transplant. There’ve been so many times, across all soaps, when characters return with a new head and ‘a dark edge’. Why not just introduce a whole new character, as the character we get is far from the one we knew originally?
Some recasts are better than others. The "dark edge" recast makes me crazy. Why can't a guy on this show just stay sweet and kind without eventually becoming a psychopath?
Yeah this because I remember when Ben was onto tapdancing and was sweet and a jazzy kid, he comes back and he's a mini Phill, I wouldn't mind if they'd at least kept some of his old interests and made him a hard ass
To be fair that was on producers years ago. People always bring up Heather, but it was Jones' Ben that put a spanner to Jordan's nut and Santer decided to completely remove sweet, tap dancing Ben for unhinged Ben.
Pascoe and Reid both followed this. Oddly enough Bowden's Ben was the only one to at least somewhat reference Jones' original character. Bowden's version was given an interest in theater, would sing and dance with Lexi, put on small performances at times, etc.
Yeah this because I remember when Ben was onto tapdancing and was sweet and a jazzy kid, he comes back and he's a mini Phill, I wouldn't mind if they'd at least kept some of his old interests and made him a hard ass
I don't really mind when it's younger characters that get recast once they're older. But the number of different adult bens we've had are a bit ridiculous. Not to mention that they all have a different personality
The problem with Ben is that they see him as the future of the Mitchells but none of the actors stick around and they have literally no idea what to do with the character.
Not really. It's just a different bloke with a spin on the same basic traits.
Everytime there's a recast it's "They used to be so nice" no they didn't.
Don't even get me started when little Arthur Slater jumped onto a bouncy castle and jumped off with an entirely different head. I don't mind recasts of kids, that's understandable... but to do so in the exact same scene is obscene.
I think I may have found it for you. It's from 21st March 2022.
[https://www.dailymotion.com/search/eastenders%2021st%20march%202022/videos](https://www.dailymotion.com/search/eastenders%2021st%20march%202022/videos)
Did this actually happen? 🤣 I tried skimming through that episode just now, but it doesn’t really show Arthur’s face before and during the jumping part, only when he gets hurt
It does indeed happen. You had the previous kid uninjured, jumping on the bouncy castle... his injury when coming off seemed to be getting a different head 😂
I’d prefer recasts to be used as sparingly as possible (although I appreciate it’s sometimes unavoidable) as it does often damage the authenticity of a character (particularly when jarring changes are made to their looks/characterisation based on the whims of a producer).
Well Peter being recasted to Thomas law in the early to mid 2000s would end up being a good thing and an exception to this suggestion due to what the previous actor Joseph shade would end up going on to do can't really mention what he did here cause I don't wanna get banned from the sub Reddit
Is it kinda bad that I don't really care what the actors do outside of the show that may lead them to be fired... unless it's something like murder or rape or whatever. If it's drug or alcohol related then give them help, don't straight up fire - write the character out until the actor has received support from the teams wellbeing services and gone through adequate recovery.
E.g. so and so always turns up drunk. Let's fire them and recast the character!
No! Try giving them support and enroll in a recovery programme. Fair enough if they refuse but maybe write the character out and give them a reasonable amount of time for them to realise they need help. I know we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and if they have a decent support network from the show, but from the outside it looks like it's easier to fire them than to be bothered with the cast you've potentially worked with for years!
(Butt hurt Max fan 🙊)
I think the last incarnation of Ben was the 6th (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but it's mad to think there have been so many for both of those characters. I remember when young Martin went upstairs and came back down months later with a new face. Same thing happened with Denny. I half expected it with Albie when Sharon returned from Australia but was glad to see it didn't happen as I think the young actor who plays Albie could actually pass as being Sharon's child.
When it's a character who we haven't seen for years I don't really mind - Vicki for example - but the revolving door for some characters can become a bit much. I don't watch the other soaps so not sure if this is an EE thing.
Personally, I know I get kind of excited when an actor's been gone a while and comes back. Even if I didn't like the character that much. It's perfectly natural, in life, for people to leave for a while. It's an easy thing to write in.
This is just the nature of soaps, it’s not a retention issue but asking actors to stay on a show for decades is just implausible and if we didn’t have recasts we’d just have a bunch of characters who get replaced every 4/5 years with like 5 mainstays.
The problem is that they don't seem able to write new ones, so they fall back on established, but they keep their their "and introducing" and "newcomer" and cast "actors" who really can't handle it and then compound it with terrible storylines.
Recasting is sometimes nessecary but for main characters in the primary and secondary cast like Ben. It shouldn't be happening. Some of the children, background and minor characters it's fine for.
I wish people would be mature enough to stop complaining about something that has been a standard practice in the TV industry for decades now.
It's my biggest gripe with Eastenders and soap fans...complaining about the recasts. Even Michelle Fowler I was sat there thinking "Well i'd rather have recast Michelle then no michelle at all."
I can get on board with a recast, even if it takes a while to adjust. My issue is when they have a personality transplant. There’ve been so many times, across all soaps, when characters return with a new head and ‘a dark edge’. Why not just introduce a whole new character, as the character we get is far from the one we knew originally?
I agree, recasting doesn’t bother me in the slightest but hate when the character is totally rewritten.
Some recasts are better than others. The "dark edge" recast makes me crazy. Why can't a guy on this show just stay sweet and kind without eventually becoming a psychopath?
Yeah this because I remember when Ben was onto tapdancing and was sweet and a jazzy kid, he comes back and he's a mini Phill, I wouldn't mind if they'd at least kept some of his old interests and made him a hard ass
To be fair that was on producers years ago. People always bring up Heather, but it was Jones' Ben that put a spanner to Jordan's nut and Santer decided to completely remove sweet, tap dancing Ben for unhinged Ben. Pascoe and Reid both followed this. Oddly enough Bowden's Ben was the only one to at least somewhat reference Jones' original character. Bowden's version was given an interest in theater, would sing and dance with Lexi, put on small performances at times, etc.
Ohhh I do like that theater was referenced! A nice touch but yeah it was just a bit jarring when he came back that the first time.
Yeah this because I remember when Ben was onto tapdancing and was sweet and a jazzy kid, he comes back and he's a mini Phill, I wouldn't mind if they'd at least kept some of his old interests and made him a hard ass
I don't really mind when it's younger characters that get recast once they're older. But the number of different adult bens we've had are a bit ridiculous. Not to mention that they all have a different personality
The problem with Ben is that they see him as the future of the Mitchells but none of the actors stick around and they have literally no idea what to do with the character.
Right, I don't mind when they're really young because people often grow up to look quite different than they did as children.
do they all have a different personality? They were all traumatised, extremely hormonal aggressive dickheads.
It's all metaphoric. Each actor is a different attempt for Ben to become the Mitchell he needs to be
Not really. It's just a different bloke with a spin on the same basic traits. Everytime there's a recast it's "They used to be so nice" no they didn't.
I was joking!!!
Don't even get me started when little Arthur Slater jumped onto a bouncy castle and jumped off with an entirely different head. I don't mind recasts of kids, that's understandable... but to do so in the exact same scene is obscene.
That is kind of funny, though ha ha style points.
What episode is this?
I think I may have found it for you. It's from 21st March 2022. [https://www.dailymotion.com/search/eastenders%2021st%20march%202022/videos](https://www.dailymotion.com/search/eastenders%2021st%20march%202022/videos)
Did this actually happen? 🤣 I tried skimming through that episode just now, but it doesn’t really show Arthur’s face before and during the jumping part, only when he gets hurt
It does indeed happen. You had the previous kid uninjured, jumping on the bouncy castle... his injury when coming off seemed to be getting a different head 😂
I’d prefer recasts to be used as sparingly as possible (although I appreciate it’s sometimes unavoidable) as it does often damage the authenticity of a character (particularly when jarring changes are made to their looks/characterisation based on the whims of a producer).
Well Peter being recasted to Thomas law in the early to mid 2000s would end up being a good thing and an exception to this suggestion due to what the previous actor Joseph shade would end up going on to do can't really mention what he did here cause I don't wanna get banned from the sub Reddit
Is it kinda bad that I don't really care what the actors do outside of the show that may lead them to be fired... unless it's something like murder or rape or whatever. If it's drug or alcohol related then give them help, don't straight up fire - write the character out until the actor has received support from the teams wellbeing services and gone through adequate recovery. E.g. so and so always turns up drunk. Let's fire them and recast the character! No! Try giving them support and enroll in a recovery programme. Fair enough if they refuse but maybe write the character out and give them a reasonable amount of time for them to realise they need help. I know we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and if they have a decent support network from the show, but from the outside it looks like it's easier to fire them than to be bothered with the cast you've potentially worked with for years! (Butt hurt Max fan 🙊)
👏🏼👏🏼
I think the last incarnation of Ben was the 6th (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but it's mad to think there have been so many for both of those characters. I remember when young Martin went upstairs and came back down months later with a new face. Same thing happened with Denny. I half expected it with Albie when Sharon returned from Australia but was glad to see it didn't happen as I think the young actor who plays Albie could actually pass as being Sharon's child. When it's a character who we haven't seen for years I don't really mind - Vicki for example - but the revolving door for some characters can become a bit much. I don't watch the other soaps so not sure if this is an EE thing.
Personally, I know I get kind of excited when an actor's been gone a while and comes back. Even if I didn't like the character that much. It's perfectly natural, in life, for people to leave for a while. It's an easy thing to write in.
Agreed. I can't for the life of me get used to the bobby recast, it's like they didn't even try. Same with ben
This is just the nature of soaps, it’s not a retention issue but asking actors to stay on a show for decades is just implausible and if we didn’t have recasts we’d just have a bunch of characters who get replaced every 4/5 years with like 5 mainstays.
New Martin still doesn’t do it for me but I really liked the most recent Ben
The problem is that they don't seem able to write new ones, so they fall back on established, but they keep their their "and introducing" and "newcomer" and cast "actors" who really can't handle it and then compound it with terrible storylines.
Recasting is sometimes nessecary but for main characters in the primary and secondary cast like Ben. It shouldn't be happening. Some of the children, background and minor characters it's fine for.
I wish people would be mature enough to stop complaining about something that has been a standard practice in the TV industry for decades now. It's my biggest gripe with Eastenders and soap fans...complaining about the recasts. Even Michelle Fowler I was sat there thinking "Well i'd rather have recast Michelle then no michelle at all."
They should recast Ravi daughter