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News Feed[]

HIGH HOPES unveils new promotional campaign

HIGH HOPES' Hannah and Jaay are staying tight lipped when it comes to details about the undoing of villain Matthew Fitzgerald after it was revealed in the season two finale that he was indeed responsible for the harrassment and stalking of his former girlfriend Naomi Donovan which led to her being sectioned after he framed her for stalking herself. In a shocking spin off twist, it was revealed that Matthew was responsible for the death of Patrick Hale who had found out the truth about Matthew's torture of Naomi.

Season Three has seen Naomi's daughter Ava begin to realise Matthew is not what he seems and she has been trying to get through to her aunt Olivia who is married to Matthew.

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In the new summer promotion, readers will see a brand new promo featuring Matthew Fitzgerald (Tom Lister), Olivia Fitzgerald (MyAnna Buring), Naomi Donovan (Claire Goose), Cole Donovan (TJ Ramini), Kyle Campbell (Carl Au), Ava Donovan (Madeline Duggan) and Kayla Macey (Diane Parish) with the tagline 'His lies will be his undoing'

This is the beginning of the end for Matthew and it can't be more exciting.

11th May 2014.

Noxy joins THE AVENUE!

It's been confirmed by LemRoss Pictures today that a third writer is set to join THE AVENUE's creative team this weekend - in the form of WX icon Noxy!

The decision was taken early this week, and the trio - whose pen name will now by Lemrox Pictures - wasted no time planning their vision for the show and ironing out any kinks that they felt the show had. Noxy initially intended to join the show as a Series Consultant, but almost instantly changed his mind, and took up the offer of a position as co-Executive Producer instead! Speaking about his venture into the world of Catford Grove, Noxy stated: "It's an honour to join one of the oldest and most popular projects on WX. Me, Ross and Lem all get on great, but just as importantly, we all bring different things to the table creatively. We have some compelling and diverse stories to share for the rest of the year and beyond, and I couldn't get stuck in fast enough!"

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The two co-Executive Producers who were responsible for appointing Noxy in his new role - Ross and Lem - have also spoken out about the decision. Lem said: "As a massive fan of Noxy’s work on the superb These Days, and former WX hits Uncertain Nights and High Peak, I can honestly say, hand on heart, it’s an honour to work alongside him, and my long time co-EP Ross. They’ve both taught me so much, which I truly appreciate. It's safe to say that Noxy's arrival has breathed fresh life into Catford Grove, and the upcoming stories we have planned are a stunning mixture of emotive and electric. Now, let’s crack open the bubbly, and raise a toast to LemRoX, and The Avenue!"

Meanwhile, Ross boasted: "Noxy working with us on The Avenue is an absolute dream come true for both myself and Lem. We're both massive fans of Noxy's projects - such as These Days and High Peak - and I have previously worked with Noxy once myself, on the late Uncertain Nights. He's a brilliant writer, and a very close friend. He's brought some stunning ideas and stories to the table so far, and the future of the show is looking incredibly bright thanks to Noxy's wonderful creative presence. I cannot wait for what the future holds working alongside Noxy and the ever-wonderful Lem!"

Readers can see Noxy's first scenes for THE AVENUE in it's new-look, double-bill format this Saturday and Sunday on WX.

9th May 2014.

High Hopes reaches for the stars this Bank Holiday as Michelle Fox returns from the dead.

In a first for High Hopes , Creator and Executive Producer Hannah and Co-Producer Jaay bring the character of Michelle Fox back to Canvey Island for one final outing as part of a “soap bubble.” “Michelle returns to the island from beyond the grave. It's a bittersweet episode in which Michelle says a very final goodbye to David and Alfie. It's beautifully sad” says Jaay as he explains the premise of the “soap bubble.”

“This episode has a very poignant feel the whole way through, I remember when I read the whole episode through for the first time, I had a real lump in my throat” says Hannah fondly as she thinks about the character of Michelle. “Michelle was always one of my favourite characters to write for, she was sparky, feisty and even though she made mistake, we all still loved her.”

Readers will remember that Michelle sadly passed away in partner David Fields arms in the Season Two finale in February. Having been embroiled in a love square with Steven and Sophia Faraday, David and Michelle were at the centre of the action in Season Two. Having given to birth to Steven's son Alfie mere days before her death, Michelle tragically met her end after kissing her son for the final time.

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“This special episode picks up moments after Michelle's death but from there on in, the episode takes a different path. Michelle will be speaking from beyond. She'll be looking at the world from the other side” explains Jaay, “Michelle's take on things now that she can see the whole picture should make for a fascinating read.”

“You will see Michelle start to see another dimension to the community that she has lived in and gain a deeper understanding of the people she used to interact with in her daily life” teases Hannah. “We are always eager at High Hopes to do different things, to push ourselves as writers and to give our characters a unique voice and presence. And with Michelle, we were happy to return to the character, even if it is only in a soap bubble” smiles Jaay.

Bank Holiday Monday will see Michelle’s one off return in the very first High Hopes’ Soap Bubble as we all say a final goodbye to the much loved character. 4th May 2014.



Rumours & Spoilers[]

  • Rumour has it the next episode of HIGH HOPES will see the departure of a major character. 
  • Twitter rumours suggest Sacha Parkinson is in talks with BEHIND CLOSED DOORS about joining the London based soap.
  • High Hopes' Summer Spoilers. In a special sneak peak, a few teasers were revealed including a new love interest for Josh Connor and an exit for his younger sister Vicki. 4th May 2014. 
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    Shock death

    eral characters in THESE DAYS are set to be rocked by an unexpected death in dramatic episodes due to air next month. Producer Noxy is staying tight-lipped about the exact details of the tragic demise, but an insider hints that it will be a departure that comes out of the blue, and will have long-lasting consequences. On top of this, the source also teases that even the death itself will not be as 'straightforward' in nature as it may initially seem, sparking rumours of a whodunnit story. 22nd April 2014
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    Lizzie Roper joins Behind Closed Doors?

    New coastal drama TIME AND TIDE has revealed an exciting five night special to air this Summer. Producer Walfman has placed a call out for guest writer's to contribute to this big week. 19th April 2014.
  • Rumours suggest that BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is about to be commissioned for a full series. April 19th 2014.
  • [SPOTTED] Lizzie Roper has been spotted filming for BEHIND CLOSED DOORS , but no news as to who she could be playing. - 16th April 2014.
  • Rumour has it that two city boys will not be returning when CITY GIRLS returns in June. - 8th April 2014
  • It is believed that THE AVENUE icons Tony and Carla Westaway may be returning to the soap in Season 3. The returns of Graham and Georgia Anderson have also been confirmed for Christmas 2014, whilst it's been announced that Diane Brannigan has been given a reprive, and will return on-screen in October 2014.
  • Rumours suggest that Strange's leading man, Dr Stephen Strange, may come up against a threat shared by him and another Marvel hero. Furthermore, Thor's Tom Hiddlestone has been spotted on set.

Episode Annoucements[]

  • HIGH HOPES | 3x11  - Olivia faces the truth - 30th May 2014.
  • EASTENDERS FAN:FIC |Episode Twelve  - Ronnie carries out her plan - 26th May 2014.
  • THE AVENUE | Episode 3.10/110  - 25th May 2014.
  • EASTENDERS FAN: FIC | Episode Eleven- Shirley makes a discovery - 24th May 2014.
  • HIGH HOPES | 3x10  - Luke shows his true colours - 22nd May 2014.
  • BEHIND CLOSED DOORS | 1x08  - Abbie suffers the consequences from her behaviour - 22nd May 2014.
  • BEHIND CLOSED DOORS | 1x07 - The Turner/Keating's support Liz as she goes into surgery - 18th May 2014. 
  • THESE DAYS | Episode 2.80/163  - Bezza reels from Joss' shock news - 17th May 2014.
  • EASTENDERS FAN:FIC | Episode Ten  - The Carter's are left shocked - 16th May 2014.
  • HIGH HOPES | 3x09  - Josh's article leaves Canvey Island reeling - 16th May 2014. 
  • EASTENDERS FAN:FIC | Episode Nine - Peter and Lauren face temptation - 14th May 2014.
  • THE AVENUE | Episode 3.9/109 - Vivian says her goodbyes to Thomas. - 11th May 2014.
  • BEHIND CLOSED DOORS | 1x05 - It's the morning of Jen and Henry's wedding...  - 10th May 2014.
  • THE AVENUE | Episode 3.8/108 - Jade makes a shock decision, while Viv gets shock news - 10th May 2014.
  • THESE DAYS | Episode 2.79/162 - Joss and Bezza find themselves at breaking point, while Rosy feels she has to swallow her pride - 10th May 2014.

Older News[]

DS interviews Executive Producer allthingsuk about the The Bill, its current ratings success and future stories to come.

Good morning ATUK. I must start by saying that The Bill returned to ITV screens to very good viewing figures, but do you think the nature of the format means the show might tire out again? With a strong 7 million audience, it's clear that there

is appetite for a proper police procedural like The Bill. Our figures have dipped every now and again but that's owing to the self-contained nature of the show in that a crime is resolved within the half-hour. But, as we saw with the previous half-hour format in the 1990s, there's only so many robberies and stabbings you can do before it bores the viewers. And there's only so many novel crimes that can be done before you sort of run out of ideas. So far, the stories have been on the whole, novel and unique in that a lot of them are twists on old Bill themes of robbery, stabbing, gun crime etc. But it's important to keep your audience on your toes so they don't get too comfortable and too tired with the show. We have a few tweaks to the format coming in summer and autumn to shake things up. 

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What will this format change include? It won't be a wholesale format change and the half-hour format will still remain. But I'll be trying to introduce more of the officers' private lives outside Sun Hill. It's important that while we see them at work, that we care about them, and we can only care about them if we know more about them. Some will say that I'm making The Bill soapy, but far from it, I'm giving the show a fresher impetus, and to provide it with another new dimension. We'll be seeing the beginnings of this new format with the two part story involving Ashcroft, Meadows and Commander Simpson, 'Overtime'. Any hints on what will be going on in this story and what's in store for Meadows? I'm not giving anything away but the resolution of this story empowers Meadows, but that will only set him up for a mighty fall later in the year, in a pretty harrowing story which is darkly humorous but you feel powerless as a viewer, all the same. It will bring out the best of Meadows and I'm sure Simon Rouse will do the story justice. Does this indicate that Jack Meadows will be leaving the show in the foreseeable future?He's close to retirement but that doesn't mean we'll be getting rid of him anytime soon. He'll be on screen for at least another year. Speaking of retirement, Chief Superintendent Brownlow made a guest appearance speaking with Jack Meadows about that very subject. Any more guests coming back?There will be a cracking one in the autumn when there's a reunion at Sun Hill between a current officer and a much loved Sergeant. Safe to say, there will be a really interesting heart-to-heart. The three Sergeants (Callum Stone, Smithy, Jo Masters) have been fairly underused in the first few months of this new run. Will they taking more prominent roles?Smithy's had an eventful time at Sun Hill already and I feel it's about time he just got stuck into police work *laughs*. But we're currently planning a gritty story arc for Smithy for later this year or possibly next year, which sees him going back to his roots as a character and confronting his past. I think what we'll see is a glimpse of Smithy's old uncompromising style as he's forced to confront the future and the past.
And speaking of Jo, when we kick the show off after the summer, she'll be playing a massive role. It will be a bit of a slow-burner, but it is a unique story that hasn't been told on The Bill before and will test her character to the limit.  DI James Johnson (Daniel Casey) was very prominent in the early episodes but what do you have in store for him?DI Johnson's always been a cocksure, arrogant man, and he's brought back down to earth by a monumental cock-up. Facing life away from the Met, he's forced to dig deep and re-examine his policing methods, but that leads him down a very dark path. It appears The Bill is going down a heavy path, but will there be a bit of light and shade? The double-act of Sparky and Brotherton (Craig Fairbrass and Tony Pitts) will develop in the next few months, and as summer approaches, we'll be having a few lighter crime stories that are tinged with a bit of dark humour, such has been the trademark of The Bill. Finally, should we expect a change to the opening titles? I think the current jazzy theme tune suits the drama of The Bill well, and I always thought it was the most evocative and strongest theme tune the show had, so the titles and music will be staying put. Thanks ATUK for your time. No problem and I hope you enjoy The Bill for the coming months.


2nd May 2014.

JACK MASON'S BROTHER CONNOR FOR 'THESE DAYS' DEBUT

Neil McDermott

Former EastEnders actor Neil McDermott is joining the cast of 'These Days ' next Saturday (3rd May). Playing the troublesome brother of straight-laced mechanic Jack Mason, old brotherly rivalries will soon be exposed when Connor lands on Jack's doorstep unannounced in the next episode. 'I've been wanting to develop Jack for a long time', admits show boss Noxy, 'and the arrival of Connor will be a great way to do it. Connor is an unpredictable bad boy, but is he more trouble than he is worth? And will his estranged brother give him the benefit of the doubt and set differences aside for the sake of brotherly love?' Knowing TD , it is unlikely to be that simple!

26th April 2014.

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'MARIGOLD LANE' LEADING LADIES REVEALED 

Producer of new drama series MARIGOLD LANE, Waffles has announced the leading ladies of the Coventy based project. Former Eastenders stars Samantha Womack (Ronnie Mitchell) and Jo Joyner (Tanya Branning) are joined by Holby's Amanda Mealing (Connie Beachamp) as they play three friends haunted by the suicide of a friend. Samantha portrays family oriented Amelia Banks, Jo portrays fun loving Kelly Armstrong and Amanda portrays perfectionist Scarlett Hudson. 


18th April 2014.

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