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A few weeks in now, what do you make of Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach?
In our interviews with the cast, Ed Speleers (aka Jimmy) made quite an astute observation about the relationship between his show, Echo Beach, and its comedic counterpart: "The only possible fear is whether it's looking like Moving Wallpaper is taking the piss out of Echo Beach. If yes, [ITV] wouldn't put the two shows together."
To put that remark into context, this week's episode of Moving Wallpaper features Jonathan Pope suggesting a storyline where Martine McCutcheon flashes her breasts. He laughs when she - off camera - refuses on the grounds of "artistic integrity".
I genuinely believe that Echo Beach was intended to be viewed as a serious soap. Unfortunately, as the weeks go by, Echo Beach does feel more and more like a parody of a soap and it becomes much harder to take any of the plotlines seriously. Miscast Martine is its biggest problem: if she believes it is genuine too, she's doing a poor acting job; if not, then she's out of sync with the rest of production. What do you think?
If you can suspend belief in Echo Beach in its own right, then there are more laughs to be had in the coming weeks. Susie Amy gets a bigger and bigger part as the series goes on, this week even blagging herself a place on the opening titles. The relationship between Daniel (Jason Donovan) and Susan (Miscast Martine) continues to grow, to the point of downright-adultery. Meanwhile rest assured that Jason Donovan's accent - is he English? Australian? South African?? - becomes more bizarre.
Finally this edition, an X-rated treat. Which Echo Beach actor was secretly taped having this foul-mouthed rant?
...and who was he talking about? Click onto 'The Mole' on the Moving Wallpaper site to find out.
Click the link below to add your comments to this entry. If you have any questions for the column please use the link at the top of the page.
Don't forget to scroll down to read previous editions you may have missed!
In our interviews with the cast, Ed Speleers (aka Jimmy) made quite an astute observation about the relationship between his show, Echo Beach, and its comedic counterpart: "The only possible fear is whether it's looking like Moving Wallpaper is taking the piss out of Echo Beach. If yes, [ITV] wouldn't put the two shows together."
To put that remark into context, this week's episode of Moving Wallpaper features Jonathan Pope suggesting a storyline where Martine McCutcheon flashes her breasts. He laughs when she - off camera - refuses on the grounds of "artistic integrity".
I genuinely believe that Echo Beach was intended to be viewed as a serious soap. Unfortunately, as the weeks go by, Echo Beach does feel more and more like a parody of a soap and it becomes much harder to take any of the plotlines seriously. Miscast Martine is its biggest problem: if she believes it is genuine too, she's doing a poor acting job; if not, then she's out of sync with the rest of production. What do you think?
If you can suspend belief in Echo Beach in its own right, then there are more laughs to be had in the coming weeks. Susie Amy gets a bigger and bigger part as the series goes on, this week even blagging herself a place on the opening titles. The relationship between Daniel (Jason Donovan) and Susan (Miscast Martine) continues to grow, to the point of downright-adultery. Meanwhile rest assured that Jason Donovan's accent - is he English? Australian? South African?? - becomes more bizarre.
Finally this edition, an X-rated treat. Which Echo Beach actor was secretly taped having this foul-mouthed rant?
...and who was he talking about? Click onto 'The Mole' on the Moving Wallpaper site to find out.
Click the link below to add your comments to this entry. If you have any questions for the column please use the link at the top of the page.
Don't forget to scroll down to read previous editions you may have missed!
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Your Views
7 Comments
Your Responses
Lizzie, York, on January 26th, 2008
It looks like I'm the only one who prefers Echo Beach. Okay, it's a UK version of Home and Away, but Moving Wallpaper's rubbish! If the writers could concentrate on just the soap, it could be a younger, more hard hitting version of Doc Martin :o) Okay, maybe that's not the way forward, but I do agree that the two together don't work. Moving Wallpaper's almost in the realm of canned laughter and stops us from submerging ourselves in the soap - which is what you need to be able to do - almost believe that the people are real. That's impossible whilst both are played back-to-back. Nice idea, worth trying, but it doesn't work!
It looks like I'm the only one who prefers Echo Beach. Okay, it's a UK version of Home and Away, but Moving Wallpaper's rubbish! If the writers could concentrate on just the soap, it could be a younger, more hard hitting version of Doc Martin :o) Okay, maybe that's not the way forward, but I do agree that the two together don't work. Moving Wallpaper's almost in the realm of canned laughter and stops us from submerging ourselves in the soap - which is what you need to be able to do - almost believe that the people are real. That's impossible whilst both are played back-to-back. Nice idea, worth trying, but it doesn't work!
May, Staffs, on January 23rd, 2008
I entirely agree, I'm really enjoying Moving Wallpaper, I think it's a great sitcom but the only reason I continue to watch Echo Beach is to laugh at the MW references. As a stand alone soap it is pretty disappointing and the general standard of acting is poor. If they were playing for laughs it wouldn't be so bad but Echo Beach does seem to be taking itself seriously, something which surely the audience cannot do. However, I am looking forward seeing how it pans out and how big a part Susie Amy can write for herself!
I entirely agree, I'm really enjoying Moving Wallpaper, I think it's a great sitcom but the only reason I continue to watch Echo Beach is to laugh at the MW references. As a stand alone soap it is pretty disappointing and the general standard of acting is poor. If they were playing for laughs it wouldn't be so bad but Echo Beach does seem to be taking itself seriously, something which surely the audience cannot do. However, I am looking forward seeing how it pans out and how big a part Susie Amy can write for herself!
Steve, Cornwall, on January 23rd, 2008
This program gets a bit boring after a while. Needs better storyline. :P
This program gets a bit boring after a while. Needs better storyline. :P
Alistair, Manchester, on January 23rd, 2008
Echo Beach feels like the final punchline from Moving Wallpaper and I find myself enjoying picking up the references between the two far more that the rather dire soap that is Echo Beach. It cannot have been made that bad by accident... can it?
Echo Beach feels like the final punchline from Moving Wallpaper and I find myself enjoying picking up the references between the two far more that the rather dire soap that is Echo Beach. It cannot have been made that bad by accident... can it?
James, London, on January 23rd, 2008
It works, Moving Wallpaper is great and Echo Beach provides extra laughs. But I think they need to think that echo beach is a proper soap for it to keep working or they could start to over play it.
It works, Moving Wallpaper is great and Echo Beach provides extra laughs. But I think they need to think that echo beach is a proper soap for it to keep working or they could start to over play it.
Melanie, London, on January 22nd, 2008
I agree, when they were initially launched I was much more looking forward to Echo Beach but I find myself enjoying Moving Wallpaper far more now. In fact, I think Moving Wallpaper as a sitcom is great - and even if Echo Beach were cancelled - it would still work. Shame about Echo Beach, it had promise but Moving Wallpaper is fantastic!
I agree, when they were initially launched I was much more looking forward to Echo Beach but I find myself enjoying Moving Wallpaper far more now. In fact, I think Moving Wallpaper as a sitcom is great - and even if Echo Beach were cancelled - it would still work. Shame about Echo Beach, it had promise but Moving Wallpaper is fantastic!
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Well it seems to me that MW is a Drama Comedy while EB is the opposite a Comedy Drama. MW in the mold of Teachers is a Drama featuring characters that are supposed to be real EB doesn't EB needs to be flawed for MW to work otherwise the Comedy elements of both will be reduced to zero. It's the subtle humor in EB that has convinced me that it's not supposed to be taken seriously