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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 360408" data-attributes="member: 23">3 April - 6 May 1980 3291 - 3304 continuedSomewhere I am finding Alison interesting is with Chris Hunter’s interest in her. It’s clear she’s out of her depth with man-slut Chris and that makes for good TV. Given how I’m starting to view her character, though, I’m now wondering if I’ll spot some manipulation coming from her when it comes to getting Chris’s attention while playing hard to get.On the subject of Chris, may I just take a moment to objectify him. There’s a very knowing and confident sexuality to the way Stephen Hoye portrays him: from the way he bulges out of overly tight t-shirts and jeans to the way he draws attention to this by wriggling about while lying on sofas during conversations. There’s something of the satyr to him and in any given scene with a woman on the series, there’s the feeling that Chris is always on the lookout for another notch on his bedpost. Barbara certainly can’t seem to keep her eyes at face level during their scenes together (or, more to the point, Sue Lloyd’s eyes seem constantly drawn to Stephen Hoye’s bulge) and I’d buy those two ending up in some kind of dalliance. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up trying it on with Meg, despite the animosity.But it’s quite a feat that Chris isn’t defined by this because Stephen Hoye feels like a very accomplished actor and has a gravitas that belies his age. Even as a twentysomething he goes head-to-head with long termers (including those at the top of the Xrds food chain) and completely holds his own. He’s one of the most consistently-watchable characters on the series for me, and for reasons that go beyond simple aesthetics.David having to work was due to Adam’s abrupt departure in the wake of the tedious storyline with the Pollards. I’m still failing to work out exactly why I found this storyline so very dull. On paper it wasn’t. Certainly, the Pollard daughter wasn’t played by a particularly charismatic actress, but she was far from terrible. The father was formidable and devious and played by an actor with a degree of presence, yet the entire story just fell flat for me and I’m relieved it’s over. But it doesn’t end there.Vic, Sharon and Mac have all just arrived back on screen, but I’m finding their initial scenes less than gripping. At the moment there seem to be too many long-winded, uninteresting conversations going on. Vic and Sharon. Vic and his imprisoned bother Eddie. Sharon and Diane. It all feels very low energy and lacking in chemistry. Since most of these characters have been in compelling scenes together before, I can only put it down either to inferior writing on their part or binge-watch burnout on mineBack at the farm, the Miss Prewett story feels somewhat of a reprise of the Hayward Farm story with Linda and George: a pushy infiltrator with eyes on getting their claws into a landowner they perceive as wealthy insinuates their way into the homestead, gets Doris Luke sacked and tries to ostracise Benny. Exactly the same notes have been hit here. It’s still watchable enough, but I hope it doesn’t go on that long. I appreciate the Miss Prewett character is supposed to be irritating, but I’m also feeling the performance is a little irritating as well, since she’s played as a rather stereotypical nosy old woman, right down to the tremulous witchy voice to drive home she’s not very nice.Meanwhile, in cinema culture from the turn of the decade, Diane asks Sharon if she wants to go with her to watch “that new Dustin Hoffman film. Fancy a good cry?” And Reg permits Alison to go to the cinema with Benny so long as there’s no hint of sex. “Oh no, there won’t be”, replies Benny innocuously. “It’s about rabbits”.[USER=987]@Julia's Gun[/USER] - These credits have recently arrived on O'Dramavision. I forget the exact episode number, but we'd be looking at around April 1980 when they began. I've mixed feelings. The font is nice but the text distorts as it's moving. Also, I miss the opening scene beginning to play out while the title is on screen. Having a still image makes it feel a bit "pasted on", even if it is a very pretty picture. Incidentally, the background colour for the end titles seems to vary slightly in some episodes. I could have lived without the salmon-coloured one.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?