ITV's "Emmerdale:" The Best Performances of the Year: 2021

 By James V. Ruocco

Who's in?
Who's out?
That is the question.

On ITV's "Emmerdale," characters come and go.
Some say "goodbye" after years and years of being front and center in the show's mainstream  character-driven storylines.
Some take a break with hopes of a return in the not too distant future.
Others meet their untimely doom (ie., death) at the hand of the show's reigning villain.

2021 was no different.

Who stood out?
Who got away with murder?
Who reduced the at-home viewers to tears?
What newcomer made everyone sit up and take notice?
Who made you laugh the most?
What romantic pairing - straight or gay - did you enjoy the most?
Who made the biggest impression?
Who did you want to kick in the ass or slap in the face?
Who surprised you the most?

Lots of actors....Lots of characters.

The list is endless.

My picks are as follows:

Best Performance by an Actor

Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle)

Matthew Wolfenden (David Metcalfe)

Jonny McPherson (Liam Cavanagh) 

Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle)

Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle)

James Hooten (Sam Dingle)

Max Parker (Luke Posner)

Jurell Carter (Nate Robinson)

Bhasker Patel (Rishi Sharma)

Best Performance by an Actress

Fiona Wade (Priya Kotecha)

Claire King (Kim Tate)

Lucy Pargeter (Chas Dingle)

Karen Blick (Lydia Dingle)

Samantha Giles (Bernice Blackstock)

Elizabeth Estensen (Diane Sugden)

Zoe Henry (Rhona Goskirk)

Amy Walsh (Tracy Metcalfe)

Rebecca Sarker (Manpreet Sharma)

Katherine Dow Blyton (Harriet Finch) 

Sally Dexter (Faith Dingle)

Isabel Hodgins (Victoria Sugden)

Natalie J. Robb (Moria Dingle)

Susan Cookson (Wendy Poster)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor

Isobel Steele (Liv Flaherty)

Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor)

Mimi Slinger (Leanna Cavanagh)

Joe-Warren Plant (Jacob Gallagher)

Jack Downham (Noah Dingle)

Gabrielle Dowling (Cathy Hope)

Villain of the Year

Paige Sandhu (Meena Jutla)

Michael Wildman (Al Chapman)

Best Newcomer

Lawrence Robb (Mackenzie Barton)

Jessie Elland (Chloe Harris)

Best Comedy Performance 

Lisa Riley (Mandy Dingle)

Patrick Mower (Rodney Blackstock)

Lesley Dunlop (Brenda Walker)

Christopher Chittell (Eric Pollard)

"Emmerdale" is broadcast Mondays through Fridays at 7 p.m. on ITV. Double episodes are usually scheduled on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Channel 4's "Hollyoaks:" The Best Performances of the Year: 2021

By James V. Ruocco

 "Hollyoaks."

It's in a class by itself.
You never know what's going to happen.
It's full of surprises you never saw coming.
You never quite know what lies around the corner.
And when the writer's go full tilt, there's no stopping this long-running Channel 4 primetime soap.

"It was my first telly job, and they were all so caring," reflects Sam Tutty who played Timmy Simons on "Hollyoaks" and currently stars in the West End production of "Dear Evan Hansen" as the title character, a role which won him the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Musical. "They really allowed me to make my own mistakes or novice choices, and they were really accommodating. Lovely, lovely people, who can see the joy in what they're creating. The cast and crew are absolutely gorgeous. I miss them all very dearly!"

Like other UK soaps, including "Eastenders," "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale," 2021 has been a great year for outstanding performances on "Hollyoaks."  The cast of returning favorites, newcomers,  longtime regulars and younger actors delivered some of their best work in edge-of-the-seat storylines that have garnered applause from viewers round the world and have kept "Hollyoaks" on the top of the rating's charts week after week after week.

Who stood out?
Who reduced the at-home viewers to tears?
Who got you all hot and bothered?
Who's death surprised you?
Who made you laugh the most?
Who chewed up the scenery as the show's resident villain?
What character did you want to see run out of town?
What newcomer made everyone sit up and take notice?
Who made the biggest impression?
Who did you want to die?
What romantic pairing - gay, straight, gender binary - did you enjoy the most?

Lots of actors....Lots of characters...Lots of story arcs.

The list is endless.

My picks are as follows:

Best Performance by an Actor

Jamie Lomas (Warren Fox)

Ricky Price (Sid Sumner)

James Sutton (John Paul McQueen)

Gregory Finnegan (James Nightingale)

Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osborne)

Richard Blackwood (Felix Westwood)

Gary Lucy (Luke Morgan)

Callum Kerr (George Kiss)

Owen Warner (Romeo Nightingale)

Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay)

Bobby Gordon (Toby Faroe)

Adam Woodward (Brody Hudson)

Best Performance by an Actress

Harvey Verdi (Misbah Maalik)

Kelle Byran (Martine Deveraux)

Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen)

Jessica Fox (Nancy Hayton)

Anna Passey (Sienna Blake)

Sarah Jayne Dunn (Mandy Richardson)

Amy Conochan (Courtney Campbell)

Alex Fletcher (Diane O'Connor)

Dawn Hope (Pearl Anderson)

Best Performance by a Young Actor

Charlie Behan ( Charlie Dean)

Ruby O' Donnell (Peri Lomax)

Erin Palmer (Ella Richardson)

Jayden Fox (Bobbie Costello)

Villain of the Year

Rhiannon Clements (Summer Ranger)

Robert Beck (Fergus Collins)

Benjamin O' Mahony (Victor Brothers)

Best Newcomer

Sam Tutty (Timmy Simons)

Omar Malik (Shaq Qureshi)

Raji James (Ali Shahzad)

Honour Chen-Williams (Vera Chok)

Best Comedy Performance

Diane Langton (Marlena "Nana" McQueen)

Chelsee Healey (Goldie McQueen)

Ross Adams (Scott Drinkwell)

"Hollyoaks" is broadcast Mondays thru Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 4.

BBC One's "Eastenders:" The Best Performances of the Year: 2021

 

By James. V. Ruocco

On BBC One's "Eastenders," characters come and go, but 2021 has been a great year for outstanding performances by returning favorites, newcomers, cast regulars, younger actors, and lastly, performers who have been with the long-running primetime soap, on and off, since its inception.

Who stood out?
Who reduced the at-home viewers to tears?
Who chewed up the scenery as the show's resident villain?
What newcomer made everyone sit up and take notice?
Who made the biggest impression in one of show's major storylines?

Lots of actors....Lots of characters.
The list is endless.

My picks are as follows:

Best Performance by an Actor

Danny Dyer (Mick Carter)

Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown)

Jake Wood (Max Branning)

Tony Clay (Callum Highway)

Toby Alexander-Smith (Gray Atkins)

Ricky Champ (Stuart Highway)

Max Bowden (Ben Mitchell)

Roger Griffiths (Mitch Baker)

Jaz Deol (Kheerat Panesar)

Best Performance by an Actress

Rose Ayling-Ellis (Frankie Lewis)

Gillian Wright (Jean Slater)

Linda Henry (Shirley Carter)

Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher)

Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater)

Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell)

Kellie Bright (Linda Carter)

Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean)

Lorraine Taylor (Karen Taylor)

Diane Parish (Denise Fox)

Simone Lahbib (Katy Lewis)

Maddy Hill (Nancy Carter)

Best Performance by a Young Actor

Clay Milner Russell (Bobby Beale)

Kara-Leah Fernandes (Bailey Baker)

Sonny Kendall (Tommy Moon)

Villain of the Year

Balvinder Sopal (Suki Panesar)

Milly Zero (Dotty Cotton)

Best Newcomer

Charlie Wernham (Aaron Monroe)

Eve Unwin (Heather Peace)

Brian Conley (Tom Cotton/Rocky)

Zaarah Abrahams (Chelsea Fox)

Ross Boatman (Harvey Monroe)

Barbara Smith (Dana Monroe)

Best Performance by a Legacy Character

Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale)

Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts)

Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell)

Best Comedy Performance

Tameka Empson (Kim Fox)

"Eastenders" is broadcast Mondays and Fridays  at 8:05 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:35 p.m. on BBC One.