From Sun Hill to Walford

The usual route on the soap highway is for actors to arrive in Sun Hill shortly after leaving Albert Square.

However, EastEnders has raided The Bill's casting department for a couple of new additions to the square. Sadly The Bill's second best actor (after Alex 'Smithy' Walkinshaw, of course) Scott Maslen is leaving Phil Hunter behind to become another member of the suddenly everywhere Branning clan. And Tanya Branning is getting a druggie sister played by Tanya Franks, aka DCI Morrell in The Bill and Karen in Family Affairs.

Scott's appearance in the Square could prove a much needed shot of realistic testosterone into a soap where male characters are either spineless wimps or two-dimensional bad guys. But EastEnders have employed good actors before and just turned them into unlikable, implausible macho potato-heads before. Craig Fairbrass could have been a brilliant tough but likable romeo if the producers could only come up with a non-gangster related plot to prove a character's masculinity. However they can't, which is why Scott may regret leaving The Bill and his Moonlighting-esque relationship with Sam Nixon behind.

Tanya Franks also could be a great assert. As her role in BBC3's excellent sitcom proved, she's great at playing caustic characters, and hopefully an out-of-control heroine addict could shake up the square and prove a good match against Shirley in future catfights. Mind you, Janet Dibley was excellent as Phil's wino girlfriend Lorna, but the producers let her go before her potential was realised. Let's hope they have more planned for the fabulous Tanya.