[134] In September 2011, the postcode for Albert Square was revealed in an episode as E20 6PQ. This was attributed to a different one-hour special episode of Emmerdale on ITV1. ", "EastEnders: 30 years of booze, fights and faaaamily", "Memorable LGBTQ moments in EastEnders history", It's got murder, a stalker, incest (kind of), and bulimia. The producer might have asked for further changes to be made. Kent said, "John Yorke is a Walford legend and I am thrilled that he will be joining us for a short period to oversee the show and to help us build on Sean's legacy while we recruit a long-term successor. The series went behind the scenes of the show and spoke to some of the cast members. (4th Sept. 2009, 8.17 million; 2nd Oct. 2009, 8.18 million; 6th Nov. 2009, 9.23 million) No one got this remotely right. Get a daily email direct to your inbox with our newsletter. [41] Having set up the transition to the new schedule, the first trio of episodesdubbed The Vic siegemarked Lewis's departure from the programme. [122] Sen's final credited episode as executive producer was broadcast on 10 March 2022 and coincided in a week of episodes that saw the arrest of serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith). [281], Since 1985, EastEnders has remained at the centre of BBC One's primetime schedule. cake and eat it' as Ofcom figures show many children under 13 use the main . [19] Smith used her personal memories of East End residents she met when researching Victorian squares. In 1987, EastEnders covered the general election. This rating is combined with the omnibus; the highest rating for an episode without a combined rating was 19.69million. This rating is not combined with the omnibus; the lowest rating for an episode with a combined rating was 13.89million. The storyline attracted over 200 complaints. The year before, EastEnders had 3.54 million viewers on their Christmas Day special. [352] Under new producers, EastEnders and Emmerdale continued to clash at times, and Emmerdale tended to come out on top, giving EastEnders lower than average ratings. [189], EastEnders has a high cast turnover and characters are regularly changed to facilitate storylines or refresh the format. 2) Only two ratings are unavailable - ratings for episodes 29 and 30. Maya with The Circle co-presenter Alice Levine. Only after EastEnders began, and featured the characters of Tony Carpenter and Kelvin Carpenter, did Coronation Street start to feature black characters, for example. New Zealand became the first to broadcast EastEnders overseas, the first episode being shown on 27 September 1985. Exterior scenes are filmed on a specially constructed film lot, and interior scenes take place in six studios. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. [97] Jon Sen was announced on 10 December 2018 to be taking on the role of executive producer. It was 4.99 million - way down on last winter's figures. He classed 1989's changes as a brave experiment, and suggested that while some found this period of EastEnders entertaining, many other viewers felt that the comedy stretched the programme's credibility. [386] In September 2008, EastEnders began a grooming and paedophilia storyline involving characters Tony King (Chris Coghill), Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Lauren Branning (Madeline Duggan) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law). This theme encompasses the whole Square, making the entire community a family of sorts, prey to upsets and conflict, but pulling together in times of trouble. [84] Treadwell-Collins announced his departure from EastEnders on 18 February 2016. Over the years EastEnders has typically featured a number of elderly residents, who are used to show vulnerability, nostalgia, stalwart-like attributes and are sometimes used for comedic purposes. Mick went missing after jumping in the river to save Linda from. The show lost many of its significant characters during this period. Santer officially left EastEnders in March 2010, and was replaced by Bryan Kirkwood. Get Xtra", "BBC Three 1 December 2006 BBC Genome", "Web drama comes of age with EastEnders spin-off", "Walford returns to web with second series of EastEnders: E20", "EastEnders joins forces with Michael Wood and Wallace & Gromit to inspire a life full of learning for BBC audiences", "Soaps 'Enders, Corrie "CIN" crossover confirmed Digital Spy", "First look at Eastenders Irish spin-off Redwater but have producers learned from previous "Oirish" mistakes? [138] Key people involved in the production of EastEnders have stressed how important the idea of strong families is to the programme. Notably, from 1985 to 1988, author and television writer Hugh Miller wrote 17 novels, detailing the lives of many of the show's original characters before 1985, when events on screen took place. [383] A suicide was also planned, but the character this storyline was assigned to was not revealed. Jack, Pearl and Tracey Watts were created to bring "flash, trash, and melodrama" to the Square (they were later renamed Den, Angie and Sharon). Jean Slater homeless in TRAGIC cancer plot twist? She was succeeded by Corinne Hollingworth. [57] This episode later went on to win British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode". [363] Later that year, EastEnders suffered its lowest rating ever, with 1.7 million viewers watching live. [213] Then in 1986, Harris added an extension to the set, building the fourth side of Albert Square, and in 1987, Turpin Road began to be featured more, which included buildings such as The Dagmar.[214]. Show creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland also wrote a book about the show in 1987, entitled EastEnders: The Inside Story (ISBN978-0-563-20601-9), telling the story of how the show made it to screen. Approximately 800 photographs were taken and pieced together to create one big image. [284] A sari shop was opened and various characters of different ethnicities were introduced throughout 2006 and 2007, including the Fox family, the Ahmeds, and various background artists. [222] In December 2018, it was revealed that the new set was now planned to cost 59million but a National Audit Office (NAO) report stated that it would actually cost 86.7million and be completed two-and-a-half years later than planned, in 2023; the NAO concluded that the BBC "could not provide value for money on the project". Of that, 2.9million was spent on scripts and 6.9million went towards paying actors, extras and chaperones for child actors. [369], In 2005, the BBC was accused of anti-religious bias by a House of Lords committee, who cited EastEnders as an example. "The soaps' dominance of traditional TV appears to be on the wane, no longer impervious to challenge from the linear opposition and losing fans to the streamers," he said. Just 1.7 million switched on to watch the episode - a far cry from the whopping 30.1 million viewers that sat down in front of the box for the 1986 Christmas episode which saw Dirty Den hand divorce papers to Angie. The set will provide a modern, upgraded exterior filming resource for EastEnders, and will copy the appearance of the existing buildings; however, it will be 20 per cent bigger, in order to enable greater editorial ambition and improve working conditions for staff. Other events to mark the anniversary were a spin-off DVD, EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford , and an Internet spin-off, EastEnders: E20 . In 2002, Louise Berridge succeeded Yorke as the Executive Producer. Up to the end of 2001, but excluding 1996 and 1997, the rating was also combined with that of the omnibus (though for 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998, some ratings are not combined, as noted). [366], EastEnders has been criticised for being too violent, most notably during a domestic violence storyline between Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth) and her husband Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns). Before this, the BBC conducted its audience research while the separate ITV companies sub-contracted out the task to other organisations, in the main TAM (Total Audience Measurement) and AC Neilson. [332] As part of the BBC's digital push, EastEnders Xtra was introduced in 2005. Her eldest sister, Lou, had married a man named Albert Beale and had two children, named Peter and Pauline. He told entertainment website Digital Spy, "It's really important that the feel of the week is active and exciting and not too reflective. [179][180] Despite this, the programme has been criticised by the Commission for Racial Equality, who argued in 2002 that EastEnders was not giving a realistic representation of the East End's "ethnic make-up". [281] A carbon literacy course was run with Heads of Departments of EastEnders attending and as a result, representatives from each department agreed to meet quarterly to share new sustainability ideas. [77] In 2012, Kirkwood chose to leave his role as executive producer and was replaced by Lorraine Newman. Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, Many thanks the EastEnders Wiki admin team. The viewing figures for 95 episodes are unknown. Jonathan Hordle/Shutterstock. [105][106], It was announced on 18 March 2020 that production had been suspended on EastEnders and other BBC Studios continuing dramas in light of new government guidelines following the COVID-19 pandemic, and that broadcast of the show would be reduced to two 30-minute episodes per week, broadcast on Mondays and Tuesdays, respectively. Most Read. Later on in the same evening, a special flashback episode averaged 10.3 million viewers and peaked with 11.2 million. [247] According to a Radio Times article for 212 episodes it works out at 141,000 per episode or 3.5p per viewer hour. [377] There has been criticism that the programme does not authentically portray the ethnic diversity of the population of East London,[378][379] with the programme being "twice as white" as the real East End. It's been frozen in aspic for too long. [345][346][347][348] 25 July 1985 was the first time the show's viewership rose to first position in the weekly top 10 shows for BBC One. These episodes often air in late June or early July and again in late October or early November. Call The Midwife: 5.4m 3. She regarded EastEnders as a fundamental assault on the family and morality itself. It was Strictly Come Dancing's Christmas. [278] When repeats and omnibus editions are shown, the BBC pays additional fees to cast and scriptwriters and incurs additional editing costs, which in the period 20092010, amounted to 5.5million. [176] Other examples include Paul Priestly (Mark Thrippleton) and Trevor Short (Phil McDermott),[177] In 1989 especially, characters were brought in who were deliberately conceived as comic or light-hearted. The videotape editor used the director's notes so they knew which scenes the director wanted to appear in a particular episode. Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) returned in August 2012 for her third stint on the show. Millions of EastEnders viewers have turned their back on the long-running soap, according to the latest reports. "[335] E20 features a group of sixth-form characters and targets the "Hollyoaks demographic". [381] Unused storylines penned by Yallop, which were revealed in the press during the trial, included the death of Cindy Beale's (Michelle Collins) infant son Steven; Sufia Karim (Rani Singh) being killed during a shotgun raid at the corner shop; Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) dying of undiscovered cancer;[382] and an IRA explosion at the Walford community centre, killing Pete Beale (Peter Dean) and Diane Butcher (Sophie Lawrence), and leaving Simon Wicks (Nick Berry) paralysed below the waist. [41] Lewis felt that producing an hour of "reasonable quality drama" a week was the maximum that any broadcasting system could generate without loss of integrity. ", "EastEnders LGBT domestic abuse plot praised following Tina, Tosh clash", "EastEnders gay kiss: Ben Mitchell actor Harry Reid upset by homophobia", "EastEnders casts transgender actor in transgender role on UK television", "EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt says that Ian Beale may not return", "NSPCC research reveals childcare professional's concerns over rise in emotional abuse", "Who was EastEnders' Tony King? [257] A week of episodes in 2011 saw filming take place on a beach in Thorpe Bay[258] and a pier in Southend-on-Seaduring which a stuntman was injured when a gust of wind threw him off balance and he fell onto rocks[259][260] with other scenes filmed on the Essex coast. [28] The reviews were largely favourable,[28] although, after three weeks on air, BBC1's early evening share had returned to the pre-EastEnders figure of seven million, though EastEnders then climbed to highs of up to 23million later on in the year. It was the third year in a row that the BBC1 soap has been the most-watched Christmas Day television programme.. EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for many of its storylines, which have dealt with difficult themes including violence, rape, murder and abuse. [334], In October 2009, a 12-part Internet spin-off series entitled EastEnders: E20 was announced. An average EastEnders episode attracts a total audience share between 35 and 40 per cent. [340] In the spin-off, the Moons visit Ireland where they "search for answers to some very big questions". [292] The last omnibus on the BBC was shown on 24 April 2015. It shouldn't just be a distraction from your own life, it should be an exploration of the life shared by the audience and the characters. [28] Anticipation and rumour grew in equal measure until the first transmission at 7p.m. on 19 February 1985. Debbie, Andy and Mary represented more modern-day individuals. Both Smith and Holland were unhappy about the January 1985 launch date, favouring November or even September 1984 when seasonal audiences would be higher, but the BBC stayed firm, and Smith and Holland had to concede that, with the massive task of getting the Elstree Studios operational, January was the most realistic date; however, this was later to be changed to February. From 10 August 2001, EastEnders then added its fourth episode (shown on Fridays). A week later, sound is added to the episodes and they are technically reviewed, and are ready for transmission if they are deemed of acceptable quality.[228]. Therefore the first episode of EastEnders was watched by 13 million people which equates to 17.35 million people. [202] The issue of illiteracy was highlighted by the characters of middle-aged Keith (David Spinx) and his young son Darren (Charlie G. And EastEnders, the show in 10th position, had the. The show's first episode attracted some 17million viewers, and it continued to attract high viewing figures from then on. NOTE: Please do not add content from the BBC iPlayer's early episodes until it has been aired on television, as it is intrusive to our readers who may not have seen the episode on iPlayer. This led to the introduction of some characters who were deliberately conceived as comic or light-hearted. [95] On 8 August 2018, it was announced that Kate Oates, who has previously been a producer on the ITV soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street, would become Senior Executive Producer of EastEnders, as well of Holby City and Casualty. [207] It was initially built in 1984 with a specification that it should last for at least 15 years at a cost of 750,000. Smith thought "Eastenders" "looked ugly written down" and was "hard to say", so decided to capitalise the second "e". The Beale and Fowler family represented the old families of the East End, who had always been there. [250] In 2003, filming took place at Loch Fyne Hotel and Leisure Club in Inveraray, The Arkinglass Estate in Cairndow and Grims Dyke Hotel, Harrow Weald, north London, for a week of episodes set in Scotland. EastEnders has not hit 6 million in. [107] Two months later, Charlotte Moore, the director of content at the BBC, announced plans for a return to production. [272], Since 2010, EastEnders no longer uses tapes in the recording or editing process. Recently on EastEnders viewers have seen Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) become addicted to face fillers, spending all her and husband Keegan Baker's (Zack Morris) money. [273], According to the book How to Study Television, in 1995 EastEnders cost the BBC 40,000 per episode on average. The live-episode averaged 15.6 million viewers, peaking at 16.6 million in the final five minutes of the broadcast. Today all UK audience figures are based on readings from meters fixed to a sample set of televisions across the country and the information they collate being published to show a television chart ranking. [384], Some storylines have provoked high levels of viewer complaints. [194], EastEnders programme makers took the decision that the show was to be about "everyday life" in the inner city "today" and regarded it as a "slice of life". The BBC received complaints from viewers who were unhappy with the content in the episode. [124] On 2 June 2022, EastEnders aired an episode celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The viewing figures for 25 episodes are unknown. [308], EastEnders is broadcast around the world in many English-speaking countries. [325], According to Barbara Jurgen who re-wrote the scripts for a Dutch audience he said "The power of the show is undeniable. BBC's head of drama, Piers Wenger, explained that since the episode duration had been shortened and the airtime frequently suffered changes, it had led to the audience not knowing when to watch it. [110] Kate Phillips, the controller of BBC Entertainment, explained that EastEnders: Secrets From The Square would be the "perfect opportunity to celebrate the show" in the absence of the show. In January 2021 veteran EastEnder Adam Woodyatt took an extended break to tour in the play Looking Good Dead, in which he starred alongside former on-screen wife Laurie Brett. Based on market research by BBC commissioning in 2003, EastEnders is most watched by 60- to 74-year-olds, closely followed by 45- to 59-year-olds. [173][174] This has spurred criticism, most notably from the actress Anna Wing, who portrayed Lou Beale in the show. He said: Life is tough in the East End. [351] The following day the show received its lowest ever ratings at that time (6.2million) when ITV scheduled an hour-long episode of Emmerdale against it. This remains the highest rated episode of a soap in British television history. Stephen Patterson Wednesday 13 Oct 2021 10:56 am. [71] In April and May 2010, Kirkwood axed eight characters from the show,[72][73] Barbara Windsor left her role of Peggy Mitchell, which left a hole in the show, which Kirkwood decided to fill by bringing back Kat and Alfie, which he said would "herald the new era of EastEnders. This was followed in January 1989, less than a year after legislation came into effect in the UK prohibiting the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities, by the first on-the-mouth gay kiss in a British soap when Colin kissed a new character, Guido Smith (Nicholas Donovan), an episode that was watched by 17 million people. Ofcom also took into account the programme's role in presenting sometimes challenging or distressing social issues. Many people watched this together with friends and family, so the viewing figures were probably even higher than the 24.5 million suggests! In response to the criticism, EastEnders apologised for offending real life detectives and confirmed that they use a police consultant for such storylines. Some interior shots are filmed in the actual buildings. [36] As the new production team cleared the way for new characters and a new direction, all of the characters introduced under Gibbon were axed from the show at the start of the year. [276], In 2014, two new studios were built and they were equipped with low-energy lighting which has saved approximately 90,000 kwh per year. Research suggested that people found the characters true to life, the plots believable and, importantly in the face of criticism of the content, people watched as a family and regarded it as viewing for all the family. Newspapers reported on employee dissatisfaction with Hutchison's tenure at EastEnders. Within eight months of the show's original launch, it had reached the number one spot in BARB's television ratings and has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain. EastEnders has been known to feature a "comedy double-act", originally demonstrated with the characters of Dot and Ethel, whose friendship was one of the serial's most enduring. This article or section is incomplete! The first episode was watched by 2.2 million but by early 1973 other regions . However, there have been times when EastEnders had higher ratings than Emmerdale despite the two going head-to-head. Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall guest starred in the episode; it also marked the first executive producer credit for Clenshaw. [10], Once they had decided on their 23 characters, they returned to London for a meeting with the BBC. THE BBC enjoyed some record-breaking viewing figures with its on-demand service, BBC iPlayer, last year. EastEnders viewing figures hit a low of 2.9 million on Monday - attracting a smaller audience than quiz show Only Connect. There'll be those moments for some of our longer-serving characters that briefly reflect on themselves and how they've changed. [37] The majority of EastEnders' characters are working-class. [281] The albert+ logo was first shown at the end of the EastEnders titles for episode 5281 on 9 May 2016. Explore. [13] Smith and Holland had eleven months in which to write, cast and shoot the whole thing; however, in February 1984, they did not even have a title or a place to film. 1990 was EastEnders' sixth year. "[219] The BBC announced that they would rebuild the EastEnders set[220] to secure the long-term future of the show, with completion expected to be in 2018. [288], The omnibus edition, a compilation of the week's episodes in a continuous sequence, originally aired on BBC One on Sunday afternoons,[289] until 1 April 2012 when it was changed to a late Friday night or early Saturday morning slot, commencing 6 April 2012, though the exact time differed. [21], Other characters created included Jewish doctor Harold Legg, the Anglo-Cypriot Osman family (Ali, Sue and baby Hassan), black father and son Tony and Kelvin Carpenter, single mother Mary Smith and Bangladeshi couple Saeed and Naima Jeffery. Viewing figures for related broadcasts Besides the regular episodes of Coronation Street, the following programmes also made the weekly charts. [210] The lower walls, pavements, etc., were constructed of real brick and tarmac. 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