[343], EastEnders is the BBC's most consistent programme in terms of ratings,[139] and as of 2021, episodes typically receive between 4 and 6 million viewers. New Zealand became the first international country to broadcast EastEnders overseas, the first episode being shown on 27th September 1985. It was the third year in a row that the BBC1 soap has been the most-watched Christmas Day television programme.. As what Mal Young described as "two of EastEnders' most successful years", Yorke was responsible for highly rated storylines such as "Who Shot Phil? Other events to mark the anniversary were a spin-off DVD, EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford , and an Internet spin-off, EastEnders: E20 . From 2001 to 2022, it was broadcast at 7:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and 8pm on Monday and Friday. [373][374][375], In 1997, several episodes were shot and set in Ireland, resulting in criticisms for portraying the Irish in a negatively stereotypical way. Total linear TV set viewing (including BBC) was 2 hours, 39 minutes a day. [210] The drains around the set are real so rainwater can naturally flow from the streets. Christmas Day Overnight Ratings Everything you need to know about EastEnders returnee", "Danniella Westbrook wants to return to EastEnders but fears the show just uses her for publicity", "Young viewers switch from BBC to the internet", "I stopped watching Albert Square.. Now I like Emmerdale", "Johann Hari: Why "Coronation Street" fills me with pride", "Coronation Street and EastEnders battle it out for coveted CRE Race in the Media Award", "30 Years Today, First Gay Character Appeared In "EastEnders". Holland also created Pauline's unemployed husband Arthur Fowler, their children Mark and Michelle, Pete's wife Kathy and their son Ian. During her time at the soap Hutchison axed multiple characters, and reportedly ordered the rewriting of numerous scripts. During her time at EastEnders, Berridge introduced popular characters such as Alfie Moon, Dennis Rickman,[48] Chrissie Watts, Jane Beale, Stacey Slater[49] and the critically panned Indian Ferreira family.[50]. storyline, which saw Bradley's wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) reveal that she was the murderer. 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]. After a year of UK airing, Neighbours was rivalling Coronation Street and EastEnders. Debbie, Andy and Mary represented more modern-day individuals. Turner was told only 30minutes before the live episode and to maintain suspense, she whispers this revelation to former lover and current father-in-law, Max Branning, in the very final moments of the live show. [385], In March 2008, scenes showing Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner) and boyfriend, Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), burying Tanya's husband Max (Jake Wood) alive, attracted many complaints. Big storylines. [388] Roz Laws from the Sunday Mercury called the plot "shocking and ridiculous" and asked "are we really supposed to believe that Kat won't recognise that the baby looks different? [28] Anticipation and rumour grew in equal measure until the first transmission at 7p.m. on 19 February 1985. Corrie's first episode was not a critical success, with one columnist predicting it wouldn't last longer than 3 weeks. [81] He axed multiple characters from the show[82] and introduced the extended Carter family. The following day, the anniversary week was rounded off with another fully live episode (the second after 2010) with 9.97 million viewers watching the aftermath of the reveal, the Beale family finding out the truth of Lucy's killer and decided to keep it a secret. The set had to be made to look as if it had been standing for years. The finger of blame was also pointed towards the show's lack of distinctive icons like those of yesteryear, such as Peggy Mitchell and Dot Branning, while Corrie has stuck by its veteran stars like Bill Roache who plays Ken Barlow. [228] Each day, between 25 and 30 scenes are recorded. 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. [319] In Canada, EastEnders was shown on BBC Canada until 2010,[320] at which point it was picked up by VisionTV. Allegations of national and racial stereotypes. Danny went on to say his character had 'lost his way' after divorcing Linda and marrying Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. storyline and the second wedding of Ricky Butcher and Bianca Jackson, and the show's first live episode on 19th February 2010. [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. The shows lost its sense of humour. Still, heterosexual Mark struggled with various issues connected to his HIV status, including public fears of contamination, a marriage breakdown connected to his inability to have children and the side effects of combination therapies. Yorke was given the task of introducing the soap's fourth weekly episode. Viewing figures Ratings chart for the year At launch, EastEnders was shown on BBC One. Explore. EastEnders Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. The mess of scheduling around the World Cup certainly didn't help, however, I would expect by this time of year the figures to be between 5.5-6.5million. [368], In 2003, cast member Shaun Williamson, who was in the final months of his role of Barry Evans, said that the programme had become much grittier over the past 10 to 15 years, and found it "frightening" that parents let their young children watch. Brake indicated that the production team decided that 1989 was to be a year of change in Walford, commenting, "it was almost as if Walford itself was making a fresh start". [13], The project had a number of working titlesSquare Dance, Round the Square, Round the Houses, London Pride and East 8. [198] Storylines included the cot death of 14-month-old Hassan Osman, Nick Cotton's (John Altman) homophobia, racism and murder of Reg Cox (Johnnie Clayton),[199] Arthur Fowler's (Bill Treacher) unemployment reflecting the recession of the 1980s, the rape of Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) in 1988 by James Willmott-Brown (William Boyde)[199] and Michelle Fowler's (Susan Tully) teenage pregnancy. Possibly the least successful were the Indian Ferreira family, who were not well received by critics or viewers and were dismissed as unrealistic by the Asian community in the UK. This was the second live broadcast of EastEnders. In 2021, "UEFA Euro 2020: England vs Denmark" recorded the largest TV viewing audience of the year, with 18.4 million individuals watching the program. The top 50 programmes on TV based on the size of their total viewing audience over the week (including live, VOSDAL, time-shifted and total audience viewing figures). [372], In 2017, viewers complained on Twitter about scenes implying that Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) is the father of his 15-year-old sister Bernadette Taylor's (Clair Norris) unborn baby, with the pair agreeing to keep the pregnancy secret from their mother, Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley); however, the baby's father is revealed as one of Bernadette's school friends. EastEnders fans will know that Danny Dyer left his role as Mick Carter on Christmas Day last year (Sunday December 25, 2022). It continues to draw in hefty viewing figures even in the age of streaming services. This remains the highest rated episode of a soap in British television history. [359] In January 2010, the average audience was higher than that of Coronation Street for the first time in three years. She commented, "I don't want to be disloyal, but I think you need a few mature people in a soap because they give it backbone and body if all the main people are young it gets a bit thin and inexperienced. The 23rd October saw Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor bow out in the BBC Centenary Special, The Power of the Doctor. EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for many of its storylines, which have dealt with difficult themes including violence, rape, murder and abuse. The following episode dropped 600k. [84] Treadwell-Collins announced his departure from EastEnders on 18 February 2016. Exterior scenes are filmed on a specially constructed film lot, and interior scenes take place in six studios. Although the Euros have an effect on viewing figures, many now watch what they want when they want on . "[390] By 7 January, that storyline had generated the most complaints in show history: the BBC received about 8,500 complaints, and media regulator Ofcom received 374; however, despite the controversy, EastEnders pulled in rating highs of 910million throughout the duration of the storyline. His mother, Ethel Holland, was one of four sisters raised in Walthamstow. This was done by a number of means, including chipping the pavements, using chemicals to crack the top layer of the paint work, using varnish to create damp patches underneath the railway bridge, and making garden walls in such a way they appeared to sag. [224] The BBC said the new set would be more suitable for HD filming and better reflect the modern East End of London. However, EastEnders has also been commended for representing real-life issues and spreading awareness on social topics. The Circle was the new kid on the reality TV block when it 'entered the chat' in 2018, with the show . In 2007, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale averaged 8.7 million viewers between them, but by 2017 this had dropped to 6.9 million. Santer officially left EastEnders in March 2010, and was replaced by Bryan Kirkwood. It is estimated that the show's new set is costing 86million of licence fee cash. EastEnders Christmas Day special is reported to have only pulled in pulled in 2.9 million viewers, which was less than Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Newspapers reported on employee dissatisfaction with Hutchison's tenure at EastEnders. [140] The original matriarch was Lou Beale (Anna Wing), though later examples include Mo Harris (Laila Morse),[141] Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement),[142] Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia),[143] Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell),[144] Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth),[145] Jean Slater (Gillian Wright),[146] and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal). [274] A 2012 agreement between the BBC, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain and the Personal Managers' Association set out the pay rate for EastEnders scripts as 137.70 per minute of transmission time (4,131 for 30 minutes), which is 85 per cent of the rate for scripts for other BBC television series. Smith thought "Eastenders" "looked ugly written down" and was "hard to say", so decided to capitalise the second "e". But data has shown that Walford's woes outdo those on the Corrie cobbles. In 2014, the BBC announced plans to rebuild the set entirely. BBC One EastEnders Down Memory Lane with Matt Di Angelo", Doctor Who episodes coming to your mobile phone, "Get your anoraks on trains are coming! "[396], In 2022, EastEnders aired their first male rape scene which saw Lewis Butler (Aidan O'Callaghan) rape Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). This process is overseen by BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) who were set up jointly by the BBC and the then ITV group of companies and began operating on 1st August 1981. [50] The scandal led to Grantham's departure from the soap, but the occasion was used to mark the 20th anniversary of EastEnders, with an episode showing Den's murder at the Queen Vic pub. [131], Walford has the postal district of E20. ", "The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television", "BBC EastEnders: EastEnders Omnibus has moved", "EastEnders repeat where will it be shown when BBC3 goes off air? [266] On 23 July 2012, a segment of that evening's episode was screened live as Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) carried the Olympic flame around Walford in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics. [33] In addition, several other long-running characters left the show that year including Sue and Ali Osman (Sandy Ratcliff and Nejdet Salih) and their family; Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler); Carmel Jackson (Judith Jacob) and Colin Russell (Michael Cashman). [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. Everyone agreed that EastEnders would be tough, violent on occasion, funny and sharpset in Margaret Thatcher's Britainand it would start with a bang (namely the death of Reg Cox). [234][235] EastEnders is normally recorded using four cameras. [189], EastEnders has a high cast turnover and characters are regularly changed to facilitate storylines or refresh the format. [286] According to the EastEnders website, there are on average 208 episodes outputted each year. [269] Bywater only discovered Bobby was responsible for Lucy's death on the morning of Thursday, 19 February, several hours before they filmed the scenes revealing Bobby as Lucy's killer. [85], Sean O'Connor, former EastEnders series story producer and then-editor on radio soap opera The Archers, was announced to be taking over the role. During his reign, EastEnders won the BAFTA for "Best Soap" in consecutive years 1999 and 2000 and many other awards. [182], EastEnders has been praised for its portrayal of characters with disabilities, including Adam Best (David Proud) (spina bifida), Noah Chambers (Micah Thomas) and Frankie Lewis (Rose Ayling-Ellis) (deaf), Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) and her daughter Stacey (Lacey Turner) (bipolar disorder), Janet Mitchell (Grace) (Down syndrome), Jim Branning (John Bardon) (stroke)[183] and Dinah Wilson (Anjela Lauren Smith) (multiple sclerosis). The series was conceived by executive producer Diederick Santer "as a way of nurturing new, young talent, both on- and off-screen, and exploring the stories of the soaps' anonymous bystanders. Neighbours first aired in Australia in March 1985 and in the UK in October 1986. The show was presented by Angellica Bell and was available to digital viewers at 8:30pm on Monday nights. [231] When a quartet is completed, it is edited by the director, videotape editor and script supervisor. According to The Sun, the figures are more worrying for producers as rivals such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale are regularly attracting over four million viewers. Only five years ago it was pulling in up to 12million viewers almost five times as many. In March 1983, under two years before EastEnders' first episode was broadcast, the show was a vague idea in the mind of a handful of BBC executives, who decided that what BBC One needed was a popular bi-weekly drama series that would attract the kind of mass audiences that ITV was getting with Coronation Street. Blankety Blank: 5.3m 4. Maya with The Circle co-presenter Alice Levine. His return in late 2003 was watched by over 16 million viewers, putting EastEnders back at number one in the rating war with the Coronation Street; however, other storylines, such as one about a kidney transplant involving the Ferreiras, were not well received,[50] and although Den Watts's return proved to be a ratings success, the British press branded the plot unrealistic and felt that it questioned the show's credibility. [181] This was part of producer Diederick Santer's plan to "diversify", to make EastEnders "feel more 21st century". We have a very wide range of content - there's a strong 80s focus with trivia on EastEnders and Grange Hill, but you can also find articles on popular contemporary TV programmes such as Breaking Bad and The Sopranos. Emmerdale was watched by 8.1million viewers. [281] Cars used by the studio are low emission vehicles and the production team take more efficient energy efficient generators out on location. It was confirmed that after the transmission break, the show would temporarily broadcast four 20-minute episodes per week, until it can return to its normal output. The series went behind the scenes of the show and spoke to some of the cast members. [227], The majority of EastEnders episodes are filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. We are always mindful of the timeslot in which EastEnders is shown and we took great care to signpost this storyline prior to transmission, through on-air continuity and publicity as well as providing a BBC Action Line at the end of the episode which offers advice and support to those affected by the issue". [192], As of January 2023[update], Gillian Taylforth and Letitia Dean are the only members of the original cast remaining in the show, in their roles of Kathy Beale and Sharon Watts, respectively. [57] This episode later went on to win British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode". Ted Barrington, the Irish Ambassador to the UK at the time, described the portrayal of Ireland as an "unrepresentative caricature", stating he was worried by the negative stereotypes and the images of drunkenness, backwardness and isolation. [236] These were replaced by specially recorded election material, including representatives from each major party, and a scene recorded on the day after the election reflecting the result, which was broadcast the following Tuesday. The viewing figures for five episodes are unknown. Trust, who called the storyline an "unhelpful portrayal" and said it had already received calls from members of the public who were "distressed about the EastEnders scene where a social worker snatches a baby from its mother's arms". Ratings expert Stephen Price told Broadcast magazine that the issue is also partly to do with streaming services. [34] In 1989, there was a deliberate attempt to increase the lighter, more comic aspects of life in Albert Square. [338][339] On 4 April 2015, EastEnders confirmed plans for a BBC One series featuring Kat and Alfie Moon. Posted on: February 14, 2023 Download The key viewing figures In January, adults watched an average of 2 hours of commercial linear TV each day. 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. The total weekly reach of linear TV for individuals remains high at 82.7%. Viewers criticised the decision, feeling that some of the characters had potential to add to the soap. In February 2008, it was reported that the set would transfer to Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where a new set would be built[215] as the set was looking "shabby", with its flaws showing up on high-definition television broadcasts; however, by April 2010 a follow-up report confirmed that Albert Square would remain at Elstree Studios for at least another four years, taking the set through its 25th anniversary. The BBC responded by stating: "EastEnders has been a pre-watershed BBC One staple for over 37 years and has a rich history of dealing with challenging and difficult issues and Ben's story is one of these. Such characters have included Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace). The BBC1 soap is in crisis after drawing the lowest ever viewing figures in its history, scraping in with just 1.7 million viewers on July 31. 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