[138] Key people involved in the production of EastEnders have stressed how important the idea of strong families is to the programme. He was a racist thug, who often tried to lead other young characters astray. All you need to know about Leo's dad and Whitney's abuser", "Sets too shabby for latest TVs force EastEnders out of town", "High-definition television forces BBC to fix sets", "EastEnders announces plans to build new exterior set at Elstree", "BBC's new EastEnders set delayed until 2020", "EastEnders' new and improved set won't be ready until 2020", "BBC's new EastEnders set over budget by 27m, watchdog finds", "EastEnders filming will begin again next month but with major changes for cast", "EastEnders starts filming on troubled new 87m Albert Square sets", "Revamped "Top of the Pops" returns to old home after a decade in exile", "Let it snow airports and schools closed", "EXCLUSIVE: "EastEnders" to reference election result", "EastEnders film last-minute scene to mark Michael Jackson's death for Friday's episode", "Exclusive: "EastEnders" to reference spending review", "EastEnders to reference Andy Murray Wimbledon victory", "The BBC's management of the costs of producing continuing drama", EastEnders Vixens: The Rise and Fall of Stella, "Streaker storms EastEnders film set in St Albans", "Pics: Ronnie shops for a wedding dress in 'Enders? [290][291] It reverted to a weekend daytime slot as from January 2013 on BBC Two. [371], In 2008, EastEnders, along with Coronation Street, was criticised by Martin McGuinness, then Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, for "the level of concentration around the pub" and the "antics portrayed in The [] Queen Vic". John Yorke became the Executive Producer of EastEnders in 2000. Such figures are vital to commercial organisations such as the BBC in that high audience figures remain an important political argument for the justification and continuation of the licence fee system although they are just as crucial to ITV as they are the basis on which they charge other companies for advertisement slots. [325], According to Barbara Jurgen who re-wrote the scripts for a Dutch audience he said "The power of the show is undeniable. [107] Two months later, Charlotte Moore, the director of content at the BBC, announced plans for a return to production. Viewing Figures are the number of viewers or households watching a television programme at any given time. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . She regarded EastEnders as a fundamental assault on the family and morality itself. Although the Euros have an effect on viewing figures, many now watch what they want when they want on . [61] On 21 April 2007, the BBC launched a new advertising campaign using the slogan "There's more to EastEnders". Ant and Dec were back presenting their adored show as it returned to ITV on Saturday (February 25) with a brand new series where David Tennant was the guest presenter. [340] In the spin-off, the Moons visit Ireland where they "search for answers to some very big questions". 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. [97] Jon Sen was announced on 10 December 2018 to be taking on the role of executive producer. The Scripts are full of hard, sharp drama, plus great one-liners which will translate well to Holland. [108] When production recommences, social distancing measures will be utilised and the show's cast will be required to do their own hair and make-up, which is normally done by a make-up artist. [139] The live-episode averaged 15.6million viewers, peaking at 16.6million in the final five minutes of broadcast. [399] The scenes were also condemned by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), calling the BBC "too lazy and arrogant" to correctly portray the child protection process, and saying that the baby was taken "without sufficient grounds to do so". "[74][75] EastEnders started broadcasting in high definition on 25 December 2010. And she admitted she fears for soaps in general following the demise of Neighbours earlier in the year. [58] In October 2006, Diederick Santer took over as Executive Producer of EastEnders. The Circle was the new kid on the reality TV block when it 'entered the chat' in 2018, with the show . With the change to the ITV network in 1968, when stations such as Associated Rediffusion were dropped and new stations such as Thames Television and London Weekend Television began, the independent stations and other interested parties (acting under the name of JICTAR, the Joint Industry Committee for Television Advertising Research, formed in the early 1960s) passed the contract for collating the data passed to AGB, today AGB Neilson, who still collate the data for the entire UK industry, BBC now included, on BARB's behalf to this day. [281] Caterers no longer use polystyrene cups and recycling on location must be provided. [319] In Canada, EastEnders was shown on BBC Canada until 2010,[320] at which point it was picked up by VisionTV. The viewing figures for 10 episodes are unknown. Official ratings are over a seven-day period up to 2014 and from 2022 onwards, and over a 28-day period from 2015 to 2021. Smith thought "Eastenders" "looked ugly written down" and was "hard to say", so decided to capitalise the second "e". Episodes from prior years are still shown on various PBS stations in the US. 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] In January 1987, EastEnders had three production teams each comprising a director, production manager, production assistant and assistant floor manager. [353][354] In 2006, EastEnders regularly attracted between 8 and 12 million viewers in official ratings. 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". Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, Many thanks the EastEnders Wiki admin team. Sometimes an entire quartet is filmed on location, which has a practical function and are the result of EastEnders making a "double bank", when an extra week's worth of episodes are recorded at the same time as the regular schedule, enabling the production of the programme to stop for a two-week break at Christmas. 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". Two special anniversary books have been written about the show; EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration (ISBN978-0-563-37057-4) by Colin Brakein 1995 and EastEnders: 20 Years in Albert Square (ISBN978-0-563-52165-5) by Rupert Smith in 2005. [99] Although, since Yorke and Oates' reigns, opinions towards the storylines have become more favourable, with storylines such as Ruby Allen's (Louisa Lytton) sexual consent, which featured a special episode which "broke new ground"[100] and knife crime, both of which have created "vital" discussions. EastEnders is the BBC's most consistent programme in terms of ratings. 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. http://bit.ly/1Kyx8Ja Moira is shocked to see Cain has arrived home from prison. The series primarily centres on the residents of Albert Square, a Victorian square of terraced houses, and its . The BBC spokesperson said: "Throughout the Euros and the Olympics, EastEnders have been dropping the entire weeks episodes on iPlayer every Monday giving the audience the choice to watch when and where they choose so it's no surprise that the overnight audience has been impacted. Sen explained that the challenges in production and filming of the show has led to the show's reduced output, but also stated that the crew had been "trialing techniques, filming methods and new ways of working" to prepare the show for its return. Viewing figures peaked at 16.6 million, which was the highest viewed episode in seven years. This marked the first time that it had been used for anything other than EastEnders. [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. [264] In October 2013, scenes were filmed on a road near London Southend Airport in Essex. Besides the regular episodes of EastEnders, the following programmes also made the weekly charts. On 21st September 2004, Louise Berridge, the then executive producer, quit following criticism of the show. The poor ratings motivated the press into reporting viewers were bored with implausible and ill-thought-out storylines. The long-running storyline of Mark Fowler's HIV was so successful in raising awareness that in 1999, a survey by the National Aids Trust found teenagers got most of their information about HIV from the soap, though one campaigner noted that in some ways the storyline was not reflective of what was happening at the time as the condition was more common among the gay community. These episodes often air in late June or early July and again in late October or early November. Most watched programmes on Christmas Day 2020 1. The show also features a large number of gay, lesbian and bisexual characters (see list of soap operas with LGBT characters), including Colin Russell (Michael Cashman), Barry Clark (Gary Hailes),[184] Simon Raymond (Andrew Lynford), Tony Hills (Mark Homer),[185] Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), Naomi Julien (Petra Letang),[186] Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White), Tosh Mackintosh (Rebecca Scroggs),[187] Christian Clarke (John Partridge), Syed Masood (Marc Elliott), Ben Mitchell (Harry Reid/Max Bowden), Paul Coker (Jonny Labey),[188] Iqra Ahmed (Priya Davdra), Ash Panesar (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha), Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris), Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace). [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. In 2009, producers introduced a limit on the number of speaking parts in each episode due to budget cuts, with an average of 16 characters per episode. [251] and the Port of Dover, Kent. [77] In 2012, Kirkwood chose to leave his role as executive producer and was replaced by Lorraine Newman. [216][217] The set was consequently rebuilt for high definition on the same site, using mostly real brick with some areas using a new improved plastic brick. Things Have Changed", "211 complaints to BBC over gay EastEnders storyline, but do the public care? EastEnders has not hit 6 million in. Santer came up with several plans to mark the occasion, including the show's first episode to be broadcast live, the second wedding between Ricky Butcher and Bianca Jackson and the return of Bianca's relatives, mother Carol Jackson, and siblings Robbie Jackson, Sonia Fowler and Billie Jackson. [37] The majority of EastEnders' characters are working-class. 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 show lost many of its significant characters during this period. Viewing figures. [32], Writer Colin Brake suggested that 1989 was a year of big change for EastEnders, both behind the cameras and in front of them. [233] This time difference has been known to cause problems when filming outdoor scenes. storyline, 10.84million viewers tuned in for the 30th anniversary episode itself in an hour long special on 19 February 2015 (peaking with 11.9million). Santer also reintroduced past and popular characters to the programme. [15] The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where Tony Holland lived and a blend of Walthamstow and Stratfordthe areas of Greater London where the creators were born. [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. [203] EastEnders covered child abuse with its storyline involving Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) 11-year-old son Ben (Charlie Jones) and lawyer girlfriend Stella Crawford (Sophie Thompson),[204][205] and child grooming involving the characters Tony King (Chris Coghill) as the perpetrator and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) as the victim.[206]. [282][283], EastEnders output then increased to three times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 April 1994 until 2 August 2001. The viewing figures for 25 episodes are unknown. "[68] The live episode featured the death of Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) at the conclusion of the "Who Killed Archie?" Stephen Patterson Wednesday 13 Oct 2021 10:56 am. Mary Whitehouse, social critic, argued at the time that EastEnders represented a violation of "family viewing time" and that it undermined the watershed policy. [398], In October 2012, a storyline involving Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), forced to hand over her baby Lexi Pearce, was criticised by the charity The Who Cares? ", "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? Executive producer Sen explained that the bi-annual scheduling conflicts that the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup cause to the soap, premiering four episodes on the streaming service would be beneficial for fans of the show who want to watch at their own chosen pace. [148] Such characters include Angie Watts (Anita Dobson), Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). [6] Granada Television gave Smith unrestricted access to the Coronation Street production for a month so that she could get a sense how a continuing drama was produced. The highest rated episode of EastEnders is the Christmas Day 1986 episode, which attracted a combined 30.15 million viewers who tuned into either the original transmission or the omnibus to see Den Watts hand over divorce papers to his wife Angie. [341][342], An example of EastEnders' popularity is that after episodes, electricity use in the United Kingdom rises significantly as viewers who have waited for the show to end begin boiling water for tea, a phenomenon known as TV pickup. [117][118] During the week, beginning from 1 November, a social media clip featuring Maria Connor from Coronation Street was featured on the programme while Cindy Cunningham from Hollyoaks was also referenced. This latter measurement method changed on 1st August 1977 and the generally accepted conversion ratio is 2.2 viewers to one home (BFI). After it aired, many took to Twitter to express how unimpressed they were with the Christmas episode. Neighbours first aired in Australia in March 1985 and in the UK in October 1986. ", "EastEnders Boss Lorraine Newman Quits As Soap's Ratings Plummet", "Twitter / dominictc: Had an amazing three years", "EastEnders' new producer shares gossip and teasers- full text", "EastEnders boss: I refuse to tick boxes on race or sexuality", "At last: EastEnders will reveal Who Killed Lucy? John Yorke returned as a temporary executive consultant. [190] The show has also become known for the return of characters after they have left the show. [225] In March 2020 during the suspension of filming, the interior sets were used for a new adaptation of Talking Heads. After a year of UK airing, Neighbours was rivalling Coronation Street and EastEnders. Episodes are roughly two weeks behind the UK. New Zealand became the first international country to broadcast EastEnders overseas, the first episode being shown on 27th September 1985. This was also the lowest ever audience share, with just 19.6 per cent. Over the years Emmerdale Farm/Emmerdale has attracted high audience figures. [181] This was part of producer Diederick Santer's plan to "diversify", to make EastEnders "feel more 21st century". This remains the highest rated episode of a soap in British television history. The Beale and Fowler family represented the old families of the East End, who had always been there. [55][56] On Friday 11 November 2005, EastEnders was the first British drama to feature a two-minute silence. The Strictly special, which was won by pop star Anne-Marie, was watched by an average of 5.8 million viewers, according to overnight figures from the BBC. 251 ] and the generally accepted conversion ratio is 2.2 viewers to one home ( BFI ) daytime as. [ 354 ] in October 2013, scenes were filmed on a road near London Southend Airport in.. Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, many now watch what they want.! 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