[57] This episode later went on to win British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode". [89] Additionally, Oliver Kent was brought in as the Head of Continuing Drama Series for BBC Scripted Studios, meaning that Kent would oversee EastEnders along with O'Connor. [199] EastEnders has also covered the issue of Down syndrome, as Billy (Perry Fenwick) and Honey Mitchell's (Emma Barton) baby, Janet Mitchell (Grace), was born with the condition in 2006. [281], Also changes to working online has also saved transportation cost of distribution 2,500 DVDs per year. A behind the scenes video of EastEnders, hosted by Matt Di Angelo, who played Deano Wicks on the show, was put on the site the same day,[59] and was followed by another on 6 March 2007. [18], EastEnders has an emphasis on strong family matriarchs, with examples including Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), helping to attract a female audience. [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. [130], Walford East is a fictional London Underground station for Walford, and a tube map that was first seen on air in 1996 showed Walford East between Bow Road and West Ham, in the actual location of Bromley-by-Bow on the District and Hammersmith & City lines. Viewing figures for related broadcasts Besides the regular episodes of Coronation Street, the following programmes also made the weekly charts. [110] Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, expressed his excitement at the new series, dubbing it "a unique opportunity to see from the cast themselves just what it is like to be part of EastEnders". [317], EastEnders is shown on BBC Entertainment (formerly BBC Prime) in Europe and in Africa, where it is approximately six episodes behind the UK. [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. [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. [210] The lower walls, pavements, etc., were constructed of real brick and tarmac. [181] This was part of producer Diederick Santer's plan to "diversify", to make EastEnders "feel more 21st century". EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for most of its storylines, which have dealt with difficult themes, such as violence, rape, murder and child abuse. Danny Dyer has opened up about his luxurious 140,000 Heart EastEnders actor Kellie Bright shares game-changing theory on Christmas murder heart.co.uk - Alice Dear [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. Let's take a look at what television captured our imaginations and gained the largest viewing figures in each year of . ", "EastEnders 30th anniversary: The most memorable moments of the hit BBC soap", "TV ratings January 29: EastEnders edges past Emmerdale", "EastEnders: 'Who Killed Lucy?' [76] Old sets had to be rebuilt, so The Queen Victoria set was burnt down in a storyline (and in reality) to facilitate this. 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. [61] On 21 April 2007, the BBC launched a new advertising campaign using the slogan "There's more to EastEnders". Newman stepped down as executive producer after 16 months in the job in 2013 after the soap was criticised for its boring storylines and its lowest-ever figures pointing at around 4.8million. However, ratings for the 10 pm EastEnders repeat on BBC Three reached an all-time high of 1.4 million. Something went wrong, please try again later. Episodes 1 - 38 are single showings only. [211] The final touches were added in summer 1984, these included a telephone box, telegraph pole that was provided by British Telecom, lampposts that were provided by Hertsmere Borough Council and a number of vehicles parked on the square. [307] In December 2019, Christmas episodes were added to Britbox UK. It was also shown after the Sunday omnibus. Filters Table info Posted under Audiences & Viewing Measurement The BBC had originally planned to take advantage of the "summer break" that Emmerdale Farm usually took to capitalise on ratings, but ITV added extra episodes and repeats so that Emmerdale Farm was not taken off the air over the summer. Complaints against a scene in which Little Mo's face was pushed in gravy on Christmas Day were upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Council; however, a helpline after this episode attracted over 2000 calls. The Osmans, Jefferys and Carpenters represented the more modern diverse ethnic community of the East End. 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. EastEnders star Danny Dyer opens up on 140,000 Maldives holiday heart.co.uk - Naomi Bartram Danny Dyer enjoyed 'the best holiday ever' in the Maldives after he jetted off last year. [272], Since 2010, EastEnders no longer uses tapes in the recording or editing process. 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. "[396], In 2022, EastEnders aired their first male rape scene which saw Lewis Butler (Aidan O'Callaghan) rape Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). The live-episode averaged 15.6 million viewers, peaking at 16.6 million in the final five minutes of the broadcast. [208] The EastEnders lot was designed by Keith Harris, who was a senior designer within the production team together with supervising art directors Peter Findley and Gina Parr. [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. [10] They also looked at Brookside but found there was a lack of central meeting points for the characters, making it difficult for the writers to intertwine different storylines, so EastEnders was set in Albert Square. EastEnders ratings dropped to lowest figures in the soap's 36-year history (Image: BBC). [109] A behind-the-scenes show, EastEnders: Secrets From The Square, will air in the show's place during the transmission break and is hosted by television personality Stacey Dooley. Simon May wrote the theme music[24] and Alan Jeapes created the visuals. This shocking tell-all style set the tone for relations between Albert Square and the press for the next 20 years. In 2001, EastEnders clashed with Coronation Street for the first time. EastEnders is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. In response to the criticism, EastEnders apologised for offending real life detectives and confirmed that they use a police consultant for such storylines. The table below summaries the chart rankings for EastEnders for each year since 1985. "[68] The live episode featured the death of Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) at the conclusion of the "Who Killed Archie?" It's a far cry from the 30million who tuned in to. RIVALS LASH SEEDY EASTENDERS" and "CLEAN UP SOAP! In 2006, EastEnders regularly attracted between 8 and 12 million viewers in official ratings. 1) From Episode 39 (2 July 1985) onwards, ratings include the Sunday omnibus edition. "The expansion of minority representation signals a move away from the traditional soap opera format, providing more opportunities for audience identification with the characters and hence a wider appeal". 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. [107] A spokesperson confirmed that the decision was made to reduce transmission so that EastEnders could remain on-screen for longer. On the 9th January, it faced FA Cup football and was watched by 3.37m , only 200k behind Emmerdale. [336] A third series of 15 episodes started in September 2011. [111] Filming recommenced on 29 June,[112] with episodes airing from 7 September 2020. The most-watched TV show was the penultimate episode of The Apprentice on BBC One, which had 6.7 million viewers, 2.1 million of whom watched not live, but on . This meant that EastEnders would clash with Emmerdale, but the producers stated that due to the importance of online streaming figures, they were not concerned about the soaps clashing on the live television guides. Besides the regular episodes of EastEnders, the following programmes also made the weekly charts. 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. Explore. [276] According to the NAO, BBC executives approved 500,000 of additional funding for the 25th anniversary live episode (19 February 2010). [34] Brake suggested that humour was an important element in EastEnders' storylines during 1989, with a greater amount of slapstick and light comedy than before. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Monthly TV Viewing Report: November 2021 In November, adults watched an average of 2 hours 5 minutes of commercial linear TV each day. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. [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). [19], The Watts and Mitchell families have been central to many notable EastEnders storylines, the show having been dominated by the Watts in the 1980s, with the 1990s focusing on the Mitchells and Butchers. In the main, middle-class characters exist as villains, such as James Wilmott-Brown (William Boyde), May Wright (Amanda Drew), Stella Crawford (Sophie Thompson), Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti) and Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) or are used to promote positive liberal influences, such as Colin Russell (Michael Cashman), Rachel Kominski (Jacquetta May)[148] and Derek Harkinson (Ian Lavender). Holland also created Pauline's unemployed husband Arthur Fowler, their children Mark and Michelle, Pete's wife Kathy and their son Ian. The exterior set for the fictional Albert Square is located in the permanent backlot of the BBC Elstree Centre, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, at .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}513932N 01640W / 51.65889N 0.27778W / 51.65889; -0.27778, and is outdoors and open to the weather. [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. We hope that this story will help raise the public's awareness of cot death, which claims 300 babies' lives each year. 23h. 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For this, the cast and crew have received and been nominated for various awards. [278][279] With a total cost of 696,000, the difference was covered from the 20092010 series budget for EastEnders. Emmerdale was watched by 8.1 million people. EastEnders is the BBC's most consistent programme in terms of ratings. The videotape editor used the director's notes so they knew which scenes the director wanted to appear in a particular episode. EastEnders has lost an array of its stars over the past year with the BBC soap's viewing figures dropping below both Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Back in the 80s, EastEnders was pulling in monumental viewing figures on par with national events such as the 1966 World Cup Final (32.30 million) and the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (32. . It was named as if Walford were part of the actual E postcode area which covers much of east London,[132] the E standing for Eastern. During the winter period, filming can take place up to twelve weeks in advance, due to less daylight for outdoor filming sessions. As what Mal Young described as "two of EastEnders' most successful years", Yorke was responsible for highly rated storylines such as "Who Shot Phil? This was also the lowest ever audience share, with just 19.6 per cent. EastEnders has drawn in its lowest ever rating since it first aired 1985, according to reports. 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". 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. In the show's narrative, Albert Square is a 19th-century street, named after Prince Albert (18191861), the husband of Queen Victoria (18191901, reigned 18371901). Street Star Bill Lashes "Steamy" EastEnders". [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. [125] Clenshaw's first major decision as executive producer was the axing of five series regulars: Peter Beale (Dayle Hudson), Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ), Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith), Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) and Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold). The series primarily centres on the residents of Albert Square, a Victorian square of terraced houses, and its . 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. [230] Episodes are produced in "quartets" of four episodes, each of which starts filming on a Tuesday and takes nine days to record. [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. Subscribe now for more! 25 Dec 1986 EastEnders Christmas 1986 Part 2 EastEnders Second of a two-part classic episode that broke the record for British soap viewing. [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? [107] Two months later, Charlotte Moore, the director of content at the BBC, announced plans for a return to production. [10], Once they had decided on their 23 characters, they returned to London for a meeting with the BBC. Saturday Night Takeaway viewers have been left complaining after a 'cruel' prank during tonight's episode. The show also dealt with prostitution, mixed-race relationships, shoplifting, sexism, divorce, domestic violence and mugging. [229] When the number of episodes was increased to four per week, more studio space was needed, so Top of the Pops was moved from its studio at Elstree to BBC Television Centre in April 2001. In March 2011, Royal Mail allocated the E20 postal district to the 2012 Olympic Park. [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. "[91] O'Connor planned to stay with EastEnders until the end of 2017, but announced his departure on 23 June 2017 with immediate effect,[92] saying he wanted to concentrate on a career in film. [384], Some storylines have provoked high levels of viewer complaints. Episodes airing on Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 (which featured an hour long episode and a second episode) all featured at least one live insert. Walford Wiki. In August 2006, a scene involving Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley) and Jake Moon (Joel Beckett) having sex on the floor of Scarlet nightclub, and another scene involving Owen Turner (Lee Ross) violently attacking Denise Fox (Diane Parish), prompted 129 and 128 complaints, respectively. storyline, which was revealed in a special live episode of the show that drew a peak of 17 million viewers; and the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" 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. The shows lost its sense of humour. The wedding of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell in Episode 523 got 20 million viewers when it aired in the UK in November 1988. 16.6 million in the soap & # x27 ; s a far cry from the 20092010 series budget for for! The eastenders viewing figures by year for relations between Albert Square and the press for the 10 pm EastEnders repeat on BBC One February! 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