[237] During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, actors filmed short scenes following the tournament's events that were edited into the programme in the following episode. EastEnders fans will know that Danny Dyer left his role as Mick Carter on Christmas Day last year (Sunday December 25, 2022). [28] Both Holland and Smith could not watch; they both instead returned to the place where it all began, Albertine's Wine Bar on Wood Lane. [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. [394] On 17 November 2014 it was announced that Ofcom will investigate over the storyline. Filters Table info Posted under Audiences & Viewing Measurement The programme has since attempted to address these issues. 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. In 1989, the programme came under criticism in the British media for being too depressing, and according to writer Colin Brake, the programme makers were determined to change this. [20] Ethel Skinner was based on an old woman she met in a pub, with ill-fitting false teeth, and a "face to rival a neon sign", holding a Yorkshire Terrier in one hand and a pint of Guinness in the other. This episode, which showed the funeral of Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi) interspersed with real people talking about their true-life experiences of knife crime. 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. Yorke was given the task of introducing the soap's fourth weekly episode. The launch show in 1985 attracted 17.35 million viewers. Coronation Street began in 1960 so why did the the BBC wait so long to broadcast a soap opera. An average EastEnders episode attracts a total audience share between 35 and 40 per cent. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) 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. 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 During the winter period, filming can take place up to twelve weeks in advance, due to less daylight for outdoor filming sessions. [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. In March 2011, Royal Mail allocated the E20 postal district to the 2012 Olympic Park. [32], Writer Colin Brake suggested that 1989 was a year of big change for EastEnders, both behind the cameras and in front of them. Berridge was responsible for some ratings success stories, such as Alfie and Kat Slater's relationship, Janine Butcher getting her comeuppance, Trevor Morgan and Jamie Mitchell's death storylines and the return of one of the greatest soap icons, Den Watts, who had been presumed dead for 14 years. [232][228] The episodes are usually filmed about six[228] to eight weeks in advance of broadcast. [193] Tracey is the longest-serving female character in the show, having appeared since 1985, albeit as a minor character. This was attributed to a conflicting one-hour special episode of Emmerdale on ITV1; however, ratings for the 10pm EastEnders repeat on BBC Three reached an all-time high of 1.4million; however, there have been times when EastEnders had higher ratings than Emmerdale despite the two going head-to-head. [34] In 1989, there was a deliberate attempt to increase the lighter, more comic aspects of life in Albert Square. [113], On 9 April 2021, following the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the episode of EastEnders that was due to be aired that night was postponed along with the final of Masterchef. EastEnders bosses want to go back to five 30 minute episodes a week after a ratings slump, according to reports. 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. The table below summaries the chart rankings for EastEnders for each year since 1985. The 23rd October saw Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor bow out in the BBC Centenary Special, The Power of the Doctor. [251] and the Port of Dover, Kent. [209] The main buildings on the square consisted originally of hollow shells, constructed from marine plywood facades mounted onto steel frames. [39] Lewis and Greaves formulated a new regime for EastEnders, giving the writers of the serial more authority in storyline progression, with the script department providing "guidance rather than prescriptive episode storylines". [7] After the concept was put to them on 14 March 1983, Smith and Holland then went about putting their ideas down on paper; they decided it would be set in the East End of London. Brake suggested that Ferguson was responsible for bringing in a new sense of vitality and creating a programme that was more in touch with the real world than it had been over the previous year.[34]. Santer officially left EastEnders in March 2010, and was replaced by Bryan Kirkwood. They suggested that the average proportion of visible minority faces on EastEnders was substantially lower than the actual ethnic minority population in East London boroughs, and it, therefore, reflected the East End in the 1960s, not the East End of the 2000s. RIVALS LASH SEEDY EASTENDERS" and "CLEAN UP SOAP! Mary Whitehouse, social critic, argued at the time that EastEnders represented a violation of "family viewing time" and that it undermined the watershed policy. Viewing figures peaked at 16.6 million, which was the highest viewed episode in seven years. [340] The six-part drama, Kat & Alfie: Redwater, was created by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and his team. 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. Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, Many thanks the EastEnders Wiki admin team. [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". [33] Producer Mike Gibbon was given the task of running the show and he enlisted the most experienced writers to take over the storylining of the programme, including Charlie Humphreys, Jane Hollowood and Tony McHale. [37] Ferguson introduced other characters and was responsible for storylines including HIV, Alzheimer's disease and murder. The launch was delayed until February 1985[27] due to a delay in the chat show Wogan, that was to be a part of the major revamp in BBC1's schedules. In the same period, Emmerdale's viewing figures are said to have witnessed a 22 per cent decline. Over the years Emmerdale Farm/Emmerdale has attracted high audience figures. In response to the criticism, EastEnders apologised for offending real life detectives and confirmed that they use a police consultant for such storylines. [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. Robinson also earned tabloid soubriquet "Axeman of Albert Square" after sacking a large number of characters in one hit, and several more thereafter. Holland drew on the names of his own family for the characters. When Danny joined, EastEnders was pulling in up to eight million viewers an episode, but in the past year those figures have dropped to 2.5 million. Of that, 2.9million was spent on scripts and 6.9million went towards paying actors, extras and chaperones for child actors. The character of Nick Cotton (John Altman) gained a reputation for making constant exits and returns since the programme's first year until the character died in 2015. in 30th anniversary show in February", "Dominic Treadwell-Collins set to depart as Executive Producer", "EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins quits after two and half years", "End of an era! Emmerdale was watched by 8.1 million people. Filter by channel or audience. 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. A year later BBC chairman Christopher Bland admitted that as result of the Irish-set EastEnders episodes, the station failed in its pledge to represent all groups accurately and avoid reinforcing prejudice. [332] As part of the BBC's digital push, EastEnders Xtra was introduced in 2005. Viewers felt that the scenes were too violent and graphic for a pre-watershed time slot. [26] The credits were later updated when the Millennium Dome was built.[26]. The police claimed that such scenes were "damaging" to their reputation and added that the character DC Deanne Cunningham (Zo Henry) was "irritatingly inaccurate". The show also dealt with prostitution, mixed-race relationships, shoplifting, sexism, divorce, domestic violence and mugging. [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. 3-min read. [223] The NAO's forecast cost is more than the annual combined budget for BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. From 25 December 2010 - 29 April 2011 and 31 July 2012 - 13 August 2012 to the show was repeated on BBC HD in a Simulcast with BBC Three. The original elderly residents included Lou Beale (Anna Wing), Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) and Dot Cotton (June Brown). [309] This was followed by the Netherlands on 8 December 1986, Australia on 5 January 1987, Norway on 27 April, and Barcelona on 30 June (dubbed into Catalan). The year before, EastEnders had 3.54 million viewers on their Christmas Day special. Hollingworth's contributions to the soap were awarded in 1997 when EastEnders won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series. Jonathan Hordle/Shutterstock. 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