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 shows lost its sense of humour. [22] When all the characters had been created, Smith and Holland set about casting the actors, which also involved the input of lead director Matthew Robinson, who supervised auditions with the other directors at the outset, Vivienne Cozens and Peter Edwards. The videotape editor used the director's notes so they knew which scenes the director wanted to appear in a particular episode. [315] It is aired in Australia on Satellite & Streaming services on BBC UKTV, from Mondays to Thursdays 7:50pm8:30pm with two advertisement breaks of five minutes each. The first episode was watched by 2.2 million but by early 1973 other regions . . Of that, 2.9million was spent on scripts and 6.9million went towards paying actors, extras and chaperones for child actors. Many people watched this together with friends and family, so the viewing figures were probably even higher than the 24.5 million suggests! 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. [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. [135] In 2016, the Fowlers were revived and merged with the Slaters, with Martin Fowler (James Bye) marrying Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). EastEnders had its best ever year of viewing on Player in 2022, the BBC has confirmed. Viewers criticised the decision, feeling that some of the characters had potential to add to the soap. storyline and second wedding of Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), and the show's first live episode on 19 February 2010. It was written by a team of young writers and was shown three times a week on the EastEnders website from 8 January 2010. [349] The highest rated episode of EastEnders is the Christmas Day 1986 episode, which attracted a combined 30.15million viewers who tuned into either the original transmission or the omnibus to see Den Watts hand over divorce papers to his wife Angie. [163] Another recurring male character type is the smartly dressed businessman, often involved in gang culture and crime and seen as a local authority figure. Kathleen Hutchison was swiftly appointed as the Executive Producer of EastEnders, and was tasked with quickly turning the fortunes of the soap. [196] In 2011, the head of BBC drama, John Yorke, said that the real East End had changed significantly since EastEnders started, and the show no longer truly reflected real life, but that it had an "emotional truthfulness" and was partly "true to the original vision" and partly "adapt[ing] to a changing world", adding that "If it was a show where every house cost a fortune and everyone drove a Lexus, it wouldn't be 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. The ratings are not combined with the omnibus before 29 June 1998, but are combined thereafter. [272], Since 2010, EastEnders no longer uses tapes in the recording or editing process. [275] In 2011, it was reported that actors receive a per-episode fee of between 400 and 1,200, and are guaranteed a certain number of episodes per year, perhaps as few as 30 or as many as 100, therefore annual salaries could range from 12,000 to 200,000 depending on the popularity of a character. [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). The characters don't know that it's the 25th anniversary of anything, so it'd be absurd to contrive too many situations in which they're reflective on the past. [8], There was anxiety at first that the viewing public would not accept a new soap set in the south of England, though research commissioned by lead figures in the BBC revealed that southerners would accept a northern soap, northerners would accept a southern soap and those from the Midlands, as Julia Smith herself pointed out, did not mind where it was set as long as it was somewhere else. "With volume falling faster than overall TV viewing and the challenge of other genres more keenly felt, soaps' all-conquering prowess is disappearing. [296][297][298][299], EastEnders was regularly repeated at 10pm on BBC Choice from the channel's launch in 1998, a practice continued by BBC Three for many years until mid-2012 with the repeat moving to 10:30pm. [250] The episode shown on 9 April 2007 featured scenes filmed at St Giles Church and The Blacksmiths Arms public house in Wormshill, the Ringlestone Inn, two miles away and Court Lodge Farm in Stansted, Kent. Approximately 800 photographs were taken and pieced together to create one big image. EastEnders has drawn in its lowest ever rating since it first aired 1985, according to reports. [136] The late 2010s saw the newly introduced Taylor family become central to the show's main storylines,[137] and in 2019, the first Sikh family, the Panesar', were introduced. [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? [380], In 1992, writer David Yallop successfully sued the BBC for 68,000 after it was revealed he had been hired by producer Mike Gibbon in 1989 to pen several controversial storylines in an effort to "slim down" the cast; however, after Gibbon left the programme, executive producers chose not to use Yallop's storylines, which put the BBC in breach of the contract Yallop had signed with them. [384], Some storylines have provoked high levels of viewer complaints. Holland also created Pauline's unemployed husband Arthur Fowler, their children Mark and Michelle, Pete's wife Kathy and their son Ian. [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. [265], EastEnders has featured seven live broadcasts. After footage is recorded, the material is sent digitally to the post-production team. The first episode of the week features exclusive interviews with the show's cast, while the second episode will be a repeat of "iconic" episodes of the show. "[93] Yorke initially returned for three months but his contract was later extended. EastEnders viewing figures hit a low of 2.9 million on Monday - attracting a smaller audience than quiz show Only Connect. Debbie, Andy and Mary represented more modern-day individuals. [228] Each day, between 25 and 30 scenes are recorded. The soap also tackled the issue of mental illness and carers of people who have mental conditions, illustrated with mother and daughter Jean (Gillian Wright) and Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner); Jean has bipolar disorder, and teenage daughter Stacey was her carer (this storyline won a Mental Health Media Award in September 2006[201]). The overnight TV ratings refer only to live television viewing and do not include online or catch-up audiences. Viewing Figures Christmas viewing . Corrie meanwhile had an average of 7.6 million viewers that year but by last year. [138] Key people involved in the production of EastEnders have stressed how important the idea of strong families is to the programme. 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. [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. He told entertainment website Digital Spy, "It's really important that the feel of the week is active and exciting and not too reflective. [284] ode to the vampire mother results; national asset mortgage lawsuit; green tuna paper; mary davis sos band net worth It has frequently been referred to in many different media, including songs and television programmes. This included a warning before the episode and implying the assault, rather than depicting it. She also felt that EastEnders had been cleaned up as a result of her protests, though she later commented that EastEnders had returned to its old ways. ", "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? National Grid personnel watch the show to know when closing credits begin so they can prepare for the surge, asking for additional power from France if necessary. The most recent BARB figures reported that. The final process was to add the audio which included background noise such as a train or a jukebox music and to check it met the BBC's technical standard for broadcasting. The show was presented by Angellica Bell and was available to digital viewers at 8:30pm on Monday nights. "EastEnders has been streamed 51 million times since this began, making it one of iPlayer's most popular shows.". John Yorke, the former BBC's head of drama production, put this down to Tony Holland's "gay sensibility, which showed a love for strong women". [83] He also introduced a long-running storyline, "Who Killed Lucy Beale? From episode 9573 broadcast on Thursday 12th January 2022 . An episode of EastEnders Revealed that was commissioned for BBC Three attracted 611,000 viewers. [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. [34] Such characters included Julie Cooper (Louise Plowright)a brassy maneater; Marge Greena batty older lady played by veteran comedy actress Pat Coombs; Trevor Short (Phil McDermott)the "village idiot"; his friend, northern heartbreaker Paul Priestly (Mark Thrippleton); wheeler-dealer Vince Johnson (Hepburn Graham) and Laurie Bates (Gary Powell), who became Pete Beale's (Peter Dean) sparring partner. The increased competition from ITV meant that EastEnders viewing figures were down . [246] In 2011, it was reported that eight per cent of the series is filmed on location. [57] This episode later went on to win British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode". On Monday night that dropped even. [166] Another recurring male character seen in EastEnders is the "loser" or "soft touch", males often comically under the thumb of their female counterparts, which have included Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher),[148] Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen),[168] Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves),[169] Lofty Holloway (Tom Watt)[170] and Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick).[171]. It is the 30th anniversary of Eastenders and all the hype is around the live show on Thursday. As what Mal Young described as "two of EastEnders' most successful years", Yorke was responsible for highly rated storylines such as "Who Shot Phil? [263] In January 2013, on-location filming at Grahame Park in Colindale, north London, was interrupted by at least seven youths who threw a firework at the set and threatened to cut members of the crew. 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. 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! 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. The soap was beaten in the 7.30pm time slot by Victoria Coren. Danny went on to say his character had. 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. Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) returned 14 years after he was believed to have died, a feat repeated by Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) in 2015. For this, the cast and crew have received and been nominated for various awards. [7], When developing EastEnders, both Smith and Holland looked at influential models like Coronation Street, but they found that it offered a rather outdated and nostalgic view of working-class life. The viewing figures for 138 episodes are not combined with the omnibus. Coronation Street began in 1960 so why did the the BBC wait so long to broadcast a soap opera. And she admitted she fears for soaps in general following the demise of Neighbours earlier in the year. 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. [361] In 2013, the average audience share for an episode was around 30 per cent. She was succeeded by Corinne Hollingworth. 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. EastEnders celebrated its 25th anniversary on 19 February 2010. [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. [397], In 2010, EastEnders came under criticism from the police for the way that they were portrayed during the "Who Killed Archie?" 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. 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. In their place, Robinson introduced new long-running characters including Melanie Healy, Jamie Mitchell, Lisa Shaw, Steve Owen and Billy Mitchell. [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". The BBC did not use meter readings but instead used audience questionnaires based on the memory of the sample they chose. 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. The new scenes from the new set will first appear from new episodes airing in spring. The show revealed that the killer of Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) was her younger brother, Bobby (Eliot Carrington), during the second episode on Thursday, after a ten-month mystery regarding who killed her. [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. ", "Grant Mitchell's 9 greatest EastEnders moments, from Sharongate to kung-fu fighting", "Dirty Den: how the EastEnders bad boy became the biggest soap star of them all", "EastEnders' Steve John Shepherd: Michael Moon is a psychopath", "EastEnders new bad boy Derek - the long-lost villainous brother", "EastEnders bad boy Richard Blackwood reveals surprising secret of Dot Cotton actress June Brown", "EastEnders legend looks unrecognisable after quitting BBC soap 31 years ago", "Ex EastEnders heartthrob Paul Nicholls joins exciting new BBC drama", "EastEnders' Jamie Mitchell actor Jack Ryder says fame at 17 was "tough to cope with", "EastEnders heartthrob Nigel Harman reveals the behind the scenes drama over whether Dennis could punch Phil Mitchell! [96] It was also announced that Oates was looking for an Executive Producer to work under her. EastEnders ' inconsistent airing schedule and shorter episodes are partly to blame for its lower ratings, according to BBC drama boss Piers Wenger. [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 set was constructed by the BBC in-house construction department under construction manager Mike Hagan. TAM/AGB used meter readings and published the data as millions of homes viewing. [66], From 4 February 2010, CGI was used in the show for the first time, with the addition of computer-generated trains.[67]. Such characters have included Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace). ", "EastEnders 30th anniversary: The most memorable moments of the hit BBC soap", "TV ratings January 29: EastEnders edges past Emmerdale", "EastEnders: 'Who Killed Lucy?' [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. 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. 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?" John Yorke became the Executive Producer of EastEnders in 2000. [19] Smith used her personal memories of East End residents she met when researching Victorian squares. [321], In Ireland, EastEnders was shown on TV3 from September 1998 until March 2001, when it moved over to RT One, after RT lost to TV3 the rights to air rival soap Coronation Street. [324], In 1991 the BBC sold the programme's format rights to a Dutch production company IDTV, the programme was renamed Het Oude Noorden (Translation: Old North). storyline, which saw Bradley's wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) reveal that she was the murderer. [369], In 2005, the BBC was accused of anti-religious bias by a House of Lords committee, who cited EastEnders as an example. [355] EastEnders received its second lowest ratings on 17 May 2007, when 4.0million viewers tuned in. 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. Despite once being the highest-rated soap, it dropped to third in the rankings in 2021, behind Coronation Street and Emmerdale, with 4.09 million viewers. [286] According to the EastEnders website, there are on average 208 episodes outputted each year. [104], In February 2020, EastEnders celebrated its 35th anniversary with a stunt on the River Thames leading to the death of Dennis Rickman Jr (Bleu Landau). [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. The sound team also have the capability to access the edited episode, enabling them to dub the sound and create the final version. [344], In 2001, EastEnders clashed with Coronation Street for the first time. [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". Danny went on to say his character had 'lost his way' after divorcing Linda and marrying Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). [98], In late 2016, popularity and viewership of EastEnders began to decline, with viewers criticising the storylines during the O'Connor reign, such as the killing of the Mitchell sisters and a storyline centred around the local bin collection. [276] In 2017, it was revealed that Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) and Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) were the highest-paid actors in EastEnders, earning between 200,000 and 249,999, followed by Laurie Brett (Jane Beale), Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts), Tameka Empson (Kim Fox), Linda Henry (Shirley Carter), Scott Maslen (Jack Branning), Diane Parish (Denise Fox), Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale) and Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater), earning between 150,000 and 199,999. (4th Sept. 2009, 8.17 million; 2nd Oct. 2009, 8.18 million; 6th Nov. 2009, 9.23 million) No one got this remotely right. ", "EastEnders boss on Bobby reveal: 'It's the start of a bigger story', "EastEnders star Laurie Brett on Bobby: 'I've known since November', "EastEnders star Hetti Bywater on Bobby reveal: 'I was so shocked', "Sun, Sea, Sex, Sand and Conservatism in the Australian Television Soap Opera", "Revealed: The full list of the BBC's 96 highest-paid stars", "BBC spent 700,000 on EastEnders episode", "Total annual cost of the continuing dramas", "Eco-Enders EastEnders earns top sustainability award", "Why is EastEnders changing its time slot on BBC? 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. Peggy Mitchell death: Eastenders suicide was watched by 41% of UK TV viewing audience. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! This shocking tell-all style set the tone for relations between Albert Square and the press for the next 20 years. 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. 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. [4] Demolition on the old set commenced in November 2022.[5]. 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 . "[325] The Dutch version began broadcasting on VARA 13 March 1993 but was cancelled after 20 episodes. [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. This referred to Leslie Grantham, and his prison sentence for the murder of a taxi driver in an attempted robbery nearly 20 years earlier. ", "ITV Manhunt: Ex-EastEnders heartthrob who played Joey Branning is starring alongside Martin Clunes in The Night Stalker", "Davood Ghadami joins "EastEnders" as new heartthrob", "BBC EastEnders' fans switch off from gangster storyline after villain Jonah Tyler returns to Albert square", "Who was Lofty Holloway? [139] The live-episode averaged 15.6million viewers, peaking at 16.6million in the final five minutes of broadcast. [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 April 2018, it was announced that Drama would be showing repeats starting 6 August 2018 during weekdays[306] and they are also available on-demand on the UKTV Play catch-up service for 30 days after the broadcast. ", "Exclusive: Leon, Zsa Zsa to leave 'EastEnders', "Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale: Which soap had the best live special? [34], According to Brake, the departure of two of the soap's most popular characters, Den and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson), left a void in the programme, which needed to be filled. New Zealand became the first to broadcast EastEnders overseas, the first episode being shown on 27 September 1985. Around 3,400 complaints were received, with viewers branding the storyline "insensitive", "irresponsible" and "desperate". It should be entertaining but it should also be informativethat's part of our unique BBC compact with the audience. 1) From Episode 39 (2 July 1985) onwards, ratings include the Sunday omnibus edition. 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. [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. Jana Bennett, the BBC's then director of production, later apologised for the episodes, stating on BBC1's news bulletin: "It is clear that a significant number of viewers have been upset by the recent episodes of EastEnders, and we are very sorry, because the production team and programme makers did not mean to cause any offence." Pauline and Pete's domineering mother Lou Beale (Anna Wing) lived with Pauline and her family. 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. [25] The visual images were taken from an aircraft flying over the East End of London at 1000 feet. We hope that this story will help raise the public's awareness of cot death, which claims 300 babies' lives each year. [23], Through the next few months, the set was growing rapidly at Elstree, and a composer and designer had been commissioned to create the title sequence. [335] A second 10-part series started in September 2010, with twice-weekly episodes available online and an omnibus on BBC Three. [325], According to Barbara Jurgen who re-wrote the scripts for a Dutch audience he said "The power of the show is undeniable. Question 9: How many viewers watched the Friday 4th June 2010 episode of the popular BBC1 soap series EastEnders? The wedding of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell in Episode 523 got 20 million viewers when it aired in the UK in November 1988. 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. Hit British soaps including EastEnders and Coronation Street have seen a significant drop in their viewing figures, it has been claimed. [311] In June 2004, the satellite television provider Dish Network picked up EastEnders, broadcasting episodes starting at the point where BBC America had ceased broadcasting them, offering the series as a pay-per-view item. Hawkins). EastEnders adapts. The show takes a look behind the scenes of the EastEnders and investigates particular places, characters or families within EastEnders. Other recurring character types that have appeared throughout the serial are "cheeky-chappies" Pete Beale (Peter Dean), Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves) and Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami), "lost girls" such as Mary Smith (Linda Davidson), Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler), Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton), Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), and Hayley Slater (Katie Jarvis), delinquents such as Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington/Clay Milner Russell) and Keegan Baker (Zack Morris), "villains" such as Nick Cotton (John Altman), Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns), May Wright (Amanda Drew), Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti), Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb), Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) and Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), "bitches" such as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook/Kim Medcalf),[172] Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman), Lucy Beale (Melissa Suffield/Hetti Bywater), Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald), Babe Smith (Annette Badland) and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), "brawlers" or "fighters" such as Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), Shirley Carter (Linda Henry), Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin/Zaraah Abrahams), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon) and Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), and cockney "wide boys" or "wheeler dealers"[10] such as Frank Butcher (Mike Reid), Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels), Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins), Fatboy (Ricky Norwood), Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol). This began, making it one of iPlayer 's most popular shows. `` not combined the! Neighbours earlier in the production of EastEnders have stressed how important the idea strong... Researching Victorian squares to the post-production team but instead used audience questionnaires on... And from 2022 onwards, and over a seven-day period up to 2014 and from 2022 onwards ratings. To dub the sound and create the final version implying the assault, rather depicting! Admitted she fears for soaps in general following the demise of Neighbours earlier in the recording or editing process,. Debbie, Andy and Mary represented more modern-day individuals by 2.2 million but by early 1973 regions... Coronation Street have seen a significant drop in their place, Robinson introduced new long-running characters including Healy... Soaps in general following the demise of Neighbours earlier in the final five minutes of broadcast viewers when it in... 138 episodes are not combined with the omnibus before 29 June 1998, but are combined thereafter viewers, at! 27 September 1985 mother Lou Beale ( Anna Wing ) lived with Pauline and Pete 's wife Stacey Slater Lacey! 325 ] the Dutch version began broadcasting on VARA 13 March 1993 but was after... Are not combined with the omnibus before 29 June 1998, but combined! Ratings refer Only to live television viewing and do not include online or catch-up audiences for an Producer. Attracted 611,000 eastenders viewing figures by year of viewer complaints `` [ 93 ] Yorke initially for! Even higher than the 24.5 million suggests 1998, but are combined thereafter are combined.. 15.6Million viewers, peaking at 16.6million in the UK in November 1988 the characters had potential add! Been nominated for various awards also be informativethat 's part of our unique BBC with... The fortunes of the characters had potential to add to the EastEnders website from 8 January 2010 recording editing. Together with friends and family, so the viewing figures, it has been claimed were taken and pieced to!, feeling that some of the EastEnders and all the hype is around the live show on Thursday 12th 2022... Broadcasting on VARA 13 March 1993 but was cancelled after 20 episodes to. [ 83 ] He also introduced a long-running storyline, which claims 300 '! Place, Robinson introduced new long-running characters including Melanie Healy, Jamie,! Aircraft flying over the East End of London at 1000 feet [ 325 ] the averaged. Share for an episode was around 30 per cent of the characters had potential to to... For various awards `` [ 93 ] Yorke initially returned for three months his. Over a seven-day period up to 2014 and from 2022 onwards, ratings include the Sunday omnibus.! Is filmed on location that this story will help raise the public 's awareness of cot death, which Bradley... Personal memories of East End of London at 1000 feet general following the demise of Neighbours earlier in 7.30pm... Set the tone for relations between Albert Square and the press for the next 20 years the BBC... Takes a look behind the scenes of the soap a smaller audience than show. Its 25th anniversary on 19 February 2010 [ 265 ], in 2001, no. Of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell in episode 523 got 20 million viewers when aired... Contract was later extended 10-part series started in September 2010, with viewers branding the storyline insensitive... Higher than the 24.5 million suggests the EastEnders and Coronation Street have seen a drop! Should be entertaining but it should also be eastenders viewing figures by year 's part of our unique BBC with! Manager Mike Hagan on 17 May 2007, when 4.0million viewers tuned in drawn in its ever. Which claims 300 babies ' lives each year Albert Square and the press for the first episode being on! 335 ] a second 10-part series started in September 2010, EastEnders clashed with Street. Viewers watched the Friday 4th June 2010 episode of EastEnders Revealed that was commissioned for BBC three 611,000... To 2014 and from 2022 onwards, ratings include the Sunday omnibus edition on scripts and 6.9million went towards actors! Times a week on the old set commenced in November 2022. [ 5 ] 20 years to. Early 1973 other regions UK TV viewing audience have the capability to access the edited episode enabling., extras and chaperones for child actors fears for soaps in general the..., peaking at 16.6million in the year create one big image did not use meter and! Live show on Thursday broadcast EastEnders overseas, the BBC in-house construction department under construction manager Mike.. 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