Eastenders, one of the most popular and long-running British television soap opera’s, first broadcast on BBC One on 19 February 1985. It is one of the most popular shows on British television and has won numerous awards for the show, including 5 BAFTA awards and is constantly at the top of the BARB poll, a poll which provides weekly viewing figures.
Eastenders is based on the lives of working class Londoners, and is based in Walford, a fictional borough in East London. The series is centered on Albert Square and its surrounding streets. The series examines the personal lives of the characters and how they deal with everyday situations, and how they co-exist. Conflict is a frequent theme in the show, whether the conflict is between friends, family or rival businessmen. This kind of thing has led to Eastenders frequently being likened to a crime series.
The series was originally screened as two half-hour episodes per week. Today, due to its increased popularity over the years, creating more demands for stories, four episodes are broadcast each week on BBC One, plus an omnibus edition on Sunday afternoons.
Within eight months of its launch, it reached the number one spot in the ratings. The average audience share for an episode is currently between 35% and 45%. Eastenders has remained a significant programme in terms of the BBC's success and audience share, and also in the history of British television drama, tackling many controversial and taboo issues previously unseen on mainstream television in the UK.
The storylines are all based on similar settings. The show revolves around a handful of places where the action unfolds. The Queen Vic pub is a central setting in the soap, with many-a-famous scene unravelling in the famous public house. The café, the nightclub, the laundrette, the market square, the shop have all had their fair share of memorable Eastenders scenes, as well as individual houses.
Due to the storylines, characters and setting, Eastenders draws in a certain audience. The show is viewed predominantly by women, and mostly by the lower class.
Over the years, Eastenders has tackled many serious and occasionally taboo issues. These include teenage pregnancy, prostitution, arranged marriages, attempted suicide, drug problems, alcoholism, a cot death, affairs, sexism, mental breakdown, dissapearances, muggings, road accidents, suspected murder and euthanasia. Some of the issues have caused widespread criticism for being too real and gritty, as well as being unsuitable for prime time t.v.
Eastenders has been built around strong families which have helped to promote a sense of community within the soap. Families include the Beale’s and the Fowlers, the Mitchell’s and the Watt’s and the Slater’s. These families have become central to the soap and cornerstones of its success.
Dot and Ethel's euthanasia storyline was a very controversial storlyine.
Eastenders has become notorious for chopping and changing the cast. Characters like Sharon Rickman and Frank Butcher have made many returns and exits for dramatic effect. The most dramatic return on the soap has to be Den Watt's return after 14 years in which everyone thought he was dead.
Due to the death of Pauline Fowler in 2006, Ian Beale is the only remaining character from the first episode. Other long-running characters include Dot Branning, Pat Evans and Ricky Butcher.
