EastEnders
In March 1983, a handful of BBC executives gathered to discuss the future of British television drama. They needed a popular twice-weekly series that could match the mass audiences ITV was attracting with Coronation Street. David Reid, then head of series and serials, approached Julia Smith and Tony Holland. This established producer and script editor team had previously worked together on Z-Cars. The outline presented to them was vague: two episodes a week, 52 weeks a year. Smith and Holland decided to set the show in the East End of London after research indicated a working-class neighbourhood would have the widest appeal.
Granada Television gave Smith unrestricted access to the Coronation Street production for one month so she could understand how a continuing drama was made. The project initially carried the working title East 8, referring to the postcode for Hackney. Several cities were considered including Manchester and Birmingham before London was chosen. There was initial anxiety that viewers would not accept a new soap set in southern England. Research commissioned by lead figures at the BBC revealed that southerners would accept a northern soap, northerners would accept a southern soap, and those from the Midlands did not mind where it was set as long as it was somewhere else.
Smith and Holland spent months telephoning theatrical agents asking if they had any real East Enders on their books. They created 23 characters in just 14 days while taking a holiday in Playa de los Pocillos, Lanzarote. Holland drew on his own background to create the Beale and Fowler families. His mother Ethel Holland was one of four sisters raised in Walthamstow. Her eldest sister Lou married Albert Beale and had two children named Peter and Pauline. These family members became the basis for Lou Beale, Pete Beale and Pauline Fowler. Smith used personal memories of East End residents she met when researching Victorian squares to create Ethel Skinner based on an old woman with ill-fitting false teeth and a face to rival a neon sign.
The first episode aired at 7 p.m. on the 19th of February 1985. Viewing figures confirmed the next day stood at 17 million viewers. Within eight months of its original launch, EastEnders reached the number one spot in BARB's television ratings. It has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain ever since. Four episodes are listed in the all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in the UK including the number one spot when more than 30 million watched the 1986 Christmas Day episode.
By Christmas 1985 tabloids could not get enough of the soap. Exclusives about storylines and actors became staple reading for daily buyers. In 1987 the show featured the first same-sex kiss on a British soap when Colin Russell kissed boyfriend Barry Clark on the forehead. This was followed in January 1989 by the first on-the-mouth gay kiss in a British soap when Colin kissed Guido Smith in an episode watched by 17 million people.
In 2019 the soap enjoyed a record-breaking year on BBC iPlayer with viewers requesting to stream or download the show 234 million times up 10% from 2018. The Christmas Day episode that year became EastEnders biggest ever episode on the streaming platform with 2.14 million viewer requests. As of 2019 the soap is one of the most watched series on BBC iPlayer averaging around 5 million viewers per episode.
The exterior set for Albert Square is located at the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. It was initially built in 1984 with a specification that it should last for at least 15 years at a cost of £750,000. The square was designed by Keith Harris who was a senior designer within the production team together with supervising art directors Peter Findley and Gina Parr. The main buildings consisted originally of hollow shells constructed from marine plywood facades mounted onto steel frames.
Lower walls pavements and other surfaces were made of real brick and tarmac. The set had to look as if it had been standing for years through chipping pavements using chemicals to crack paint work and making garden walls appear to sag. All appliances on each set are fully functional including gas cookers laundry washing machines and beer pumps. The drains around the set are real so rainwater can naturally flow from streets.
In 2014 the BBC announced plans to rebuild the set entirely. Filming commenced on the new set in January 2022 and it was first used on-screen in March 2022. Demolition on the old set commenced in November 2022. In February 2008 reports suggested the set would transfer to Pinewood Studios but by April 2010 confirmation came that Albert Square would remain at Elstree Studios for at least another four years.
Original production designer Keith Harris left the show in 1989 along with Holland and Smith who decided to move on. Their final contribution coincided with exit of Den Watts played by Leslie Grantham. Producer Mike Gibbon took over running the show enlisting experienced writers including Charlie Humphreys Jane Hollowood and Tony McHale. By end of 1989 Michael Ferguson became executive producer having previously been successful on ITV's The Bill.
Ferguson introduced characters Phil Mitchell and Grant Mitchell who would dominate the soap thereafter. He also handled storylines including HIV Alzheimer's disease and murder before leaving EastEnders in July 1991. Leonard Lewis and Helen Greaves shared the role as executive producer initially giving writers more authority in storyline progression. Lewis became sole executive and series producer by end of 1992 but left in 1994 after BBC controllers demanded an extra episode a week taking weekly airtime from 60 to 90 minutes.
Barbara Emile remained until early 1995 followed by Corinne Hollingworth whose contributions won BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 1997. Matthew Robinson was appointed executive producer in 1998 earning tabloid soubriquet Axeman of Albert Square after sacking large numbers of characters. John Yorke became executive producer in 2000 tasked with introducing fourth weekly episode. In October 2006 Diederick Santer took over bringing ethnic minority and homosexual characters to make show feel more 21st century.
The cast and crew have received and been nominated for various awards. In 1997 EastEnders won BAFTA for Best Drama Series shared with Jane Harris. During Matthew Robinson's reign the soap won BAFTA for Best Soap in consecutive years 1999 and 2000. The programme won award for Best Continuing Drama at 2019 British Academy Television Awards first high-profile award since 2016.
In 2023 EastEnders won award for Best British Soap at British Soap Awards and Serial Drama at 28th National Television Awards under Chris Clenshaw leadership. As of 2019 the soap is one of most watched series on BBC iPlayer averaging around 5 million viewers per episode. Four episodes are listed in all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in UK including number one spot when more than 30 million watched 1986 Christmas Day episode.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did EastEnders first air on television?
The first episode of EastEnders aired at 7 p.m. on the 19th of February 1985.
Who created the characters for EastEnders and where were they based?
Julia Smith and Tony Holland created 23 characters in just 14 days while taking a holiday in Playa de los Pocillos, Lanzarote. Their character designs drew from real people including Smith's memories of Victorian squares and Holland's family history in Walthamstow.
Where is the exterior set for Albert Square located today?
The exterior set for Albert Square is located at the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Filming commenced on the new set in January 2022 and it was first used on-screen in March 2022 after demolition on the old set began in November 2022.
What major social issues has EastEnders tackled since its launch?
EastEnders has addressed controversial subjects such as homosexuality rape unemployment racial prejudice drugs crime cot death HIV and mental health issues like schizophrenia. The show also covered prostitution mixed-race relationships shoplifting sexism divorce domestic violence and mugging to reflect realistic British culture.
When did EastEnders feature the first same-sex kiss on a British soap opera?
In 1987 the show featured the first same-sex kiss on a British soap when Colin Russell kissed boyfriend Barry Clark on the forehead. This was followed in January 1989 by the first on-the-mouth gay kiss in a British soap when Colin kissed Guido Smith in an episode watched by 17 million people.