EastEnders is marking its 40th birthday with a live episode after launching with a bang back in February 1985
Back in 1985, ITV was the king of soap operas with fan favourites like Coronation Street (then nearly 25 years old) and Emmerdale attracting hordes of viewers every night – even the often-criticised tea time drama Crossroads managed to pull in up to 15 million viewers. So, it was time for BBC to retaliate as it revealed plans for its own prime-time soap opera – EastEnders.
While ITV’s mainstays were mostly cosy dramas set ‘up north’, this one would chronicle the lives of working-class residents in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, promising grittiness from the get-go. After much anticipation, the first episode of EastEnders, created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, finally aired on February 19, 1985.
In an era when having four channels was standard in households across the country, this was a massive ‘TV event’ and around 13 million tuned in – including myself, a 12-year-old schoolgirl at the time. Forget friendly chats at the corner shop or a pleasant catch up – or argument – over a pint, the premiere was hard-hitting and featured characters Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts breaking into pensioner Reg Cox’s flat where they found him dead in his chair.
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Several weeks later, Nick Cotton, who became the biggest villain in soap history at the time, was unveiled as Reg’s killer.
The initial 30 minutes were a gut punch, signalling to viewers that EastEnders was set to revolutionise the soap opera world. In the early months, plotlines featured a cot death, racist attacks, middle-aged mother-of-two Pauline Fowler grappling with a late-life pregnancy, and shockingly, her daughter Michelle becoming pregnant at 16 by her best friend Sharon Watts’ father Den, leading to the ‘Dirty Den’ moniker, reports Plymouth Live.
Indeed, there have been countless ‘doof, doof, doof, doof, doof, doof, doof’ cliffhanger moments. Alongside daring storylines, astute casting played a crucial role in EastEnders’ success.
Most of the actors were relatively unknown, save for Wendy Richard, known for her role as the glamorous Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served?
Her casting against type as the drab Pauline Fowler was a stroke of genius. Over the years, they continued to cast renowned names such as Mike Reid as Frank Butcher and Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell, each making a significant impact.
Within a mere eight months, EastEnders had clinched the top spot in BARB’s TV ratings, consistently remaining one of Britain’s most-watched series. Four episodes of EastEnders feature in the UK’s all-time top 10 most-viewed programmes, including the number one slot, when over 30 million tuned in to watch the infamous 1986 Christmas Day episode.
In this iconic scene, ‘Dirty’ Den served divorce papers to his wife Angie as she prepared the turkey dinner for their guests at the Queen Vic pub. Over the years, EastEnders has broken new ground and shattered conventions with the first on-screen kiss between two gay men on British TV, Kat’s historical abuse storyline, and Mark Fowler’s HIV diagnosis.
The show has tackled alcoholism, love triangles, brawls, and confessions aplenty, but also sprinkled in lighter moments such as Barry wearing a red basque as an ‘apology’ to Natalie, Jane pole dancing for Ian’s 40th birthday when Dot walks in, and the early interactions between Dot and Ethel (let’s not forget ‘Little Willy’).
One of EastEnders’ landmark moments was The Six storyline for Christmas 2023, which was teased throughout the year with flashforwards hinting at an impending murder.
In a twist that had fans on the edge of their seats, it all kicked off in February 2023 with the show’s first flashforward sequence. The Queen Vic set the stage for a dramatic scene as six female characters gathered around a bloke lying motionless on the floor, presumed dead as a doornail, on Christmas Day, no less.
The run-up to the festive season cast each lady as a potential suspect in what’s shaping up to be a cracking “whodunit” storyline. With the killer and the fallen man’s identity under wraps, we’re biting our nails in anticipation until the big reveal at Christmas.
As the soap gears up for its 40th birthday bash – complete with yet another live spectacle – we’ll raise a glass to the genius of creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. Sure, it’s served up its fair share of ridiculous moments (Ronnie and Roxie’s exit for one),but after starting with a bang it’s pretty much kept delivering. So here’s raising a pint to four more decades of sheer drama…
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and it’s on BBC iPlayer
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
