"EastEnders" (1985) TV series 1985-????

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Directors:

Indra Bhose
Dermot Boyd

Writers:

Colin Brake (writer)
Andrew Collins (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

19 February 1985 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The everyday lives of the inhabitants of Albert Square in the East-End of London.

Plot Keywords:

East End | Famous Opening Theme | Social Realism | Working Class | Soap Opera

Awards:

115 wins & 136 nominations

Cast

Steve McFadden	...	Phil (1,860 episodes, 1990-2009)
Adam Woodyatt	...	Ian / ... (1,814 episodes, 1985-2009)
Pam St. Clement	...	Pat / ... (1,562 episodes, 1986-2009)
Wendy Richard	...	Pauline / ... (1,406 episodes, 1985-2006)
Barbara Windsor	...	Peggy (1,364 episodes, 1994-2009)
June Brown	...	Dot / ... (1,278 episodes, 1985-2009)
Sid Owen	...	Ricky (989 episodes, 1989-2009)
Todd Carty	...	Mark (986 episodes, 1990-2003)
Ross Kemp	...	Grant (971 episodes, 1990-2006)
Letitia Dean	...	Sharon / ... (928 episodes, 1985-2006)
Natalie Cassidy	...	Sonia (881 episodes, 1993-2007)
Perry Fenwick	...	Billy (868 episodes, 1998-2009)
John Bardon	...	Jim (785 episodes, 1996-2009)
Gillian Taylforth	...	Kathy / ... (745 episodes, 1985-2000)

Also Known As:

East 8 (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (1985-1991) | Stereo (1991-)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In August 2006, the show went through a bad patch averaging only 3.9 million viewers per episode.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Phil and Grant are in the woods with Danny, the camera's shadow is visible several times.

Quotes:

[handing Angie Watts their divorce papers on Christmas Day]
Den Watts: Happy Christmas, Ange!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Yes, Prime Minister: The Patron of the Arts (#2.6)" (1988)

Soundtrack:

Theme

Trendy PC Rubbish

When first broadcast in the spring of 1985 EASTENDERS shocked the nation . Previously Britain had been used to the bitter sweet slightly camp CORONATION STREET , but EASTENDERS pulled no punches , the very first scene featured a murder victim being found and many of the episodes featured soapland`s arch criminal Nick Cotton , Britain`s most notorious TV character. It was certainly compelling stuff but very soon EASTENDERS mutated into a pile of sententious PC right on crap . The real Eastend of London is traditionally a closed , conservative , tightly knit white working class communitity who don`t take well too outsiders , so to see Albert Square populated with Jamaicans , lesbians , homosexuals , Asians and other ethnic minorities who are totally accepted by the community strains credibilty somewhat , especially when you stop to consider that in real life the Eastend borough of Tower Hamlets had an ultra right wing British National Party councillor in the 1990s . But why let reality get in the way of political correctness ? Strange how there`s been so many gays and mainline drug injecters in this soap but the only people who have had the HIV virus are non drug using hetrosexuals ! So much for reality. If the producers of this show want an audience to preach to maybe they`d like to become priests ?

For the record my favourite storyline was the one where Dirty Den got the jail . He got remanded with a man who it turns out is a " nonce " ( Sex offender ) and in one episode Den is walking along the prison gantry where half a dozen prisoners walk out of the toilet area followed several seconds later by Mr Nonce who staggers out looking like he`d just been .... well use your imagination . Suffice to say Mr Nonce won`t be bothered with constipation for a while . Sex offenders aren`t popular with the rest of the prison inmates so I guess the producers got that bit right. As for the rest of EASTENDERS: " Reality - leave it out "