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Writer's pictureAngel Noire

Angel's Slice of the Pie #16: EastEnders is Thirty Five!!!

Updated: Aug 3

EastEnders? Turned thirty five? How is that even possible? Compared to me, Britain's top soap is still in nappies - and that's not something I like to admit to! But I feel as though the soap that depicts the lives of a bunch of residents in an East London district began only yesterday...



I still remember all those BBC trailers that were shown in the run-up to the first episode being aired in which we met the characters of this new British soap, who introduced themselves and their families. It was all quite intriguing and I don't recall the BBC ever doing promos like those for a new show (though I could be wrong!)


Back then, we didn't know just how huge the show was going to be, or that the cast of little-known - and in some cases unknown - actors were well on their way to becoming household names. Though one face that I did recognize back then was the lady from "Are You Being Served?" thanks to my dad's love of the sitcom. And that lady was of course better known as Wendy Richard.


Lou Beale with Arthur and Miss Brah - Pauline!

EastEnders was first broadcast on 19th February 1985 and was set in the fictitious London borough of Walford (a combination of Walthamstow and Stratford.) It centered around the lives of a group of residents who lived on Albert Square, focusing in on particular, the Watts, Fowler, and Beale clans. Yep, this was long before the Mitchells, Slaters and Brannings made their mark in Walford! From what I remember, it didn't take long for the show to grow on us and within a matter of weeks, we were hooked. It was compulsive viewing and we knew we couldn't go to school or work the next day without watching the current episode for fear of being a social outcast!



'Appy Christmas, Ange!


Until the early nineties, EastEnders was only shown twice a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays with the omnibus episode shown on Sundays. I soon learned that there were two kinds of days: EastEnders days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and Wogan days (Monday, Wednesday,and Friday.) I didn't mind Wogan depending on who the guests were, but I could not wait for Tuesday and Thursday nights - it was like the weekend had arrived early!


Never a dull moment at The Vic with Den and Ange around

Furthermore, the Sunday afternoon omnibus episode was something of a novelty because I'd never known of a show to have a catch-up episode like that before. And you can bet your life that whether we'd seen that week's episodes or not, my siblings and I were almost guaranteed to be watching the omnibus which definitely livened up a quite often dull Sunday afternoon, TV-wise. This kind of irked my dad a little bit because back in the days before each house had fifty devices and a million channels, my dad would want to watch something on one of the three other existing channels on the only TV set we had in the house. And there we were watching something we'd "already bloody seen a million times before." Er, not quite, Dad, but it was so good that we just had to see those scenes again! Of course once iPlayer came along, there was no need to screen the omnibus anymore which is a pity because as us kids of the eighties and nineties know, the EastEnders' omnibus (or 'onlybus' as my siblings used to say - sometimes even lonely bus!) is a much-missed Sunday afternoon ritual.


Ethel and Dot provided many comedic moments

And then there were the Christmas episodes where you'd either get an hour long episode or two thirty minute ones on Christmas Day. Ever since Den Watts uttered those immortal words "'appy Christmas, Ange," Christmas EastEnders has been unmissable and a real family tradition in households all over the country during the festive season. It definitely has been in our house where everything stops when EastEnders is on. We'd all cram ourselves onto the couch; grab the tin of Quality Street, and chomp down on those toffee penny chews as we find out who's murdering/stealing from/having an affair with/the father of whom. And they say it's all doom and gloom on Albert Square!


The days when Pat Wicks was the most hated woman in Walford

Over the years, we've met countless iconic characters: Den and Angie; Frank Butcher; Peggy Mitchell. Dot Cotton... We've watched many memorable storylines: Sharongate; Tiffany Mitchell's death; Phil Mitchell's shooting; Den Watts' return... We've all asked ourselves the same questions: Why does no one lock their back door? Why have they never found an actor to play Mr. Popodopolous? Can Linda please ditch that ridiculous doughnut on her head?


Right now EastEnders is going all out with their current storyline to mark the thirty fifth anniversary in which the Queen Vic boat party ends in disaster and we know one person is set to lose their life. Which leads us to another question...


Besties Michelle and Sharon

…When do we get to see Walford celebrations that don't end in tragedy and disaster? But we know whatever happens, sorry, 'appens - we'll keep watching!


Happy thirty fifth EastEnders!





Photos from YouTube

Word Cloud by Angel Noire

6 Comments


Sherbette
Sherbette
May 14, 2021

I do like Easties and still watch it as I have done since childhood but it's not a patch on the older episodes. The writing, the storylines, the dialogue, it all seems a bit haphazard to me.

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Angel Noire
Angel Noire
Jan 05, 2022
Replying to

I know a lot of long-time viewers of the show - me included - agree with everything you've said. It looks as thought the people who work on the show don't know EastEnders as well as we do!

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Bailamos
Bailamos
Jul 23, 2020

I was 10 when this first began and I remember all this excitement over this new TV show and all the trailers the BBC were showing. It's a very different show now!

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Angel Noire
Angel Noire
Jan 05, 2022
Replying to

Yes I remember all the fanfare and the trailers for this new soap that was set to take the country by storm. They did something similar for Eldorado but er, um, at least one soap proved to be worthy of the fanfare!

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LucieD
LucieD
Jun 29, 2020

Early to mid 2000s definitely the best era.

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Angel Noire
Angel Noire
Jan 05, 2022
Replying to

I think so too, and I know we're not the only ones who think that!

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