For over three decades, EastEnders has been one of the most popular British soap operas on television after it reached the number one spot in TV ratings only eight months after its premiere. The series quickly became known not only for its drama and intriguing stoylines, but also content that was often thought to be taboo or heavy, and was not seen on UK television at the time. Take a deep dive into Walford with these things you may not have known about the record-breaking and award-winning soap opera:
12. Contemplating EastEnders
In the race for the top spot of British soap operas, fans know that it always comes down to Coronation Street and EastEnders, and that is exactly what the creators of EastEnders anticipated. In March 1983, BBC executives were contemplating ideas for a popular bi-weekly drama series that would attract the same kind of large audiences as ITV was getting with Coronation Street. When Julia Smith and Tony Holland were brought in to begin working on ideas for a brand new series, they dived right into audience research to find out what audiences wanted. At the time Smith and Holland were seen as revolutionaries in the practice of audience research for a new series, which has now become commonplace.
Mirrorpix/Courtesy Everett Collection