Happy 25th Brithday, EastEnders!
By Larry Jaffee
February 19, 2010, New York – It was 25 years ago today Julia Smith
and Tony Holland taught the Albert Square band to play. Almost two
years later, I became riveted to the screen as I watched that very
first episode on WETA Den Watts bar Nick Cotton for fighting with Ali
in the Queen Vic.
“Is that blood on my shirt?” the dapper yet ultra cool Den asked,
looking down on his white Oxford button-down.
his The silver anniversary is quite a milestone for the BBC and the
series, considering that few other TV programs have had that kind of
longevity. Over here, The Simpsons just recently set a non-soap record
with 21 years. Gunsmoke only made it to 20 seasons and Bonanza, 14
seasons, trailed by M*A*S*H at nearly 12 seasons.
In the British soap world, EE rival Coronation Street debuted in
Britain in December 1960. In the U.S., As the World Turns celebrates
its 54th anniversary on April 2, and The Guiding Light lasted for 57
years until last August.
Last spring astronauts from America, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe
aboard the International Space Station orbiting the Earth demanded
that episodes of EastEnders would be broadcast live to their living
quarters on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for the omnibus
edition. It’s the only TV program ever been beamed live to a
spaceship.
We who watch via public TV in the U.S. are
actually in EastEnders’ 19th year. That timewarp
means that the U.K. is about to welcome
back Alfie & Kat to Walford when we never
saw them become a couple. And meanwhile the
U.K. has been gripped in recent weeks by the
cliffhanger, “Who killed Archie?” Please pardon
my unfamiliarity, but who’s Archie and 80
percent of the rest of the current cast?
This issue goes to press on the anniversary.
We won’t see today’s live (not prerecorded)
U.K. episode for another six or seven more
years, but you can imagine how crazy things
must be at the Elstree studio for the cast and
crew. Here’s to another 25 years of EastEnders.
You can be certain we’ll still be watching.
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