21st Anniversary Celebrations - EastEnders First Episode Review - Soaps

Live82005 · 17-02-2006, 19:28

I found an archived article from the Guardian, printed on Wednesday 20th February, 1985. I thought, as many of us are celebrating EastEnders 21st Anniversary, I'd give extracts from the article.

Episode one began with a boot smashing through a wooden door, and ended with a fist shattering a glass one.

And so we begin.

In Albert Square, London E20, it's safer and cheaper to leave your door open, which is maybe how the East End got its legendary reputation for chumminess. "In the old days," as Ethel says, "We may 'ave 'ad fleas, but we knew our neighbours."

These days, it seems, old Reg can sink out of ken for several days before anyone notices.

Den and Arthur kick in Reg's door and find him slumped with what they take to be a touch of the old dodgy strawberry; a dash for the doctor, and GP and ambulance beat even Ethel and Louise to the scene of the crisis.

Which is going some in Albert Square, Lou being a kind of Ena Sharples with snakes under the hairnet. "I'm the only bugger that cares!" she roars, and everyone takes cover.

EastEnders has all the standard ingredients of a successful soap opera, a pub, shops, a dynastic family, and quarrels 10 hours a day.

So it's pretty much as expected, Coronation Street with added abrasives and a Cockney accent and at that level it's a good professional stab at the task; and it looks a lot more realistic than Granada's apparently endless saga, which has got soft and sluggish lately.

It will probably take a year before anyone knows whether the BBC has got it right. If they have, by then the people you feel you couldn't bear to live with right now may have become the people you can't live without, Tuesday and Thursday nights, on into the next century.

And it did.

Nice bit of nostalgia for us all there. Happy Birthday EastEnders.

Gossip Queen · 17-02-2006, 19:33

Thanks for posting that. It must of took long. It's a good read, and it's good to see what the first episode was like.

Pansiks · 17-02-2006, 19:34

Thanks for posting this Live82005.

Gossip Queen · 17-02-2006, 19:50

Gosh. Episode one started, with a boot smashing through a wooden door and ended, with a fist shattering a glass one. Just like the eastenders we know today lol.

Live82005 · 17-02-2006, 21:08

Just thought I'd bump it back up in case anybody else wanted to read it.

17-02-2006, 19:28	#1
Live82005 Banned User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Coronation Street, Manchester Services: Hello. Bonjour. Guten Tag. Hola. Buon giorno. Konichiwa. Bore da. Jambo. Posts: 5,214	21st Anniversary Celebrations - EastEnders First Episode Review I found an archived article from the Guardian, printed on Wednesday 20th February, 1985. I thought, as many of us are celebrating EastEnders 21st Anniversary, I'd give extracts from the article. Episode one began with a boot smashing through a wooden door, and ended with a fist shattering a glass one. And so we begin. In Albert Square, London E20, it's safer and cheaper to leave your door open, which is maybe how the East End got its legendary reputation for chumminess. "In the old days," as Ethel says, "We may 'ave 'ad fleas, but we knew our neighbours." These days, it seems, old Reg can sink out of ken for several days before anyone notices. Den and Arthur kick in Reg's door and find him slumped with what they take to be a touch of the old dodgy strawberry; a dash for the doctor, and GP and ambulance beat even Ethel and Louise to the scene of the crisis. Which is going some in Albert Square, Lou being a kind of Ena Sharples with snakes under the hairnet. "I'm the only bugger that cares!" she roars, and everyone takes cover. EastEnders has all the standard ingredients of a successful soap opera, a pub, shops, a dynastic family, and quarrels 10 hours a day. So it's pretty much as expected, Coronation Street with added abrasives and a Cockney accent and at that level it's a good professional stab at the task; and it looks a lot more realistic than Granada's apparently endless saga, which has got soft and sluggish lately. It will probably take a year before anyone knows whether the BBC has got it right. If they have, by then the people you feel you couldn't bear to live with right now may have become the people you can't live without, Tuesday and Thursday nights, on into the next century. And it did. Nice bit of nostalgia for us all there. Happy Birthday EastEnders.

17-02-2006, 19:33	#2
Gossip Queen Banned User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: At the Brannings Posts: 8,594	Thanks for posting that. It must of took long. It's a good read, and it's good to see what the first episode was like.

17-02-2006, 19:34	#3
Pansiks Banned User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: UK Posts: 2,935	Thanks for posting this Live82005.

17-02-2006, 19:50	#4
Gossip Queen Banned User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: At the Brannings Posts: 8,594	Gosh. Episode one started, with a boot smashing through a wooden door and ended, with a fist shattering a glass one. Just like the eastenders we know today lol.

17-02-2006, 21:08	#5
Live82005 Banned User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Coronation Street, Manchester Services: Hello. Bonjour. Guten Tag. Hola. Buon giorno. Konichiwa. Bore da. Jambo. Posts: 5,214	Just thought I'd bump it back up in case anybody else wanted to read it.