No plans for more Enders' slots, says Beeb

Despite tabloid claims that EastEnders is to air five nights a week, the BBC today emphasised that “there are no imminent plans” to adopt this scheduling.

The report suggested that the Walford-based soap would begin filming an additional 30-minute episode each week, bringing it into line with ITV’s Coronation Street.

However, the rival programmes already transmit exactly the same amount of air time, the Weatherfield soap broadcasting five 24-minute episodes, while EastEnders is screened in four 30-minute slots - giving each a total of two hours a week.

If the BBC favourite were to produce an additional episode it would top the air time of Yorkshire soap Emmerdale, which broadcasts for a total of 144 minutes each week from Sunday to Friday inclusive.

At the Edinburgh TV Festival last year, Controller of BBC One Peter Fincham reiterated that there was "no secret schedule for 2007 that has a fifth [EastEnders] episode in".

A spokeswoman for EastEnders told DS today: "There are no imminent plans to increase the number of episodes. However, we are constantly examining our schedules for possibilities and, at any one time, a whole host of options are under consideration for BBC One."