EastEnders
1 9 8 5 - Current (UK)
 At
the start of 1984 a patch of land at the back of the BBCs newly
acquired Elstree studios lay dormant and derelict. It had last
been used six months earlier by the previous owners, Central, for
their hit series Auf Wiedersehen Pet.
A year later, that wasteland had been transformed into bustling
Albert Square and the BBCs long-denied dream of a twice-weekly
serial to battle Coronation Street had become reality, in
the shape of EastEnders. In another 8 months it would be
the most popular television show in Britain.
The first episode of EastEnders, in which Reg Cox was
found dead, was watched by over 17 million people. Three days
later, the story broke that Leslie Grantham was a convicted
murderer, and the love-hate relationship between EastEnders
and Fleet Street began.
Britain's tabloids were soon obsessed with the show. This
hysteria blew the programs importance out of all proportion, but
it did wonders for the ratings. On 24 October, three weeks after
Michelle told Den he was the father of her baby, East Enders
topped the viewing figures for the first time, thereby ousting Coronation
Street.
 The
show continued to go from strength to strength in 1986. Viewing
figures constantly topped the 20 million mark. Den's mistress Jan
turned up at the Queen Vic, Angie tried to commit suicide, Arthur
was arrested and Michelle finally married Lofty.
Then at Christmas, Angie and Sharon left Den, and deeply
depressed Arthur broke up the Fowler household.
Those two episodes on Christmas Day attracted audiences of 30
million - the highest ever recorded viewing figures in Britain.
The miracle continued through 1987 as the show began to screen in
Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Norway, Barcelona and parts of
America.
On screen, Arthur went into hospital in January and came home
in April, Jan walked out on den and the Dagmar reopened. Gay
Colin's Barry ended the affair. Ethel left the square at the start
of 1988, followed a few months later by Lofty and Angie.
EastEnders has always showed inner London as an unlovely
place. It is never cute. And yet the series remains at the top of
the ratings over 25 years on.
Prisoners at Dartmoor staged a riot when they couldn't see
Michelle marry Lofty, couples flooded Marriage Guidance
counsellors after Den and Angie broke up. And the program has even
been included on the syllabus for inner-London school children.
When EastEnders began, Pauline Fowler was truly
overshadowed by mother Lou Beale, who lived in the family home and
ruled over it with a rod of iron.
She was all about dowdy
cardigans, shifts in the launderette and worries with husband
Arthur and daughter - gymslip mum Michelle - until Lou's demise
and the onset of age saw her transform into a matriarch.
Pauline's obsession became family, which was her undoing
towards the end of her life when she became embroiled in a bitter
dispute with son Martin and his wife Sonia.
 She was driven to fake
a fatal illness, accidentally set fire to the house, and on
Christmas Day 2006 died alone in the snow of Albert Square.
Pat Wicks first appeared in Albert Square as a hard-nosed brass
hell-bent on causing trouble with ex-husband Pete Beale (Pauline
Fowler's twin brother).
As the years progressed she married teen sweetheart Frank
Butcher and was the working mother at the centre of family life -
which proved to be more dramatic and wayward than her trademark
earrings.
She was unable to forget Frank even after marrying fourth
husband Roy, embarking on a colourful affair which culminated in a
public dressing-down by arch-rival and fellow grande dame Peggy
Mitchell.
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