Review Eastenders (1985)

Doctor Omega

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EastEnders is a British soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since 1985. Set in Albert Square in the East End of London in the fictional Borough of Walford, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Initially there were two 30-minute episodes per week but since 2001 episodes have been broadcast every weekday apart from Wednesdays.

Within eight months of the show's launch, it reached the number-one spot in BARB's TV ratings and has consistently remained among the top-rated TV programmes in Britain. In 2013, the average audience share for an episode was around 30 per cent.[3]Today, EastEnders remains a significant programme in terms of the BBC's success and audience share, and also in the history of British television drama, tackling many dilemmas that are considered to be controversial and taboo issues in British culture and social life previously unseen on United Kingdom mainstream television.[4]

As of May 2016, EastEnders has won nine BAFTA Awards and the Inside Soap Award for Best Soap for 14 years running (from 1997 to 2012),[5] as well as twelve National Television Awards for Most Popular Serial Drama[6] and 11 awards for Best Soap at the British Soap Awards. It has also won 13 TV Quick and TV Choice Awards for Best Soap, six TRIC Awards for Soap of The Year, four Royal Television Society Awards for Best Continuing Drama and has been inducted into the Rose d'Or Hall of Fame



 
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Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Doctor Who - Dimensions In Time


Dimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap operaEastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on location at Greenwich and the EastEnders Albert Square set, situated at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. It features several of the EastEnders stars of the time. Produced for the Children in Need charity, following Doctor Who's hiatus in 1989 this special was the only dramatisation broadcast in celebration of the show's 30th anniversary.





 
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Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
First ever episode: The Queen Vic - EastEnders - BBC


Hostilities increase between Kathy and Sue, as Sue continues to suspect Kathy of trying to seduce her husband, Ali. Great clip from the first ever episode of EastEnders, broadcast in 1985.


 

Doctor Omega

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Leslie Grantham 'poorly', agent confirms


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44451829


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Leslie Grantham "remains poorly and is being taken care of by medical staff", a representative for the ex-EastEnders actor has told the BBC.

The confirmation follows a story in The Sun saying the 71-year-old was "gravely ill" and "fighting for his life".

The newspaper reported that Grantham - who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap - had returned to the UK from Bulgaria to receive medical attention.

His agent said a statement would be issued "at the appropriate time".

Grantham moved to Bulgaria after filming TV series The English Neighbour there in 2010.






 

Doctor Omega

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Murder conviction

On 3 December 1966, Grantham attempted to rob a taxi driver, Felix Reese, in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, West Germany. A struggle between Grantham and the driver followed, and Reese died from a gunshot wound to the head.[5][6][7] In his statement to the police following his arrest, Grantham said that he did not know the gun was loaded and it had gone off during the struggle, which would have resulted in a conviction for manslaughter if a jury believed this version of events. However, at his trial in 1967 he was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Although he had committed the murder in West Germany, he served the entirety of his imprisonment in various British prisons. This was because soldiers and officers convicted of any criminal offence that warrants a sentence of over two years are automatically transferred to Her Majesty's Prison Service, since they are also automatically dishonourably discharged.

Grantham was released in 1977, having served 10 years. While he was in Leyhill Prison, he acted in several plays for inmates and members of the public, and edited the prison newspaper. He was encouraged to get more involved in acting professionally by Labour Party politician T. Dan Smith, who had also been an inmate at Leyhill in the mid 1970s. He also met actress Louise Jameson during her visit to Leyhill in the mid-1970s; she had also encouraged him to take up acting and he became good friends with her.


Online sex scandal

In May 2004 a Sunday newspaper printed photographs of Grantham exposing himself and masturbating whilst sucking his finger in a sexually-suggestive manner via a webcam from his dressing room to an undercover reporter named "Amanda".[17] Grantham also allegedly dressed as Captain Hook whilst pleasuring himself,[18] and insulted several cast members of EastEnders, including Shane Richie, Wendy Richard, Kim Medcalf and Jessie Wallace.[19] Grantham released a statement which read, "I am wholeheartedly ashamed of my behaviour and feel that I have let down my colleagues, as well as my friends and family." He also added, "In some small recompense I intend to make a donation to charity as a mark of my apology."[20] He maintained in later interviews that he 'was set up'.[17] He attempted suicide three times as a result of the scandal.


Departure from EastEnders

In November 2004, it was confirmed that Grantham would be leaving EastEnders in the New Year. Bosses stated that the character would be killed off, but this time "the coffin lid would be nailed shut".

On 18 February 2005, 16.2 million viewers tuned in to view his character's second demise, this time at the hands of new wife Chrissie, who hit him over the head with a dog-shaped iron doorstop after he attacked her during an argument.
 

Doctor Omega

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Leslie Grantham: EastEnders actor dies aged 71


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44494734


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EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham, best known as the roguish "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC One soap, has died aged 71.

The actor appeared in EastEnders from 1985 to 1989 and later returned to his signature role from 2003 to 2005.

The announcement follows news earlier this week that Grantham had returned to the UK from Bulgaria to receive medical attention.

A statement from his agent said he died on Friday morning and that a private funeral would be held.

Anita Dobson, who played Den's first wife Angie, said she was "deeply shocked and saddened".

"I loved working with Leslie and I will never for get our time together on EastEnders," she said in a statement.
 
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