EastEnders

EastEnders
Genre	Soap opera
Created by	Julia Smith Tony Holland
Written by	Various
Directed by	Various
Starring	Present cast Former cast
Theme music composer	Simon May Leslie Osborne
Opening theme	EastEnders theme tune
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	6,909
Production
Executive producers	Various (currently Kate Oates; senior executive producer and Chris Clenshaw; executive producer)
Producers	Various (currently Sharon Batten; series producer)
Production location	BBC Elstree Centre
Camera setup	Video, multiple-camera setup
Running time	30–60 minutes
Production company	BBC Studios Continuing Drama Productions
Original release
Network	BBC One (1985–present) BBC iPlayer (2021–present)
Release	19 February 1985 (1985-02-19) – present
Related
Het Oude Noorden (1993) EastEnders Revealed (1998–2012) EastEnders: E20 (2010–2011) Kat & Alfie: Redwater (2017) Various spin-offs
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

EastEnders is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Within eight months of the show's original launch, it had reached the number one spot in BARB's television ratings, and has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain. Four EastEnders episodes are listed in the all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in the UK, including the number one spot, when over 30 million watched the 1986 Christmas Day episode.^[1] EastEnders has been important in the history of British television drama, tackling many subjects that are considered to be controversial or taboo in British culture, and portraying a social life previously unseen on UK mainstream television.^[2]

Since co-creator Holland was from a large family in the East End, a theme heavily featured in EastEnders is strong families, and each character is supposed to have their own place in the fictional community. The Watts, Beales, Mitchells, Brannings and the Slaters are some of the families that have been central to the soap's notable and dramatic storylines. EastEnders has been filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre since its inception, with a set that is outdoors and open to weather. In 2014, the BBC announced plans to rebuild the set entirely. Filming commenced on the new set in January 2022,^[3] and it was first used on-screen in March 2022.^[4] Demolition on the old set commenced in November 2022.^[5]

EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for many of its storylines, which have dealt with difficult themes including violence, rape, murder and abuse. It has been criticised for various storylines, including the 2010 baby swap storyline, which attracted over 6,000 complaints, as well as complaints of showing too much violence and allegations of national and racial stereotypes. However, EastEnders has also been commended for representing real-life issues and spreading awareness on social topics. The cast and crew of the show have received and been nominated for various awards.