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User:Kelvin 101/Episode 1 (EastEnders)

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"Episode 1"
EastEnders episode
Episode no.Episode 1
Directed byMatthew Robinson
Written byGerry Huxham
Produced byJulia Smith
Editing byHugh Parson
Production codeLDLG100K[1]
Original air date19 February 1985 (1985-02-19)
Running time30 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Episode 2"
List of episodes

"Episode 1", also known as "Poor Old Reg"[2][3] is the first episode of the British television soap opera EastEnders, broadcast on BBC1 on 19 February 1985.[4]

Plot[edit]

Reg is found dead in his flat by Den, Ali and Arthur. Lou is angry when she learns Pauline and Arthur are expecting another baby, especially since Arthur is unemployed. Ali has enough of Nick's racist remarks and they fight. Den throws them out of his pub, The Queen Victoria, and bars them. Nick smashes the window.

Cast and characters[edit]

Production[edit]

Adverts[edit]

In the lead up to the first episode the BBC launch a number of different adverts to promote and to introduce the show.[5]

Broadcasts[edit]

This episode was originally shown on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 and as part of an omnibus edition on 24 February 1985. It has since been repeated for the show's 10th anniversary, on 20 February 1995, 15th anniversary on 17 February 2000, on BBC Three, and 30th anniversary, on 16 February 2015, on BBC Red Button.[6] Prior to the episode be broadcast it was screened 12 february 1985, along with episode 2 at a press reception.[7]

Home media[edit]

In May 2016, episode 1 was released through the BBC Store as part of the "EastEnders Iconic Exits" set but also available individually.[8][9]

Reception[edit]

Official ratings from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board showed that the episode was watched by 17.35 million people, including those who watched the Sunday omnibus, achieving third place in the British Top 100 programmes for that week.[10][11] Excluding the omnibus, it was watched by 13 million people.[12] After the first episode was broadcast, the BBC received a number of telephone calls complaining that the new soap contained too much bad language and was violent. A BBC spokeswoman said, "There have been some complaints about the violence and the language. There was a fight at the end but there was not blood or guts. I only counted one 'bloody' in the whole episode."[13]

The morning after the first episode had broadcast members of the cast appeared on Breakfast Time.[14] The breakfast television programme the night before had taken a camera to a real East End pub to ask viewers their opinions after the first episode had broadcast.[14] The reviews were mixed with quotes such as "The East-end's not like that!, I wont be giving up Coronation Street" and "Not bad. I'll be switching on to episode two".[14]

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c This character was uncredited on the on-screen credits.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "EASTENDERS". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  2. ^ "What else was happening on the day EastEnders started?". BBC Newsbeat. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  3. ^ "EastEnders first episode 19 February 1985". BBC. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. ^ "EastEnders". BBC Genome. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  5. ^ "#Onthisday 1985". Twitter. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Episode 1, 19/02/1985 Broadcasts". BBC Online. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Invitation to the EE Launch - 12 February 1985". walfordweb.com. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  8. ^ Lindsay, Duncan (11 May 2016). "Are these the 15 best EastEnders exits ever? You can soon watch the full episodes!". Metro. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  9. ^ "EastEnders: Iconic Exits". BBC Store. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  10. ^ Fiddick, Peter (7 March 1985). "Research" (pdf). The Listener (2899): 38. Retrieved 20 February 2017 – via Gale.
  11. ^ "BRITISH TOP 100" (pdf). Broadcast: 45. 15 March 1985. Retrieved 20 February 2017 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ "EastEnders first episode 19 February 1985". BBC Online. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  13. ^ "Viewers upset by BBC 'soap'" (pdf). No. 27576. Daily Mail. 20 February 1985. p. 2. Retrieved 28 February 2017 – via Gale.
  14. ^ a b c Smith, Julia; Holland, Tony (1987). EastEnders - The Inside Story. Book Club Associates. p. 180. ISBN 0-563-20601-2.

External links[edit]

Category:1985 British television episodes

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