Last updated August 2005
Printable version
EastEnders began on 19 February 1985.
It is shown on BBC ONE on Mondays and Fridays at 8.00pm and on Tuesdays
and Thursdays at 7.30pm. Each episode is repeated on the same day on
BBC THREE at 10.00pm. The omnibus is on BBC ONE on Sunday afternoons.
There were initially two episodes of the soap each week. On 11 April
1994 EastEnders went to three times a week and on 6 August 2001, a fourth
weekly episode started.
Births
| Ali and Sue |
= |
Ali Jnr |
| Arthur and Pauline |
= |
Martin |
| Barry and Natalie |
= |
Jack |
| Connor and Ruth |
= |
? |
| Demi and Leo |
= |
Aleesha |
| Den and Michelle |
= |
Vicky |
| Diane and ? |
= |
Jacques |
| Gita and Sanjay |
= |
Sharmilla |
| Grant and Michelle |
= |
Mark Jnr |
| Grant and Tiffany |
= |
Courtney |
| Ian and Cindy |
= |
Peter and Lucy |
| Ian and Laura |
= |
Bobby |
| Little Mo and Graham |
= |
Freddie |
| Martin and Sonia |
= |
Chloe |
| Nick Cotton and Zoe |
= |
Ashley |
| Phil and Kathy |
= |
Ben |
| Phil and Lisa |
= |
Lou |
| Ricky and Bianca |
= |
Liam |
| Wicksy and Cindy |
= |
Stephen |
Deaths
Tom Banks
(Colm O'Maonlai) |
October 2002 |
House fire |
Debbie Bates
(Nicola Duffett) |
June 1995 |
Car accident |
Cindy Beale
(Michelle Collins) |
November 1998 |
Childbirth |
Lou Beale
(Anna Wing) |
July 1998 |
Natural causes |
Pete Beale
(Peter Dean) |
December 1993 |
Car accident/murder |
Mo Butcher
(Edna Dore) |
November 1990 |
Natural causes |
| Tom Clements (Donald Tandy) |
April 1989 |
Heart attack |
| Ashley Cotton (Frankie Fitzgerald) |
June 2001 |
Killed in bike crash |
| Charlie Cotton (Christopher
Hancock) |
July 1991 |
Lorry accident |
Reg Cox
(Johnny Clayton) |
February 1985 |
Murder |
| Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor) |
February 1999 |
Killed in a fight with Steve Owen |
Barry Evans
(Shaun Williamson) |
January 2004 |
Murder |
Roy Evans
(Tony Caunter) |
March 2003 |
Heart attack |
Arthur Fowler
(Bill Treacher) |
May 1996 |
Heart attack |
Gill Fowler
(Susannah Dawson) |
June 1992 |
Aids |
Mark Fowler
(Todd Carty) |
April 2004
(date family were told) |
Aids |
Andy Hunter
(Michael Higgs) |
February 2005 |
Murder |
| Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler) |
April 1989 |
Overdose |
Rose Markham
(Petra Markham) |
unknown |
Car accident/murder |
Jamie Mitchell
(Jack Ryder) |
December 2002 |
Car crash |
| Tiffany Mitchell (Martine
McCutcheon) |
December 1998 |
Car accident |
Trevor Morgan
(Alex Ferns) |
October 2002 |
House fire |
Andy O'Brien
(Ross Davidson) |
August 1986 |
Car accident |
| Hassan Osman |
June 1985 |
Cot death |
Barbara Owen
(Sheila Hancock) |
July 2001 |
Heart attack |
Steve Owen
(Martin Kemp) |
March 2002 |
Car crash |
Eddie Royle
(Michael Melia) |
September 1991 |
Murder |
| Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) |
August 2000 |
Euthanasia pact with Dot |
| Audrey Trueman (Corinne Skinner
Carter) |
September 2001 |
Natural death/ blow to head |
Paul Trueman
(Gary Beadle) |
December 2004 |
Murder |
Joe Wallace
(Jason Rush) |
unknown |
Aids |
Angie Watts
(Anita Dobson) |
April 2002 |
Off screen |
Den Watts
(Leslie Grantham) |
February 2005 |
Shot by canal. Returned in 2003; murdered. |
Jane Williams
(Ann Mitchell) |
January 2002 |
unknown |
Weddings
| Alan and Carol |
30.04.96 |
| Alfie and Kat |
25.12.03 |
| Barry and Janine |
31.12.03 |
| Barry and Natalie |
03.12.99 |
| Billy and Little Mo |
25.12.02 |
| Frank and Pat |
22.06.89 |
| Frank and Peggy |
01.04.99 |
| Garry and Lynne |
07.12.01 |
| Grant and Sharon |
26.12.91 |
| Grant and Tiffany |
02.08.97 |
| Ian and Cindy |
12.10.89 |
| Ian and Laura |
10.05.01 |
| Ian and Mel |
31.12.99 |
| Jim and Dot |
14.02.02 |
| Lofty and Michelle |
25.11.86 |
| Mark and Gill |
23.06.92 |
| Mark and Lisa |
29.03.02 |
| Mark and Ruth |
20.04.95 |
| Matthew and Carmel |
26.01.89 |
| Nigel and Debbie |
12.07.94 |
| Nikos and April |
29.04.96 |
| Phil and Kate |
05.09.03 |
| Phil and Kathy |
27.02.95 |
| Phil and Nadia |
08.07.93 |
| Ricky and Bianca |
17.04.97 |
| Ricky and Sam |
04.07.91 |
| Roy and Pat |
21.11.96 |
| Steve and Mel |
01.03.01 |
| Terry and Irene |
12.05.98 (Louise interrupts)
28.11.99 (registry office) |
Issues
Over the years EastEnders has dealt with a number of
difficult issues that in some cases had never been seen on prime time
television before.
Many of these storylines have received awards in recognition
of the sensitive and informative way in which they were handled.
Some examples of the issues covered include:
HIV/Aids
Mark Fowler discovered he was HIV positive in 1991.
There then followed a traumatic journey as he struggled first to come
to terms with the news, then track down his previous partners to inform
them that he was infected with the virus.
The problems didn't end there, however, as Mark then
had to battle with the fear and ignorance of those living around him.
Many of Albert Square's residents initially rejected him when they found
out that he was HIV positive.
Ultimately Mark overcame the stigma and he enjoyed several
years of happy, healthy living before finally succumbing to an Aids-related
illness and dying in April 2004.
Literacy
For years Keith Miller was considered a sponger who
had never done a hard day's work in his life. It was only in April of
2005 that we discovered that, although extremely bright, Keith's reluctance
to get a job was based on the fact that he was unable to read or write.
He had hidden it from his children successfully - with
the help of his wife Rosie - but eventually they discovered his problem.
He is currently attempting to overcome his illiteracy
with the help of his son and a talking computer.
Abortion
This is a very sensitive issue that has been handled
several times over the years on the show.
There are many reasons why characters have felt the
need to have a termination and these are always explored as part of
their storyline.
Recent examples include Vicky Fowler (July 2003) who
became pregnant after a brief fling with Spencer; and Zoe Slater, who
slept with Den (January 2005) in order to become pregnant as a desperate
last attempt at keeping Dennis.
The stories also examine the differing consequences
faced by the characters as a result of their actions.
Rape
Rape storylines have also been used in the show, to
powerful effect, several times over the years.
One of the first was the rape of Kathy Beale by James
Willmott-Brown in July 1988. More recently, Little Mo was attacked by
Graham, a regular drinker in the Vic. She fell pregnant as a result
but she decided to keep the baby, Freddie.
Again, with the rape storylines, the consequences of
the crime are always explored, both for the attacker and the victim.
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy was first dealt with as an issue
when Michelle Fowler fell pregnant with Den's child - Vicky.
Other young
mums have included Sonia Fowler, who was unaware she was carrying Martin's
baby, and most recently Demi Miller who was just 13 when she gave birth
to her daughter Aleesha Beyonce.
Euthanasia
When Ethel Skinner became ill in September 2000, she
asked Dot to help her when the time finally came for her to pass away.
Dot had to make a decision that went against her moral and religious
beliefs.
In the end Dot decided that friendship was more important
and so she helped Ethel die peacefully.
As part of this storyline, the consequences of Dot's
actions were examined in detail - which included a crisis of faith.
Mental health
Joe Wicks arrived in the square looking for his father
David in 1996. He was joined by his mum Lorraine; soon after, however,
Joe developed schizophrenia and began to act very strangely.
Eventually he got help for his illness and was treated
with medication that enabled him to function normally.
This was an issue that had not been examined on screen
in detail before and was praised by mental health organisations for
the accurate and sensitive portrayal of a very difficult illness.
