They're Back

Goodbye Peggy

Thank you Margaret Ann Mitchell for 16 years of memories. You will be missed.

The Queen Victoria Public House

Everyone loves a knees-up in The Queen Vic. It is the home base for quiet pints, wedding proposals, weddings, scandalous affairs, divorces, bar fights, murders, and well ...wakes. Who were/are the landlords? Here's a little history:

1985- Den and Angie Watts
1987- Pat and Frank Butcher
1990- Eddie Royale
1991- Sharon Watts
1999- Peggy and Frank Butcher
2000- Dan Sullivan bought Grant's share, but Phil got it back
2001- Sharon Watts ( & Steve Owen-silent partner)
2002- The Mitchells-Peggy, Phil and Grant
2009- Archie Mitchell
2010- Roxy Mitchell
2010- Peggy Mitchell in August

Tour of EastEnders Set

This is a great tour of Albert Square to help you get your bearings. Our host is Sean Slater. He is an upcoming member of the Slater family, if you are following the 2003 storyline. Anything mentioned here would be considered very mild in the spoiler category. I enjoyed knowing which sets were real and which were facades.

The Four Wives of Ian Beale

Ian has been with us since day one on Eastenders. Most people have a love/hate relationship with him. His first marriage was to Cindy in October of 1989. Now that didn't go so well. She was pregnant at the time with their son, Steven. Oops, not his child, but his best friend's-Simon Wicks. Ian and Cindy break up, but eventually get back together and have twins, Lucy and Peter Beale in December 1993.

Ian's second marriage was to Melanie Healy on December 31, 1999. They partied like it was 1999, at least for five minutes. Ian convinced Mel that his daughter, Lucy was dying, so it was a mercy marriage. Mel found the letter from the doctor stating that Lucy was fine. Oops! She left him at midnight, Jan 1,2000.

The third marriage was to his nanny, Laura Dunn in May 2001. She loved his kids so much and bailed him out of money problems. Laura got drunk one night and slept with Garry Hobbs. You guessed it...another Oops! She was coincidently pregnant after that. Who's the daddy?

Ian is currently married to Jane. They married in July of 2007. There have been many challenges, but they remain married. Jane cannot have children because Ian's almost son, Steven, caused her bodily harm. She works tirelessly at the Cafe and helps with his three children. Jane slept with a Mitchell, and Ian slept with a Butcher, so they're even. Jane wants to adopt, but Ian is not keen. Where will it lead?

Patricia Evans

Pat collects husbands and men the way she collects earrings!...but you know I ain't one to gossip;-) Here is the list of her marriages and bits on the side:

Frank Butcher-at age 16
Den Watts-Oh I wish we had the details of this dangerous liason
On the game (prostitute) for a period of time
Husband #1: Pete Beale (from early 1960s-1966) Pete fathered her son David Wicks
Kenny Beale (whilst married)
Brian Wicks (whilst married)-Brian fathered her son Simon Wicks
Husband #2: Brian Wicks (from 1966-1986) Brian adopted both David and Simon, but Simon was his
Husband #3: Frank Butcher (from 1989-1995) She mothered Diane, Ricky and Janine
Husband #4: Roy Evans (from 1996-2003) Widowed after Roy died of a heart attack
2006-Affair with Patrick Trueman
2010-Affair with Harvey Freeman (who was also involved with Peggy simultaneously)
And these are the ones we know of (smile)

Albert Square in Stitches

This is an amazing tribute from an obvious fan. Read dropstitch's comments on her flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dropstitch/3959834348/in/set-72157601611072188/?addedcomment=1#comment72157624641477580

Walford Tube Station

Next time your in London, jump off at Walford East (wink). Here are some great details: http://underground-history.co.uk/walford.php
I love the true-to-life rubbish outside the station.

EastEnders Props

Long time fans will enjoy these pictures. Some of these props will be very familiar. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mediamuseumevents/sets/72157623334996871

The House of Butcher

Pat, Frank, Ricky, Diane & Janine. They ran the B&B and the Car Lot back in the day.

The House of Cotton

One should always build their house on a firm foundation. Unfortunately, the Cotton household was built on sandy soil. Charlie, Dot, and Nick (bad boy) Cotton. Dot experienced many trials at the hands of Charlie and Nick.

The House of Watts

Oh the good ol' days. Den and Angie Watts running the Queen Vic, along with their adopted daughter, Sharon. Why mention she's adopted? It was important to know that when 2003 came around.

The House of Fowler-Beale

The 2 families that started it all. Presently the only member still on the show is Ian Beale (in the foreground.) He has been on since day one. Tracy has also been on since day one, currently works in the Queen Vic, but she is not part of any core family.

EastEnders 101; The Families

EE has evolved over the years, but these are the core families that built the show, and have remained a consistent part of the story line. The year indicates when a new family moved into the square, thus establishing the family line:

The Fowlers-1985
The Beales-1985
The Watts-1985
The Cottons-1985
The Wicks-1985

Later came:

The Butchers-1987
The Mitchells-1990
The Jacksons-1994
The Brannings-1996
The DiMarcos-1998
The Owens- 1998
The Slaters-2000
The Truemans- 2001
The Moons-2002
The Ferrieras-2003
The Millers/Swann-2004/2005
The Masoods-2007

EastEnders 101: The First Episode

EastEnders debuted on February 19, 1985. I love rewatching the first episode.
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EastEnders 101:The Theme

This was the original opening to the show back in 1985. The theme music was composed by Simon May, a British musician and composer, best known for composing some of British television's best known theme tunes. It is used in the beginning and ending of every show. If there is a particularly poignant moment at the end, sometime the show ends with a piano intro known as Julia's theme.

The theme is an instumental, but it was recorded with lyrics by the actress Anita Dobson in 1986, charting at #4. She played Angie Watts.

The words to the theme are part of my twitter background, Here are some of the lyrics:

Anyone can fall in love
That's the easy part you must keep it going
Anyone can fall in love
Over the years it has to keep growing
Sun and rain
Joy and pain
There's highs - there's lows
We've no way of knowing.

Anyone can fall in love

EastEnders 101: Location

The story takes place in the town of Walford, in the east end of London. Albert Square is where alot of the action is. The postal code is E20.

EastEnders 101: The First Commercial

This was the first hint in 1985 that a new show was coming...

What Is This All About?

EastEnders is a British, night time drama, that has been on since February 1985. It happens to be my all time favourite show. I first discovered it whilst living in New York back in 1989. I was flipping channels and landed on this programme that looked like it was filmed in black and white. It instantly struck me because it was so different. There was no glamour, just a lot of activity in a neighborhood where everyone seemed to be connected somehow. I asked my neighbor, who was from England, if she was familiar with it. After one question about the goings-on, she stated, "Oh, thats EastEnders!"

The Queen Victoria Public House (aka The Queen Vic) is pictured above. It is "the local" and the heart of the square.

I was fortunate enough to be watching it on PBS in 1989, and the storyline was 1986. As you may know, the PBS stations that show EastEnders are many years behind. Our PBS station, TPT in Minnesota, is currently showing the episodes from the middle of 2003. Our own PBS in California was unable to continue, so we have adopted www.TPT.org, and devote our fundraising to that station.

I have enjoyed watching many years of episodes via, PBS, BBCAmerica, Dish Network, and tape trains. When one option ceases, I quickly find another. I am a complete Anglophile and love all things EastEnders!

In future I will post different clubs and info available to fans who live in the United States. Feel free to reach me on Twitter at velvet007