EE 5 nights a week

[alan45]

EASTENDERS is to be screened FIVE times a week to do battle with rival Coronation Street, The Sun can reveal.

BBC1 bosses are set to film an extra half-hour episode of the soap, tipped to be broadcast on Wednesday nights. That would add up to 2½ hours of EastEnders per week — exactly the same as ITV1 rival Corrie.

A Beeb insider said: “BBC1 controller Peter Fincham is very keen to match Corrie episode for episode.

“He’s made no secret that he’d like EastEnders to go five times a week and is in discussions with drama chiefs to firm up the plans.”



EastEnders, whose stars include John Bardon as Jim Branning, now airs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights, with an omnibus on Sundays.

Corrie has a Monday double bill and is also shown on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The extra half hour of EastEnders, which could alternatively be shown on Sundays, follows months of criticism over scripts and storylines.The show went four times a week in August 2001, to match Corrie, which introduced a fourth episode in 1996.

Stars had to be pacified by TV chiefs, who were said to have given them £50,000 pay rises for the extra workload.

Last night an EastEnders insider insisted the cast had NOT been told of plans for a fifth weekly episode.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We constantly examine our schedules for possibilities.”


Smacks of desperation to me. An extra episode of EE per week does NOT mean it will get any better

[Babe14]

To compete with and match Corrie episode for episode

Best laugh I've had for ages!

Really Alan your jokes just get better and better!!

[alan45]

To compete with and match Corrie episode for episode

Best laugh I've had for ages!

Really Alan your jokes just get better and better!!

I wish I was joking. How disillusioned are they down Elstree Way

[Pinkbanana]

I think you can get too much of a good thing, I for one havent the time/wouldnt want to watch EE 5 times a week.

I'd worry that the quality of the programme will suffer. I hope this is just one of those rumours that doing the rounds and there's no substance to it.

[alan45]

I hope this is just one of those rumours that doing the rounds and there's no substance to it.

Bit like the programme at the minute then When would they show it?? Wednesday at eight against the Bill. Sunday at Eight against Top Gear. They know better thna to go head to head with Emmerdale

[Pinkbanana]

Bit like the programme at the minute then When would they show it?? Wednesday at eight against the Bill. Sunday at Eight against Top Gear. They know better thna to go head to head with Emmerdale

I dont really care Al, when they would show it....as I'd probably give it a miss and catch it at 10pm on bbc3, or on the Sunday.

Yep, I get the point you dont like EE anymore for a variety of reasons, but I for one do. I enjoy watching it, and to me thats all that matters.

[alan45]

Bit like the programme at the minute then When would they show it?? Wednesday at eight against the Bill. Sunday at Eight against Top Gear. They know better thna to go head to head with Emmerdale

but I for one do. I enjoy watching it, and to me thats all that matters.

I know you do PB and admire you for that. If you enjoy it thats all that matters. I wouldnt dream of slagging you off personally for watching it. I have (along with others) stopped watching it for a while. I will give it a few weeks and dip in again to see if Diedrick has kept any of his promises.

[Jojo]

I wish they'd go back to 3 episodes a week personally. I hardly watch anymore - on the odd occasion that I do, I get Max and Stacey which just makes me feel . Don't get me wrong, there have been some good storylines too, some of which have been of late, but this could end up being a bit of overkill. I would prefer it if they sorted out the storylines and scripts and gave us something unmissable again, rather than just wanting to be broadcast more often.

[DaVeyWaVey]

This really is a bad idea! I wish EE went back to three nights a week too personally, or maybe even two. The amount of times soaps are on each week is just getting ridiculous, i think the quality will suffer if EE goes five nights a week, cutting it back to two or three episodes may higher the quality, and the viewers probably would be more excited over the next episode (well i know i would be anyway) As PB said, you can get too much of a good thing.

[callummc]

just watched soccer AM and the guys who play bradley and max were on,they said its true,must say they didn't seem to impressed,when asked how they were gonna do it,they said well EE will hopefuuy get more writer and actors.