BBC rules out five-nightly 'EastEnders'

[Abigail]

The BBC has ruled out broadcasting EastEnders five times a week in a bid to keep its schedules "distinctive".

The corporation was considering adding to the current four episodes a week, but announced yesterday that it had abandoned the plan.

In his first speech as chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyon said the broadcaster must earn viewers' loyalty by being less London-centric.

He told the Royal Television Society that people living outside the capital did not see their communities reflected in the broadcaster's programming.

Talking about EastEnders, he said: "The Executive's recent decision not to commission a fifth weekly episode reflects their response to our challenge to them to keep BBC schedules distinctive."

The corporation is planning to move 1,500 London jobs to Salford to better reflect the communities of the north of England.

[Abbie]

yay thats ok then, it would of been too much for 5

[Pinkbanana]

Glad its not going 5 nights a week..........I would have seriously worried about the quality of the program being affected.

Also as much as I enjoy EE, you can have too much of a good thing!

[Chloe O'brien]

Please the bosses of EE if you read this or any other bosses of soaps. Please can you all go back to two episodes a week. The quality of acting and storylines were far better then than some of the nonsence that has been spat out over the last few years.

[Abbie]

Did it use to be only on twice a week :eek:

[Pinkbanana]

Did it use to be only on twice a week :eek:

Yes Tabster, in the old days, it was apparently only on twice a week. All the soaps were. Now sadly there is overkill with all these extra episodes, I dont seriously know how peeps manage to watch more that one or two soaps these days.

[Perdita]

With great difficulty and other members of the family moaning a lot :lol:

[Abbie]

I would find it werid twice a week, I would keep wanting it to be on another day

[.:SpIcYsPy:.]

I'm glad they are sticking to 4 episodes a week personally! :D

[DaVeyWaVey]

I'm glad they are not going to five nights..but i agree with Kath that they should drop the number of episodes - i am finding it hard to keep up with it being 4 episodes a week and I think the quality will be much better if it's on less and less every week, and it will keep the viewer wanting more.

[Abbie]

I do agree I find it hard to keep up cos Im not in sometimes when its on, but then again if they dropped the number of episodes Id probably be complaining about that :lol: