30th Anniversary - 16 to 20 of February 2015

EastEnders bosses have confirmed that the soap will be going live for its 30th anniversary next year.

The BBC show will broadcast a 30-minute live episode as part of its big birthday week in February 2015. In a further twist, all of the other episodes airing that week will also include live elements.

Little more is known about the storylines that will feature in EastEnders' milestone week, but it has been confirmed that the identity of Lucy Beale's killer will finally be revealed.

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins commented: "This is a fantastic opportunity for EastEnders to create a massive national event and one that will enable us celebrate 30 years of EastEnders in spectacular style.

"With live elements to each episode as well as a half hour live episode, it allows us to have a huge amount of surprises for the audience. It is ambitious and exciting and something I know everyone at EastEnders will excel at, as they always do."

BBC One's controller Charlotte Moore said: "BBC One will bring the nation together to celebrate 30 years of EastEnders by going live across the anniversary week. Next February will mark a massive event on the channel by creating the ultimate 'doof doof' and finally reveal who killed Lucy Beale."

Ben Stephenson, controller of drama commissioning at the BBC, added: "After a captivating year of drama in 2014, EastEnders will top this in February 2015 with the most ambitious anniversary any soap has attempted. 'Live week' allows us to keep loads of secrets from the cast, crew and the audience until the very last minute. With shocking reveals and unguessable twists, it's going to be a week that will change Albert Square forever."

EastEnders previously aired a live episode to mark its 25th anniversary in February 2010. The special edition included the death of Bradley Branning and the shock reveal that his wife Stacey was Archie Mitchell's killer.

The programme also had an eight-minute live sequence in July 2012 as part of a special episode which saw Billy Mitchell carry the Olympic Torch through Walford and Lola Pearce give birth to her daughter Lexi.

EastEnders will launch its 'live week' on Monday, February 16 2015.

A show statement teased: "This special week will give a nod to the past and welcome the future. With storylines culminating and big momentous events happening, the EastEnders 30th anniversary will take its place in television history."

beside lucy killer reveal, what other storylines can they do, mick killing dean for the rape of linda, jay and lola getting married, grant returning

It all seems too similar to the live ep when Bradley died and Stacey confessed to killing Archie - and that was amazing, they'll have to do a lot to top that!

Winston and Tracey will be revealed as long term lovers and acknowledge that Fatboy is their son. Winston will also name Lucy's killer and his role as the undercover policeman responsible for all the arrests in Eastenders history finally acknowledged. He will be feted as the true hero he is and his record stall preserved for ever at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by parkerman

Winston and Tracey will be revealed as long term lovers and acknowledge that Fatboy is their son. Winston will also name Lucy's killer and his role as the undercover policeman responsible for all the arrests in Eastenders history finally acknowledged. He will be feted as the true hero he is and his record stall preserved for ever at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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And a replicate of Winston's head to be put in the pub counter instead of Queen Victoria :p

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Max Branning will be "heavily involved" in the EastEnders 30th anniversary shows, says actor Jake Wood.

Wood said that his commitment to the upcoming live soap episodes will impact his availability for the Strictly Come Dancing tour.

WATFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Jake Wood attends the launch of the first, new permanent feature devoted to The Dark Arts at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London on October 14, 2014 in Watford, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)
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© Mike Marsland/WireImage

Speaking to Digital Spy and others, he said: "I know I can't do all of [the Strictly Come Dancing tour], because of EastEnders and the 30th anniversary and the live episodes coming up.

"I think Max is heavily involved in those, so I hope they can sort something out."
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Max Branning (Jake Wood) is back
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The actor also praised the soap's "dynamite" Christmas scripts.

"We've got a great Christmas this year," Wood said. "So much to come out with the Carters and all those storylines.

"Although I wasn't much involved, I've read the scripts and they're dynamite."

EastEnders stars will look back on 30 years of Walford drama in a new series commissioned for BBC iPlayer.

EastEnders: Back to Ours will launch in early January, reliving some of the show's most iconic moments in the build-up to the 30th anniversary.

Cast members from the BBC One soap will be seen sitting in their on-screen homes watching some of their own characters' memorable scenes.

While re-watching their alter egos' highlights, the soap stars will share their memories and behind-the-scenes stories. Clips featured will span through EastEnders' entire history, including some from when the show first launched in 1985.

Shane Richie (Alfie Moon), Jessie Wallace (Kat Moon), Diane Parish (Denise Fox), Tameka Empson (Kim Fox), Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman), Himesh Patel (Tamwar Masood) and Nitin Ganatra (Masood Ahmed) have already been confirmed for the series, but more names will be announced soon.

Speaking of his involvement, Richie commented: "What a wonderful time I had sitting on the sofa with Jessie watching 12 years of Kat and Alfie. We laughed, we cried and we giggled as we remembered the past 12 years."
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Masood tells Tamwar he is the reason he couldn't run off with Ayesha.
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Himesh Patel and Nitin Ganatra will also feature

The exclusive iPlayer series follows EastEnders' continued success on the on-demand service. Individual episodes of the soap still often achieve over 1 million requests, while other iPlayer-only specials have proved popular in the past.

Jay Brown's police interview, which was released on iPlayer after he became a suspect in Lucy Beale's murder, attracted 375,000 requests in seven days earlier this year.

Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content for BBC iPlayer, added: "Commissioning Back to Ours builds on the success of BBC iPlayer exclusive EastEnders programmes that feed audiences' excitement around the show's biggest storylines and moments.

"It doesn't get much bigger than the 30th anniversary, so we're delighted to offer the millions of fans who enjoy EastEnders on BBC iPlayer each week, this exclusive treat."

Back to Ours will launch in the week commencing January 5 in the run-up to EastEnders' live week for the 30th anniversary.

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has promised that there are big storylines on the way for a number of the show's long-standing characters.

Kat, Alfie, Dot, Ian, Sharon and Phil will all have dramatic times ahead as the show builds up to its 30th anniversary in February.
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Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie as Kat and Alfie Moon in EastEnders
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Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie as Kat and Alfie

The Moons' marriage has recently hit the rocks as Kat was appalled when Alfie finally confessed that he started the fire that left her badly burned.

Whether the pair can get back on track remains to be seen, but whatever the outcome, there are even more surprising events for them in the New Year.

Treadwell-Collins commented: "Kat and Alfie are quieter at Christmas, but their story for next year is new, fresh and exciting. For characters that have been around for a long time, that's very hard to do and we've achieved that.

"Dot also finally has Christmas with Nick, which is really magical and slightly camp! This is building to the anniversary. We really wanted to go back to our origins and you'll see between now and February that big stories start to rumble for Dot, Ian, Sharon and Phil which build to the anniversary."
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Kim Fox returns to Walford
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Kim Fox returns to Walford

The upcoming return of Tameka Empson as Kim will also see the Foxes and Patrick return to the forefront.

Treadwell-Collins added: "Kim returns which is wonderful. She returns with a secret. That's the start of a very, very big exciting story for the Truemans and the Foxes - Denise and Kim and some new faces!"

As show bosses are aiming to give each family on the Square a share of the spotlight over the next few months, Digital Spy also understands that the Masoods have a big story of their own coming up in the near future.

The Poison Dwarf has expressed hope that more EastEnders stars from the past will join her in returning for the 30th anniversary next year.

The actress previously confirmed that she will be back on EastEnders for an episode that will see her popular character Peggy Mitchell meet Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) for the first time.

Speaking on The Jonathan Woss Show, Windsor said that she would love to see Woss Kemp return alongside her to the series.

"When they burned The Vic down, I thought they were annoyed with me [and] they were going to burn me down as well," she joked about her exit from the show.

"They never told me until the bitter end that I wasn't [being killed off] - but I didn't mind whatever they did, because I'd chosen to go. I was getting a bit tired."


Windsor went on to say: "They said, 'We'd never kill you off Barbara', and they keep every now and again phoning me up and saying will I go back, and I can't resist it.

"I've got to go back - it's 30 years. I'm going to try and get some people back - some others, please God!"

It has already been confirmed that the show will also integrate a variety of live elements into EastEnders throughout anniversary week next year.