Any U.S. fans of the British series "EastEnders"? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Reuben]

Specifically, is anyone here following the rebroadcasts in the New York region on WLIW, Channel 21? (These episodes are almost four years behind the ones currently being broadcast on BBC America.)

If so, please email me. I'm in need of some assistance. Thanks!

M.

 

[Patrick Cate]

Yes, I've been a fan of the series for many years ever since discovering it on my local PBS station here. After a few episodes I was hooked and have watched it religiously each week ever since. A couple of months ago I got BBC America and have been watching the show there too now. Like you though, the episodes on my PBS station are about 4 years behind the current ones playing on BBC America. The reason I think is simply that my PBS station only plays 2 episodes a week (apart from when they are having a pledge week where they may play more), while the show plays 5 episodes a week. So the time difference should only increase with time.

 

[Derek Miner]

Is this the show with Martine McCutcheon?

 

[BrianB]

Yup, Derek.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Is this the show with Martine McCutcheon?

M.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Alongside Eastenders (which incidentally usually attracts criticisms of being implausibly scripted and unduly depressing in the UK) there's also several other Brit soaps you might enjoy if you have a taste for this sort of thing, set in other regions of the country. There's Coronation Street (Salford, near Manchester), Emmerdale (an imaginary village in Yorkshire) and Crossroads (Birmingham). I should guess that at least the first two are available in the USA.

 

[BrianB]

I know the 'minor' cable channel "Trio" was showing older Coronation Street a year or so ago, but I haven't seen it on any channels since then, Andrew.

BBC America shows lots of Eastenders at the weekend.

 

[Leroy]

Been a fan for several years. I've been debating whether or not to start watching the BBC America shows as I don't want to spoil where I'm at locally. Tiffany was just killed by Frank while trying to take Courtney from Grant
.

 

[Patrick Cate]

Alongside Eastenders (which incidentally usually attracts criticisms of being implausibly scripted and unduly depressing in the UK)

I agree that the show's story lines can be depressing at times, but compared to American soap opera's fantasy story lines, Eastenders deal with real life issues like drug addiction, infidelity, physical abuse, etc. I can also agree though that the show as a whole can seem implausible at times simply because so many bad things happen to the characters. You'd think Albert Square was cursed or something. Nonetheless I find the show incredibly entertaining, if not addictive.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Patrick, I've got to agree with you about American soaps, which have never been successful over here. What's that one with an hour glass in title sequence? It was shown over here for a brief while, but nobody could take it seriously. I watched a couple of episodes and thought that it was an over-the-top parody, until someone told me that no, it was for real.

Brit soaps are always solidly grounded in everyday working- and middle-class life. Each incident is usually plausible, the only difference from reality being that a freakishly large number of these events happen to the same people. For some reason, Brits are resistant to the idea of identifying with rich/glamorous people. Something to do with our class system, I suppose.

 

[Paul Mason]

There have been attempts to do a more glamourous soap - remember Howard's Way? - but as you suggest they don't seem to take over here.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Paul - what about Eldorado? There is something which even the most marginal of satellite channels hasn't picked up for a re-run.

For the benefit of non-Brits: Eldorado was a soap from the BBC, and was set in Spain amongst a colony of expatriate Brits (Spain is relatively cheap compared with Britain, and it's popular with some more affluent retired couples and certain types of businessmen; it also used to be a haven for Brit criminals on the run, because for a long time, Spain didn't have an extradition treaty with the UK). The acting was wooden, the plots unbelievable and it was pulled after a brief, but memorably awful run.