EastEnders will make U.K. soap history this week letting fans of the show follow all the action from the 30th anniversary episodes on social media.
Himesh Patel, who plays Tamwar Masood, will be live tweeting throughout the week. Posts on the official EastEnders Twitter page will also be shared on Facebook.
What else can we expect from the anniversary celebrations this week? Former characters Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner) and Christian Clarke (John Partridge) will make a comeback. Plus Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks) and Jake Stone (Jamie Lomas) will appear in a flashback episode recalling the events leading up to Lucy’s death. Have any of them played a part in the murder?
In a BBC TV first the soap will also be streaming exclusive, live Facebook Q&A webcasts at Elstree Studios immediately after Tuesday and Thursday’s episodes.
EastEnders‘ first live episode, aired in February 2010 to mark the show’s 25th anniversary, saw Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) confessing to the murder of Archie Mitchell. Response to the episode was mixed, with critics picking up on the errors during transmission, such as mis-delivered lines and sound problems. However the viewing figures went through the roof: a total of 19.9 million people tuned in to find out who killed Archie.
The show’s executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, isn’t bothered about mistakes this time around. In fact, he’s expecting them. “I probably shouldn’t say this but I think probably we have to accept that audiences will be slightly disappointed if nothing goes wrong,” he told The Guardian. “Obviously we will do everything to make sure it doesn’t but the possibility is there. It becomes like a performance of a play — lines can be slipped and cues missed. But that’s part of the live experience.”
Treadwell-Collins also said that the big reveal will be quite different to Stacey’s 2010 confession. “With Archie, it was a one-line reveal, but with this one it’s more complicated. There are a few conversations,” he said.
Need a recap? Here’s some of what’s happened since Lucy Beale met her tragic demise last Easter:
Video credit: digitalspy/YouTube
If you’ve been waiting patiently for 10 months, here’s what you need to put in your diary for this week:
Tonight 7:30 p.m. — With live segments
Wednesday 7:30 p.m. — With live segments
Thursday 9:30 p.m. — Flashback episode, revealing how, where and why Lucy Beale was murdered
Friday 8 p.m. — Live episode followed by a live backstage show presented by Zoe Ball
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