This week's Radio Times special issue celebrates EastEnders' 40th anniversary
Sirens, survivors and femmes fatales - celebrate 40 years of EastEnders with its legendary leading ladies.
If you were one of the 13 million people who watched the first episode of EastEnders on Tuesday 19 February 1985 then, like me, you're probably slightly perturbed to realise that it was 40 years ago.
Created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland to rival Coronation Street, the opening scene of the new soap saw Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts force their way into Reg Cox's flat, only to find poor old Reg near death.
It was a sensational start and true to what Holland promised in his introduction to EastEnders in Radio Times - "gossip, intrigue and scandal are high on the list of daily events".
These days one might have to add murder, sex abuse, drug addiction, coercive control and euthanasia. In fact, pretty much any important issue you can think of has been featured in Albert Square over the years - and all before the watershed. It's testament to EastEnders' commitment to highlighting difficult subjects that it still has a huge and loyal audience.
And because of its power, even if you've never watched it, the names of characters like Doctor Legg, "Nasty" Nick Cotton, his mother Dot, the Mitchell brothers, Angie and Sharon Watts, will have squirrelled themselves into your consciousness.
In this week's issue we celebrate the great female actors that now drive the narrative on the BBC's biggest soap - read what the seven wicked women of Walford have to say in our photo special.
EastEnders may not be the force it once was, but it still reflects life in Britain today. We hope you enjoy our tribute to a very special show. Now, get out of my pub!
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EastEnders 40th Anniversary Special photographed exclusively for Radio Times by Nicky Johnston, Styling by Natalie Read, HMU by Bryony Blake; Anna Winterburn; Lydia Barnes; Umunique Jamison; Jessica Doyle; Lisa Davey; Lynda J Pearce; Charley McEwen, Set dressing by Lisa Engel at Propped Up
Also in this week's Radio Times:
- From hosting the BAFTAs to getting inside the mind of a serial killer - David Tennant tells RT what's harder
- Take a look at season 3 of the dark and dangerous holiday drama The White Lotus
- We head for the Hebrides for a slice of Scandi-style crime drama in The Island
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