I have often questioned whether EastEnders has lost its strategic importance to BBC One.
This week’s special episodes show that it can still matter.
They should also serve as a reminder of the importance of linear TV and why giving away key content on the iPlayer early can be misguided.
All last week’s episodes “dropped” at 7.30pm on BBC One.
The iPlayer served as the catch-up service for those who missed an episode or wanted to watch again.
Overnight ratings, unsurprisingly, were up.
On Monday, EE scored 3m in the overnights – only 0.2m below Emmerdale on ITV 1 at the same time.
On Tuesday, 3.2m tuned in and EE beat both ITV 1’s soaps.
The winning streak continued on Wednesday with 3.4m watching the extended episode. It was only beaten by the BBC News at Six and regional news.
Thursday’s outstanding live episode scored 3.7m.
While these ratings are modest by historic standards, if this sort of performance can be maintained EE is well and truly back in business.
The embarrassment to those of us who care about the BBC that a blue chip, world renowned broadcaster should have the UK’s third soap is over.
Either the BBC should aim to have the UK’s most popular soap – or not devote resources to a “legacy show” and put its money elsewhere.
It was cringeworthy to see a soap sometimes beaten in the ratings by Monday’s quiz shows on BBC Two.
The momentum needs to be kept up.
There are two immediate steps.
Firstly – proper promotion of EastEnders needs to be maintained.
Secondly – episodes should no longer routinely drop early on iPlayer. This should only be done exceptionally, perhaps because sport has disrupted the schedule.
The days when a programme could simply inherit an audience from whatever was on before are long gone.
But part of the justification for a soap on BBC One was that it bolstered audiences for other shows. Perhaps a new show got a better chance or new audiences discovered more serious, challenging or innovative material.
Look closely though. Did Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice get a little boost in the overnights? It seemed they did.
The hard work of the EE team to turn around the show’s fortunes appears to have paid off. The BBC cannot throw this away.
The rescheduling of ITV 1’s soaps next year presents an opportunity.
Common sense suggests that, even in this day and age, some people are choosing between Emmerdale and EastEnders. That was recognised by Michael Grade when EE moved from 7pm to 7.30pm a few months into its run.
Common sense also suggests that many soap fans are more likely to be drawn to ITV 1 than the BBC so EE has been hit disproportionately by the clash in recent years.
The merits of EE as a drama can be discussed elsewhere. But we all know that a good range of popular programmes of high quality must always be an important part of the mix on BBC One.
There is nothing that those who wish to “defund the BBC” would like more than a BBC One schedule without regular popular successes.
Even if the sound of the EE signature tune has you diving for the zapper, if you care about the BBC you should celebrate last week’s triumph.
And a special word for Pres setting the scene by bringing back the COW globe. The nightmares which faced the BBC in 1985 – dogmatic, ideological opponents and a portion of the audience which didn’t get sufficient value from the corporation – are not unlike the challenges of the present.
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: EastEnders 40 opening titles. COPYRIGHT: BBC.