A live soap transforms a humdrum weeknight into a special occasion, pulls in the ratings and keeps you on the edge of your sofa in the hope that someone will fluff their lines.
EastEnders has always pushed the boat out with live episodes, shrouding them in secrecy and cranking out the whodunnits. Now it’s Eastenders Live Week, with the question, who killed Lucy Beale? set to be answered on Thursday night.
In ye olden soape days, Coronation Street used to transmit live every Friday, but such treats have since been reserved for big anniversary storylines. Corrie marked its 50th year in 2010 with a tram crash, four deaths and Leanne marrying a semi-conscious Peter Barlow, while in 2012, Emmerdale went all out for its 40th with a couple of births and a cheeky bludgeoning of evil Carl King.
Although EastEnders won’t chance a fully live episode until Friday, last night’s rather tight-fisted taster kicked things off in style. Little more than five minutes of the action was live, but it was such a corking half-hour of telly that it didn’t matter.
For it was the night that Mick Carter got the chance to say, “Get outta my pub” to Peggy Mitchell. The stand-off between Danny Dyer and Barbara Windsor was a dream for fans and proof of what you get if you dare to tell the king of all landlords to “run a duster over the place”.
Live opening scenes gave Walford a festive atmosphere, with viewers treated to an early appearance by Peggy Mitchell, along with new villain Richard Blackwood, who has “come for Ronnie”.
Although the #EELive hashtag disappeared too soon, the excitement didn’t. It wasn’t long before Peggy busted into Dot’s house bellowing, “What’s your game?” before softening up enough to invite her to come and stay with her and Grant in Portugal. That’s a spin-off show right there.
Of course, the focus of the action was Ian and Jane’s wedding day, which was doomed by Alfie’s promise that nothing could possibly go wrong. What? Not even with the threat of Ian Beale donning a kilt hanging over the guests? Or a drunken Kat in full seduction mode directed at Martin, who’d turned up with a new head? “I might let you have a go on me later,” she screeched in a high point of the show.
There was such a level of tension and sheer joy within the cast that it would have been perfectly plausible for viewers to believe the whole episode was going out on the fly. A cold-footed Ian reminiscing with Sharon on a park bench was a scene bursting with warmth, chemistry and sharp writing. “We were going to be on Top of the Pops,” they cackled in a nod to their youthful foray into music, before concluding they were now “a pair of orphans hurtling towards 50.”
A live fight would have been a bonus, and for sheer sisterly drama, the moment Ronnie was taken off the ventilator would have delivered. Hapless Roxy and Charlie chose the moment her eyes flickered open to discuss their illicit snog. If only Ronnie had whipped out a champagne bottle from underneath that hospital bed and staged a fight with her sister…
But it was the final few live moments of the episode that caused the most controversy. “Where are you gaaan Lauren?”, shouted Max as Jacqueline Jossa slammed the cab door to maternity leave. Then a nation hit the rewind button, scoured subtitles and took to Twitter to see whether Max really did mumble to Abi: “She knows you killed Lucy.” Hang on, maybe he said “shrew.” Shorten the odds on Kat, then.
