# English Dopers-what is/are the "EastEnders" TV show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568 "2002-04-30T22:28:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/1 "2002-04-30T22:28:22Z")
[GRECO QUITS THE UK Watch yourself, George Clooney! The LeastEnder is heading for Hollywood](http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/#GRECO%20QUITS%20THE%20UK) This article apparently refers to a popular show called the “EastEnders” that everyone is supposed know about. What is this show and what is it about? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/2 "2002-04-30T22:34:55Z")
IANAED, but [EastEnders](http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/) is a very popular, longrunning UK soap opera. ---
**Author:** ![GKW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@GKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GKW)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/3 "2002-04-30T22:37:01Z")
EastEnders is a long-running soap opera. It differs from American shows in that the main characters look like real people not Hollywood glamour types. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/4 "2002-04-30T22:52:02Z")
**Moderator’s Note:** Moving to Cafe Society; also deleted or merged a couple of extra copies of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/5 "2002-04-30T22:53:53Z")
Michael Greco played a minor character on the soap opera. I don’t think George Clooney has anything to worry about… ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/6 "2002-04-30T23:03:03Z")
Astro you don’t get PBS there in the boonies? I used to get East Enders all the time in DC. It’s just people talking with funny accents. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/7 "2002-04-30T23:04:02Z")
**Glee** , that’s what they said about Guy Pierce… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/8 "2002-05-01T01:14:10Z")
Guy Pearse is hardly nipping at George Clooney’s ankles. Anyhoo, EastEnders is a depressing soap set in the (of course) East End of London, location of Cockneys. It is one of the most dismal depressing soaps ever made. Before it’s debut most British soaps were fairly domestic with the occasional wife beater or bus accident. But with the arrival of EastEnders in the early 80’s suddenly everyone was a two timing rapist with a manic depressive ex-wife. Legendary characters include Dirty Den, Dot Cotton and her no good son Nick, and any one of the Fowler family (who were the most dysfunctional of them all). ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/9 "2002-05-01T19:28:43Z")
Ah, my favorite import from the UK! My nominally Australian brother-in-law can’t understand what I see in this show! Aussie soaps tend to show lots of pretty people scantily clad having pretty sex, while _EastEnders_ is totally depressing. As he puts it, “Nothing good EVER happens to those people!” True, but I still love it. I may be married, but… Grant Mitchell… mmmmmmm. Too bad that my PBS station is about 6 years behind the current UK run, so I can’t hardly read _HELLO!_ without getting totally confused, not to mention pissed off at changes that are years away for the LA area viewers! BBC America is showing current episodes IIRC, but it would be too confusing to miss so much time. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/10 "2002-05-01T19:53:31Z")
My husband used to follow EastEnders. I did a very, very long time ago-- remember when Michelle was a teen in trouble? That show is too depressing. The Prisoners of Cell Block H was less depressing than EastEnders. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/11 "2002-05-01T20:05:39Z")
i’m addicted. here are some current storeylines. Mark Fowler (Pauline’s HIV positive son) and his wife Lisa (who shot her ex, Phil) are married and bringing up Phil and Lisa’s baby together. 70 something year old Dot Cotton recently remarried, and insists on separate beds, something which her husband (Sonia the teenage mum’s grandad) is trying unsuccessfully to remedy. little Mo, who was raped and beaten by her husband evil scottish Trevor has just been found guilty of his attempted murder. little Mo’s 17 y/o neice Zoe (who was conceived by incest between mo’s sister, kat, and her uncle, and who was brought up as their sister) is in love with the local doctor (who happens to be black, but no-one mentions this) who used to go out with her mother, Kat. Janine, the coke addict is working as a prostitute and one of her clients feel in love with her and tried to commit suicide. Sonia is a)trying to get her daughter back from adoption services b) trying to get pregnant with Jamie Mitchell, Phil’s nephew. confused yet? there are 3 main families, the Fowlers, Mitchells and the Beales, with various other families around them. everyone inter-marries and has each other’s children. it gets confusing. they all work in the pub, “down the market” on the stalls, in the fish and chip shop, newsagent or laundrette or on Roy’s used car stall. it’s dreary and melodramatic…and none of them could remotely be described as pretty. it’s a far cry from sunset beach! ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/12 "2002-05-02T02:22:09Z")
Mostly, TV offers an unrealistic, idealized world, and people are unhappy and frustrated when they switch the thing off and find that their real life is less glamorous. Sounds like this show does the opposite! ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/13 "2002-05-02T07:25:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by irishgirl \* > \*\* > > it’s dreary and melodramatic…and none of them could remotely be described as pretty. > \*\* What about Melanie and Zoe? They certainly qualify as pretty. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/14 "2002-05-02T12:15:59Z")
ah yes but NORMAL pretty; girl-next door, attractive co0worker etc. not bleached-waxed-siliconed-dieted-liposucked-botoxed-gym bunny pretty. i’m thinking of the contrast with Melrose Place, 90210, Sunset Beach, Pacific Palisades etc. and i was specifically thinking Dot, Roy, Robbie, Sonia, Barry as being not pretty. not ugly either, just ordinary, normal looking people. they’re great actors though, and very believeable. just not hollywood glam. ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-what-is-are-the-eastenders-tv-show/106568/15 "2002-05-02T12:20:05Z")
May favourite bit of EastEnders was when Mark fowler gave the Oration at his fathers funeral. He said: “My father taught me the difference between right and wrong” His father had been convicted for stealing the communities Christmas Club money, and I think he used to beat his wife.