IAN HYLAND
On last night’s telly
W★★★★
hen the BBC announced it would be plugging the Covid-enforced gaps in its schedules with classic episodes of Eastenders, I wondered whether it was the right decision.
I was worried that, unless they had a particular fondness for certain storylines or characters, older viewers probably wouldn’t tune in. As for newer viewers, why would they want to watch a one-off episode featuring characters they would not recognise at all, in a context they would not fully understand?
It turned out I was right to be concerned. The classic episodes broadcast so far have only attracted figures of around two million, which is why I thought ITV would be on
safer ground with its less hit-and-miss Corrie stopgap, in eight parts.
And guess what? As enjoyable as this first collection of clips was, it simply made me want to watch the full climactic episode of the Deirdre/ Ken/mike love triangle!
It also left me hoping that someone in the Corrie archives will one day find the time to edit Deirdre’s “Free the Weatherfield One” storyline into a feature-length TV movie.
With only half an hour to play with, there was no way the documentary
makers could cover each and every memorable storyline to have gripped the nation over the past six decades.
Still, these list shows are supposed to spark debate amongst fans.
I’m sure we’ll all be chipping in over the next few weeks as more specific categories such as weddings, villains, battleaxes and famous cameos are discussed.
Good luck squeezing all the weddings into a single episode, ITV. Steve Mcdonald could fill a good half hour with his first three alone.
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Good luck squeezing all the weddings into a single episode, ITV