Gone way up west

KAT & ALFIE: REDWATER BBC1, 8pm WHO knew that any resident of Albert Square could ever escape the misery of Walford?

And yet the Moons have done it – Kat and Alfie (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie) have skipped town for the sleepy Irish village of Redwater. Which for us, means a sixpart Eastenders spin-off – although this is much more drama than soap, so don’t be put off if you’re not an Enders fan. Kat is even calling herself Kathleen, although there’s no mistaking where they’ve come from. “‘Ow did you know we was from Laandan?” Kathleen asks a local on their first day. Hmm, give us a wild guess. But despite telling everyone that they and son Tommy are on holiday, there are actually more serious matters at hand. Kathleen is on her own Long Lost Family mission, although sadly without the moral support of Davina Mccall. She wants to find her other son, the twin brother of Zoe – presuming he’s not dead or hasn’t emigrated to Australia. Her lead is a postcard she once received from his adoptive parents from Redwater. So she’s hoping she’ll just bump into him down the local pub and form an instant and irreplaceable bond. But the reality is that she begins eyeing up every thirtysomething man with dark hair like a deranged woman, harassing them with probing questions. Before long Kathleen is downing whiskey chasers with the locals and blabbing all her secrets. Alfie is not impressed and, anyway, he has his own problems – remember the brain tumour, soap fans? And certain members of the local community (and woah, do they all have their own secrets), do not welcome the arrival of this couple who could really upset the apple cart. With a supporting cast including Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ian Mcelhinney and Peter Campion, stick with this until the end – you’ll be hooked.

SPIN-OFF Kat and Alfie in Ireland