Get outta the Vic! Don’t you have homes to self-isolate in?
Bosses defend ‘escapism’ of Eastenders
DOCTORS and soap fans have criticised the BBC’S Eastenders for keeping the famous Queen Vic pub open on screen during lockdown.
Although actors are socially distanced during filming, both the cafe and pub in fictional Walford continue to serve customers despite the country being in full lockdown.
And in Friday’s episode, staff in Walford Station were shown without masks.
On ITV rival Coronation Street, bosses have halted filming for two weeks for “rewriting of stories and scripts as the consequence of the pandemic”. The soap regularly features characters adhering to lockdown restrictions. Criticism for not reflecting the pandemic in Eastenders has come from medics and viewers alike.
TV doctor and Express columnist Rosemary Leonard said: “If it’s supposed to be in real time, then the cafe and pub should be shut... and if they were open, they should all be wearing masks unless eating food.”
Viewer Elaine Davies posted: “I don’t think Covid ever got to Walford. Not one mask on any of the cast of Eastenders and pandemic is hardly mentioned.”
But show bosses say that, although they are referencing the pandemic, the soap is being written in a way to give “escapism” for viewers in lockdown Britain.
A BBC statement said: “As our audiences are well aware, writing and filming for the series takes place many months in advance.
“While references to Covid have been made, it would be impossible to reflect the ever-changing situation without re-filming months of content, so we made the decision to continue making the drama our audience expects, providing much needed escapism for our viewers.”