EASTENDERS (1985)

LAUNCHING a new soap may have been a gamble but, to the relief of BBC bosses, Eastenders quickly proved it had staying power. It has never been a barrel of laughs, mind you, as Peggy’s pill-popping end proved, but the misery hasn’t stopped millions seeking their fix of Albert Square goings-on. From the days of Dirty Den and Angie to current landlords Mick and Linda, all east end life has found its way to the Queen Vic.