Cost of making eastenders..

[Whisky2014]

I just wondered how much it costs to make Eastenders and after just clicking a few articles on this I have found it to be about £140k per episode...£30 million a year.

Not only that, but the BBC had a £60 Million budget to upgrade the set and they have managed to go £27 million over this bringing it to £87 million and to be completed by 2023, 5 years late.
"MPs heard the set, built in 1984, is “no longer fit for purpose” and the rebuild is “crucial to the future success of EastEnders"

Well, sorry but it's absolute brain rot and if rather it didn't have a future! I'd much rather they made some good quality series. If they put their mind to it, the BBC can make some really good stuff. Why do they insist on shoving this crap down people's throats? Viewing numbers have been decreasing, I assume because of the younger generations being more inclined to watch stuff on Amazon and Netflix etc, so this revamp seems like even more of a waste.

I think you’re right to challenge this OP.

The BBC is irrelevant and we shouldn’t have to pay the nasty stealth tax that is the tv license.

They should go commercial or subscription, so people have the choice.

I say they just axe the TV licence and the beeb joins all other channels with advertisements. I don’t watch any live TV and haven’t for years so don’t pay for a licence. Not missing out on anything, most of the BBC is absolute tripe nowadays anyway.

Snog

OP eastenders is your Room 101. It's clearly a minority opinion yes deffo into my room 101! I'm not sure it is a minority opinion though, maybe it's just a favourite on MN. Maybe the MN stereotype is an EE watcher.

ShatnersWig yeh I probably did. I do like friends but I don't watch tv loads. Just because I posted one day that I spent the day watching it doesn't mean I do that all the time...that was Feb! I was in my 1st trimester then and probably fucking exhausted. But thanks for stalking me! Im not questioning how people can watch it 2 hours a week, its a routine and they like it. It's just a never ending depression show, isn't it? Someone upthread mentions shouting in graveyards..lovely.

To the pp who said scrap the license and go either get adverts or subscription...yeh i think thats the way it will go.

Oh feb 2018... by jove! mustve been hungover deffo not pregnant back then same principle in my above answer.

They should go commercial or subscription, so people have the choice.

People already have the choice. Pay the license fee or don't watch tv "as broadcast" or the BBC at all. It's so easy to watch TV using a catch up app these days.

Ah but until very recently there was no choice, was there? It was pay the licence and tough if you don't like what's on. So because other companies have changed and adapted, the BBC had to concede to people not paying licences if they don't watch it. And still, people that cancel their licence when they don't watch BBC in favour of streamed tv have the intimidating TV licence bouncers come to your door to check!
Its an establishment for dinosaurs.

So? The point is that there is choice unlike the people who are trying to claim there isn't.

What they should do is actively block access for anyone who hasn't paid.

It would solve the problem of people bleating "but I don't liiiiiiiike it!"

You've never had to have a tv licence unless you're watching (or recording) live tv though.

I don't think you can blame the BBC for the fact that online streaming has only fairly recently presented a genuine alternative to live broadcasting.

The only recent change has been to require a tv licence for iplayer too.

Yes so until recently there was no choice but to watch live tv since streaming didn't exist. And even when streaming became a thing, BBC were still cagey about whether you needed a licence or not. It's only really become clear in the last 2 or so years I'd say.

SoupDragon

What they should do is actively block access for anyone who hasn't paid well yeh, make sense.
SoupDragon

It would solve the problem of people bleating "but I don't liiiiiiiike it!" No, it wouldn't. Some people just can't be arsed or don't know how to stop their license. And you can still say you don't like something even if you do have a licence for it.

Also, before streaming came along lets say you just never watched any bbc channels or radio, you did still have to have a licence because those tv bailiffs woukd come round and demand to see a tv which had ni access to bbc or demand to see you didnt have a tv. That was unfair imo. It was a service you couldn't escape from if you wanted it or not and yet still had to pay for.

You mean we wouldn't have just had the cost incorporated into tax Instead? It could be private companies that provide the infrastructure, no? It's just like BT being the monopoly on phone lines.

Oh dear, did the "bailiffs" burst into your house, confiscate all your precious books, and force you at gunpoint to watch telly?

No, I have always paid it, smart arse.
You take a hissy fit because I don't like your precious (atrocious) show. If anyone is thick here, it's the people wasting their life watching EE.

It's got very aggressive for a post about not liking a soap opera. Jeepers.
OP I really don't think there's a need for nastiness. Fair enough, you don't like a soap but insulting anyone who does is horrid.
*whoever mentioned Holby, I love it too. Washes away my woes!

Haha I merely retaliated. There was aggression towards me first throughout the thread.

That's what the EE like though innit? Bit of drama!

Over 6 million people watch Eastenders. That's more than the population of Scotland.
Calling all of them "thick" is rude and narrow minded.

Maybe you should fulfil your desire for drama in a less nasty way. Perhaps by watching a soap?

The previous poster said anyone who didn't understand tv licences were either thick or haven't bothered to look. I merely stated IF anyone was thick, it's those that watches EE. That doesn't mean to say they are, it just means that if you want to start painting people as thick they would be it.
No way in he'll I'm watching a soap. Ever!

How many people watch BBC Alba? Much less than watch EE I’m willing to bet.
It would be a much better use of money to cancel Alba.

And the population thing..well, yes, Scotland is a small population! But the UK population is, what 66 million? So 60 million don't watch it :) I'm happy to be one of those.

No way in he'll I'm watching a soap. Ever!

Fabulous. Don’t watch it then. Problem solved.

Cancel both..