Classic Eastenders on the Drama channel

[dingdongdigeridoo]

So, classic Eastenders starts airing on the UKTV Drama channel from tomorrow! Two episodes from noon, and they’ll also be on UKTV catchup.

Use this thread to talk about Den, Angie, Arthur, poodle perms, poor fashion choices and Ethel’s Willy.

The cot death episodes were sensitively done i thought..................Sue going into denial then autopilot.

I agree that the cot death scenes were very well done, unlike the ridiculous more recent cot death/baby swap storyline

I had to skip through a lot of the cot death episodes. Too bleak to watch.

Although old EE is bleak, I like that there are lots of silly, everyday stories to balance it out. Like washing Willy, or Ian getting Kathy tipsy so she’ll agree to let him use her knitting machine. So much more fun to watch than the current whodunnit storyline because someone got shot, again.

Is Den going to knock up Michelle soon? I get quite upset when I see him talking to her. She’s so young!

Not seen them in years (obvs)

I forget what happened to a lot of them now but I remember liking Mary and Annie Smith in it . What did happen to those characters ? Perhaps I should google but I wish, sometimes, instead of keep bringing back the Mitchell's or the Watts and bring back perhaps a grown up Annie ?

Saeed Ugh I forgot about the storyline where he got caught out going to the brothel.

Not long now before the phone calls.

Annie would have no links to Albert square thpugh from what i remember"Mary" was a teenage runaway and came from "up north" she didnt.family in Albert. Square and only friends she made whilst tjere .

Yes that is true AamdC

I’m glad I’m not the only one who wanted to see a grown up Annie! It makes no sense, but when has that ever stopped EE writers?

The Sayeed and Niamh storylines are pretty awful. He’s so sleazy and they’re both terrible actors which makes it cringey to watch.

Rewatching this through a 2018 lens at the age of 45 rather than 12 which is how old i was in 85 ive really noticed the rife casual sexism .

Lofty and Angie once dated in RL

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Watt_(actor)

Anyone keeping up with EEClassics?

I must admit , I've not watched it for a couple of weeks (I think Andy was going jogging in ridiculous lilac lycra - I had to buy extra eye-bleach )

I’m loving it. Especially Ethel running the launderette!

Me too, I love Ethel!

I love it. I love Angie's clothes. Can't wait for the den and Angie storylines really to get going!

Michelles family not listening to her caused a lot of the problem.

Right from the start they were bullying her into going to Clacton with her grandma FFS!

And of course Den took advantage.

I remember getting crushes on unsuitable men in my early teens when i felt very alone Including a crush on my college lecturer when i was sixteen.

i was 12 when this was on first time round and of course am now noticing things i didnt before.

gower i really dont think Eastenders would have taken off the way it did without Angie and Den

It may have ended up being another Eldorado without them and pulled after a year or so.

Just caught up with a binge. I was to young really first time around so v interesting how things have changed. Pete was giving baby Mark a test of his beer other day! Other things lik Mary in one room still same. Only difference now is be micwave and kettle not dangerous stove on table. I think micheele is great acting, Sharon hasn’t really done much to impress me so far at all.

Is no one else watching this still?

I am! Absolutely loving it. You can tell it's still such early days, it doesn't seem to have hit its stride yet.

I’m glad there is least one person! Was it on twice a week in the early days? Hard sometimes with time distance. Love seeing characters like Dot have changed a lot. She’s moans more about health but she’s really unreliable and misses shifts something that older Dot would never do.

Loving social change in 30y, Sharon and Kath not only knowing how to knit but sorting out patterns. Can’t say modern Sharon ever admit to that. Micheele pregnant but also getting drunk at Martins christening ! Though was confused how she was supposed to be 5 weeks pregnant after going to clinic but that would only make her a week later, did the calucate it different then meaning she was 4 plus 5?

I agree, the social change is really interesting. I watched it as a primary school kid first time around, which seems very inappropriate now 😂

It was on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a Sunday afternoon omnibus. Have you noticed the blackout bit in the middle? I vaguely remember there being a sort of BBC ad break back in the day?!

I was obsessed with Angie and her outfits, and I am all over again!

I am still loving Classic Eastenders. I used to really fancy Nick Berry as Wiksy!

I am a bit behind. I have just watched the Christening episode.

This, old Corrers and potentially old Brookie should be required viewing as part of PHSE lessons I think. Would make lessons come alive at least and help current students understand where their parents might be coming from?

the phone calls to Debbie have started,

I'm watching it now! Though I recognise the characters I didn't watch Eastenders until a bit later than what is being shown.

Found myself almost in tears at the story of Kathy's rape at the age of fourteen, her pregnancy and giving her daughter up for adoption. I do remember when the poor girl turned up and subsequent difficulties.

Mary, despite her defensive, bolshie attitude, is such a sweet, shy, vulnerable girl underneath all that. Easily taken advantage of. I want to take her home and mother her!

Nice to see the 'old' ones as teens still at school.