Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

[80sChav]

I did'nt get into it properly until 1990 but had probably caught bits of it before - eg I remember Allison Betles (Fay from Grange Hill) being in the one off production of Civvy Street (an EastEnders off-shoot) in 1988.

To be honest I found the first 5 years (upon getting up every Morning (when I felt like it!!) when I was about 16/17 and it was repeated on BBC1 every weekday morning I think it was (this'd be 1993/94 probably) and it was truly worse than watching paint dry ... worse than the first 5 year's of Neighbours even, but still I wanted to like it as to me it had the best characters in that era of 1985 to the early 90s, like Sharon, a young Ian Beale, Kathy & Pete, a younger) Pat Wikes/Butcher/Evans too.

All these were the best characters to me/ the best generation that can never be touched now, as so many family "relatives" unkown now turn up etc or too many "Sharon Returns" etc , even though it was dribel and that I can not of envisaged it'd last that long now as it had! Something about it, just the old Cafe before Kathy and Ian owned and ran it was great, the real old old London that remarkably was still living on - at least until 1987 through the eyes of EastEnders, made it better and a tad more interesting. Great memories (of a sort, anyway!)

[smurfie1]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Ccana nyone remember it?

I was quite young when Eastenders started but as I had a teenage brother and sister it was on a lot inn our house so I do remember watching bits of the wicksy, den era. I always like Roley the dog. I watched it all the time from the early 90s and sadly still do now although every now and again when I'm a couple of weeks behind with it I consider giving up on it and find I can't!
I agree that era was the best, when Pete was on the market and Sharon and Michelle were young. I have rewatched a lot of it on sky and Eastenders revealed but I can't imagine rewatching today's episodes in 20 years time!

[Richard1978]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Ccana nyone remember it?

I remember a lot of the Den & Angie saga in the early days, & my Mum complaining how some quite adult things were on that early in the evening.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I was 9 when it started and thought it was boring, although I have memories of the Den and Angie stuff but it's probably more from repeats of it. My family didn't like soaps so it wasn't usually on. I never watch soaps now either.

[sf1378]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

Eastenders is drivel....its so depressing. And, all the plots are leaked onto the front of the weekly T.V. guide mags so you don't even need to watch it to know whats going to happen....This Xmas, Paaaaaaaaaattttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!! dies. Lovely...how maudlin. Apparently Michael French and Wicksy bloke (forgot his name lol) are coming to see Paaaaaaaaattttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!! and she toddles off home and karks it alone...on Xmas Day.....Oh and that evil Doctor dies....in a fire. As you do....

I do like the 'BIG' event storylines though, like when Phil goes ape over 'summat' that needs 'sort'n'....One of the most depressing ones I ever saw was when Samantha Janus' daughter dies in front of her eyes....that was horrid. I also hate Kat Slater - miserable to poor Alfie who essentially is a nice guy. One of the few nicest endings was when David Essex took his 'secret Son' away to Spain, I really liked the affection he showed in that final scene and it actually made me like the guy so hoping they both come back next year...

I just find a lot of the actors/actresses in it pre-madonna's who think they are....well, royalty...Perhaps we need Pete Beale coming back? Yes, BRING BACK PETE! His best ever line was 'STUFF THE SAMARITANS!' to 'Kaff' once....

[kazboot]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I watched the first few years of EE, in the wonderful years of Den, Angie, Lou, Pete, Cathy, Lofty and Arthur.

By the time Peggy came into it, I was fed up with it and haven't seen it since. Too miserable for me. I'll stick to Corrie and Emmerdale.

[sf1378]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I remember Harry Hill on T.V. Burp saying:

'Eastenders now! And for Phil Mitchell its all gone a bit metixaplat!'

Then they showed the clip of him having his coronary with Ian watching it and Phil sure enough garbles something like 'ITZ-ALLL GONE A-BIT METIX-A-PLATTTT!'

Well funny.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

Paaaaaaaaattttttttt! lol Almost as classic as Riiickaaayyyyy!

[HG]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I watched the first few years of EE, in the wonderful years of Den, Angie, Lou, Pete, Cathy, Lofty and Arthur.

I watched that era too up to late 80s and then I packed in, can't say I miss it The Den and Angie storylines and Arthur's breakdown were the most memorable for me.

[branny]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

Sorry but i'd rather watch re-runs of The Sweeney and Minder. Soaps just regurgitate the same storylines with different characters. Not for me but each to their own.

[darren]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I watched the first few years of EE, in the wonderful years of Den, Angie, Lou, Pete, Cathy, Lofty and Arthur.

By the time Peggy came into it, I was fed up with it and haven't seen it since. Too miserable for me. I'll stick to Corrie and Emmerdale.

i watched during those yrs as well.
probably its best yrs and best stories.

would not watch it now to depressing.

only soap i watch is neighbours been watching it since it started in 85 i think it started.
scott charlene mrs mangel.

[smurfie1]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

I watched Neigbours from when it started until about 2000. I used to love it so much! My sister has recently started watching it again and some of the long running characters are still in it.

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

Sorry but i'd rather watch re-runs of The Sweeney and Minder. Soaps just regurgitate the same storylines with different characters. Not for me but each to their own.

I couldn't agree more. I've not seen Eastenders for years now, and have no desire to ever watch it again.

I do remember the early years though (I watched everything back then) - people say Eastenders is depressing, but the opening scene of the first episode was several characters forcing their way into a room where a man (Reg Cox?) had just croaked it, so the show set out it's (market) stall right at the start.

Ozcab for Austin Maxi!

[sf1378]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

Sorry but i'd rather watch re-runs of The Sweeney and Minder. Soaps just regurgitate the same storylines with different characters. Not for me but each to their own.

I've got series 1 and 2 of The Sweeney on DVD, love it. I really like how they'd give each other fags or food in it...and the food looked nice. Not to mention the cars, the clothes and of course...The Birds....John Thaw does make me laugh in it as he became so diametrically opposed as Morse...all posh. Dennis Waterman certainly has aged badly, you can tell all that booze, bad food and fags has done that to him....Minder is very very funny too. I like the repeats of it with Waterman in it, not the later ones without him.

I've seen him in two horror films from the late 60s/70s, in one he was with Christopher Lee who played Dracula in it and he really does have a drama school posh voice in it and that made me laugh a lot, in the other, called 'Fright' with Susan George and Ian Bannen he has a bit more of his cockney lilt....Funnily, George Coles in 'Fright' but the two don't share screen time...Honor Blackman and the late John Gregson are in it too....good film by Peter Collinson who did The Italian Job....recommend it.

[kazboot]

Re: Early old old EastEnders - Can anyone remember it?

The Den and Angie storylines and Arthur's breakdown were the most memorable for me.

I still remember the fantastic acting of these characters.

Arthur's breakdown was one of the truly great pieces of acting I have seen in any soap. It seemed so real.