EastEnders is a British soap opera, examining the domestic and professional lives of working class people who live in the fictitious London Borough of Walford in the East End of London. The show was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, and broadcast its first episode on 19 February 1985. Originally, the typical week comprised two half-hour episodes on BBC One, in a time slot of 7.00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, until August 1985 when they were moved to 7.30pm. On 11 April 1994, a Monday episode was added, broadcast at 8.00pm, and a further 8.00pm episode was added on 10 August 2001, on Fridays. As of 30 November 2018 [update], there have been 5,821 episodes. [1]
The numbering of EastEnders episodes has changed three times. The episode broadcast on 11 April 1994 was given the number 1, following on from the previous episode numbered 952. [2] The episode on 6 August 2001 was also given the number 1, following on from the previous episode numbered 1170. On 13 April 2009, the episodes were retroactively renumbered, so the episode on this date had the number 3770, [3] [4] and the previous number, originally 1621, [5] was renumbered to 3769 (and so on). [6] These lists use only the retroactive numbering.
Year | Episodes [α] | Supplemental episodes [β] | Episode numbers [α] | Originally aired | Average viewers (millions) [γ] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||||
1985 | 91 | 0 | 1–91 | 19 February 1985 | 31 December 1985 | 14.37 | |
1986 | 105 | 0 | 92–196 | 2 January 1986 | 30 December 1986 | 20.66 | |
1987 | 107 | 0 | 197–303 | 1 January 1987 | 31 December 1987 | 21.14 | |
1988 | 104 | 1 | 304–407 | 5 January 1988 | 29 December 1988 | 18.94 | |
1989 | 104 | 0 | 408–511 | 3 January 1989 | 28 December 1989 | 16.99 | |
1990 | 104 | 0 | 512–615 | 2 January 1990 | 27 December 1990 | 17.17 | |
1991 | 105 | 0 | 616–720 | 1 January 1991 | 31 December 1991 | 17.12 | |
1992 | 106 | 0 | 721–826 | 2 January 1992 | 31 December 1992 | 18.28 | |
1993 | 105 | 0 | 827–931 | 5 January 1993 | 30 December 1993 | 17.90 [δ] | |
1994 | 142 | 0 | 932–1073 | 4 January 1994 | 29 December 1994 | 16.02 [ε] | |
1995 | 157 | 0 | 1074–1230 | 2 January 1995 | 28 December 1995 | 14.54 [ζ] | |
1996 | 161 | 0 | 1231–1391 | 1 January 1996 | 31 December 1996 | 14.65 | |
1997 | 162 | 0 | 1392–1553 | 2 January 1997 | 30 December 1997 | 14.23 [η] | |
1998 | 161 | 3 | 1554–1718 | 1 January 1998 | 31 December 1998 | 14.75 [θ] | |
1999 | 169 | 0 | 1719–1888 | 4 January 1999 | 31 December 1999 | 15.87 | |
2000 | 160 | 1 | 1889–2050 | 3 January 2000 | 31 December 2000 | 15.47 | |
2001 | 179 | 0 | 2051–2229 | 1 January 2001 | 31 December 2001 | 15.92 | |
2002 | 211 | 2 | 2230–2440 | 1 January 2002 | 31 December 2002 | 11.95 | |
2003 | 210 | 2 | 2441–2651 | 1 January 2003 | 31 December 2003 | 12.58 | |
2004 | 209 | 1 | 2652–2864 | 1 January 2004 | 31 December 2004 | 11.32 | |
2005 | 209 | 0 | 2865–3075 | 3 January 2005 | 30 December 2005 | 10.19 | |
2006 | 207 | 0 | 3076–3286 | 2 January 2006 | 29 December 2006 | 9.16 | |
2007 | 208 | 0 | 3287–3498 | 1 January 2007 | 31 December 2007 | 8.87 | |
2008 | 208 | 0 | 3499–3710 | 1 January 2008 | 30 December 2008 | 8.42 | |
2009 | 209 | 1 | 3711–3922 | 1 January 2009 | 31 December 2009 | 8.43 | |
2010 | 204 | 17 | 3923–4135 | 1 January 2010 | 31 December 2010 | 9.35 | |
2011 | 211 | 9 | 4136–4347 [ι] | 1 January 2011 | 30 December 2011 | 9.02 | |
2012 | 206 | 9 | 4348–4559 | 1 January 2012 | 31 December 2012 | 8.23 | |
2013 | 212 | 6 | 4560–4774 [κ] | 1 January 2013 | 31 December 2013 | 7.72 | |
2014 | 206 | 1 | 4775–4987 | 1 January 2014 | 30 December 2014 | 7.20 | |
2015 | 209 | 1 | 4988–5201 | 1 January 2015 | 29 December 2015 | 7.17 | |
2016 | 210 | 0 | 5202–5414 | 1 January 2016 | 30 December 2016 | 6.94 | |
2017 | 209 | 0 | 5415–5627 | 1 January 2017 | 29 December 2017 | 6.68 | |
2018 | 206 | 2 | 5628–5840 | 1 January 2018 | 31 December 2018 | 6.12 | |
2019 | 210 | 1 | 5841–6052 | 1 January 2019 | 31 December 2019 | 5.60 [λ] | |
2020 | 135 | 0 | 6053–6193 | 1 January 2020 | 31 December 2020 | 5.49 [μ] | |
2021 | 209 | 0 | 6194–6409 | 1 January 2021 | 31 December 2021 | 4.36 [ν] | |
2022 | 210 | 0 | 6410–6619 | 3 January 2022 | 29 December 2022 | TBA | |
2023 | 210 | 0 | 6620–6830 | 1 January 2023 | 29 December 2023 | TBA | |
2024 | TBA | TBA | 6831– | 1 January 2024 | TBA | TBA |
We hold a collection of Programme-as-Broadcast documents here (PasBs) which contain the basic production details for all BBC programmes, including the Episode numbers for EastEnders. From checking these I can confirm that the episodes were numbered 1 to 952 from 19/02/1985 to 07/04/1994. Then the numbering system restarted again with the episode on 11/04/1994 being Episode 1, coinciding with the beginning of there being 3 episodes a week. [...] In 2001 they decided to start from 1 again, when it changed to 4 episodes a week. So the episode on 06/08/2001 is Episode 1 according to PasBs. Finally, in 2009 they decided to go back to the original numbering system – so the episode on 13/04/2009 is listed as number 3770 on the PasB (this is counting back from the first episode in 1985). This then matches up with the numbers [...] from the Radio Times.