EastEnders off set episodes

"EastEnders" off set episodes are special episodes of the popular BBC soap opera "EastEnders" that have not been filmed on the usual "EastEnders" set construction at Borehamwood, Elstree, but have been filmed on location.

On location filming

Several times a year "EastEnders" is filmed away from the programme's typical setting of Albert Square, which is situated at the BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, Elstree. This is known as on location filming." [http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/backstage/crew/qa/qa_content/qa_0005.shtml Backstage crew] ", "BBC". URL last accessed on 2007-07-16.]

Normally, a week's worth of episodes are filmed on location, often following a group of characters on holiday either abroad or in the UK. Occasionally however, scenes in singular episodes are filmed on location, although in such episodes the majority of scenes are filmed on the regular set at Elstree.

It could be suggested that such a common theme helps it differentiate from others in the genre, other soap operas have done it, but rarely on such a prominent scale.

Away days or off-set episodes will often air in late June or early July and again in late October or early November.] The scenes of Dot and Jim arriving at the site of the hop fields and the farm as well as the interior shots of Douglas's home and the cottage were filmed at Stansted, Kent.

*Kevin Wicks, Deano Wicks, Carly Wicks, Denise Wicks, Chelsea Fox, Libby Fox, Pat Evans and Shirley Carter (27 April)

Kevin and Denise's wedding took place, which was filmed on location at a registry office in North London.

*Ian and Peter Beale and Phil, Billy and Ben Mitchell (17 May – 21 May)

The two families went camping in the woods but when Phil burned down his tent by accident, they decided to return home. On the way, Phil and Ian argued in the car and as a result, Phil failed to see a fallen tree in the road, swerving at the last minute and crashing the car. The car later rolled into a lake with Peter and Ben still inside.

*Stella Crawford and Phil Mitchell (20 July)

Stella's final scenes were filmed on location at a disused office block, Evershed House off Alma Road in St Albans. [cite episode
title = EastEnders Vixens: The Rise and Fall of Stella
episodelink = List of EastEnders television spin-offs#EastEnders Vixens: The Rise and Fall of Stella
network = BBC
station = BBC Three
airdate = 2007-07-20] [cite news|title=Eastenders in court|url=http://www.hertsad.co.uk/content/herts/news/story.aspx?brand=HADOnline&category=News&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=newshadnew&itemid=WEED23%20Aug%202007%2012%3A08%3A39%3A560|publisher=The Herts Advertiser|date=23 August 2007|accessdate=2007-08-23] In this episode, Phil confronts Stella on their wedding day about her abuse of his son Ben. Stella jumps off the roof to her death.

* Garry Hobbs, Dawn Swann, Summer Swann, Shirley Carter, Heather Trott, Minty Peterson, Hazel Hobbs and Pat Evans (20 August – 24 August)

Pat went to Worthing, while Garry, Dawn and Summer took a break in Brighton. Heather wanted to follow Garry there, so she and Shirley got a lift from Pat, and then stole her car to go to Brighton, abandoning her at a service station.

Pat met a man named Len Harker, who gave Pat a lift to Worthing. She believed her sister Joan, who had Down's syndrome, had died at the age of 22, and Pat was going to collect her belongings from the mental facility that her parents had sent her to at the age of 6, but she was too late as the building was to be demolished. She and Len broke in and eventually found Joan's belongings, discovering that she could still be alive. These scenes were filmed at an abandoned mental facility. [cite news|title=Have a Butchers at this|url=http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/features/article2876711.ece|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|date=19 August 2007|accessdate=2007-08-23]

Minty and Hazel were also in Brighton together, not knowing that Hazel's son Garry was there with Dawn.

* Mickey and Keith Miller (20 August)

Mickey and Keith attempted to sell ice cream in Mickey's uncle Clint's ice cream van. This coincided with the first episode of the Brighton/Worthing week, but was a separate storyline, and several scenes were filmed at the usual Albert Square set.

2008

* Stacey Branning and Rachel Branning (12 February)

Stacey visited Rachel at her house in Tring in order to find out the whereabouts of Bradley Branning.

* Stacey Branning and Bradley Branning (14 February-15 February)

Stacey and Bradley went to a "Doctor Who" convention, then to St. Paul's Cathedral, where Bradley told Stacey that he wanted a divorce.

* Peggy Mitchell, Ronnie Mitchell, Sean Slater, Roxy Mitchell and Archie Mitchell, 7 July - 11 July.

Peggy and Ronnie went down to Dorset in order to track down Roxy and Sean followed acting on a tip-off from Billy. While there, Ronnie and her father, Archie raked over the past and began a heated argument.

ee also

*Storylines of EastEnders

References