How East & Enders were created, from ‘Dofof Dofs’ to Angie and Dane

In the early research stages of the East Aunders, according to the BBC Archive documents, several cities were considered from Manchester to London to Birmingham.

But an audience report recommended that a serial set would probably be the most comprehensive appeal in a working class in London.

It will also set apart from other large ranges at that time, such as Coronation Street (set in Greater Manchester), Eredel Farm (set in Yorkshire) and intersection (set in a midlands motal).

Although East anders Creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland would eventually settled on the fictional Wallford with their E20 postcode, at this point the show had a work title of East 8 – and it was to be based on a real street in Hakni’s London Boro.

In March 1984, Smith and Holland led Lamzerot for a working holiday, where they created 23 character autobiography, three -year story interviews and 20 detailed story breakdowns.

Despite all his plans, however, some of the most important elements of East Anders were final-minute accidents, including the iconic drum “Dofe Dofs” in the theme tune, since then became a shorthand for the show’s dramatic clifheans.

“In those days, if a theme tune was popular, you will often release it as a single. So I will make a longer version of the subjects to allow it,” the theme tune musician Simon May, who says further Growing, cast members Anita Dobson and Nick Berry to write solo related to East Anders.

“The tall version gets a bit more cockney, so I asked the drummer to play something to infection in the final theme. They played those ‘dofe dofes’ and Tony and Julia at that time in the studio.

“He said: ‘We love that drum talk.”

Another major component of the early years of the East & Enders was also at the last moment: the pair of actors behind Angie and her bad-faded husband Dane Vats, Leslie Grantham.

After a reed-through of the first six episodes, the manufacturers thought that the original Angie Watts actress Jean was not doing much work in the role. Anita Dobson handled the character at the last minute.

15 years later, actor and stuntman Derek Martin, who joined the soap as Charlie Slater, says he was also for Dane’s role.

The 91 -year -old actor says, “Leslie got, and he was very good, he was a man’s man, and I was a more difficult man.”

The pair of Angie and Dane proved to be popular with the public – and in the episode of Christmas Day 1986, Dan’s service sees Angi divorce papers, which is the only scripted program seen by more than 30 million people in the UK, which is the only scripted program that is The barb is according to data.

The first episode of the East & Enders was aired on 19 February 1985, with 17 million people watching – it was making the second most watched episode on the BBC that week behind the two Ronis.

It saw the same week’s Coronation Street compared to 18 million.

The episode began with a kick, as Dane broke a door to find a dead body of almost dead body of Reg Cocks (played by Johnny Clayton) – and ended with a punch, as a suspect number one in the attack In, Nick Cotton (John Altman), insert her fist through the glass of Queen Wik doors.

Although the press was in a hurry to establish a rivalry between East Anders and Coronation Street, the artists kept an eye on another ITV soap.

Actor Adam Woodt, who played Ian Belle in that first episode, says: “We were going out at the same time as Eredel Farm at 7 pm. It seemed as if Emmardel Farm gave us a complete kicking in the ratings until They do not transfer us to half past. “

Newspapers of that time were suggested. A Sunday Peepal Pole of 600 viewers showed that 56% of the respondents did not like the first episode, with complaints on “Motte” and “Bawdi” dialogues.

However, the guardian was more measured, his critic Huga Hebert predicted that “perhaps anyone knows that the BBC got it right”.

This show will already prove itself. On 25 July 1985, the program was seen the most on BBC that week. It matched with the first blockbuster storyline of the show, in which Michel (starred by Susan Tully) became pregnant by a mystery man, eventually revealed as Dane Watts.

“After the disclosure of Dane and Mitchell,” Woodit says, “when we realized that something could happen here.”