Enders 'too bad' for five nights

[carmelina]

PLANS to screen EastEnders five nights a week might be scrapped — because the show is too weak.

BBC director general Mark Thompson yesterday said the soap needed to be “strengthened” and take more risks.

And he added plans for a fifth episode — revealed by The Sun — are on hold. He said: “My biggest focus is making sure we’ve got quality and consistency.

“I won’t rule out looking at five episodes — but the most important thing right now is getting the programme strengthened.” EastEnders — whose stars include June Brown who plays Dot Branning — has seen ratings drop to a record low in May of four million viewers.

Mr Thompson’s revelation came as the corporation admitted audiences were fed-up with the BBC’s lack of ideas and risk taking.

* TORY MP Nigel Evans yesterday called for the salaries of BBC stars to be made officially public. The Sun has revealed Jonathan Ross earns £6million a year. Mr Thompson is on £788,000, more than four times PM Gordon Brown’s £188,931 salary.


__________________________________________________________________________

[eefanincan]

I don't understand why this MP wants the salaries publicized.... sure the stars make too much money, but if they can negotiate their contracts for that, then they should. I'm guessing the MP's want a raise........

[faceless]

I think their salaries should be public too - the BBC is a publicly funded body and anyone with a tv is forced to pay for its existence, so we should have the ability to have checks and balances. The BBC 'Gravy Train' is well known as little more than a large trough where the middle-class stick their snouts and suck away at the public money.

As far as EE not going five nights - the guy's got sense! thing is though, it probably cost tens of thousands of pounds in studies to find out that the show wasn't strong enough to support so much coverage when I could have told him that for a tenner!

[eefanincan]

[alan1254]

why would they want more of a show when it struggles to produce decent storylines , surley the story's would only get weaker

[faceless]

BBC rules out five-nightly 'EastEnders'

Friday, November 2 2007, 18:10 GMT

The BBC has ruled out broadcasting EastEnders five times a week in a bid to keep its schedules "distinctive". The corporation was considering adding to the current four episodes a week, but announced yesterday that it had abandoned the plan.

In his first speech as chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyon said the broadcaster must earn viewers' loyalty by being less London-centric. He told the Royal Television Society that people living outside the capital did not see their communities reflected in the broadcaster's programming. Talking about EastEnders, he said: "The Executive's recent decision not to commission a fifth weekly episode reflects their response to our challenge to them to keep BBC schedules distinctive."

The corporation is planning to move 1,500 London jobs to Salford to better reflect the communities of the north of England.

[11antoniacourt]

Two days ago EastEnders won a national TV award for Favorite Soap, but it is too weak to go five nights per week. This doesn't make sense.

[Skylace]

I think it's kind of nice to have the break in between as well. Not necessarily because of the strength or weakness of the show but because I just do like a break. I don't like to watch many shows every day.

[misslisalynn]

I love EE but I'm with Sky, I don't think I could watch it 5 days a week especially with the current storylines with Penniless Peggy, Mean Momma Masood and Sulking Psycho Sean.

[eefanincan]

I'd have to agree with Sky and Misslisa... it's nice to have that break in between. Gives me a chance to get caught up with Mon and Tues episodes before Thurs and Fri.

[Kezza]

[fritz]

I agree with all three of fellow trippers(skylace,missli and eefan) four is enough.And that my story and I'm sticking to it.(-;

[cori]

EE needs a real kick start, Max & Stacey get busted, Sean gets killed, Denise leaves Walford, Jane divorces Ian and goes off with Grant, Billy stops snivelling-just a few suggestions! EE needs a faster tempo, it's getting booooooring!

[Skylace]

[eefanincan]