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13 million viewers watched the first episode of EastEnders, broadcast on 19th February 1985. It began with a bang as, Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts forced their way into Reg Cox's flat and found Reg near death. Several weeks later Nick Cotton was revealed as Reg's murderer. "Poor old Reg" was written by Gerry Huxham.

EastEnders was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland as a soap opera to rival Coronation Street and draw big audiences to 大象传媒 One. Set in the fictional Borough of Walford, E20, it dramatised the lives of working class east end Londoners. Introducing the soap in the Radio Times Tony Holland wrote that "gossip, intrigue and scandal are high on the list of daily events".

Clever casting was important to EastEnders success. Many faces were unfamiliar, but the inclusion of Wendy Richard - famous as the glamorous Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? - playing against type as dowdy cardigan clad Pauline Fowler, was an imaginative move. This strategy continued with Barbara Windsor joining the cast.

EastEnders was broadcast at 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with an omnibus on Sunday. More episodes were added over the years to satisfy demand, a third in 1994 and a fourth in 2001. The programme also spawned an online spin-off, E20.