Christmas in EastEnders
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Christmas in EastEnders refers to storylines from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders that were broadcast over the Christmas period. Christmas episodes traditionally feature explosive or sensational plotlines in an attempt to pull in a high proportion of viewers.
| Contents: • 1980s: 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 • 1990s: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 • 2000s: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 • In popular culture References External links |
[edit] 1980s
[edit] 1985
In the first year of the soap no Christmas Day episode was screened. Episodes aired on 24 December (Christmas Eve) and 26 December (Boxing Day).
Christmas Eve 1985 saw a divorce, a proposal, three moaning old women and a good old sing-along in The Queen Vic. 15.4 million people watched the episodes.
Saeed and Naima Jeffery's arranged marriage had gone from bad to worse and Christmas Eve saw the couple parting. Saeed decided to go back to Bangladesh. Naima felt that it was for the best and that Saaed would be happier with an Indian girl who would obey him.
Lou Beale, Ethel Skinner and Dot Cotton were hardly full of the joys of Christmas. Ethel and Dot moaned about being on their own, while Lou was ordered to stop working on the fruit and veg stall by her son Pete. So she decided to have her own Christmas do and invited Dot and Ethel round to join her.
Andy O'Brien was very excited about the presents but was even more excited about the present he'd got for his girlfriend Debbie — an engagement ring. She looked thrilled, but persuaded Andy to keep it a secret for a little while from the rest of the Square.
Later on a party kicked off in the Vic when Simon Wicks got the punters singing around the piano. Everyone joined in and even publicans Den and Angie Watts managed to put aside their differences for the day and kiss under the mistletoe.
On New Year's Eve this year, Pauline and Arthur Fowler travelled to Leigh-on-Sea to track down their estranged son Mark, only to discover that he was involved with an older woman and was acting as a surrogate father to her two children.
Debbie Wilkins was mugged for her engagement ring and Cassie Carpenter turned up at her father's home with bruises after her mother's boyfriend had beaten her.
The residents celebrated New Year in The Vic with a sing-along of "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?".
[edit] 1986
1986 was the first year that EastEnders was aired on Christmas Day. The episode pulled in 30.1 million viewers — giving the soap its highest ever episode rating, which 20 years on is still the most viewed episode of any soap in British television history. It was also voted 3rd in UKTV Gold's Greatest TV Christmas Moments.
The episode centred around the aftermath of Den Watts' discovery that his wife had lied about having a terminal illness. Whilst Albert Square was celebrating, Den made plans to leave his wife.
The Fowlers' Christmas was ruined when Arthur refused to take part in the fesivities. He had become depressed after being arrested and charged for the theft of Walford's Christmas Club money. Later in the day Arthur suffered a nervous breakdown, smashing up his living room in a fit of rage.
At the Vic the arrival of Pat Wicks caused rows with her ex-husband Pete Beale. Meanwhile Angie was enjoying Christmas for the first time in years, that was until her husband, Den, served her with divorce papers as a Christmas present.
No New Year's Eve episode was aired in 1986.
[edit] 1987
1987 was the first year that the BBC aired two episodes of EastEnders on Christmas Day and two epiodes on New Year's Eve. The second half of the New Years Eve transmission was timed to air just after 11.30pm so the viewers would see in the New Year with the characters in The Queen Vic. The Christmas episodes pulled in 16.7 million viewers.
Mary Smith spent Christmas Day in hospital after her intoxicated father, Chris, kidnapped her daughter, Annie, and crashed into a wall. Mary's father came to visit, but Mary refused to acknowledge him and couldn't forgive his near fatal mistake. The episode was intended to show what Christmas is like for children in hospital.
Den turned up at the Beales' with presents for all, including an envelope of cash for Michelle Fowler to provide support for his secret daughter, Vicki. As he sat with Michelle and helped Vicki unwrap her present, Pauline wasn't impressed, and Mark was close to guessing who Vicki's father was.
The whole of Walford celebrated New Year in The Queen Vic, whilst Angie demanded partnership with Den. She was reinstated as landlady of The Vic.
Donna Ludlow and Guizin Osman got into a fight over Guizin's philandering husband, Mehmet. Pauline instructed Den to stay away from Michelle and leave Walford. Meanwhile Michelle confessed that she was preganant with Lofty's baby and she was unsure whether she was keeping it.
[edit] 1988
EastEnders didn’t show an episode on Christmas Day in 1988 as Christmas fell on Sunday; instead the episode was aired on 22 December. Storylines centred around Den Watts' imprisonment and what Christmas was like in prison. 13.8 million viewers watched this.
Den and Nick Cotton were spending the festive season together — in Dickens Hill prison. They chatted about Albert Square and the past year. Both felt glad they were not spending Christmas in Walford. Pauline was angry at Den's attempts to be part of Michelle and Vicki's lives. She paid him a visit and forced a deal from him. She wouldn't tell his daughter Sharon that he was Vicki's father if he kept well away from Michelle and Vicki.
[edit] 1989
Michelle Fowler and her boyfriend Danny Whiting spent Christmas Eve together, until Danny accidentally gave her a card that was intended for his wife, Mandy.
Paul Priestly returned to Leeds without saying goodbye to a heartbroken Diane Butcher and Marge Green had a hard time coping with the recent death of her mother.
Pauline Fowler spent Christmas in hospital after having a hysterectomy. Her husband Arthur arranged a treasure hunt that the whole square took part in. They all followed the clues to Pauline's ward in the hospital. Arthur had constructed the game to cheer his wife up, so she wouldn't be alone over Christmas.
Pete Beale's girlfriend from New Zealand arrived in Walford to spend Christmas with him. Kathy Beale spent Christmas with her new man, Laurie Bates. Ian was forced to accept that his parents had both moved on and were not going to reconcile.
On Boxing Day Cindy Beale gave birth to a boy, Steven, who her husband Ian presumed to be his, but Cindy knew differently. Simon Wicks was in a bad mood all day following the news that Cindy had given birth. When he went to visit Cindy in hospital, she reminded him that he was the father of Steven. He was finally forced to realise that she was telling the truth.
[edit] 1990s
[edit] 1990
Ian tried to get revenge on Simon for stealing Cindy from him by tampering with the brakes of his van, nearly killing him. Tired of Ian's sick games, Simon and Cindy decided to leave Walford on Boxing day.
Ricky Butcher allowed his girlfriend Sam to stay in his gran's empty flat over Christmas, in order to stop her being sent to Tenerife with her mother. Her brothers, Grant and Phil, had to cancel their fishing trip to search for her, which didn't impress Sharon Watts, as she was meant to be going along too. After finding her, Grant decided to go on the trip with Sharon, leaving Phil home alone to babysit Sam.
Clyde Tavernier brought his son Kofi home to live with him, meanwhile Eddie Royle and Kathy Beale began to grow closer.
The homeless teenager Disa O'Brien gave birth to a baby girl in a derelict building near Walford. She was both unable and unwilling to care for the child, so she left her in a cardboard box on Diane Butcher's doorstep. Diane and Mark Fowler looked after the baby, whilst searching the streets for Disa.
[edit] 1991
An episode aired on 26 December 1991 and pulled in 11.5 million viewers.
Grant Mitchell decided to surprise Sharon Watts at Christmas by booking their wedding on Boxing Day without discussing his plans with her, but Sharon was not impressed by his romantic act. Eventually, Michelle talked her round and she and Grant married. Everyone assembled for the wedding reception at the Vic. In true East End style, there was a sing-along. Grant got sentimental and sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" to his new wife.
Mark Fowler had known for some time that he was HIV positive and felt that he could no longer keep it a secret from his parents. When he finally managed to get them alone he told them about his illness and that it would change the way they saw him forever. They did not take the news well.
[edit] 1992
Ian Beale tracked Cindy down and brought her home to the Square for Christmas, much to the dismay of his mother Kathy, who had never forgiven Cindy for having a baby with Simon Wicks. Furious, Kathy decided to go on holiday with Ian's arch-nemesis, Richard Cole.
Arthur Fowler snuck away from the festivities to fool around with his mistress Christine Hewitt. His wife Pauline suspected that all was not well between them. Meanwhile Mandy Salter heard news from her mother Lorraine, and she promised to come and visit her on Christmas eve. She didn't turn up, so Mandy travelled to her flat to wait for her. She was greeted by her mother's boyfriend, Gary. Gary was abusive to Mandy and punched her across the face. Mark Fowler eventually rescued her and brought her back to Walford to stay with him.
Phil and Sharon Mitchell managed to persuade Grant to go away so they could spend Christmas together, but their affair had to be put on hold when Ricky and Sam Butcher arrived at The Vic looking for somewhere to stay. Ricky was having a hard time coping with Sam's career as a model, and an argument erupted when he saw Sam getting out of the car of a wealthy playboy named Clive. As Walford saw the new year in, their marriage seemed as if it was over.
Pat Butcher took on the role of cab driver for on Christmas Eve and hit a young girl crossing the road. After being breathalised she was found to be over the limit. She spent Christmas day in emotional turmoil. On New Year's Eve Pat discovered that the girl had died from injuries from the crash.
New Year's Eve also saw Hattie Tavernier propose to Steve Elliot and Frank Butcher was deeply saddened to find out that his mother, Mo, had passed away.
[edit] 1993
This episode was watched by 15.3 million viewers.
Pete Beale's death had cast a shadow over the festivities for his sister Pauline, but romance was hotting up for Mark Fowler and Shelley Lewis as he discovered that she really liked him.
Frank Butcher was stressed over money worries. Later, Phil Mitchell suggested that he burn down the car lot to claim the insurance.
Phil relented and ended up in bed with Nadia, an immigrant using Phil as a means of staying in the country. Later in the day she blackmailed him by threatening to tell his girlfriend Kathy Beale about their affair unless he allowed her to stay with him.
Mandy Salter roamed the streets of Walford, searching for her boyfriend Aidan Brosnan. He'd been hiding away, but later he climbed to the top of a block of flats where he threatened to jump off and commit suicide. Mandy found him and managed to persuade him not to jump.
[edit] 1994
The Butchers and the Jacksons celebrated Christmas together for Bianca and Ricky's sake, but the atmosphere was frosty.
Things weren't much better at The Vic as Sharon and Grant continued to argue over Sharon's infidelity with Grant's brother, Phil. Grant pressured Sharon to sign the divorce papers and when she refused, he smashed up the kitchen. Sharon tried to make Grant realise that she still loved him and seemed to finally make some progress, until she attempted to kiss him. Incensed, Grant accused her of being a slut, and made it clear that he blamed her for seducing his bother. After one row too many, Sharon signed the papers, packed her suitcase and left for the States with Grant watching out of the window.
Sanjay and Gita Kapoor spent Christmas together. Gita finally allowed Sanjay back into her bed, having kept him at a distance since uncovering his affair with her sister. Sanjay thought that a full-time reconciliation was on the cards, but Gita told him she was merely using him for sex.
Phil Mitchell spent Christmas at his mother's house while recovering from being in hospital. Kathy Beale, his fiance, came round to visit but seemed uncertain as to whether she wanted to continue the engagement in the wake of his affair with Sharon.
Nellie Ellis turned down the chance of Christmas with the Fowlers after being invited to spend the day with Jules Tavernier. Nellie hoped for a romantic occasion, but was disappointed when Jules took her to a senior Christmas lunch at the commuinty centre. She found it hard to be happy, until Ethel Skinner told her a few home truths and made her see what a misery she was being.
[edit] 1995
This episode gained 17 million viewers.
Arthur Fowler spent Christmas in prison after being falsely imprisoned for embezzlement. Meanwhile the real culprit, Willy Roper, was enjoying Christmas lunch with Arthur's wife, Pauline. Arthur called Pauline in a state and told her not to visit anymore. Pauline was shaken by Arthur's call. The prospect of life inside was too much for Arthur. He cracked up and began shaking the bars of his cell in a desperate bid to get out. He then slumped to the floor, sobbing desperately.
Pat Butcher was having a big celebration for her first Christmas with Roy Evans, but the unexpected return of her estranged husband, Frank, ruined the festivities. Even though Frank abandoned her and his children and left her penniless, he was furious to learn she was involved with another man. Frank wanted Pat back, but she turned him down and he left with his tail between his legs.
[edit] 1996
17 million viewers tuned in this year.
After Alan Jackson (who had separated from his wife, Carol) failed to show up for Christmas, his son Billy ran away from home. Most of the Square abandoned the festivities to search for him. He was eventually found by Nigel Bates and the Jacksons all enjoyed a happy Christmas, along with Alan.
Ted Hills, George Palmer, Joe and Lorraine Wicks joined the Mitchell family for Christmas lunch at the Vic. Tiffany Mitchell joked that Grant should have a 666 tattoo, to symbolise that he was the devil and schizophrenic Joe took her seriously. George announced his engagement to Peggy — the Mitchell brothers weren't impressed.
Phil was drinking heavily and managed to upset everyone. Joe panicked when he saw Grant with the carving knife and called him the devil. He then asked why Grant had been kissing his mum the night before. Furious rows broke out around the table when Grant's wife Tiffany heard this. Tiffany then left to spend Christmas with her brother, Simon, and Grant ended the night in bed with Lorraine.
New Year's Eve saw Grant find out (from Lorraine) that Tony Hills could be the father of Tiffany's unborn baby.
[edit] 1997
12.9 million viewers tuned in on Christmas Day 1997 to see Terry Raymond give Irene Hills a pair of lovebirds (although Irene's son Tony had lost one and replaced it with a stuffed budgie). They then announced that they were in love. Tony was horrified and Terry's children Tiffany and Simon weren't happy either.
Roy Evans spent Christmas in hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Kathy Mitchell had a busy Christmas Day. After visiting her son Ian, then Roy in hospital, she went to the Vic for dinner and argued with her husband Phil. Kathy planned to go to the vicarage refuge, but Phil refused to babysit. Tiffany stepped in and helped. At the refuge Kathy and vicar Alex Healy were by themselves. Kathy broke down in tears whilst Alex comforted her and they ended up in a steamy clinch. As they kissed, Kathy's mother-in-law, Peggy Mitchell, was approaching with Christmas puddings for the homeless.
Grant and Tiffany continued to argue, but Tiffany refused to allow Grant to ruin her fun. She flirted with Frank Butcher (who was 40 years her senior!) and Conor Flaherty, which only sought to infuriate Grant.
The Fowlers, Dot Cotton, Nigel Bates, Clare Tyler, Conor and Mary Flaherty all joined Ian Beale and his children for Christmas dinner. It was a merry affair until Ian's estranged wife Cindy showed up out of the blue. She was determined to get her kids back.
[edit] 1998
The Christmas Day episodes were watched by 15 million viewers.
Ian Beale's faulty lights caused a power cut in Albert Square, ruining everyone's Christmas lunch. In the intimacy of a power cut, Ian and Melanie Healy spoke candidly about life and relationships. They tried to kiss, but both looked embarrassed when the power was suddenly restored.
Grant Mitchell refused to allow his wife, Tiffany, to see their daughter, Courtney, on Christmas Day. Tiffany's best friend Bianca Jackson decided to step in and retrieve Courtney from the Vic for her. Whilst at The Vic, Bianca started an argument, but suddenly she doubled over in pain. She had gone into labour. Bianca rejected Grant's attempts to get her to hospital. She screamed for her husband Ricky instead.
Elsewhere, Ricky was feeling sorry for himself following a row with Bianca. He sought comfort from Teresa di Marco at Huw Edwards and Lenny Wallace's squat. Teresa tried to persuade Ricky that Bianca didn't need him. When Phil Mitchell arrived with the news that Bianca was having the baby, Ricky rushed to her. Bianca gave birth in the Vic to a baby boy, Liam, five weeks early but totally healthy. Grant acted as the unlikely midwife.
When Bianca didn't return, Tiffany charged to the Vic with Beppe di Marco to collect Courtney. DCI Mason arrived too and arrested Grant for the attempted murder of Tiffany, who had fallen down the stairs weeks earlier. Grant rightfully believed Beppe and Tiffany had stitched him up.
The New Year's Eve episode, written by Simon Ashdown, was watched by 22 million viewers
Tiffany made her plans to flee Walford with Courtney. She faced up to Grant as he waited for bail in prison. She told him that she was leaving with Courtney. He pleaded with her not to go and insisted he didn't push her down the stairs and that she fell, which Tiffany already knew, but no one else did.
Grant phoned his brother Phil and begged him to stop Tiffany leaving. Tiffany visited Peggy and revealed her plans for a new life. She left Courtney in The Vic so Peggy could spend some time with her whilst she went to say goodbye to Bianca and her brother. Phil tried to get Tiffany to reconsider her decision but she wouldn't. Tiffany and Bianca shared an emotional goodbye and Tiffany handed over a letter that would clear Grant with the police.
Meanwhile, Marcus Christie arranged Grant's bail and he was released. He immediately went in search of Tiffany. Back in Walford, Tiffany told a devastated Beppe that she didn't love him. She returned to The Vic to find Grant holding Courtney. She begged him to hand her over and tried to reason with him. Grant and Tiffany struggled outside the Vic. As Frank Butcher drove into the Square, Tiffany fell in front of his car giving him no chance to stop. Tiffany died in front of a shocked crowd who could do nothing to save her, while Grant shielded Courtney's eyes so she didn't go through the trauma of seeing her dying mother.
[edit] 1999
With Peggy and Frank Butcher contemplating moving to Spain, The Vic was up for sale and Ian Beale prematurely told his fiancée Melanie that he was buying her the The Queen Vic as a Christmas present. Melanie was apprehensive about the gesture.
The Butchers, Mitchells and di Marcos spent Christmas Day together for the sake of Sam and Beppe, but predictably the day wasn't a success. Phil didn't show up, embarrassing his mother Peggy, and Sam got jealous when she discovered that Nina Harris had bought Beppe some saucy underwear.
Phil had gone AWOL and his girlfriend Lisa started to worry about where he could be. He had gone to contemplate his Christmas gift from his brother, Grant, who had signed over his share of The Vic to Phil. Dan Sullivan eventually found him at The Vic. Phil then proceeded to offer his share of the Vic to Dan. Dan initially refused, but then decided to take Phil up on his offer and bought half of the pub for £5. Phil and Dan then went to the di Marcos to tell Peggy that she had a new business partner. Peggy was understandably furious as she now couldn't afford to move to Spain.
Pat, Roy and Barry Evans had a miserable day, particularly Barry, as his fiancée, Natalie had gone missing and called off their wedding. Barry eventually managed to track Natalie down to a hotel and the pair were reunited.
Terry and Irene Raymond shared Christmas dinner with their lodger Troy Harvey, who was also Irene's bit on the side. Troy and Irene then decided to get rid of Terry by sending him on a hoax errand, so they could have some time together. Whilst on the errand Terry ran into Rosa di Marco and a subtle hint enlightened him to the fact that his wife was playing away behind his back. When Irene was out of the way, Terry confronted Troy and threw him out. Upon Irene's return she was devesated to find Troy gone, but Terry never let on that he'd discovered their affair.
It then started snowing and everyone in Walford went outside to enjoy a white Christmas.
On New Year's Eve, 20.8 million viewers tuned in to see the Millennium Eve double wedding.
Ian Beale had realised that Mel was slowly changing her mind about marrying him. In a bid to secure the marriage, he casually forgot to reveal to Mel the truth about his daughter Lucy — she didn't have cancer after all. Ian's children saw Mel as their mum and she knew she couldn't let them down now. Mel finally turned up at the altar.
Robbie Jackson was driving Barry Evans to the wedding, but he went through a red light and the police gave chase. At the church, Natalie worried that she'd been stood up. Ian told Pat and Roy that they were starting on time, and it would begin in the next five minutes or not at all. Meanwhile, Barry begged the policeman, saying it was his wedding day, and then two cars went past, through a big muddy puddle, which splashed all over Barry. The policeman took pity on Barry, and escorted him and Robbie to the church, where he arrived just in time.
The ceremomy started, but Mel faltered on the crucial question "Do you...?". Ian started to stress and even the vicar looked worried! Mel glanced at Ian's daughter Lucy and said "I do" without much conviction.
After the wedding Ian began to realise the extent of his deceit, while Natalie gave the game away to Mel after reading a letter declaring Lucy was in the clear. Mel rushed back to the flat to look for the letter from the hospital. It wasn't there, but the envelope was, and Ian had to admit the truth.
Ian begged for forgiveness but Mel wasn't having any of it. She told him it was over and that it was despicable to lie about something like that. Mel declared that she didn't love him and never had. She ran off alone as the New Year rang in.
[edit] 2000s
[edit] 2000
Nick and Ashley Cotton decided to give Nick's mum Dot a Christmas to remember, by stealing the Christmas tree, presents and decorations from the Evans household. Roy and Pat Evans returned home to find everything gone so Mark Fowler invited them all over to Pauline's.
Jamie Mitchell and Sonia Jackson were arguing because Sonia refused to tell Jamie who the father of her child was. Jamie refused to see Sonia, leaving her a miserable wreck on Christmas Day. Later, Sonia eventually revealed that the father was Martin Fowler, leaving Jamie stunned. A furious Jamie then went to the Fowlers' and told them that Martin was the mystery father of Sonia's baby.
Little Mo Morgan joined the rest of the Slaters for Christmas after leaving her abusive husband Trevor Morgan.
Melanie Owen was miserable too as her husband Steve Owen had left her following a massive row, so Mel joined the Mitchells fo Christmas Day in The Queen Vic. Phil Mitchell was bizarrely nice to Mel, prompting his girlfriend, Lisa, to get extremely jealous. Lisa began to start drinking heavily. Lisa and Mel began to argue and Lisa then threw a glass of wine over Mel. Embarrassed, Phil took Mel back to his house so she could clean up. Whilst there, Mel and Phil began to talk about Mel's failed marriage. Whilst consoling her, the two began kissing and ended up sleeping together. After the event, Mel wanted to confess to Lisa, but Phil stopped her before she could get the words out.
With Phil, Lisa and Mel all absent, Peggy was spending Christmas alone. Her step-daughter Janine Evans then turned up and showed off a stylish coat that she had received from her father as a Christmas present. She then taunted Peggy by saying that her father had a new girlfriend, and Peggy finally snapped. She threw Janine out of the pub, calling her a "poisonous little bitch", before starting to drink heavily. Deeply depressed and angry, Peggy then started smashing up the pub with a baseball bat.
New Year's Eve saw Nick Cotton dealing drugs to Martin Fowler. In a bid to get back at Martin's brother, Mark, he handed him some dodgy ecstasy and then watched with glee as Martin began to panic. Martin arrived at Mark's in a state and eventually divulged that it was Nick who gave him the drugs. Mark vowed to get revenge on Nick.
[edit] 2001
The Slaters didn't expect their turkey to arrive alive. Billy Mitchell agreed to slaughter the bird in return for his Christmas dinner. No sooner had Lynne nicknamed the bird Chinny than it escaped over the fence. Billy spent the rest of the day hunting it down, until Roy Evans ran it over.
It was nearly three months since Zoe Slater had run away. Kat Slater tracked her down and discovered that she was in a spot of bother. Roxy the pimp was demanding cash from her. Kat stepped in and headbutted Roxy. Zoe would be coming home for Christmas after all.
Little Mo was late coming home from her sister's place. Her husband Trevor Morgan vented his rage by knocking her dinner to the floor. He made her eat it off the ground. Little Mo was totally humiliated. In a fit of remorse, Trevor apologised. As ever, Little Mo was prepared to forgive him for his abhorrent behaviour.
Phil Mitchell freaked out when he learned that Louise was his baby amd that Lisa had been keeping this fact from him. His girlfriend Sharon Watts was finally fed up of Phil's refusal to accept that she was infertile, and had walked out on him and returned to America, leaving Phil devastated. He charged into the Fowler house and seized Louise, believing that she was all he had left. Lisa persuaded him to hand back her baby. Phil was left to cry alone in the Square.
This episode came thirteenth in UKTV Gold's Greatest TV Christmas Moments.
On New Year's Eve, Little Mo had left Trevor and was babysitting for Mark and Lisa so they could celebrate New Year together. Trevor was determined to find Little Mo and bluffed her whereabouts out of Phil Mitchell. Now he was on the warpath!
Trevor burst into the Fowlers' house and Little Mo insisted their marriage was over. He pleaded with her to take him back and said he wanted her child, but Mo was disgusted at the thought of it. She showed him the door realising he was even weaker than she was!
Trevor refused to leave and seized Little Mo. Terrified, she had to pretend that she did still love him. Trevor was about to allow her to leave, when he pinned her to the ground. Fighting back, Little Mo ripped the iron from its plug and struck Trevor with it repeatedly. Trevor lay in a pool of blood on the floor and Mo was convinced that he was dead.
[edit] 2002
21.1 million viewers watched Jamie Mitchell lay critically ill in hospital after being hit by a car driven by Martin Fowler. He received a stream of visitors, although Phil and Sonia were hiding a terrible secret - Jamie had no chance of recovery . They decided they had to break the terrible news to Jamie's uncle Billy. Jamie thought Billy's highly emotional state was down to pre-wedding nerves and urged him to enjoy his big day marrying Little Mo.
Ian Beale finally told his wife Laura that he had had a vasectomy months ago, so he couldn't possibly be the father of her unborn child. Laura admitted to a one night stand but Ian had already packed her bags, and he then threw her out. Laura had nowhere to go, so she phoned the man she believed to be the father, Garry Hobbs, and insisted he meet her urgently. Garry turned up, and she made the announcement that he was the father of her baby. Garry was stunned.
Sonia spent as much time with Jamie as she could. She wished him a happy Christmas, knowing it would be his last. Jamie had no idea how ill he was, and asked Sonia not to blame Martin for the accident. Phil was supposed to be carrying out his duties as Best Man at Billy's wedding, but instead, he was waiting outside Jamie's room. Finally, he summoned up the courage to say his last words to Jamie and apologised for the bad way he'd treated him. He broke down in tears as he spoke.
Sonia could barely control her emotions as she described the future she'd share with Jamie. He vowed to cling on and show the doctors that they were wrong. Sonia imagined the beautiful house they'd be living in next Christmas, although she knew it was a hopeless fantasy. Jamie held up Ethel Skinner's ring and pledged his eternal love to Sonia. He placed the ring on Sonia's finger and they kissed. Jamie then took a turn for the worse, but the doctors were unable to save him. He died on Christmas Day, as Billy married Little Mo.
On New Year's Eve, everyone in Walford wanted to turn the clock back as Sam Mitchell held a New Year's party at Angie's Den. Laura Beale told Pat Evans she wanted her life back and Pat advised her to speak to Ian. Zoe Slater stunned her family with the news about Kat Slater sleeping with her boyfriend Anthony Trueman and, when the clock struck midnight, Kat offered Zoe an olive branch. Natalie and Barry Evans celebrated their third wedding anniversary but, when Barry put his back out and returned home, Natalie shared a passionate kiss with her old flame Ricky Butcher.
[edit] 2003
15.2 million viewers tuned in this year. It was Alfie Moon and Kat Slater's wedding day, but Alfie was still legally married to another woman. Alfie had planned a fake wedding, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to go through with it. When his dimwitted mate Ray asked if anyone knew of any reason the happy couple couldn't get married, Alfie raised his hand!
Alfie confessed to Kat that the wedding was a sham. Kat was outraged and locked herself in the bathroom. Just as he was about to call the whole thing off, Alfie's solicitor arrived with the divorce papers.
Alfie begged the registrar to abandon his Christmas dinner and come to the Vic to perform the ceremony. At last, everything went according to plan. He and Kat became Mr and Mrs Moon.
Alfie had one last surprise, and led his new wife outside. His cousin Maxwell's snow machine had covered Albert Square in a blanket of white. Kat was thrilled to see her dream white wedding come true and the Christmas Day episode ended on a happy note as the residents celebrated.
Phil Mitchell was on the run from prison, having spent five weeks behind bars after Den Watts had set him up for an armed robbery. Kate, Phil's wife, had received news on Christmas Eve that Phil had been arrested when trying to board a France-bound ferry at Portsmouth, but the police quickly established that it was Minty Peterson - who bore a strong resemblance to Phil - they had arrested instead. Phil, meanwhile, was arriving in Albert Square in the back of a taxi. He burst into Angie's Den, where he got into a fight with Den and the brawl only finished when Dennis entered the room. Den finally agreed to give Phil the money netted from the armed robbery and he fled the Square, just as the police were arriving. After Phil left, Den and Dennis agreed to keep the incident from Sharon, and the two set aside their differences and agreed to try and establish a father-son relationship.
On New Year's Eve, Zoe Slater, Gus Smith, Mickey Miller, Kelly Taylor, Vicki and Martin Fowler, Ronny and Kareena Ferreira, Sonia Jackson, Tariq Larousi and Spencer Moon set off to a New Years Eve party in Scotland. On the way they get lost and crashed the van they were driving, leaving them abandoned and injured in the middle of nowhere. The gang all argued and split off in different directions to get help.
Injured Zoe stayed behind with her best mate Kelly, and as Zoe started to lose consciousness Kelly became over emotional and kissed her friend. Meanwhile, Sonia and Martin grew closer together and Spencer finally told Vicki how upset he was that she aborted their baby.
Barry Evans and Janine Butcher were also in Scotland for Barry's second New Years Eve wedding. Paul Trueman (Janine's secret boyfriend) was also there to act as Best Man. Paul told Janine that he loved her and that she didn't have to go through with the sham wedding, but Janine was adamant that she wanted to pilpher Barry's money and the only way to do this was to marry him and all his assets would legally be hers. Believing that Barry had a critical heart disease, Janine went ahead and married him, but was later furious when Barry divulged that there had been a mix-up and he was in perfect health. This proved to be too much for Janine and the next day, after a blazing row, she left Barry to die after causing him to fall off a cliff on the Scottish moors.
[edit] 2004
12.3 million viewers watched this episode[1]
Den Watts had managed to get The Vic back on Christmas Eve, but after witnessing his adopted daughter, Sharon, kissing his son, Dennis Rickman, he was hardly full of Christmas cheer.
Neither were the Moons as Den had booted them out of their home in the Vic on Christmas Eve and they had nowhere to go. The Christmas lunch that Alfie had planned for the regulars was cancelled when Den threw him out, and half of Walford now had no Chritmas lunch to eat. Alfie managed to rustle up some food using everyone's left overs. After fixing that, he decided to leave Walford, but after the whole community rallied around to show him how much they cared, he decided to stay. They all had a massive party at Ian Beale's. Later Alfie and Little Mo share a kiss under the mistletoe.
Den's wife Chrissie wanted to make it a special Christmas, but her dinner was runied when Sharon and Dennis admitted to everyone that they were in love and were eloping to America that very day. Dennis's girlfriend, Zoe Slater, became particularly emotional and angry and she viscously attacked Sharon, only to be dragged away by Den.
Desperate to ruin Sharon and Dennis's relationship, Den forced Zoe to lie and claim that she was pregnant. Sharon couldn't stand to see Zoe raise Dennis's child and decided to leave Walford alone, calling off her relationship with Dennis. Den was desperate to make her stay and told her that she, his adopted daughter, was more important to him than Vicki, his biological daughter. Vicki heard this and decided to leave Walford with Sharon. Den's family Christmas was a disaster.
On New Year's Eve, everyone gathered in The Vic to celebrate. Danny and Jake Moon, acquainted themselves with the residents of Albert Square and received a mixed reaction. Alfie wasn't happy that his dodgy second cousins decided to hang around, especially as they flirted with taken women. They were also to blame when Spencer was arrested.
Meanwhile, Jane Collins visited her husband David Collins, who was severely crippled with Huntingtons Disease. At the hospice she talked to him about all the plans they had and how she would make him proud of her.
After discussing his concerns with Garry Hobbs, Minty Peterson went home and told a miserable Sam Mitchell some home truths. Sam had a choice — to wallow in her misery, or decide that New Year's Eve was the ideal time to show everyone in Walford that the Mitchells may be down, but they're certainly not out.
[edit] 2005
Eleven million viewers watched the Christmas Day episode this year.[2]
After the death of his grandmother Victoria Moon, Alfie was unsure of what to do with his life. He decided his future was not in Walford. At the start of this episode, Alfie revealed his new car that he bought to drive around America. Little Mo urged Kat to pack her bags, saying that Alfie wouldn't leave without her. Kat didn't pack, as she said she didn't believe in happy endings.
Peggy Mitchell was holding a farewell party for Alfie in The Vic, but he decided to shun the party. Instead he went to visit Kat to wish her happy Christmas and they arranged to meet later for one final farewell. This gave Kat hope and she packed a few things thinking that he would ask her to join him. However, Alfie bade Kat goodbye and drove off, leaving her wailing after him "don't go without me".
Sonia Fowler felt cornered, having to stay in the Fowlers' house because her daughter Rebecca was staying. Whilst Keith Miller was also having a bad Christmas when his girlfriend's ex-husband, Mike Swann, turned up and stayed for the festivities.
Sharon Rickman was ill and Dennis thought she had a hangover. Sharon insisted it was not just a hangover, and she blamed food poisoning. Dennis took her to hospital, where casualty was full of annoying drunks. Sharon had some tests done, and was certain that there was something seriously wrong with her after she collapsed, but they were later overjoyed to find out that she was pregnant, particularly as Sharon previously believed she was infertile - blaming her infertility on an abortion in 1995.
Ruby Allen, meanwhile, tried to put things right with her father Johnny and begged him to accept her boyfirend Juley Smith.
Kat decided to drown her sorrows in the Vic, flirting with every man in sight, before breaking down and shouting at Little Mo about her horrible, unhappy life. Outside the pub it was snowing as Kat made her way home. Walking across the Square she then bumnped into Alfie who said he came back because he forgot something, "the most important thing". He then swept a tearful Kat off her feet and took her to his old Ford Capri and they left Walford together.
Everyone in The Vic then went outside to play in the snow.
On New Year's Eve, 12.3million watched the demise of Dennis Rickman[3]
Sharon Rickman was busy trying to organise her departure from the Square. Johnny Allen had threatened that she or her husband Dennis would come to harm unless they left before midnight on New Year's Eve. Dennis was unaware of Johnny's threat, but a troubled Sharon had turned to her old boyfriend, Phil Mitchell, for advice. Phil had a score to settle with Johnny, but in order to keep his hands clean, Phil went to visit Dennis before he was due to leave, to inform him that Johnny had threatened Sharon as well as killed his friend Andy Hunter. Dennis knew Phil was using him to do his dirty work, but he couldn't contain his rage.
Following much soul searching, a furious Dennis went to Johnny's club to confront him. After savagely beating him to the ground, he got up to leave but foolishly left a mobile phone within his reach, telling Johnny that he could live if he managed to reach it and phone for an ambulance. Instead, Johnny used the phone to contact a hitman who would finish Dennis off.
Outside, it was nearly midnight, and Sharon was becoming frantic with worry as she hadn't seen Dennis in a while. As the crowd began to grow to see in the New Year in the Square, Sharon spotted Dennis moving through the masses of people. Dennis looked over to her and smiled, just as a man in a black hooded top walked towards him and bumped hard into his chest (later to be revealed as Danny Moon). The fireworks were going off as the clock struck twelve, and Dennis's face was blank. As he took another step forward he put his hand to his chest and removed it covered in blood, revealing that he had been stabbed. He collapsed to his knees in front of Sharon, and then fell to the ground. He put his hand on pregnant Sharon's stomach and said, "We did it" with his last breath. A devastated Sharon shouted and sobbed "Dennis don't you leave me, nooooooooo!", as he died in her arms.
[edit] 2006
The Christmas Day episodes in 2006 were watched by 9.2 and 10.7 million people.[4]
Stacey Slater made a spectacle of herself in The Queen Vic after being humiliated by her ex-boyfriend Bradley Branning, which led to her seducing his father Max. They ended up sleeping together. Meanwhile Sonia and Martin decided to get married again. Pauline Fowler was preparing to go to America to live with her daughter Michelle when she received a visit from her friend Dot Branning, who tried to persuade her to stay, but failed.
Pauline's ex-daughter in law, Sonia, came round and started an argument, claiming that she was only leaving to 'stick the knife into Martin'. After Sonia insulted Pauline some more, Pauline insulted Sonia's family. Sonia slapped Pauline, who fell to the floor, breaking her treasured fruit bowl. Shocked by what she had done, Sonia appologised and went to find Martin. Pauline went to deliver a present to her granddaughter, Rebecca when she collapsed and died in the Square next to Arthur's bench.
[edit] In popular culture
In the episode of Doctor Who entitled The Impossible Planet, in response to someone saying "There's no turning back", The Doctor says, "That's almost as bad as 'Nothing can go wrong' or 'This'll be the best Christmas Walford's ever seen'"; hinting at the normally unhappy or tragic Christmas storylines of EastEnders.
EastEnders at Christmas was voted 15th in the Channel 4 poll 100 Greatest Christmas Moments.
[edit] References
- ^ "BBC wins Christmas ratings fight", BBC News. URL last accessed 2006-10-28
- ^ "BBC wins Christmas TV ratings war", BBC News. URL last accessed 2006-10-28
- ^ "'Enders is holiday TV top draw", The Mirror. URL last accessed 2006-10-28
- ^ "Vicar of Dibley tops Christmas TV viewing", Scotsman, 26 December 2006. Retrieved on December 27, 2006.
