EastEnders off set episodes
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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. It has been a common theme of EastEnders that sees its characters often intertwined with storylines from the usual setting of Walford and the actual setting of the episode. Normally, a week's worth of episodes are filmed on location, often following a group of characters on holiday abroad, although occasionally only few scenes in one episode take place elsewhere within the UK.
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. These episodes have a practical function and are the result of EastEnders making a "double bank". A double bank is when an extra week's worth of episodes are recorded at the same time as the regular schedule. These extra episodes, shot mainly on location, enable the production of EastEnders to stop for a two-week break at Christmas.
| Contents: 1985 1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 • See also |
[edit] 1985
These episodes aired in December 1985. Pauline and Arthur Fowler travelled to the Southend to search for their 17-year-old son Mark, who had recently run away from home. They found him working as a mechanic on go-carts on the promenade. To their surprise he was living with a Swedish woman, Ingrid, and her two small children who knew Mark as Daddy! Mark refused to return to Walford with them.
[edit] 1986
Den and Angie Watts were in Venice for a second honeymoon - after Angie tells Den she has six months to live. There, supposedly by pure coincidence, Den ran into his mistress Jan Hammond and Angie saw them together. This prompted her to take up drinking again whilst they returned home on the Orient Express.
It was on the return journey home that Den learnt Angie was lying about having six months to live when she drunkedly confessed to a barman and he overheard. She was actually perfectly fine and a furious Den planned his revenge. Weeks later, on Christmas Day, Den confronted Angie with the fact that he knew she was telling lies, and served her with the divorce papers.
These episodes were the only time EastEnders had been shot on film rather than videotape. However, the Walford-based scenes in these episodes were on video as usual. The Orient Express sequence was actually shot on a specially built set in Elstree.
[edit] 1987
In September 1987 the ladies darts team entered a tournament and travelled to Greenwich and the Isle Of Dogs to compete. Angie Watts, Kathy Beale, Dot Cotton, Pauline Fowler, Ethel Skinner, Sue Osman and Pat Wicks were all in attendance.
Pat liased with her old boyfriend Frank Butcher (his first ever appearance), who informed her that his wife had died and he wanted to get back together with her permanently. She declined. Pauline was pursued by a northern gentleman named Derek Taylor, who helped the team when their coach broke down.
[edit] 1988
In September 1988, Carmel Roberts and her boyfriend Matthew Jackson took Carmel's nephew and niece, Junior and Aisha, to London Zoo. Surpriss, Junior enojoyed the trip.
[edit] 1989
Dot Cotton, Ethel Skinner, Mo Butcher and Marge Green went to Clacton, where they were seen taking part in a dancing competition.
The trip did not go smoothly from the off. Their coach broke down on the motorway after their driver fell ill, and they were stranded for over an hour while they waited for a new driver. When a group of leather clad motorcyclists rode past the whole bus panicked, and Marge feared that they were planning on raping them or leaving a bomb under the bus. In the end the motorcyclists only wanted to be kind, and left a box full of coffee and sandwiches for the stranded pensioners.
During the trip, Ethel started to get jealous when her dancing partner, Reggie Thompson, began flirting outrageously with Gladys, another senior woman from Ethel's retirement home. Meanwhile Dot was appalled to discover that Ethel had brought her pug Willy along in her luggage. The hotel they were staying in had a strict no pets policy and so Ethel was forced to sneak Willy up to her room and hide him there. The hotel manager eventually figured out that Ethel had a dog with her, but luckily he was a dog lover too and allowed Willy to stay.
Marge was initially very gloomy, and spent much of her time worrying for her bed-ridden mother back in Walford. Things changed when she met the suave Mr. Conroy, a widower looking for love. He and Marge hit it off straight away and spent a lot of time together, much to the dismay of Dot, who told Marge that Mr. Conroy was only after her money.
Mo met a cantankerous Welsh man, and began arguing with him almost instantly. During the dance competition later on, Mo didn't have a partner and so she sat in the foyer with the man and found that she had more in common with him than she first realised.
During the dance competition, Ethel found herself without a partner as Reggie disappeared with Gladys. Marge danced with Mr. Conroy and they won the competition. Despite only knowing her for a few days, Mr. Conroy decided to propose to Marge and asked her to come and live with him in his cottage in Kent. Marge couldn't consider abandoning her sickly mother and was forced to turn him down. Embarrassed, Mr. Conroy called for a cab and left, at the same time that Marge received a phonecall from home informing her that her mother had passed away, meaning she could have accepted his proposal after all.
[edit] 1990
- Diane and Frank Butcher in London (March 1993). The episodes used flashbacks to tell the story of Diane's three months of living on the streets of London as a homeless person, while also telling the present story of Frank finding her and bringing her home to the Square.
Diane had fallen in with a bad lot, including Disa O'Brien, a fellow runaway who tried to lure her into prostitution, and Matthew Taylor an 'artist' who perseuaded Diane to model nude for him. She was eventually reunited with her father.
- Ian, Pete, Steven and Cindy Beale and Simon Wicks in Devon (September 1990).
After Cindy confessed that Ian was not the father of Steven, she took her son and left Walford with the real father, Simon, to stay at her parents vacant cottage in Devon. However, Ian, freshly released from hospital with his leg in plaster, followed them there with his father Pete. When Ian arrived and learnt that Wicksy, his best friend, was Steven's real father, he threw bricks through Cindy's window as well as his crutch, and threatened to get his revenge on Simon by ominously stealing Cindy's father's shotgun.
[edit] 1991
- Ricky, Frank and Pat Butcher and Sam, Grant, Phil and Peggy Mitchell and Peggy's boyfriend Kevin Masters in Gretna Green (July 1991).
These episodes followed Sam and Ricky's attempt to elope to Gretna Green, with Frank, Pat, Peggy, Phil, Grant and Kevin all in hot pursuit. These episodes were essentially a farcical chase, climaxing in a registry office wedding of the young lovers, with Frank and Pat in attendance. The Mitchells tried to stop the proceedings, but only succeeded in bursting in on someone else's wedding, as Sam was getting married in an entirely different town.
Despite the Scottish setting, the recording of these episodes was done in Hertfordshire.
- In November 1991 Clyde and Kofi Tavernier and Michelle and Vicki Fowler went on the run to Portsmouth.
Clyde was prime suspect for the murder of Eddie Royle. He decided to flee the contry with his son Kofi, and his girlfriend Michelle opted to go with him with her daughter Vicki. They went to Portsmouth with the hope of catching a private ferry to France so they could start a new life together, but they were arrested whilst trying to board the boat.
[edit] 1992
- In June 1992 Mark and Gill Fowler — who was confined to a hospice as she was dying from AIDS — married away from Walford and then spent their honeymoon at Waverly Hotel. Mark's sister Michelle and his ex-girlfriend Rachel Kominski attended the ceremony. However, after only one night togther Gill fell ill, and was taken back to the hospice. She arrived in a coma and died the same day.
- In October 1992 Michelle Fowler introduced her friend Sharon Mitchell to her student life when she invited her to a college gig. They were chatted up by two students, including Jack Woodman. However Sharon's husband Grant and Michelle's boyfriend Clyde ruined the night by following them there. Grant suspected Sharon was cheating on him, but he and Clyde were both shocked when they discovered not Sharon but Michelle in bed with Jack. Clyde and Michelle split and when Sharon found Grant they had a huge row and she told him they were finished.
[edit] 1993
- In June 1993 Hattie and Clyde Tavernier and Phil Mitchell raced to Southampton so Hattie could stop Steve Elliot leaving.
Steve had decided that he didn't want to marry Hattie, and slipped away to take a job on a cruise ship. Hattie awoke to discover Steve's goodbye letter and persuaded Phil Mitchell to drive her to southampton to persuade him to stay. When Clyde disocovered what was happening he quickly sped off after them.
In Southampton Hattie went to the hotel where Steve was staying, while Phil waited for her in a nearby bar. Here he met Nadia Borovac, a Romanian refugee with immigration problems. The authorities were threatening to deport her, so she needed to marry an English man to remain in the country. Phil suggested a marriage of convenience and brought Nadia back to Walford with him.
Meanwhile Hattie found Steve, before Clyde showed up and a fight nearly erupted between him and Steve before Hattie broke it up. She and Steve slept together again, which led Hattie to believe that he was staying, but Steve thought it was just one final bon voyage and left anyway, without ever knowing that Hattie was pregnant with his baby.
- In September 1993 Pat and Frank Butcher, Sharon, Grant and Phil and Kathy Beale all went to France.
Whilst here, Pat and Frank went in search of Frank's daughter Diane. Frank was shocked to see that Diane was heavily pregnant and furious when she confessed that she was unsure who the father was. Frank stormed off in a rage, but Diane showed up at the dock just as they were departing home and waved him a tearful goodbye.
After loading up their van with cheap alcohol for The Vic, Sharon and Grant went for a romantic meal in Paris, leading Grant to expose his jealous side after Sharon flirted with a French waiter. Meanwhile Phil and Kathy also went for a meal, leading Phil to confess his affair with his sister-in-law, Sharon. Their trip ended with them igniting a romance. Sharon watched on with mixed emotions as they kissed on the ferry home.
- In November 1993 Mark and Michelle Fowler went to Amsterdam with Shelley Lewis and her casual boyfriend Clem.
The foursome spent their holiday smoking hash and getting stoned. Mark and Shelley grew closer, but Shelley was still dating Clem at the time, so she and Mark would sneak away to be together at any opportunity. They eventually managed to give Clem and Michelle the slip and ended back at their hotel. Shelley made her amorous intentions clear, but Mark seemed hesitant and ended up walking out. A confused Shelley followed him and berated him for leading her on. Mark was finally forced to divulge that the reason he couldn't sleep with Shelley was because he was HIV positive. Shelley was furious with him for not trusting her enough to tell her in the first place and she told him she never wanted to see him again.
Meanwhile Clem tried to seduce Michelle, but she promptly told him where to go. After much rowing between Shelley and Clem, Shelley and Mark, Michelle and Clem and also Mark and Clem, the boys decided to remain in Holland while the girls returned home. Clem accidentally left his bag with the girls, full of dope that he was trying to smuggle back to England. The bag was checked, but the dope was not found. When the girls discovered their lucky escape they were furious.
[edit] 1994
In December 1994 Nellie Ellis, Pauline and Arthur Fowler travelled to Eastbourne to attend Nellie's husband's funeral.
Nellie received news that her philandering husband — who left her for another woman — had passed away. Pauline and Arthur decided to take her to Eastbourne for the funeral to relive some past memories — as Eastbourne was where they went on honeymoon back in the 60s.
Nellie was playing the grieving widow throughout the entire trip. David Wicks lent Arthur one of his cars for the journey, but it turned out to be faulty and they broke down in the middle of a country lane. They had to be towed to their hotel in a breakdown lorry. Nellie continuously harassed Arthur about his adulterous affair with Mrs Hewitt, comparing him to her dead husband. This eventually got to Pauline, and she and Arthur began arguing, leading to Pauline sleeping in Nellie's room instead of with Arthur.
At the funeral Nellie was disgusted to discover that George, her husband, was extremely wealthy, with a nice home and a daughter. This upset her especially as she had always wanted children but George had refused. She spent much of the day moaning and scowling. She was eventually recognised by George's mistress, Doreen, who she had always hated. After comparing notes on George, Nellie was disheartened to discover that George was not nearly as bad to Doreen as he had been to her. Nellie also heard some harsh hometruths when her ex-husband's best friend began to recant on what a nasty old bag Nellie had been in their youth and how he had tried to talk George out of marrying her. Being confronted with such painful words seemed to do Nellie some good, and back at the hotel she persuaded Pauline to forgive Arthur's infidelity and spend some time alone with him. Pauline and Arthur went out and walked the area together whilst reminiscing about their honeymoon.
The following day Nellie went missing and everyone began to worry for her. Pauline went to Doreen's to see if she was there. She wasn't but Doreen began to feel extremely guilty about having such a wonderful life, while Nellie's had been plagued with misery because of her. Arthur searched for Nellie on the beach. He found her shoes and socks and feared that she had committed suicide, but was relieved to see she was only having a paddle. Arthur and Nellie finally managed to patch up their differences and decided that the reason they argued was because Nellie likened Arthur to George. Before they left Nellie received a visit from Doreen, who apologised for the hurt she and George had caused. She also told Nellie that if she wanted to contest George's will, she would not complain, seeing as she was still his legal wife. Nellie promised that she wouldn't and they all returned to Walford, where Nellie decided to move out of the Fowlers to give Pauline and Arthur some space.
[edit] 1995
In July 1995 Steve Elliot, Phil and Grant Mitchell, David Wicks, Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher went on a holiday to Torremolinos, Spain.
On the holiday the lads all spent most of their time trying to bed women, whilst Ricky and Bianca went through a rocky patch and talked about splitting. Steve was the least lucky with the ladies and after having a unsuccessful evening he returned to their apartment to find a very drunk Bianca there and tried to kiss her. David witnessed this and went livid, leading Steve to question why he cared and Bianca to reveal to everyone that he was really her father! They eventually discovered that the reason Steve was repelling women was because of his not so fluent Spanish chat-up line, which was roughly translated to mean "my wife is an accountant". Ricky and Bianca patched up their differences and Ricky asked her to marry him.
Phil and Grant spent some of the holiday searching for their little sister Sam, but their leads just sent them on a wild goose chase and they couldn't track her down. Meanwhile David was having the most success with the ladies and after chatting up a supposed model, he brought her home to bed, but was interrupted when Steve — who he was sharing a room with — brought his lady friend back. The resulting commotion brought everyone else into the room, including Phil and Grant, who were furious to discover that the woman in bed with David was their sister Sam. They dragged her back to Albert Square.
[edit] 1996
Bianca Jackson, Tiffany Raymond, Sarah Hills, Tony Hills, Dan Zapierri and Melanie Fishman were in Blackpool.
Tony and Dan went to push drugs but it ended in disaster when Tony's little sister Sarah's drink was spiked, she survived. Tony and Simon also got close on the end of the pier and had a memorable kiss.
[edit] 1997
The mission was to find Ian's sons, Peter and Steven, who had been taken by their mother, Cindy. They succeeded, managing to bring them back to Albert Square with Cindy close behind them.
- The first one was with Grant Mitchell, Phil Mitchell, Kathy Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell, Bianca Butcher, Diane Butcher and Ricky Butcher in Paris.
Grant and Tiffany bonded, Bianca found out that she was pregnant again, and Phil's' marriage ended.
- Also this year, Pauline Fowler, Ian Beale, Lucy Beale, Ruth Fowler, Mark Fowler and Martin Fowler went to Ireland, in which they found Pauline's long lost sister and her family, The Flaherty's.
[edit] 1998
During 1998, EastEnders went away from the Elstree studio twice.
- Tony Hills, Simon Raymond, Matthew Rose, Teresa di Marco and Mary Flaherty went to the Norfolk Broads.
- And finally in a set of one off episodes, EastEnders returned to France where Pat Evans, Roy Evans, Barry Evans, Lenny Wallace and Huw Edwards went to the Football World Cup 98. These episodes were broadcast as three short episodes during the tournament. They were later combined into one 30 minute episode and shown on UK Gold in 2002.
[edit] 1999
Melanie Healy, Steve Owen, Sam Mitchell, Ricky Butcher, Mark Fowler, Mick McFarlene, Janine Butcher and Dr Fonseca: Brighton
They all descended on Brighton for a Halloween ball. Janine was found unconscious on the beach, Mel and Steve slept together but she refused to run away with him, and ex-partners Ricky and Sam had to share a bedroom.
[edit] 2000
Terry Raymond, Irene Raymond, Pat Evans, Frank Butcher, Peggy Mitchell, and Roy Evans in Algarve.
Pat and Frank slept together, Terry left Irene at the resort.
[edit] 2001
Kat Slater, Zoe Slater, Lynne Slater, Garry Hobbs, Jamie Mitchell, Sonia Jackson and Robbie Jackson in Brighton
A weekend away in Brighton proved the perfect opportunity for Jamie and Zoe to get up close and personal. After an entire day of dithering, the young star crossed lovers got down to business after sharing a romantic pizza dinner in the bedroom. But unfortunately for Zoe, Jamie was quite clear that it's just a one night stand and that what happened 'on tour' stayed on tour.
Garry also proposed to Lynne and Robbie found his father, who offered him money for not being there in his life, Robbie however, didn’t take the money.
[edit] 2002
Peggy Mitchell, Frank Butcher and Sam Mitchell in Spain.
Peggy travelled to Spain to attend the funeral of ex-husband Frank. However, she promptly found him alive and well, learning that he staged his own death. She managed to drag her daughter Sam back to Walford, who this time was played by Kim Medcalf.
[edit] 2003
This was screened after it actually happened and it was based in late 2002, as Phil revealed all to undercover cop, Kate.
Having followed Lisa and Louise to Portugal, Phil employed the services of Dom who tracked her down. Despite a change of heart on Dom's side, Phil had the information he needed and headed to her flat where he broke in and stole their passports. When Phil confronted her, he asked her to get Louise and promised to leave her be, once he'd seen his daughter. Lisa knew better though and fled, hoping to run off to Lisbon to find Mel. After a hot car pursuit through the cliff side routes, Lisa was forced to abandon her car and was faced with an unpleasant choice: Phil or at cliff edge.
Phil undermined her confidence in herself. He said she was an unfit mother who needed professional help. He left with baby Louise, leaving Lisa in pieces.
- Barry Evans, Janine Evans, Paul Trueman, Zoe Slater, Kelly Taylor, Kareena Ferreira, Tariq Larousi, Mickey Miller, Ronny Ferreira, Martin Fowler, Spencer Moon and Sonia Fowler headed off to Scotland
The cast and crew filmed scenes at the Loch Fyne Hotel and Leisure Club in Inveraray, Argyll. Much of the outside scenes were shot on a private estate called The Arkinglass Estate in Cairndow, while the wedding suite was actually really located in Grims Dyke Hotel, Harrow Weald, North London.
After months of Janine leading Barry on, they headed to Scotland to get married. But when she revealed the truth, they ended up scuffling and he fell over a cliff. Heartlessly, she watched him die.
Meanwhile, the others crashed their van and ended up stranded. Kelly and Zoe shared a kiss, whilst Tariq revealed Dan Ferreira is his father.
[edit] 2005
- Garry Hobbs, Minty Peterson, Mickey Miller, Juley Smith, Gus Smith, Dawn Swann and Mike Swann in France.
Mickey headed off to see his sister, Dawn, and took Gus, Juley, Garry and Minty with him. While there he met his long-lost father, Mike.
- Alfie Moon and Nana Moon in France
On November 11, Alfie took Nana to visit her late husband's grave in Normandy. This episode also featured flashbacks of Nana's first encounter with her late husband in war-time London. The episode featured a two minute's silence to mark Remembrance Day.
- Stacey Slater, Jean Slater, Mo Harris, Jake Moon, Chrissie Watts, Pat Evans and Frank Butcher in other parts of London.
A week of episodes following the storylines of Jean Slater's mental illness and attempted suicide, Chrissie in jail and deciding to plead guilty to Dirty Den's murder, and Frank and Pat attending Janine's trial, they sleep together and Frank persuades Pat to tell the truth, culminating in Janine's off-screen release.
[edit] 2006
Grant tricks Phil into going on a week long break to sort out Phil's alcohol problem. Meanwhile Phil discovers that Johnny Allen is living in Essex so he decides to confront him about Dennis Rickman's death. Phil tricks Grant in kind by conning him into believing that they are heading to a golf club, which turns out to be Johnny Allen's house. There it is revealed that Danny Moon was the one who killed Dennis. The Mitchells are kidnapped by Johnny and Danny and as Danny is about to execute them both, his brother Jake turns up and accidentally shoots him dead in an effort to stop him. Johnny is persuaded by Ruby to give himself up to the police, and is seen being taken away in the back of a police car.
- Kevin Wicks, Deano Wicks, Carly Wicks, Denise Fox, Chelsea Fox, Libby Fox, Patrick Trueman and Yolande Trueman (4 December – 8 December)
Kevin took his children, the Foxes and the Truemans on holiday to Dorset. Patrick revealed the truth to Denise about his paternity test — that he was not her father, though he had previously said he was. Kevin's ex-wife Shirley met up with her children, though they did not know who she was.
[edit] 2007
Stella took Ben to the London Dungeon in an attempt to get him to like her.
Kevin was on Dungeness beach, having been missing from Walford for several weeks. Whilst there, he met a man named Jed who stole Kevin's bag and eventually died in a road traffic accident.
- Jim and Dot Branning (9 April)
Jim and Dot went to Kent, where Dot met a vicar who revealed that Dot's old friend Margot had recently died. Dot then visited Margot's son and later found a baby, Tomas, abandoned in the church.
