The Beeb have risked angering soap fans (let’s face it, we aren’t the most stable bunch) by axing the two hour Sunday afternoon EastEnders omnibus and moving it to midnight on Friday.
The new piece of scheduling actually began last Friday, but the change was made permanent this morning. It’s thought that with TV fans increasingly watching the Albert Square serial on catch-up television and second viewings later in the evening, the BBC are looking to free-up some time on Sunday afternoon. But some fans have complained that the Sunday omnibus – which has been running since the show’s debut in 1985 – was part of their weekend routine.
“Viewers now catch up on EastEnders through a variety of means such as the PVR, our BBC3 repeat or on iPlayer,” some BBC spokesperson told Radio Times. “We’ve therefore decided to move the omnibus slot to later on Friday nights. This slot is closer to the original transmissions and will be more consistent as it will not need to be moved for sporting commitments.”
Ratings figures show that 477,000 viewers tuned in last Friday night, compared to nearly 800,000 on Sunday 1st April. So what do you think? Will you miss lazy Sunday afternoon’s in Walford or is it time for a change?
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