EastEnders

She quotes endlessly from the Bible and it ridicules [religion] to some extent.". But just in case you happen to be lost in madrid and want some party and good atmosphere here are some places to look for:. Dr Indarjit Singh, the editor of the Sikh Messenger and patron of the World Congress of Faiths, said: "EastEnders' Dot Cotton is an example. It has a trendy and young flavour so it may not suit everybodies' tastes. The BBC was criticised of anti-religious bias by a committee in the House of Lords, examples of this suggestion included EastEnders. This list is by no means complete. In 2003, Shaun Williamson who played Barry Evans, said that the programme had become much grittier over the past 10 to 15 years, and found it "frightening" that parents let their young children watch. After the dinner it is a good idea to have a drink around, or head for other districts, depending on what you want.

Erin Pizzey, who became internationally famous for having started one of the first Women's Refuges, said that EastEnders had done more to raise the issue of violence against women in one story than she had done in twenty-five years. They are relatively small and pedestrian areas so it is nice to walk around mixing with the locals. However, a helpline after this episode attracted over 2000 calls. So let us recommend you for the beginning a night walk around Chueca or Latina area, until you find a restaurant that fancies you. Complaints against a scene in which Little Mo's face was shoved in gravy on Christmas day, were upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Council. La Latina is really famous on Sunday Mornings, but for a Saturday dinner is good as well. As EastEnders is shown pre-watershed, there were worries that scenes of this storyline were too graphic for its audience. If "spanish tapas" is what you fancy, La Latina and C/Segovia districts have very interesting wineries specialized on tapas.

EastEnders is often criticised for being too violent, most notably during a domestic violence storyline between Little Mo and husband Trevor. In Chueca district you can find hundreds of trendy, but not neccessarily expensive, dinner restaurants. In 2002 EastEnders also won an award from the Mental Health Media Awards held at BAFTA for this storyline. The dinning ceremony extends well until 1 AM, good time to have the "primera" (the first drink). The chief executive of the NSPCC praised the storyline, for covering the subject in a direct and sensitive way, coming to the conclusion that people were more likely to report any issues relating to child protection because of it. A normal time for this would be 10PM on winters and even 11PM on summers. The child abuse storyline with Kat and her uncle Harry, saw calls to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) go up by 60%. Remember, Spaniards love to have dinner really late.

Though, one campaigner noted that in some ways the storyline was not reflective of what was happening at the time as the condition was more common among the gay community. Madrid has excellent restaurants where to set the bases for a big night out. The long-running storyline of Mark Fowler's HIV was so successful in raising awareness that in 1999 a survey by the National Aids Trust found teenagers got most of their information about HIV from the soap. So you want a little party, huh? The best start for this is to have a dinner out. The stars of Coronation Street in particular aligned themselves with Mary Whitehouse, gaining headlines such as 'STREETS AHEAD! RIVALS LASH SEEDY EASTENDERS' and 'CLEAN UP SOAP! Street Star Bill Lashes 'Steamy' EastEnders'. 'street life' is also very popular due to the safety the city inspires to anyone who want to walk at night. Her criticisms were widely reported in the tabloid press as ammunition in its existing rivalry with the BBC. Central Madrid district is rammed with night clubs, discos, late restaurants, bars and pubs.

She also felt that EastEnders had been cleaned up as a result of her protests, though she later commented that EastEnders had returned to its old ways. It's quite common to be in a traffic jam at 5AM any tuesday, wondering where the people is going, or if they have to work tomorrow. However Whitehouse also praised the programme, describing Michelle Fowler's decision not to have an abortion as a 'very positive storyline'. Few cities in the world have the phrenetic activity you can find in Madrid any day of the year, any time round the clock. She was also critical of language such as 'bleeding', 'bloody hell', 'bastard' and 'For Christ's sake'. Madrid is also home to the Circuit del Jarama, a motorsport race circuit which formerly hosted the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. She made reference to representation of family life and emphasis on psychological and emotional violence within the show. There are two other major teams, the Primera Division club Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.

She regarded EastEnders as a fundamental assault on the family and morality itself. Madrid is home to Real Madrid, the world's most successful football club (according to FIFA). Mary Whitehouse argued at the time that EastEnders represented a violation of 'family viewing time' and that it undermined the watershed policy. The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network called Cercanías. EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for most of its storylines which have dealt with difficult themes, such as violence, rape and murder. With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid's south-west "Metrosur", it is now the second largest metro system in Western Europe, second only to London's Underground. It is also shown on the British Forces Broadcasting Service's main TV channel, BFBS1, to members of HM Forces stationed around the world. Serving the city's population of some three million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world.

In Ireland, it is shown on RTÉ One at the same time as BBC One, which is also widely received in the country. As of 2005, AVE high-speed trains link Atocha station to Seville and Toledo in the south and Lleida in the east (to be extended to Barcelona). In New Zealand, it was shown by TVNZ on TV One, but is now on Prime. The overall goal is to have all important provincial cities be no more than 4 hours away from Madrid, and no more than 6 hours away from Barcelona. Currently the series is seen in Australia only on pay-TV channel UK.TV. Currently, an ambitious plan includes the construction of a 7,000 km network, centered on Madrid. The series was screened in Australia by the ABC from 1987 until the early 1990s. The crown jewel of Spain's next decade of infrastructure construction is the Spanish high speed rail network, Alta Velocidad Española AVE.

The American PBS channel, KOCE-TV ran the show one episode per week from 1990 to 1993. In Madrid, the main rail terminals are Atocha and Chamartín. Episodes from prior years are still shown on various PBS stations in the US. Spain's railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (Renfe) operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. At that point, Dish stopped its double-helping schedule, and now maintains the schedule of airing the new programmes consistently one month behind the UK schedule. Two additional runways have also being constructed and will soon be in operation, making Barajas a fully operational 4 runway airport. In approximately February, 2005, the programming reached the point of being one month behind the new shows being aired in the UK. It is expected to significantly reduce delays and double the capacity of the airport.

Dish first broadcast two weeks' worth of shows each week to get caught up. Given annual increases of 10%, a new fourth and fifth terminals are in the process of being constructed. In June, 2004, the Dish Satellite Network picked up EastEnders, airing episodes starting at the point where BBC America had ceased broadcasting them, offering the serial as a Pay-per-View item. Current passenger volumes range upwards of 40 million passengers per year, putting it in the top 20 busiest airports in the world. It is still shown on BBC Prime in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and on BBC Canada in Canada. It consequently serves as the main gateway to the Iberian peninsula from Europe and the rest of the world. The series aired in the United States until BBC America ceased broadcasts of the serial in 2003, amidst fan protests. Barajas serves as the main hub of Iberia Airlines and other airlines.

EastEnders is aired around the world in many English-speaking countries, including New Zealand and Canada. Madrid is served by Barajas International Airport. The current series has now finished. [3]. The series goes behind the scenes of the show and talks to some of the cast members. The Medical School is sited outside the main site and beside the Hospital Universitario La Paz. The show is presented by Angelica Bell and available to digital viewers at 8.30 PM on Monday nights. Located on the main site are the Rectorate building and the Faculties of Science, Philosophy and Fine Arts, Law, Economic Science and Business Studies, Psychology, Higher School of Computing Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education.

As part of the BBC's digital push, EastEnders Xtra was introduced in 2005. Known simply as la Autónoma in Madrid, its main site is the Cantoblanco Campus, situated 15 kilometers to the north of the capital (M-607) and close to the municipal areas of Madrid, namely Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo. They are showing 5 episodes which means that 5 week's worth of episodes are shown every 4 weeks, which results in a catch-up rate of around 3 months a year). The Autonoma is widely recognised for its research strengths in theoretical physics. EastEnders is usually repeated on BBC3 at 10:00 PM and old reruns can often be seen on UKTV Gold (As of February 2006, UKTV Gold are showing episodes originally aired in November 2002. The Autonoma, perhaps Spain's best university for research along with Complutense, was instituted under the leadership of the famous physicist, Nicolás Cabrera. On Wednesday 28th December 2005, Eastenders aired for the first time on a Wednesday night as part of the New Year's Eve storyline leading up to Dennis' death. The old Alcala campus reopened as an independent university (Universidad de Alcalá de Henares) in 1977.

In March of the same year, as Peter Fincham became the BBC One controller, rumours were sparked that EastEnders could air in a new time slot. The campus in the Ciudad Universitaria quarter in Madrid was built starting in 1927, and around 1980 a secondary campus was created in the neighbouring town of Somosaguas. Newspaper reports indicated that the show faced being taken off air for a fortnight after a storyline shortage, however this was denied by the BBC. After 1836 the university was moved to Madrid and renamed Universidad Central. In February 2005, there were reports that the EastEnders schedule was threatened due to production problems. The university achieved the name "Complutense" due to the fact that it was originally situated in the town of Alcalá de Henares, whose Latin name was Complutum. This was to coincide with the relaunch of the channel and helped BBC3 break the one million viewers for the first time with 1.03 million who watched to see Mark Fowler's departure. The Complutense University has its origins in the 13th century on the banks of the river Henares.

In early 2003, viewers could watch episodes of EastEnders on digital channel BBC3 before they were broadcast on BBC One. It is located on two campuses, in the university quarter Ciudad Universitaria at Moncloa in Madrid, and in Somosaguas. An episode of EastEnders Revealed which was commissioned for BBC3 attracted 611,000 viewers. It has 10000 staff and a student population of 117 000. EastEnders Revealed is the only BBC Choice programme to last the entire life of the channel and is still running on BBC3. The Complutense University is one of the oldest universities in the world, and the largest in Spain. In 1998, EastEnders Revealed was launched on BBC Choice (now BBC3), the show takes a look behind the scenes of the show and investigates particular places, characters or families within EastEnders. However, as prices continue to rise and more jobs become available, nightlife in Madrid is becoming more and more like that of other European cities such as Stockholm or Munich.

In this first head-to-head battle, EastEnders claimed victory over its rival. A particular hub for this night activity is nowadays the gay district of Chueca. The move immediately provoked an angry response from ITV insiders, who argued that the BBC's last-minute move - only revealed at 3.30 PM on the day - broke an unwritten scheduling rule that the two flagship soaps would not be put directly against each other. This nightlife, called la movida or la marcha and initially focussed on the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, flourished after the death of Franco, especially during the 80's while Madrid's mayor Enrique Tierno Galván was in office. This caused some controversy as it clashed with Coronation Street, which at the time was moved to 8.00 PM to make way for an hour long episode of rural soap Emmerdale at 7.00 PM. Younger madrileños sometimes dance all night, stop off for chocolate y churros at dawn, go home, shower, shave, and go to work. EastEnders then added its fourth episode (shown on Fridays) on August 10th 2001. Madrid is also noted for its nightlife and discotheques.

EastEnders output then increased to thrice after Coronation Street added an extra episode - in response to competition from EastEnders. Other nearby towns are popular as day trips from Madrid, including Toledo, Segovia, Ávila, Aranjuez, Alcalá de Henares, the monastery and palace complex of El Escorial, and Chinchón. Realising the futility of the situation, Grade decided to move the show to the later 7:30PM slot, but to avoid tabloid speculation that it was a 'panic move' on the BBC's behalf, they had to "dress up the presentation of that move in such a way as to protect the show" giving "all kinds of reasons" for the move . Madrid is also host to one of the most famous bullfighting rings in the world, Las Ventas [2]. Originally EastEnders was shown twice weekly at 7.00PM, however it soon moved to 7.30PM as Michael Grade did not want the soap running in direct competition with Emmerdale Farm; the BBC had originally planned to take advantage of the 'summer break' that Emmerdale Farm usually took in order to capitalise on ratings, but ITV added extra episodes and repeats so that Emmerdale Farm was not taken off over the summer. Some places that you need to phone to make an appointment to visit are-. EastEnders is currently aired at 7.30PM on Tuesday & Thursday and 8.00PM on Monday and Friday, the omnibus is aired on Sunday, though the exact time differs. Important cultural and tourist spots include the so-called Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising the famous Prado Museum,free on Sunday mornings, (with highlights such as Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas and Francisco de Goya's La Maja Vestida and La Maja Desnuda), the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum (where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs); the Plaza Mayor; the Gran Via; the Casón del Buen Retiro (hosting the 19th-century collection of the Prado Museum; currently closed for reform), the Palacio Real-free to go in on Wednesdays if you have a European Union passport, the Templo de Debod (a temple brought stone-by-stone from Egypt), the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, the Puerta del Sol and the Parque del Buen Retiro.The Naval Museum between Cibeles and the Prado (Paseo Prado,5) is free and gives a great insight into the former Spanish sea-power.

For the past 20 years EastEnders has remained at the centre of BBC One's primetime schedule. Precipitation, although very limited, can be observed all throughout the year except during summer. EastEnders was perhaps at its least popular in the year 2004, its lowest ever audience share was 28% in early 2005. In fact, the daily oscillation of the weather conditions its quite reduced in the center of the city, but its far more noticeable in the outskirts of Madrid. Sonia's shock birth in 2000 was watched by 19.3 million viewers and in 2001, Mel's marriage to Steve Owen was watched by 22.5 million viewers. Summer tends to be warm with temperatures that easily reach 24 °C in July and that can often reach 35 °C. Despite a decade and a half of high ratings it was most popular in the early 2000s, attracting an average of 15 million for most episodes and peaks of upto 25 million for the climaxes of popular storylines. The region of Madrid has a Mediterranean climate that manifests itself with fresh winters that often experience temperatures lower than 8 °C.

In comparison, the smallest amount for an EastEnders episode was around 6.2 million in 2004, higher than the lowest of its rivals Coronation Street and Emmerdale. There are also important communities of Chinese, Guinean, Romanian and Filipino people. This was its largest audience ever, the largest amount of viewers for a soap episode, the 4th largest audience for a British television channel ever and the highest television audience for a single channel of the 1980s. The largest immigrant groups include: Ecuadorian: 83,967, Moroccan: 51,300, Colombian: 37,218, and Peruvian: 32.791. In 1986, just under two years since it had been on air, EastEnders attracted 30.15 million viewers, for the Christmas episode in which Den handed a divorce letter to wife Angie. While almost 9 in 10 inhabitants are Spanish, there are many recent immigrants who come from Latin America, Europe, and North Africa. The launch show attracted 17 million viewers in the 1980s, this was perhaps helped by the amount of press attention it received, something which continues today. As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world.

Ever since EastEnders began on the mainstream BBC One, it has achieved some of the highest audiences in British television history. It is also home to the Rayo Vallecano soccer team. Aside from that, the 10pm repeat showing on BBC Three attracts an average of 500,000 viewers, whilst the Sunday omnibus attracts a further 3 million. Vallecas is a working-class residential district in the south of Madrid. An average EastEnders episode attracts a total audience share between 45% and 50%. Today there is a street named in her honour very close to the roundabout 'Glorieta de Bilbao'. Based on market research by BBC commissioning in 2003, EastEnders is most watched by 16 - 24 year olds, closely followed by 25 - 34 year olds. She was killed fighting the French in 1808.

But the battle between EastEnders and Emmerdale saw EastEnders come out on top with 200,000 more viewers on the 1st December 2005. The name Malasaña comes from the 17 year old girl Manuela Malasaña who once lived on the street San Andrés. However, this indirectly helped increase the audience of digital channel BBC Three as 1 million (10% share) tuned in to see the second showing. Although popularly known as the barrio Malasaña, the real name for the area is Universidad (University). The episode of Emmerdale, which saw the departure of one of its more popular characters, attracted 8.3 million viewers leaving EastEnders with 6.6 million for the funeral of Den Watts. The area's center is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo (in commemoration of the Madrilenian popular uprising on May 2, 1808, brutally and effectivey repressed by the French troops and which started the Spanish Independence War). Weeks after this, ITV again scheduled episodes of Emmerdale against EastEnders. It's one of the classic areas for partying the night away.

In autumn of 2005, EastEnders had seen its average audience share increase, with the unearthing of Den Watts' body and the marriage of Sharon and Dennis. Its streets are currently being renovated, making it a much more attractive quarter (the streetworks are almost finished). John Yorke immediately stepped into her position until a few weeks later when Kate Harwood was announced as the new executive producer. Malasaña is a vibrant neighborhood full of lively bars and clubs overflowing with young people. But through her short reign she led EastEnders to some of its most healthy viewing figures in months. Bordering on La Latina's east side is the famous Rastro flea-market (a prime pick-pocket spot). This was one of the reasons storylines such as the 'Real Walford' football team were suddenly ignored. There are also a number of attractive churches as well as Madrid's town palace.

She is also said to have torn up many of the scripts that were planned and demanded re-writes. There are quite a few nightlife spots. It is reported that the cast and crew did not get on well with Kathleen Hutchison as she had them filming up to 12am. Its difficult to put precise boundaries on La Latina, because, like its immediate neighbors, streets are narrow and wind a lot. He also brought back long serving script writer Tony Jordan. In and around this area are the origins of Madrid. John Yorke who led EastEnders through what Mal Young (the then head of BBC drama) said was one of its most successful periods in 2001, returned to the BBC as the head of drama, meaning his responsibilities included the running of EastEnders. It's also one of the best places to search for non-Spanish foodstuff, (herbs and spices etc.) Due to its immigrant character and the fact that the terrorists responsible for the Madrid train bombings of 11 March 2004, were based in Lavapiés (in particular, in a popular Moroccan restaurant called Al-Baraka), there are substantiated fears of crime in this district.

But in January 2005, after just four months it was the end for Kathleen Hutchison. The presence of immigrants has led to an inevitable variety of shops and restaurants - this is a good place for good and cheap restaurants of local and international food. It indicated a fresh start for EastEnders after declining ratings in 2004. Lavapiés is one of the areas with a high concentration of immigrants, and also tends to attract artists and writers adding to the cosmopolitan mix. Whilst she was there she set about reversing the previous executive producer's work. Traditionally one of the poorer neighborhoods near the city center, this district has maintained much of true 'Madrileño' spirit of the past. Kathleen Hutchison went on to axe Den Watts, Andy Hunter, Juley Smith and Derek Harkinson. One of those streets, Fuencarral has become a link between the old shopping areas of the center of the city, the Bohemian Malasaña and the hip Chueca, making of it one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city.

And within a few weeks later the producers announced a major shake-up of the cast with the highly-criticised Ferreira family, first seen in June 2003, set to leave at the beginning of 2005. It is also a hub for Madrid's red-light district, especially the side streets. Kathleen Hutchison who had been the producer of hospital drama Holby City, was announced as the new executive producer. As the name implies, the Gran Vía district contains one of Madrid's most important avenues, the Gran Vía (literally, "Great Way") First and foremost it is a shopping street, but it also contains a number of tourist accommodations, plenty of nightlife and most of Madrid's largest movie theaters. However, EastEnders was at a disadvantage as Emmerdale had began half an hour earlier, and the press were reporting viewers were bored with implausible and ill thought out storylines. In addition, we find the highly ornate Banco de España, the Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Zarzuela theater. Emmerdale was watched by 8.1 million people. It also includes one of the three museums of the Madrid golden triangle, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

The following day the show received its lowest ever ratings (6.2 million) when ITV scheduled an hour long episode of its usually less-popular soap, Emmerdale against it. The most important include Spanish parliament buildings of the lower house Congreso de los Diputados. On 21 September 2004 Louise Berridge, the then executive producer, quit following massive criticism of the show. This district is small in size but packs a number of powerful sites. EastEnders won the battle with 8.4 million viewers (41% share) whilst Coronation Street lagged behind with 7.3 million viewers (36% share). It is still quite attractive and has many good and interesting places to eat, as well as some of Madrid's most avant garde fashion and shoe shops. In 2001 however, the soaps clashed for the first time. However, later on during the decade it became one of the most active centers of the so-called 'La Movida', largely due to its new-found status as a popular gay village.

In order to maximise ratings the BBC and ITV are usually careful to avoid scheduling clashes between their flagship soaps. This district was the site of major urban decay during the early 1980s. Its main rival for ratings is usually Coronation Street. Chueca is among the most authentic and cosmopolitan neighborhoods in the downtown city center. EastEnders is one of the more popular programmes on British television and regularly attracts between 9 and 13 million viewers, while the show's ratings have fallen since its initial surge in pouplarity, the programme continues to be largely lucrative for the BBC. Main article: Chueca. This remains the highest rated episode of a soap in British television history. The area is directly linked to Barajas Airport by metro line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios station.

In the Christmas of 1986, it attracted a massive 30.15 million viewers who tuned in to see Den Watts hand over divorce papers to wife Angie. A very large (3 interconnected buildings) El Corte Inglés department store is also here. Research suggested that people found the characters true to life, the plots believable and, importantly in the face of criticism of the content, people watched as a family and regarded it as viewing for all the family. Torre Windsor, one of the skycrapers in this area, burnt entirely on the night between 12 February and 13, 2005 [1]. As mentioned, EastEnders proved highly popular and Appreciation Indexes reflected this, rising from 55–60 at the launch to 85–5 later on, a figure which was nearly ten points higher than the average for British soap opera. The area is populated by skyscrapers, among them Torre Picasso, Edificio BBVA and Torre Europa. A precursor in UK soaps also set in a East End market was ATV's Market in Honey Lane between 1967 and 1969. This is the financial district.

'Exclusives' about EastEnders storylines became a staple of tabloid buyers daily reading. This district also contains the main bus terminal as it is a central point of the city. By Christmas of 1985, the tabloids couldn't get enough of the show. The area also contains a number of art galleries and restaurants serving traditional food. This referred to Leslie Grantham, and set the tone for relations between Albert Square and the press for the next 20 years. The two important sites located in this area are the Reina Sofía Museum and the beautiful Atocha Railway Station, one of the two main train stations in Madrid (the other one is Chamartín). Within weeks the headline they had all dreaded had appeared — EASTENDERS STAR IS A KILLER. Atocha includes a rather large area which is bordered by the Huertas and Lavapiés districts.

Press coverage, already intense, went into overdrive. It is within walking distance of the main cultural and commercial areas of the city such as the Prado museum, the expansive Parque del Buen Retiro as well as near the business center on the lower part of the Paseo de la Castellana. Detailed reactions were taken after six months and since then regular monitoring has been conducted. This plaza commemorates Christopher Columbus, who was responsible for ushering in the Spanish imperial golden age of the 16th and 17th centuries. Following the launch, both group discussions and telephone surveys were conducted to test audience reaction to early episodes. This district contains the large Plaza de Colón. The reviews were largely favourable, although after three weeks on air, BBC One's early evening share had returned to the pre-EastEnders figure of 7 million, though EastEnders then climbed to highs of up to 23 million later on in the year. There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.

The next day viewing figures were confirmed at 17 million. The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). Both Holland and Smith could not watch, they both instead returned to the place where it all began. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited. Anticipation and rumour grew in equal measure until the first transmission at 7pm on 19 February 1985. The Royal Palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the King, primarily serving as a tourist attraction. The press were invited to see Elstree and meet the cast and see the lot - and stories immediately started circulating about the show, about a rivalry with ITV (who were launching their own market-based soap, Albion Market) and about the private lives of the cast. In front of the theatre is the Royal Palace.

Julia Smith was uneasy about the late start as EastEnders no longer had the winter months to build up a loyal following before the summer ratings lull. As the name implies, Madrid's main Opera Theatre is the Teatro Real (Royal theatre). The launch was delayed for a second time until February 1985 due to a delay in the chat show Wogan, that was to be a part of the major revamp in BBC One's schedules. It is the work of Juan de Bolonia. Simon May (music) and Alan Jeapes (visuals) created it, and it remains one of the strongest title clips in television. The statue of Felipe III on horseback in the centre of the square dates back to 1616. Through the next few months, the set was growing rapidly at Elstree, and a composer and designer had been commissioned to create the title sequence. Under its porticoes there are some old and traditional shops.

Everyone was in agreement, East 8 was to be tough, violent on occasion, funny and sharp - and it would start with a bang. The Plaza Mayor has been the scene of multitudinous events: market, bullring and "actos de fe" against supposed heretics and the executions of those condemned to death. Once they decided on these they returned to London for a meeting with the BBC. Nevertheless, the Plaza Mayor as we know it today is the work of the architect Juan de Villanueva who was entrusted with its reconstruction in 1790 after a spate of big fires. After they decided on the filming location (BBC Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire), Smith and Holland set about creating the 24 characters needed in just 14 days. This king asked Juan Gomez de Mora to continue with the project, and he finished the porticoes in 1619. The project had a number of working titles — Square Dance, Round the Square, Round the Houses, London Pride, East 8. It was the latter that stuck (E8 is the postcode for Hackney) in the early months of creative process. Juan de Herrera was the architect who designed the first project in 1581 to remodel the old Plaza del Arrabal but the construction didn't start until 1617, during the Felipe III's reign.

However, in February 1984 they didn't even have a title or a place to film. The origins of the Plaza go back to 1581 when Felipe II told Juan de Herrera to devise a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old Plaza del Arrabal. Julia Smith and Tony Holland had just 11 months in which to write, cast and shoot the whole thing. Previously it was named the Plaza del Arrabal. The target launch date was originally September 1984 but this was postponed due to Michael Grade - the new controller of BBC One - preferring a January start. The Plaza Mayor was built during the Austrian period. They also looked at Brookside but found there was a lack of central meeting points for the characters, making it difficult for the writers to intertwine different storylines. It has a total of nine entranceways.

They came to the conclusion that Coronation Street had grown old with its audience, and that EastEnders would have to attract a younger, more socially extensive audience ensuring that it had the longevity to retain it for many years thereafter. The Plaza is rectangular in shape and is surrounded by three-floored residential buildings. They also identified that it has had difficulty in replacing 'big' characters such as Len Fairclough and Elsie Tanner, something which is arguably still present to this day, with the exit of Karen McDonald. It is located in the historical and commercial heart of the city. Only after EastEnders begun did Coronation Street start to feature black people for example. The Plaza Mayor is one of the most beautiful and emblematic urban areas in what is known as the Madrid of the House of Austria. When developing EastEnders, both Julia Smith and Tony Holland looked at influential models like Coronation Street, but they found that it offered a rather outdated and nostalgic view of working-class life. As expected with any major European capital city, each district (or barrio in Spanish) has its own feel.

This was the beginning of a close and continuing association between EastEnders and audience research, which though commonplace today was something of a revolution in practice. The modern metropolis is home to over three million people. There was anxiety at first that the viewing public would not accept a new soap set in the south of England, though research commissioned by lead figures in the BBC had revealed southerners would accept a northern soap, northerners would accept a southern soap and those from the Midlands, as Julia Smith herself pointed out, didn’t mind where it was set as long as it was somewhere else. Madrid is a leading southern European city and the most important link between the European Union and Latin America. Smith and Holland then went about putting ideas down on paper, they decided it would be set in the East End of London. Modern Madrid ranks as one of the important cities in Europe. The outline that Reid presented was vague: two episodes a week, 52 weeks a year. Within Spain, reaction against the dictatorial bureaucracy centered in Madrid and a history of centralism that predated Franco by centuries has resulted in the successful modern movement towards increased autonomy for the regions of Spain, considered as autonomous regions, under the umbrella of Spain.

The first people to whom David Reid, then head of series and serials, turned were Julia Smith and Tony Holland, a well established producer/script editor team who had first worked together on Z-Cars. With his death, Madrid, and Spain as a whole, began to reassert itself on the international stage. In February 1983, two years before EastEnders hit the screen, the show was nothing more than a vague idea in the mind of a handful of BBC executives, who decided that what BBC One needed was a popular bi-weekly drama series that would attract the kind of mass audiences ITV was getting with Coronation Street. Years of the Franco regime left Madrid and much the country in economic shambles due to isolation. It was the brass at BBC who had the last laugh, however, as EastEnders became wildly popular and displaced Coronation Street from the top of the ratings for the rest of the 1980s and 1990s and partly the 2000s. Contemporary Madrid came into its own after the death of the Fascist dictator Francisco Franco. One news source went as far as to accuse the channel of only having the guts to air the soap after Patricia Phoenix, arguably Britain's premier soap diva, left Coronation Street. Befitting from the prosperity it gained in the 1980s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position as the leading economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological center on the Iberian peninsula.

Critics first derided the new offering, as it was clear that BBC wished to bridge the gap between the network and its competitor, ITV. After the death of Franco, emerging democratic parties (including those of left-wing and republican ideology) accepted Franco's wishes of being succeeded by Juan Carlos I--in order to secure stablity and democracy--which led Spain to its current position as constitutional monarchy. It started airing on the night after a major ident change for the channel, with the show representing the "new face" of the BBC. Like anything related to ETA, this incident is still today a matter of controversy; while some think that it created further instability, others hold that the terrorist action--by preventing Carrero Blanco from continuing the dictatorship after Franco's death--contributed to lead the country towards democracy. EastEnders was launched at a critical moment in the BBC’s history and was intended to demonstrate the BBC’s ability to produce popular programming. Towards the end of the dictatorship the Basque terrorist group ETA assassinated Franco's prime minister, Luis Carrero Blanco, in the Street of Claudio Coello. Aside from this soap opera staples of youthful romance, jealousies, domestic rivalries, kitchen disasters, gossip, community fund-raising events and extra-marital affairs are regularly featured. During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, Madrid became very industrialized and there were massive migrations into the city.

In the early 2000s, EastEnders covered the issue of euthanasia with long-established characters Ethel Skinner and Dot Cotton, Kat Slater's abuse by her uncle Harry as a child, the domestic abuse of Little Mo Slater by husband Trevor, Sonia giving birth at the age of fifteen and then putting the baby up for adoption, prostitution, agoraphobia and drugs. It was during the Civil War that Madrid had the sad honor of being the first city bombed by airplanes to spread terror among innocent citizens. However, EastEnders still featured hard-hitting issues such as Mark Fowler discovering he was HIV positive in 1991 and the death of Gill, murder, adoption, alcoholism and domestic violence. During this war (1936-1939) Madrid was one of the most affected cities and its streets were battlezones. As the show progressed into the nineties, less screen time was spent on these issues, perhaps reflecting the change in government. She could not to calm down the political tension that would lead to yet another revolt, the First Spanish Republic, and the comeback of the monarchs which eventually led to the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War. Such storylines include Sue and Ali’s baby's cot death, Nick Cotton's homophobia, the rape of Kathy Beale in 1988, Michelle Fowler's teenage pregnancy, drug dealing, prostitution, mixed-race relationships, shoplifting, sexism, racism, divorce and muggings. This would start a period where liberal and conservative government alternated, that would end with the enthronement of Isabel II (1830-1904).

Above all, we wanted realism’. After the war of independence (1814) Fernando VII came back to the throne, but after a liberal military revolution, Colonel Riego made the king swear respect to the Constitution. She also said: ‘We decided to go for a realistic, fairly outspoken type of drama which could encompass stories about homosexuality, rape, unemployment, racial prejudice, etc., in a believable context. On May 2, 1808 (Spanish: Dos de Mayo) the Madrilenes revolted against the French forces, whose brute reaction would have a lasting impact on French rule in Spain and France's image in Europe in general. Creator/ producer Julia Smith declared that 'we don't make life, we reflect it'. After the Mutiny of Aranjuez which was led by his own son Fernando VII against him, Carlos IV resigned, but Fernando VII's reign would be short: in May of 1808 Napoleon's troops entered the city. The programme makers emphasised that it was to be about 'everyday life' in the inner city 'today' and regard it as a 'slice of life'. When Carlos IV (1748-1819) became king the people of Madrid revolted.

Arguably the difference between them was whilst Brookside confronted issues it was more sensationalist and EastEnders tried to maintain realism. Carlos III was one of the most popular kings in the history of Madrid, and the saying "the best mayor, the king" became popular during those times. Brookside had also launched as a social realist drama, leading the way for more conservative soaps like EastEnders to follow. However, it would not be until Carlos III (1716-1788) that Madrid would become a modern city. However EastEnders has for the most part remained a populist series and has generally avoided the arguably tougher stories of Brookside. Felipe V decided that a European capital could not stay in such a state, and new palaces (including the Palacio Real de Madrid) were built during his reign. In the eighties, EastEnders featured gritty storylines involving drugs and crime, representing the issues faced by working-class Britain much as Coronation Street did in the 1960s but updated for an age of social breakdown. During the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century), in the 16th/17th century, Madrid had no resemblance with other European capitals: the population of the city was economically dependent on the business of the court itself.

Created in Thatcherite Britain during the worst economic recession in Britain since the 1930s combined with high unemployment and rocketing crime rates, EastEnders tried to represent this in the social realist tradition. Aside from a brief period, 1601-1606, when Felipe III installed his court in Valladolid, Madrid's fortunes have closely mirrored those of Spain. Examples include Den Watts, James Wilmott-Brown, Steve Owen, Andy Hunter and Johnny Allen. Seville continued to control the Spanish Indies, but Madrid controlled Seville. Another recurring character type is the smartly dressed businessman, often involved in crime, who is seen as a local authority figure. Although he made no official declaration, the seat of the court was the de facto capital. These characters are seen as being loud and interfering but most importantly, responsible for the well-being of the family and usually stressing the importance of family, reflecting on the past. Though Charles favored Madrid, it was his son, Philip II (1527-1598) who moved the court to Madrid in 1561.

Some families feature an stereotypical East End matriarch such as Lou Beale, Pauline Fowler, Mo Harris and Peggy Mitchell. The kingdoms of Castilla, with its capital at Toledo, and Aragón, with its capital at Barcelona, were welded into modern Spain by Charles I of Spain. Key people involved in the production of EastEnders have stressed how important this idea of strong families is to EastEnders. The grand entry of Ferdinand and Isabella to Madrid heralded the end of strife between Castile and Aragon. The 2000s saw a new focus on the largely female Slater clan before the return of emphasis to the Watts and Mitchell families. After troubles and a big fire, Henry III of Castile (1379-1406) rebuilt the city and established himself safely fortified outside its walls in El Pardo. The Watts and Mitchell families have been central to most of the notable EastEnders storylines and Peggy Mitchell in particular is notorious for her ceaseless repetition of such statements as "You're a Mitchell". Sephardic Jews and Moors continued to live in the city until they were expelled at the end of the 15th century.

Tony Holland drew on the names of his own family for his characters. In 1329, the Cortes Generales first assembled in the city to advise Ferdinand IV of Castile. The first central family was the Fowlers, consisting of Pauline, Arthur, Mark, Michelle and also the closely related Beale family - Pete, Lou and Ian. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison's granary). Co-creator Tony Holland was himself from a large East End family and such families have typified EastEnders. The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI of Castile in his advance towards Toledo. EastEnders was built around the ideas of "clans" of strong families and each character having a place in the community. From this came the naming of the site as Majerit, which was later rendered to the modern-day spelling of Madrid).

It is rumoured that the fictional borough of Walford was named after the areas of London that the creators hailed from - Walthamstow and Stratford. Near that palace was the Manzanares, which the Muslims called al-Majrīṭ (Arabic: المجريط, "source of water"). However, the show's producers actually based the square's design on the real life 'Fasset Square' in the East End. Around this palace a small citadel, al-Mudaina, was built. In reality, an Albert Square does exist in the East End, in Stratford. Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, the first historical data from the city comes from the 9th century, when Mehmed I ordered the construction of a small palace in the same place that is today occupied by the Palacio Real. The postcode for the area "E8" was one of the working titles for the series. .

The strongest claim to being the 'real' Albert Square is held by Broadway Market in Hackney, a short pedestrianised road that features a weekly market and established street vendors. The residents of Madrid are called madrileños, and the current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón. Walford has the fictional postal district of E20, thus fans have also tried to pinpoint the location using this, however, realistically London East postal districts stop at E18, the show's creators opted for E20 instead of E19 as it was thought to sound better. Following the restoration of democracy in 1975 and the integation to the European Union, Madrid has experienced an increasing role in European finances making it one of the most important Southern European cities. Walford East, is a fictional tube station for Walford, with the aid of a map that was first seen on air in 1996, it has been established that Walford East is located between Bow Road and West Ham, which realistically would replace Bromley-by-Bow. The city spans a total of 607 km² (378 square miles). In the past, fans have tried to establish the actual location of Walford within London. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.843 million.

In 1993, George Street was added, and soon after, Walford East tube station was built. The estimated population of the city was 3.228 million (July 2005), while the estimated urban area population is 5.078 million. Then in 1986 he added an extension to the set, building the fourth side of Albert Square and in 1987 Turpin Road was added which included buildings such as The Dagmar. Other cultural highlights include the Royal Palace of Madrid and the nearby royal monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The EastEnders lot was built and designed by Keith Harris, who was a senior designer within the production team. Renowned museums such as Museo del Prado, the Museo Reina Sofia, and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza are major tourist attractions in the city. This was done by a number of means, including chipping at the buildings with pickaxes. As the former capital of the old Spanish Empire Madrid has been bestowed with a degree of cultural predominance.

But as the set was built in the early eighties, it had to be made to look as if it had been standing for years and years. Due to its geographical location and history, Madrid has been considered the financial and political center of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, central to Albert Square is The Queen Victoria Public House. It is located on the Manzanares river in the center of the country. Firstly, the square is named Albert Square after Prince Albert, the late husband of Queen Victoria, who then went on to die in 1901. Madrid is the capital and largest city in Spain, as well as in the province and the autonomous community of the same name. It is thought that Albert Square was built around the early 20th century, indeed heavy research was done by the show's creators to support this. Hard House.

These themes that were found for the setting can still be found in a present day episode of EastEnders. Mixed, ravey atmosphere. A real East End spirit — an inward looking quality, a distrust of strangers and authority figures, a sense of territory and community that the creators summed up as 'Hurt one of us and you hurt us all'. Opens Suns 8AM-Late afternoon. However, delving further into the East End, they found exactly what they had been searching for. Legend in Madrid. The show's creators were both Londoners, but when they researched Victorian Squares they found massive changes in areas they thought they knew well. Huge.

EastEnders is set in the fictional London Borough of Walford, however the central focus of the show is that of the equally fictional Victorian square named Albert Square. Space Of Sound: Chamartin. . 12-6AM. Despite lengthy criticism of the show from the critics, in October 2005 it won the prestgious National Television Award for most popular Serial Drama which EastEnders has won several consecutive times in the past ten years. Hard House. It has been running ever since, generating strong viewing figures for much of that time, and has been the UK's highest-rating programme on numerous occasions. Specka: Orense.

EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera which was first broadcast on 19 February 1985. 12-6AM. EastEnders: The Inside Story. Plays Techno, hard house, Drum And Bass and even Trance, depending on the day of week. The EastEnders Programme Guide. One / Gheiza: Gran Via/Pza España. Public Secrets: EastEnders and its Audience. Fri, Sat, Sun.

EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration. 12-6AM. Lulu is a big fan of the show. Gay/Mixed. On Friday the 11 November 2005, EastEnders was the first British drama to feature a two minute silence. Commercial House. Osymyso a.k.a Mark Nicholson, one of the UK's original bootleg artists created a track based on remixed scenes of the Pat vs Peggy showdown. Ohm: Callao.

This includes the 1980's, 1990's and so far the 2000's. 12-6AM. Since EastEnders began in 1985, at least one of its episodes have rated higher than any other British soap opera throughout each decade. Commercial House. EastEnders was the inaugural winner of the 1999 BAFTA for best continuing drama. Big. However, it proved very unpopular with the viewers and was replaced with a remix of the original theme tune only 11 months later, from 11 April 1994 (Also the first Monday edition of the show). Divino: Ermita Del Santo.

In 1993, the show's theme tune was updated to a Jazzy version, first heard on 11 May 1993. Uplifting house and electro 12-6AM. Albert Square is built on the site last used for building works in the 1980s Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Big. When Barbara Windsor joined in 1994, she was only contracted for ten episodes. Coppelia: Castellana/Recoletos. The roads around Albert Square are not built to scale: they look real but some can only take one car at a time. 12-6AM.

The Queen visited the set in 2001 and was shown around by actresses Wendy Richard and Barbara Windsor. Mixed. A vocal version of the theme tune called 'Anyone can fall in Love' reached number 4 in the charts in the summer of 1986 and was sung by Anita Dobson (Angie Watts). Trendy house. Oxfam was the main outlet used for the actors costumes when the series was first made. Small and nice. The War memorial on set features names of people involved in EastEnders along with past stars. 8 y medio: Gran Via.

Leslie Grantham originally auditioned for the part of Pete Beale but was thought too good looking so was instead cast as Den Watts. Capote: Alonso Martinez. Pam St Clement (Pat) has 125 pairs of earrings from which to choose and fans still send her earrings in which she wears in the programme. Can book a bed in advance !!. The famous double-handers when only two actors appear in an episode was originally done for speed: while they film that, the rest of the cast can be making another episode. Colonial Chill Out, nice bar with cushions where to chill and enjoy a cocktail while laying down with friends. Researchers, from the BBC, went to the East End and visited 'Fassett Square' in the 1980’s. Areia: Chueca.

Before the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton was cast as a troubled youth in the soap. Nice terraces on summer. Martha Ross, mother of television presenter Jonathan, has been an extra in the programme, as a market stallholder, since its inception. Malasaña is the district for rock and roll, and independent music. Robbie Williams has made a cameo appearance on the telephone in the Queen Vic and is a big fan of the show. A must on sunday mornings. Brad Pitt is such a fan of the soap that when BBC America took EastEnders off the air in 2003, he and his then wife Jennifer Aniston joined a petition of 15,000 US fans demanding the cable channel reinstate it. Hosts a big number of wineries and tapas bars.

George Michael, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are also fans of the soap. La Latina is frequented by artists. Madonna and Guy Ritchie are rumoured to be big fans of the show, with Madonna's favourite character being Dot Cotton. This area has a little bit of everything: Bars, pubs, restaurants, clubs. Sheila Hancock has appeared in the soap playing Barbara Owen. Bilbao is also an option. Susan Tully who played Michelle Fowler has directed some episodes since leaving. The music heard is frequently cheesy house and commercial stuff.

There is a shop in Walford named Barratt's Bargain Corner, cleverly incorporating the BBC's initials. The pubs and clubs around host a mixed and open-minded clientele. In 2001 EastEnders went head to head with Coronation Street for the first time, EastEnders won the battle with 8.4 million viewers (41%) while Coronation Street attracted 7.3 million (36%). Chueca is more headed towards trendy people. EastEnders holds the record for the highest rated soap episode in Britain. Also nice restaurants. EastEnders was the 1st most popular UK search term in 2005. Nice pubs and clubs.

EastEnders was the 4th most popular UK search term in 2004. Avenida De Brasil and nearbies is for beautiful people. EastEnders was the 2nd most popular UK search term in 2003. All kinds of music here. Between 2001 and 2002, EastEnders was the 10th most searched-for TV show on the Internet. Alonso Martinez is rammed with youngsters. Cafe Central Madrid's top Jazz venue.

Teatro de la Comedia. Teatro Español. A major player in the arts scene in Madrid, apart from a theatre and concert hall and vast café, it has four exhibition spaces that show work in all media. Círculo de Bellas Artes Compared to the ICA in London, or the Kitchen in New York, this great multi functional cultural and social centre, housed in its own fine building since 1926, is older and larger than both.

Teatro de la Abadía. It houses a theatre, concerts, a café and a huge gallery space, where group shows of many important Hispanic artists are staged. Centro Cultural de la Villa Worth visiting just to stroll under the deafening, refreshing waterfall located below the Columbus monument. It also programmes Opera and Lied.

It puts on the traditional Spanish operettas known as zarzuela, a kind of visual, bawdy comedy. Teatro de la ZarzuelaThis is one theatre you won't need Spanish for. Teatro Monumental: The Orquesta Sinfonica de RTVE performs every Thursday and Friday in this old concert hall. Auditorio Nacional de Music: Was built in the 80s and houses two concert rooms for classical music.

Teatro Real: Madrid's main Opera House. Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia. Real Conservatorio Superior de Música. Escuela de Organización Industrial (EOI).

Universidad San Pablo (CEU). Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (UPSAM). Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (UPComillas). Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Francisco de Vitoria).

Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM). Universidad Camilo José Cela (Cela). Universidad Antonio de Nebrija (Nebrija). Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED).

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Rey Juan Carlos). Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). Puerta de Alcalá (An old gate for the city walls that is nowadays one of the most emblematic signs of Madrid).

Puerta de Europa (Famous towers leaning toward each other at 15 degree angle). Faro de Moncloa (Transmission tower with observation deck). Torre España. Palacio De Liria (915475302.There appears to be at least an 18 month waiting list).

Museo Del Reloj Grassy ( better to call, 915321007). Museo De La Farmacia Hispaña (913941797). Museo de Antropologia Medico Forense Paleopatologia y Criminalistica Profesor Reverte Coma (913941578). Casa-Museo Manuel Benedito (915754687).

Casa-Museo Jose Padilla (913561258 11am-2pm).