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Lockdown (Covid-19 Pandemic)

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Lockdown (Covid-19 Pandemic) was a real life event that impacted millions around the world, after Covid proved to be a fatal virus, the prime minister at the time Boris Johnson decided to put the country into lockdown on 23 March 2020, meaning people could not leave the house apart from to exercise and essential work (such as doctors and nurses and people who worked in supermarkets), it also meant people could not mix with other house holds. Although eventually when measures where relaxed people could mix but had to keep distance of two metres (social distancing), lockdown would continue on and off until it completely ended on 19th July 2021, almost a year and a half after lockdown began, although Covid still remains a threat to this day but has been combated with the vaccines.

EastEnders was one of several soaps effected by Covid and EastEnders shut down their studios on 18th March 2020 after lockdown was announced and announced they would only be screening two episodes a week to keep the soap on television for as long as possible, however despite the best efforts of the crew at BBC, EastEnders ran out of episodes, EastEnders last episode was 16 June 2020 and the episode marked the first time in the shows thirty five year history that the soap went on a hiatus. EastEnders returned on 7 September 2020 after an eleven week absence with episodes now being twenty minutes instead of thirty minutes, actors and crew members also had to socially distance, so they show had to use cleaver techniques and camera trickeries to make character look like they're next to each other doing regular everyday things. Lockdown and Covid was also incorporated into the EastEnders universe with many characters having storylines cantered around lockdown.

Real life events[]

Timeline[]

  • 18th March 2020 - After the emergence of deadly virus known as the Coronavirus (Covid-19) EastEnders and other soaps decided to halt filming and close down their studios. EastEnders also announced that only two episodes would be broad cast a week in an attempt to keep EastEnders on screens for as long as possible.
  • 23rd March 2020 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts the country into lockdown, meaning EastEnders would not be able to continue filming any time soon.
  • 16 June 2020 - Final episode of EastEnders until 7 September 2020 after BBC ran out of episodes and were unable to produce more due to the pandemic.
  • 22nd June 2020 - It was announced shortly after EastEnders ran out of episodes that Eastenders would be releasing a special spinoff series called Secrets from the Square, which would be presented by Stacey Dooley and would have many of the actors from EastEnders on, the series would be on in the week on the days when EastEnders was supposed to be on. The first episode was on 22 June 2020 and the final episode was 4 September 2020.
  • Unknown date - Gray Atkins' actor Toby-Alexander Smith moved into a house with his girlfriend, Emmerdale actor Amy Walsh.
  • During lockdown - Former EastEnders actor Tamzin Outhwaite admitted she struggle to find any work and admitted she worried for the theatre industry as a result of lockdown, former EastEnders actor Charlie Clements started working as a chef.
  • Several dates - Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden was pictured several times on his bike during the pandemic to keep fit.
  • May/June 2020 - It was rumoured in May that EastEnders were due to resume filming in June, merely three months after filming stopped, an EastEnders spokesperson was forced to come out and deny this: In a statement released to Digital Spy, an EastEnders spokeswoman said: "No dates have been set for filming to resume and we will not return until it is safe to do so. We will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the World Health Organisation and Public Health England." However at the end of June EastEnders did indeed resume filming.
  • 7 September 2020 - Eastenders returned with new episodes, with episodes being twenty minutes instead of thirty and that cast and crew would be socially distancing.
  • 31 December 2020 and 1 January 2021 - Mick Carter, Linda Carter and Katy Lewis were the first characters to do scenes together without social distancing, this was due to actors Danny Dyer, Kellie Bright and Simone Lahbib all self isolating together for two weeks. The reason for this is because this storyline was the reveal of Mick's childhood sexual abuse storylines and the cast and crew felt these set of episode would be more authentic without social distancing for such a sensitive storyline. Social distancing was slowly scrapped after this storyline and the soap slowly began to go back to normal.

EastEnders universe events[]

Timeline[]

Notes[]

  • Sharon Watts got the last Doof-Doof before EastEnders went off air and she also got the first Doof-Doof when Eastenders returned.
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