Anatomy of an EastEnders Christmas Special: from murder mysteries to high camp, here's the winning formula
Fretting about festive family fall-outs already? Whether it’s bickering over the correct gravy consistency, squabbling over board games, or having full-on meltdowns that you fear, there’s one sure-fire way to make yourself feel better about it all â sticking on the EastEnders Christmas special.
Is there any other fictional place out there, after all, that has weathered more festive misfortune than Albert Square? Remember when Pat Butcher went out on the razz, mowed some poor woman down while drunk-driving, and served a couple of months in prison for manslaughter? Or when Pauline Fowler slowly sank to the floor and expired underneath the square’s communal Christmas tree after an especially ferocious row with Sonia?
Not to mention the entire Branning family watching in stunned silence as they viewed a cheating Max and Stacey’s sordid sex DVD, filmed on her wedding day to Max’s pure and perfect son Bradley no less!
Last Christmas, EastEnders came out on top as the most-watched of all the festive soaps. It appears that multiple murders, self-stabbings, arsons, imprisonments, surprise babies, and dramatic gatecrashers still retain their seasonal draw. In my house, frantically trying to catch up with 12-months worth of drama in time to watch the Christmas special is an intrinsic part of the day’s tradition; though I stopped keeping up with weekly
