Filming on EastEnders has been stopped in light of the UK’s coronavirus pandemic, and the BBC soap has also announced halving the episodes from four to two a week.
The timetable for our visits to Walford will now look like this soon with immediate effect
Yesterday’s episode, which saw Sharon Mitchell hand over newborn son Kayden to granny Karen Taylor, will be the last till the latest transmission schedule kicks in on Monday 23rd March.
In a tweet, following the new government briefing, a spokesman said the decision was taken to stop shooting and change viewing schedules.
When about how many days it airs, they added: “Reducing the number of episodes shown each week to two means the viewers in their homes will continue to watch EastEnders for as long as possible.”
Filming was also temporarily stopped on all of BBC Studios ‘ ongoing dramas: Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, as well as Scotland’s River City and Welsh language soap Pobl y Cwm.
EastEnders hasn’t shut down entirely, and several tasks can be performed remotely. Scripts and plots are still being worked on as usual, but there has been no timeframe provided for how long the situation will last.
“We’ll continue to monitor the World Health Organisation and Public Health England’s latest news and recommendations,” the statement said.