Time slot drama for Israeli 'EastEnders' fans

Since it started broadcasting in Israel, BBC has screened the daily soap on an almost daily basis, giving local fans a regular dose of the show and allowing them to keep up to date with what is going on in Britain.

By RUTH EGLASH
eastenders 88 298 (photo credit: BBC)
eastenders 88 298
(photo credit: BBC)
EastEnders is one of Britain's most popular television soap operas and has been since its first broadcast on February 19, 1985. In the last two years alone, the show, which deals with every day life in a fictional neighborhood of London's East End, has won the prestigious National Television Award for Most Popular Serial Drama, a BAFTA for Best Continuing Drama and seven British Soap Awards, including the award for Best British Soap. That is why it is difficult to understand why BBC Prime, the local subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, would sideline the show to the impractical time slot of Saturday and Sunday between 7 and 8 p.m. Since it started broadcasting in Israel in 1999, BBC Prime has screened the daily soap on an almost daily basis, giving local fans a regular dose of the show and allowing them to keep up to date with what is going on in Britain. "The change of the EastEnders time slot was taken to accommodate BBC Prime's new and simplified summer schedule. The decision is part of a restructuring of the channel and was made to ensure that the channel achieves a local and relevant audience appeal," wrote Douglas Spitz, a representative of the channel in London. "BBC Prime's new schedule will showcase some of the UK's best and new comedies and dramas," said Amy Castle, another representative for the broadcast company. A quick look at the "new" and "fresh" line-up, however, reveals more episodes of Top Gear and two concurrent episodes of Changing Rooms. "BBC Prime depends on providing a mix of programs and genres to audiences throughout Europe and the Middle East," continued Spitz. "Therefore it's difficult for the planning team to please everyone all the time and unfortunately problems like this are unavoidable. We're striving to improve our schedule to accommodate as many viewers in as many regions as possible. There will always be some winners and some losers." Sadly, it seems that Israeli EastEnders fans are now the losers.