Conveniently ignoring the p.r. fallout from Leslie Grantham’s webcam escapades, an “EastEnder” executive producer compares Grantham’s return to the show with one of “Dallas” more ill-advised storylines. From the Mirror’s Mark Jefferies.
Dirty Den’s return to EastEnders five years ago did lasting damage to the soap, the show’s boss claimed yesterday.
Executive producer Diederick Santer reckons the plot, starring Leslie Grantham (above), was too much for viewers to take. He said: “There was a phase in EastEnders when it became too accelerated and a bit unbelievable. “The return of Dirty Den in 2002 says it all. “He was dead. You can’t bring him back. It’s a Bobby Ewing in the shower moment. “It undermined the show and did lasting damage.”
Santer was bought in last year to boost ratings, which hit a low of 3.9 million last summer.
He reckons the loss of several major characters are partly to blame. He said: “Two or three years ago the show lost Shane Richie, Jessie Wallace, Kacey Ainsworth and Letitia Dean. They were the heart of the show. “It can’t be underestimated what a challenge it was to have those characters move at once. I think we’re still recovering.”
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I still blame the introduction of the Ferreira family for “EastEnders” fall from public favor. Still, I remain optimistic that if “EastEnders” could serve as a launching pad for Michelle Ryan’s stateside TV success, there is still a chance the Washington Post might replace Tom Shales with Gary Bushell.