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EastEnders: Work with Comic Relief. (Spoiler)

10 January 2011 12:03 AM

Please Note; this post is a EastEnders spoiler; if you don’t want to know details of future storylines you may decide it’s best to stop reading!

As part of an upcoming storyline EastEnders is working alongside Comic Relief to tackle a problem that is faced by young women in the UK today – sexual exploitation.

Over the coming weeks, with her stepmother Bianca absent and with no-one else around, Whitney’s life takes a downward spiral. Alone and and vulnerable she falls for the charms of an unscrupulous man who ultimately sexually exploits her for his own financial gain.

In line with it’s long tradition of tackling social issues, EastEnders has been working alongside Comic Relief since last year to devise a storyline that explores a growing problem that faces many young women in the UK. The issue is one that the charity has been working on for a number of years, both in terms of funding projects that help those who have been subjected to this devastating experience and raising awareness of the issue.

The storyline will culminate in a special ten minute episode which is being featured as part of Comic Relief’s Night of TV on Friday 18th March.

Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief, said:
“It is vital that we continue to alert young people to the dangers if we are to stop them being exploited and the opportunity to work with EastEnders will make a huge audience aware of this issue. We have been working with the Eastenders script writers and some of the young women from projects we support to ensure the story reflects the reality of young people caught up in sexual exploitation.”

Kevin Cahill, Chief Executive of Comic Relief, said:
“We have worked over many years with EastEnders in all kinds of ways. It’s been a real pleasure this year to work together on a piece of serious drama, in the best traditions of public service, which will highlight an important issue and also, because it occurs on the night of Comic Relief, actually help raise crucial funds to help young women caught up in it.”

source: Official EastEnders Blog

Stacey Branning – does she die?!

24 December 2010 5:03 PM

Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) on roof of the new Queen Vic!

It looks like Stacey Branning is about to kiss goodbye to Eastenders in a death plunge from the roof of The Queen Vic from this snap doesn’t it? But does she jump? Does she fall? Is she pushed? Is she persuaded to back away from the edge? Soooo… many questions!

*Dermot O’Leary voice* 8pm tomorrow night people. 8pm. And all will be revealed.

It’s a humdinger of an Eastenders Christmas Special, that’s for sure though, with Stacey Branning (played by Lacey Turner) being backed into a corner – or rooftop, rather – by a vengeful Janine Malloy (played by Charlie Brooks), out for blood after her husband Ryan runs off to be with Stacey. Janine threatening to reveal that Stacey Branning killed Archie Mitchell last Christmas!

It’s the same rooftop, of course, that Stacey’s own husband, Bradley, fell to his death from back in February, during the live episode, when we first found out that Stacey was Archie Mitchell’s killer. And now here we are again above Albert Square, with single mum Stacey teetering on the edge. But does she die?

Well, as you already know, 22-year-old Lacey Turner does leave Eastenders tomorrow night, but whether it’s in handcuffs or a coffin… you’re just going to have to watch the Eastenders Christmas Day Special to find out. Seriously, we couldn’t ruin a Christmas surprise like that for you now, could we?

Source: heatworld.com, By HeartWorld.

EastEnders’ baby death scenes toned down

24 December 2010 4:55 PM

Trauma … Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) is distraught after the death of her baby son James

bosses have toned down harrowing cot death scenes from the soap’s shocking New Year’s storyline to avoid upsetting viewers.

Programme chiefs admitted they made edits to some of the most traumatic scenes which see Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) lose her day-old baby James.

The desperate mum then swaps her baby’s body with Kat Moon’s (Jessie Wallace) new-born, Tommy, and passes him off as her own.

Soap bosses decided some of the scenes needed to be cut after a preview screening of the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day episodes.

A scene showing a distraught Ronnie touching the cold hand of her dead son was axed to avoid distressing soap fans.

Producers also toned down the sound of Kat’s baby crying which attracts Ronnie’s attention as she clutches her lifeless son in Albert Square.
Devastated … Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) is comforted by Alfie (Shane Ritchie) after Ronnie swaps her dead child for Kat’s new-born, Tommy.

A scene showing new mum Kat in blood-soaked pyjamas after husband Alfie Moon (Shane Ritchie) finds her haemorrhaging in her bed was also changed.

Bryan added: “These are small edits which we have made being mindful of viewer sensitivity but which will in no way detract from the compelling drama, dialogue or performances.”

The soap has worked with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) to ensure the story is portrayed accurately.

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