EastEnders has gone from strength to strength over the past few years.
From Lucy Beale’s murder, to Shabnam’s sensitive stillbirth story, the cast and writers have been praised consistently for their amazing storylines.
But it seems as if the gripping soap could be under threat.
A government sponsored report on the viability of the BBC long-term suggested that the corporation should only create unique output that no other channel has.
Citing The Voice as an example, the Tory government raised concerns that “the BBC behaves in a commercial way, encroaching on TV genres and formats that could be served well by its commercial competitors.”
But, hitting back, BBC Bosses have warned that they would have to axe popular soap EastEnders and hit dramas like Happy Valley if the Government forces them to stop making programmes similar to commercial rivals.
The BBC said: “It does not make practical sense to say that the BBC should only make a programme if another broadcaster never would.
“That would mean that when ITV made Broadchurch, the BBC would have to stop making Happy Valley. Or it would mean that we should stop doing EastEnders because ITV does Coronation Street.”
Should the BBC be forced to stop broadcasting EastEnders? And if so should the network potentially sell it to a rival broadcaster such as Netflix or ITV rather than simply end the soap?
Would you be sad to see EastEnders come to an end?
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