EastEnders was saved by its Christmas episodes after a year of uneventful drama – here’s what bosses need to do next
With the soap's 40th anniversary coming up, we look back at the soap's most memorable live episodes
CHRISTMAS Day in Walford was explosive, but can the BBC soap keep up the momentum in 2025?
After a year of uneven pacing and some lackluster storylines, EastEnders turned the tide in spectacular fashion with its gripping Christmas episodes.
The festive episodes not only revived interest in the soap, gaining nearly 5 million viewers, but also highlighted what makes EastEnders a cultural institution.
But does the soap relies on its festive episodes to hook viewers and get them tuning in and watching as the rest of the year
2024 Storylines
The Six storyline has dragged all year around showing little or no consequences or changes to the characters involved: Stacey, Suki, Sharon, Denise, and Kathy.
With Linda, Keanu’s murder seemed like a way to revisit her alcoholic storyline.
Despite initially starting in February 2023, The Six storyline is still not over as Nish will be getting his revenge on the matriarchs of the square on New Year’s Day – will it finally be the end of the unsatisfying story?
There were also new storylines introduced this year that feel unfinished, such as Sonia being imprisoned for Debbie’s m.u.r.d.e.r and Bianca held hostage in a storage locker.
The iconic characters have not been mentioned in months and seem to be forgotten about which is crazy with the amount and history, friends and family they have on the square.
Christmas Day 2024
Many viewers complained about the predictability of the episode saying it was a “safe bet” as they felt like they were watching a repeat from Christmas Day in 2007, where Lauren Branning revealed Max and Stacey’s affair by showing footage of them on a DVD.
However, the explosive pub scenes brought an end to a year-long affair between Cindy Beale and Junior Knight.
But the consequences focused on Cindy and Ian’s marriage rather than the Knight family and the betrayal and shock of sleeping with someone in the family.
Cindy made her enemies clear after a fiery rant toward her family members, making her attack feel all too predictable.
But the festive episode was on par with previous Christmas days, featuring shocking revelations, heightened emotions and desperate actions.
Here’s what the EastEnders bosses should consider to maintain this momentum as we go into 2025.
High-Stakes Storylines That Resonate
The explosive revelations and dramatic confrontations over Christmas reminded viewers why they tune in.
To keep the audience hooked, future storylines need to strike a balance between relatable, character-driven drama and the larger-than-life twists that EastEnders does best.
Consistent Character Development
Some characters drifted into the background this year, leaving their arcs feeling incomplete or inconsistent.
The soap needs to invest in rich, layered development for fan favourites like Stacey, Sonia and Sharon.
Even newer faces, such as the new Mitchell clan, have made no real impact as they came into the soap with a very disjointed backstory and no history to any other residents in the square.
Power of Nostalgia
This year has proven that returning characters or callbacks to classic moments can provide a powerful emotional anchor for current storylines without feeling forced.
We have seen a brief return from the likes of Nigel Bates, Mickey Miller and David Wicks, where viewers have been eager to tune in to see what they have been up to.
And it is a wholesome feeling to watch them revisit their Walford home and reunite with their former friends and family.
Perhaps a storyline revisiting the Beale or Fowler family dynamics could offer nostalgia while introducing new drama.
40th anniversary
With the soap’s 40th anniversary coming up, viewers have high hopes of drama and more reunions as the BBC soap marks four decades on screen in February 2025.
They have revealed there will be a completely live episode of the BBC soap.
And in a show first, viewers have the power to control the outcome of a love story.
In this interactive element feels very fresh and modern as fans will take part in a vote during the special and the cast and crew will adapt to the answer selected by viewers.
EastEnders’ previously aired live episodes in 2009 and 2015 delivered in terms of their unexpected plot twists and viewers.
In 2009, 16 million viewers watched Bradley fall to his death off the Queen Vic roof and Stacey confess to being Archie Mitchell’s killer.
In 2015, nearly 10 million viewers watched Ian and Jane Beale get married and their son Bobby revealed as Lucy Beale’s murderer in the soap’s huge Who Killed Lucy whodunnit storyline.
But can EastEnders deliver the same gripping stories, revelations and explosive scenes in 2025?
