EastEnders axe outrages US fans

net1

Thousands of US viewers with a curious devotion to Albert Square have mounted a furious campaign against the BBC after it axed EastEnders from its American cable channel, depriving them of the chance to see the return of Dirty Den.
The soap, which has a loyal following in the US, was aired for the last time over the weekend and fans claim they were only given a day's warning of its demise.

Explaining the decision, BBC America, a joint venture between the corporation's commercial arm and Discovery Networks, said the soap continued to "underperform compared with the rest of our schedule".

EastEnders fans have been bombarding the BBC America office with letters, emails, phone calls and faxes in protest.

They claim BBC America failed to promote the soap, which is the corporation's most popular show on this side of the Atlantic, and has undermined its appeal by moving it around the schedule.

Hundreds of viewers complained last year when the soap was moved to a Friday afternoon slot to make way for lifestyle programmes such as Changing Rooms.

Furious fans inundated the BBC America website, calling for a boycott of the channel and the reinstatement of the Sunday show.

Eventually the channel agreed to move the show to Saturday afternoons.

EastEnders in the US is three to four weeks behind the UK version in terms of storylines.

It has a remarkably committed core of fans, who produce their own newsletters and websites to discuss the characters' trials and tribulations.

They have posted so many messages of protest on the channel's message board BBC America has been forced to close it down.

Liz Barron, the BBC America vice-president of programming, will take part in a live chat with fans this evening in an effort to defuse criticism.

An online petition started last week has already attracted 4,425 signatures. Many signatories have warned they will never watch the channel again and claim to be tired of watching repeats of makeover shows such as Ground Force.

"British television has so much more to offer and, once again, the powers that be at BBC America refuse to share this rich resource with American fans as well as British expats," wrote Melissa Berry, who started the petition.

"EastEnders has a wide audience across the United States. BBC America fleetingly promoted the show at one point and then decided this wasn't even worth the effort.

"How can you get positive demographics on a programme when it isn't advertised or promoted in any way?

"The US based EastEnders fans will not go down without having our voices heard - which is something the BBCA must have thought they could avoid by not warning any of us of the possibility that it was, once again, under consideration for cancellation."

Rob

Why not let the Yanks have it, but ban it here.

PaulR

Hear, Hear

Dump the junk I say

PaulR

rolfw

LOL, unfortunately there are 5 million soapaholics who would have you flooged for suggesting that.

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