By Patrick Cremona

Published: Tuesday, 22 February 2022 at 12:00 am

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EastEnders has confirmed that scheduling changes to its broadcast pattern will come into effect in March.

Starting from next month, the soap will no longer air on Friday nights, but will instead be shown every evening from Monday to Thursday in the 7:30pm slot.

This means that it will be the first time in EastEnders history that it has aired regularly on Wednesday nights, with the new schedule beginning the week commencing 7th March.

There is also a change to the broadcast pattern of Doctors, which will now be repeated at 7pm on Mondays to Thursdays on BBC Two in addition to its usual daytime slot.

Speaking about the changes, BBC Studios’ continuing drama chief Kate Oates said she was “delighted” at the new regular time slots.

“Both shows have a loyal following; and this new simplified schedule means it’s even easier for viewers to get their fix, as well as being able to watch whenever and wherever they choose on iPlayer,” she said.

“A 7pm time slot gives a whole new audience chance to enjoy the drama in Letherbridge, while EastEnders’ new 7:30pm slot begins with a hugely exciting week, as killer Gray Atkins is finally exposed…”

It’s the second big change regarding EastEnders to have been announced in recent weeks, with BBC Three revealing last month that it would begin showing repeats of the soap at weekends.

Meanwhile, there will also be key changes made to the broadcasting pattern of ITV soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street, with the channel announcing in January that it was to bring in new “super soap” scheduling.

These changes will see the two soaps air back-to-back, with Corrie airing hour-long episodes from 8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Emmerdale now moving into a consistent 7:30pm slot.

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