US fans save 'Enders from axe

Post by **Skylace** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:01 pm

American EastEnders fans toasted their success yesterday after salvaging the soap from being axed by US TV executives.

Public TV station WETA-TV in Washington DC threatened to pull the plug on the Walford-based soap due to acquisition costs, prompting Judith Hallett, a University of Maryland professor and Michael Gordon, a local lawyer, to start a campaign in a bid to save the show.

The broadcaster marked up the cost for two years' air time at $50,000 and were surprised when campaigners presented 143 cheques totalling $52,504 - just over £26,000.

Mary Stewart, WETA's vice president of external affairs, said: "It’s an amazing group who really rallied to save what they care about."

EastEnders launched in the US in 1988 and, at its peak, broadcast on more than 50 PBS-affiliated stations - a number which has now reduced to a mere nine.
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If only something like this had happened on BBCA! Of course, if it had, I wouldn't have found the couch!

So no complaints

Post by **faceless** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:11 pm

fecking hell - 143 people would pay $50000 for Eastenders between them? I need to spread my wings a bit...

Post by **Skylace** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:35 pm

faceless wrote:fecking hell - 143 people would pay $50000 for Eastenders between them? I need to spread my wings a bit...

You'd be able to get more than your pint!

Post by **eefanincan** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:26 am

Skylace wrote:
faceless wrote:fecking hell - 143 people would pay $50000 for Eastenders between them? I need to spread my wings a bit...
You'd be able to get more than your pint!

How true! It could be quite the little enterprise for you, Face.

Kezza · Post by **Kezza** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:52 am

I'm quite proud of WETA listening to their viewers -- doesn't happen often in TV Land, does it?

Post by **Skylace** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:17 am

It really doesn't Kezza. Lord know BBCA didn't. I still remember they gave no warning really either. Just announced during the last omnibus that it was the last Sunday.

pirtybirdy · Post by **pirtybirdy** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:37 am

Skylace wrote:It really doesn't Kezza. Lord know BBCA didn't. I still remember they gave no warning really either. Just announced during the last omnibus that it was the last Sunday.

I'll never forget that day either Skylace. Just like a hard blow to the soft and sensitives. No warning. Just before the big return of Dirty Den. BBCA did the dirty on us Americans and expats, that's for sure. I'm still bitter about it to this day after all these years. Bastards!

Post by **Skylace** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:49 pm

pirtybirdy wrote:
Skylace wrote:It really doesn't Kezza. Lord know BBCA didn't. I still remember they gave no warning really either. Just announced during the last omnibus that it was the last Sunday.
I'll never forget that day either Skylace. Just like a hard blow to the soft and sensitives. No warning. Just before the big return of Dirty Den. BBCA did the dirty on us Americans and expats, that's for sure. I'm still bitter about it to this day after all these years. Bastards!

Same here. It was just terrible the way they did it. Especially when they kept moving the show around to begin with and not giving it a proper time slot.

However, I am grateful in a lot of ways because I am at the couch now because of it!

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:49 am

That's pretty impressive....but anyone remember what happened to the US knock off of enders that they set in Chicago a couple years ago?

Kezza · Post by **Kezza** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:05 am

Skylace wrote:
pirtybirdy wrote:
Skylace wrote:It really doesn't Kezza. Lord know BBCA didn't. I still remember they gave no warning really either. Just announced during the last omnibus that it was the last Sunday.
I'll never forget that day either Skylace. Just like a hard blow to the soft and sensitives. No warning. Just before the big return of Dirty Den. BBCA did the dirty on us Americans and expats, that's for sure. I'm still bitter about it to this day after all these years. Bastards!
Same here. It was just terrible the way they did it. Especially when they kept moving the show around to begin with and not giving it a proper time slot.

However, I am grateful in a lot of ways because I am at the couch now because of it!

OMG, I remember "Black Saturday" as well. Right in the middle of the omnibus, there was an announcement that "this will be the last episode of EE on BBCA". I remember being so upset and angry. But as luck would have it, I turned to the Internet, and eventually found a soft place to land here on the Couch. I am so thankful to the folks in the UK (e.g. Face The Ace) who work so hard to continue to provide EE to us.

I still boycott BBC America to this very day, the SWINE!!!!

Lostinthestates · Post by **Lostinthestates** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:28 pm

Hi,
I was just wandering how all of you expats were able to watch Eastenders. The only Eastenders I have seen on telly here in America was on WETA but the episodes were 5 years old :-) Also I have managed to see some shows on GUBA but otherwise I am at a loss. Can anyone help me?

Post by **faceless** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:36 pm

once you've been posting for a few days you may be able to see extra sections...

I'll say no more about it here as this is public.

Lostinthestates · Post by **Lostinthestates** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:38 pm

Thanks for that :-) Will keep on posting!