EastEnders Spin-Offs You May Not Know About
Having been on the air for nearly four decades (via BBC), "EastEnders" has become a part of daily British life. Whether you watch the soap opera or not, Brits across the country will be familiar with the London borough of Walford and Albert Square, not to mention the Queen Vic and its patrons.
With over 5,000 episodes (and counting), the soap opera continues to draw millions of viewers from Monday to Thursday (via Entertainment Daily). Now and again, the showrunners like to treat "EastEnders" fans with memorable episodes. Most recently, Albert Square's residents received a warm welcome from Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee (via The Guardian).
Outside of royalty and other celebrity appearances (like Boris Johnson's cameo), "EastEnders" has given some of its most beloved characters special attention over the years to the point where they were given their own spin-off. While none have gone on to match the success of "EastEnders," you'd be surprised to know how many spin-offs there actually are.
Kat and Alfie Moon were in a six-part miniseries set in Ireland
In May 2017, "EastEnders" producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins created the show's first major spin-off. Running for six episodes, "Kat & Alfie: Red Water" followed Kathleen and Alfie Moon (played by Jessica Wallace and Shane Richie) in the fictional town of Redwater, Ireland, as they searched for Kat's long-lost son (via BBC One). Despite ending on a major cliffhanger with both Kat and Alfie's lives in the balance, "Redwater" only lasted for one series.
With viewers left to believe that Kat and Alfie had been killed off, a spokesperson for the BBC said that "to increase the range of new original drama on BBC One," the series wouldn't be renewed (via Digital Spy). Thankfully, the two "EastEnders" favorites did survive and went on to provide its viewers with even more drama, so much so that their story was expanded further on an episode of "EastEnders: The Podcast," a monthly audio drama that gives viewers extra info on the soap opera's characters (via BBC Sounds).
Kim Fox was in an exclusive online series about being an influencer
First appearing on "EastEnders" in 2009, Kim Fox (played by Tameka Empson) quickly became one of Albert Square's most prominent characters, so much so that in 2022 the BBC debuted a nine-part digital series on YouTube and Facebook that focused on her makeover business. Aptly titled "The Kimfluencer," the online exclusive sees Kim attempt to become a social media influencer by trying viral trends and challenges to entertain her "fox cubbies" (via Daily Mail).
Produced in a studio under her salon, "The Kimfluencer" featured appearances from beloved characters like Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), Kim's sister Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), and Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley). Empson said she was "a lucky girl" to play Kim, describing the character as "funny, loving, strong, sensitive, [and] independent ... who is always trying to be the best she can be."
Kim Fox was in more than one spin-off
"The Kimfluencer" wasn't the first time Kim Fox had her own spin-off on "EastEnders." In October 2012, the BBC commissioned a four-episode online series focusing on one of Fox's earlier businesses — her B&B, otherwise known as "Kim's Palace." Written by Tameka Empson, the mockumentary saw a camera crew film the day to day runnings of Fox's B&B (via Digital Spy).
Characters like Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) also had their own web shows, with Lauren's taking the form of a vlog (via BBC One) and Tamwar's consisting of a few comedy shorts about his life as an assistant market inspector.
Aside from character studies, the first major "EastEnders" spin-off to exclusively air online was "EastEnders: E20." Starting in 2010 and airing for three seasons, the series focused solely on the teens living in Albert Square (via The Guardian), including Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny), Leon Small (Sam Attwater), Fatboy (Ricky Norwood), Donnie Lester (Samuell Benta), Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen), and Sol Levi (Tosin Cole).
One of EastEnders' most popular couples had their own DVD special
Before the internet became an integral part of the fictional world of "EastEnders," some spin-offs were exclusively available on videotape and DVD. One such special was "The Mitchells — Naked Truths" (via Memorable TV), which focused on Phil and Grant Mitchell (played by Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp). Released in 1998, the two-episode special gave more backstory to the often feuding brothers.
"Last Tango in Walford" was a spin-off exclusively available on DVD (via Cinema Paradiso), featuring one of the soap's most recognizable couples — Ricky and Bianca Butcher (Sid Owen and Patsy Palmer). The episode, released in 2010, saw the couple's kids — Tiffany (Maisie Smith) and Liam (James Forde) — film a video diary of their family as a wedding gift for their parents. It also included throwback clips of their relationship like their first scene together in 1993 (via YouTube).
EastEnders has also experienced a couple of crossovers
Aside from the numerous spin-offs, two notable occasions in "EastEnders" history saw the soap opera collaborate with other well-known British shows. In 1993, the one-off special "Dimensions in Time" aired in support of the children's charity "Children in Need" (via Den of Geek). Initially planned as a celebratory episode for "Doctor Who's" 30th anniversary, the BBC decided to create a two-part episode in 3D. However, according to Den of Geek, the episode took place outside the show's storyline and isn't considered canon in either "EastEnders" or "Doctor Who."
One crossover that is considered to be canon is "East Street" — a collaboration with another one of Britain's most popular soaps, "Coronation Street" (via The Sun). Again filmed as a special for "Children in Need," soap opera fans were delighted to see their favorite characters from each show collide and talk to one another.