EastEnders’ former chief doesn’t think the soap is "massively watchable" anymore.
Diederick Santer – who produced the previously-popular show from 2006 until 2010 – can understand why viewers have stopped tuning in to the programme in recent months because the storylines haven’t been very gripping and, although executive producer Sean O’Connor quit two months ago over plummeting ratings, he still thinks he’s a "brilliant" talent.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he’s quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: "I think that it has not been brilliant in the last few months. I think Sean O’Connor is a brilliant producer who did brilliant work at the ‘Archers’. I don’t really know what has gone on but I have not found it massively watchable in recent months. But it is cyclical. It’s about balance. It always has to walk a line and this is where I think it has gone the wrong way lately.
"It has to walk the line between social realism and stuff that is exciting, stuff that grips you and makes you gasp – and you have to tune tomorrow to see it.
"You don’t want to see it on iPlayer; you want to see it live. Maybe that is what it has lacked just lately, finding a sort of a universality and a scale in those everyday stories."
But bosses are no doubt hoping that the show will start to pick up again now that they’ve called in John Yorke – who previously worked on the show from 1999 until 2002 – to replace Sean.
And the acclaimed producer is already planning to screen the death of a lead character, a family abuse plot and even a shooting in a bid to resurrect the viewing figures.
Although not much is known about the forthcoming storylines, it’s believed a huge gas explosion will tear through Walford later this year and claim the life of a fan favourite.
A source said recently: "It’s a bold stunt and has taken months of planning. It’ll trigger a load of other storylines off the back of it, but the explosion itself will be a major talking point.
"Viewers will be left wondering whether it was set off on purpose or by accident, and bosses are staying tight-lipped about who will die but at least one is looking like they will. Fans will be hoping it’s not one of their favourites who is being killed off."
And the disaster will also expose Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) conniving plan to get his own back on everyone who has disobeyed him over the years.
Former EastEnders chief slams non-watchable soap
