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EE Focus : EastEnders Credits |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 1,528
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EE Focus : EastEnders Credits
Following on from a post in a previous thread where someone moaned that we were discussing various EE ending, Ive decided to give the EastEnders Credits their own thread.
Heres a small factfile on the EastEnders Credits for you : The EE map sequence was created & designed by Alan Jeapes The EE theme was written & composed by Simon May & Leslie Osbourne The original map was created using thousands of real black & white aerial photos of London, which were pasted together onto a big board - the big bold blue River Thames was put in because you could see clearly the joins of the photographs in this area - so to hide them, Alan painted the river blue which stood out well. The traditional EE theme was Simon May's second attempt. EE creators Julia Smith & Tony Holland disliked his first idea of a theme for their programme - his second attempt, which was chosen, had everything they wanted. The EE theme was changed in 1993 to a very jazzy style. It was extremely unpopular, and lasted only 11 months - from May 1993 - April 1994, when EE went 3 nights a week. When this new jazzy music was introduced in 1993, Alan Jeapes once again took to the sky's, this time with a colour camera, to re-create the EastEnders now World famous map of London. In 1999, Alan once again re-designed the EastEnders credits to include the Millennium Dome. At the time he was taking the photo's from the air, the Dome was not built, so he was given the construction plans by Dome bosses, and created that piece on computer, along with the flowing of the River Thames. So popular was the original EE theme, in 1986, Simon May added lyrics to the tune, and Anita "Angie Watts" Dobson performed it on TOTP. Anyone Can Fall In Love made number 4 in the charts, and was released on a single with the full EE theme on the B side. There is a piano solo of the EE Theme. This is called Julia's Theme, and is called so after EE creator, the late Julia Smith. This theme has, to date, never been heard in full on screen, but snippits are often used for a sad or romantic ending. Julia's theme was also released as a B side single. In 1998, the BBC added their BBC logo to the opening credits. This was first positioned in the top left of the screen, and eventually was replaced with the BBC logo underneath the EASTENDERS logo,which we still see today. EastEnders stoped crediting the crew on weekday episodes in the mid 1990's, before this, everyone from costume design to make up were credited at the end of each episode,following this change, they were only credited on the Omnibus. Thesedays, occasionally, they may include them on a weekday episode, but they are very random, and the theme is still cut short mid flow. Kathy Beale got the greatest EastEnders Theme send off in 1998. Julia's theme was used, but was specially re-recorded before joining the tradional EE theme. EastEnders didn't use the famous "duff duffs" in 1989, when Dirty Den Watts was shot - it jumped straight to the theme. Angry with the BBC's decision to cut out the scene where we see Den fall into the canal, Julia & Tony had their names removed from the credits. Three times EastEnders have not used the theme to end the programme - in a 1995 episode celebrating VE Day, during Ethel Skinner's death in 2000, and during a Slater Girl holiday in 2001 The "duff duff" sound was only added to the opening credits in 1994. They have however, always been used on the end of most episodes. The first time the Julia's Theme end was used was on 11th Arpril 1985 - episode 16. It was heard "in full" in episode 66 on 3rd October 1985 when Den met Michelle at the canal. (In full means the EE theme version, 20seconds, not the entire Julia's theme,which has never been played in full) The look of the EE map slightly changed in 1990 when they stopped using film & opted for Video Tape. There have been 3 styles of themes used on EastEnders : 1985 - 1993 / 1993 - 1994 / 1994 - Present. Lots of EE remixes were created for EE spin off shows such as EE Revealed, A Morning With EE, EE bubbles etc.... There have been 4 styles of EE text on closing credits. For 13 years they had the text in the top left, then, during Matthew Robinson's era in 1998, the text scrolled up the screen in the centre. When John Yorke took control in 2000, they were displayed very neatly in the centre (still occasionally seen on the Omnibus) Then, BBC Bosses decided nobody actually cared about the credits or theme, and squashed them rather messy into the right hand side of the screen, playing an advert for another show on the left hand side so you can't hear the theme - which we still currently see. © Bronze Bully 2005 |
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#2 |
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Posts: n/a
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Thanks Bronze Bully I love reading your posts on here.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Trixie*
Thanks Bronze Bully I love reading your posts on here.
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#4 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cardiff, S.Wales, UK, Aged 15
Posts: 1,821
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how do you know all this?
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,745
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Philmitchell
how do you know all this?
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Here in spirit!
Posts: 9,605
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Trixie*
Thanks Bronze Bully I love reading your posts on here.
![]() That's fantastic, BB.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Philmitchell
how do you know all this?
and also got reference books at home for back up! lol
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dating D'onofrio !!
Posts: 7,269
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Blinkin Ekk
That was great, thanks so much for your great post Tina. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 11,996
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I liked the jazzy toon.
*Runs away*
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#10 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Belfast
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In the middle of the original theme (about 1:20 - 1:50), the tune is altered a little bit with a different rhythm; sounds sort of old-fashioned. Hopefully BB will know what I'm talking about.
Has this ever been used in an episode? |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dating D'onofrio !!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter30
In the middle of the original theme (about 1:20 - 1:50), the tune is altered a little bit with a different rhythm; sounds sort of old-fashioned. Hopefully BB will know what I'm talking about.
Has this ever been used in an episode?
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#12 |
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,612
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See, I liked the jazzy version too. I think a lot of the problem was (particularly in the last part), that the sax accompanyment to the tune was distracting and sort of drowned out the traditional theme. I think maybe if they had cut out that sax accompanyment...
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Wales
Posts: 2,187
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Did they use "Julia's Theme" for Zoe Slaters exit in May? - and is this what they'll use for Nana's death and 2moros episode?
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#14 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cardiff, S.Wales, UK, Aged 15
Posts: 1,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bronze bully
I've studied the history of EastEnders for many years as a hobbie, and specialise in 1985 - 1995 mainly, but know a fair bit about the past 22 years (including the creation etc) - keep most of it filed in my head
and also got reference books at home for back up! lol |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kent, United Kingdom
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I think it's time for an update to the EE opening titles. I wouldn't change the theme tune just the title sequence. I think they should keep the River Thames map as a background sequence but introduce various London landmarks of the East End to appear in the foreground. For example, landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the Millennium Dome and Thames Barrier could all fade in and out of the foreground. Inbetween these famous landmarks they could have Walford landmarks appear such as The Queen Vic and the Albert Square street sign. I just think that this will bring a simple yet fresh new look to the show without getting rid of the much loved map sequence or theme tune.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 18,069
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No, I hate the idea of having London landmarks in the titles! It's bad enough seeing the overhead of London, because they never leave the Square! which doesn't even exist in London anyway!! There should be a map but just with the few names on it that exist in EE land, such as the Square (obviously), the Allotments, Up West, the Imperial Rooms (Dalton's club) etc. then with Brighton at the bottom and Manchester at the top.
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Belfast
Posts: 5,622
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robjames69
Did they use "Julia's Theme" for Zoe Slaters exit in May? - and is this what they'll use for Nana's death and 2moros episode?
Not sure about tonight's episode, but my guess would be that they will use a different tune altogether, such as wartime music or something. |
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and also got reference books at home for back up! lol
*Runs away*