1986
These were three episodes written and directed by the co-creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland and Julia Smith. The episodes took EastEnders abroad for the very first time. This was also the first time in the programme's history that the show was not shot entirely on videotape, as a union rule at the time prevented Julia Smith taking a video crew abroad and a film crew had to be used instead. However, the Walford-based scenes in these episodes were on video as usual.
Den and Angie Watts were in Venice for a second honeymoon - after Angie tells Den she has six months to live. There, supposedly by pure coincidence, Den ran into his mistress Jan Hammond and Angie saw them together. This prompted her to take up drinking again whilst they returned home on the Orient Express.
It was on the return journey home that Den learnt Angie was lying about having six months to live when she drunkenly confessed to a barman and he overheard. She was actually perfectly fine and a furious Den planned his revenge. Weeks later, on Christmas Day, Den confronted Angie with the fact that he knew she was telling lies, and served her with the divorce papers.
The Orient Express sequence was actually shot on a specially built set in Elstree. Lampshades and props on the set were continuously "jiggled" in order to give the impression that the train was moving. The trip to Venice was fraught with problems and actors Anita Dobson (Angie), Leslie Grantham (Den) and Jane How (Jan) were hounded by the press at all times. Their photographs appeared in British newspapers, ruining the shock surprise that writer Tony Holland had created by including Den's mistress in the episode. Despite huge efforts from all involved the Venice episodes were only moderately successful.
Read more about this topic: East Enders Off Set Episodes