Television
Several EastEnders spin-off episodes have been produced, which look at the history of some of the characters using flashbacks. They are often a lead up for a character's return to the show or follow characters who have departed from the show in an overseas setting. These spin-offs are usually set outside the usual location of Albert Square. The first of these was Civvy Street, which aired in December 1988. It was set in Albert Square during World War II and featured younger versions of some of the soap's characters. Other episodes include Dot's Story, Perfectly Frank, Ricky & Bianca, Pat and Mo and The Return of Nick Cotton.
Documentaries have also been produced, particularly for the 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries of the show looking back at the history of the show's inception, its characters and storylines. A behind-the-scenes documentary, EastEnders Revealed, aired regularly on BBC Choice and continued on BBC Three after the closure of BBC Choice. The first episode was in October 1999 and the show continued regularly until October 2005, with a few episodes still being made after this. A series of documentary shows, similar to EastEnders Revealed aired from 2006. EastEnders Xtra was an interactive series available between February and May 2005 via BBCi.
There have also been two EastEnders Christmas specials, and two charity specials: Dimensions in Time was a crossover with the science fiction series Doctor Who, and Pudding Lane relocated the characters to Pudding Lane in 1666. Both charity specials were made for Children in Need and neither are considered canon.
Read more about this topic: East Enders Spin-offs
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