Friday Tipped For Fourth EastEnders

The BBC plans to air a fourth weekly episode of EastEnders on Friday nights, according to press speculation.

Reports, based on a leaked memo, claim that the fourth episode of the soap will begin on Friday 10 August with the trial of Dan Sullivan, the character accused of shooting Phil Mitchell, and will be promoted by an extensive campaign made up of on air promotions and magazine and press adverts.

A spokesperson for the BBC today denied the rumours, saying: “We have not confirmed or announced anything, no date or day has been set, it is pure speculation.”

Friday nights have proved a popular spot for ITV soaps, with Emmerdale recieving about 9m viewers and Coronation Street more than 11m, but according to a recent poll carried out by Inside Soap magazine, viewers would prefer to see an extra episode of EastEnders on a Wednesday night rather than on a Friday night. 47% of those surveyed came out in favour of a Wednesday night showing, with only 23% saying they would prefer an extra episode of the soap on Friday.

The news goes against rumours that the fourth episode of the show would be scheduled for Saturday nights to compete with ITV’s new football highlights.

EastEnders is currently broadcast on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights with an omnibus edition on Sunday afternoons.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk

Subscribers can access further information on BBC and other TV stations by selecting “Television” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.