Lunchtime viewing of soaps will probably target a female audience as it fits in with their domestic routine. Whereas afternoon viewing will target a wider audience as the whole family might be watching it. This will bring in a range of audiences such as male viewer, teenagers etc.
Eastenders is a BBC production, which was first broadcast in 1985. It is watched by a third of the British population, by more women than men, and more by those in lower socio-economic groups. The characters tend to be mainly working class. In addition to women, young characters and men are given strong roles, so that the potential audience is wide. The codes and conventions of the programme emphasize the everyday life' in the inner city today' for example pubs, market stall, garages and the café. We see these locations every episode, which reinforces the idea of everyday life and also the audience needs some familiarity so that they feel that they know the characters and location in the soap. In an attempt to attract more male viewers sometimes there is a tendency to shift a little towards the genre of the crime series as for example recently a big part of the narrative is about Phil and Den planning to break into a warehouse. Entertainment is the main purpose of this soap but it also has an educational function for viewers, offering a discussion of topics of concern to them and where to go to get help by giving them phone numbers at the end of the show relating to issues being explored in the soap as for example the issue of teenage pregnancy in Vicky's case and also drug issues as in the case of Kelly or Mark being diagnosed with HIV.
Eastenders is significant in terms of both the survival of the BBC and the history of British popular television drama. The programme is set in Walford, a fictitious borough of London's East End. A lot of the action takes place in the Queen Vic that was originally run by the Watts family but now is owned by Phil Mitchell and managed by ex convict Alfie Moon.
