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In May 1993 a new version of the EastEnders theme was introduced. It didn’t go down well with viewers – apparently – and was ditched just under a year later. And with the new theme came a new version of the opening titles.
Video content
[00:00:00] IDENT: Mrs Hewitt is sailing close to the wind, apparently, in EastEnders. Don’t remember her? She was the one who had the affair with Arthur Fowler. Who’s Arthur Fowler? Never mind.
[00:00:04] PROGRAMME: these titles were introduced on 11th May 1993 and were the first update to the programme’s opening sequence since its launch in February 1985.
The biggest impact with viewers was the introduction of a jazzier version of the theme tune. The BBC received a lot of negative feedback about the updated music.
As with the original titles design, Alan Jeapes was also responsible for this revamp. Simon May (the composer of the original theme tune) also produced this updated version.
Although the visuals lived on for a number of years (until September 1999 in fact), the theme tune was replaced by an updated version of the original on 11th April 1994.
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: EastEnders opening titles. COPYRIGHT: BBC.
Slight correction – the original EastEnders theme tune didn’t have the drum beats at the start of the opening titles, they only appeared at the end of the programme (aka the ‘doof doofs’). It was only when this theme was ditched and a new arrangement of the original theme was used that they started putting the drumbeat on the opening titles too.
Quite right VMPhil. Thanks for pointing out the error. We’ve updated the page accordingly.