BBC Elstree Production History Makes EastEnders Part Of A Bigger Television Story

EastEnders is one of the best known programmes made at BBC Elstree, but the site’s production history goes back long before Albert Square appeared on screen. The Elstree site has been part of British film and television history for more than a century, making it an important heritage location as well as a working drama base.

The site originally opened as a film studio in 1914. It was later converted for television use in 1960 and became an important production base before the BBC bought it in 1984. After that purchase, the backlot became the home of Albert Square, with EastEnders first airing in February 1985.

The original Albert Square set was built in 1984 and was only intended to last for two years. Instead, it remained in use for around 34 years. That long lifespan made the set one of the most familiar locations in British soap, but it also meant that major replacement work eventually became unavoidable.

Construction of Albert Square began after the BBC purchased the Elstree backlot in January 1984. Designer Keith Harris oversaw the original build, with the set based on research into real East End locations. That research helped create the look of Walford and gave the new soap a believable London identity from the beginning.

That timeline makes EastEnders part of a much bigger production story. The soap did not appear in an isolated space. It was built at a site that had already played a major role in British screen production. Elstree’s history includes film, television drama, entertainment programmes and long running studio work.

The BBC Elstree Centre gave EastEnders what it needed from the start. It offered a permanent production base with room for a fictional community, an exterior set and supporting studio facilities. This allowed the programme to create a consistent world that could appear on screen several times a week.

The E20 project later became a major part of the site’s modern history. The first business case was developed in 2013, with the scope revised in 2015. Construction of the new set began in 2018, and the completion forecast moved to 2023 after delays from the original timetable.

The E20 rebuild replaced the ageing original set with a more durable version of Walford. The new set used full brick structures rather than the older facade approach, helping support high definition filming and giving the production more space and flexibility.

That rebuild shows how production needs have changed since EastEnders began. The original set was designed in the early 1980s for a very different television environment. By the time the new set was built, the programme needed infrastructure that could support modern cameras, picture quality, safety requirements and continuing drama production.

The Elstree story is also important because Borehamwood and the surrounding area have become strongly associated with British television. EastEnders sits within that wider screen production landscape rather than standing alone.

In 2024, the BBC sold the Elstree Centre site, but EastEnders continued to be associated with the location. That means the site remains a key part of Walford’s production story.

BBC Elstree matters because of its long film and television history, and because EastEnders has been made there since the soap began. It explains not only where Walford is filmed, but why the site matters to British television.