'EastEnders' Reality Struggle

08 February 2010

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Adam Croasdell thinks 'EastEnders' bosses are struggling to keep the show believable.

The 29-year-old actor - who has just left his role as hunky GP, Dr. Al Jenkins in the BBC One show - has spoken out about his empathy for the difficult battle scriptwriters face trying to make the fast-paced drama believable, whilst keeping the viewers entertained.

He said: "That's certainly an ongoing challenge the writers face. I think if a show is entirely real, then often the drama doesn't come as fast. So you have to keep it up with drama and then still try and base it in reality. It's a ratings thing I suppose, it's holding the audience's attention. But it could work in the opposite way, if it suddenly becomes not that realistic then everyone will say, 'Well that's not the reason why we watch 'EastEnders'. It's sort of a fine line these writers have to work on."

expect to be shocked each week.He explained:

However, Adam understands the audience "expect" to be shocked each week.

He explained: "There is the case though, that at Christmas for example, someone is going to die. In terms of the structure of the show, there does have to be these big finales, these big climaxes. I know every episode ends on a cliff-hanger already, but Christmas is the perfect time, when everyone's at home and around the TV to choose a real humdinger of an ending.

"And, as a viewer, you expect it, damn it! It's a very fine line to try and keep it fresh. Especially with how many episodes there are. It is a remarkable challenge for any writers to keep up with the sheer quality of the storylines. It's hard. You need a good producer and you need a good script editor to keep firmly on the pulse about it."

Adam has already filmed his final scenes on the show, which air later this month.

Since he left 'EastEnders', he has travelled over to Malawi with Christian relief charity World Vision to visit a young boy called Jacob - who he has been sponsoring for seven years.

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