EastEnders' new £87 million set will allow for more car and foot chases in Albert Square.
EastEnders' new set will allow for more car and foot chases in Albert Square
BBC bosses have told how the new set at Elstree, Hertfordshire, will allow for much more storyline "flexibility", which will lead to more action sequences being shot on the soap.
Director Richard Lynn told the Radio Times magazine: "Chase scenes on the old lot would inevitably have gone in one direction only, because there were so many dead ends.
"There is much more flexibility now – more places for the goodies to hide and the baddies to come together.
"I’d really like to do a foot chase in the alleys or back gardens."
Production manager Rona McKendrick revealed there will be an 'EastEnders' car chase just four episodes into the new set's usage later this month.
She said: "In the fourth episode, there’s a chase sequence – to show off as much of the new area as we possibly can."
Rona also admitted the old set had to be updated due to safety fears.
She added: "The lot got shabbier and shabbier.
"Once the rain and the wind got in, it really started degrading. In recent years, it became unsafe in winds – you could see the chimneys wobbling."
Filming began on the new set in January, after the old Albert Square - which was built in 1984 with an intention to be used for two years – was no longer fit for purpose.
The BBC said at the time: "The investment in the BBC’s longest-running TV serial drama and wider BBC Elstree Centre enables improved HD for our audiences and enhanced filming options.
"'EastEnders' production are now able to explore new areas on screen and writers, producers and directors have greater freedom to drive further creativity."
This comes after the BBC recently confirmed 'EastEnders' will air Monday to Thursdays at 7.30pm from March 7th as part of its new schedule.