Episode 6550
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Episode 6550" of the British television soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' was broadcast in the United Kingdom on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
on 5 September 2022. The episode was directed by Toby Frow and written by
Simon Ashdown Simon Ashdown is a British television writer, best known as being a BAFTA award-nominated ''EastEnders'' writer. Career From 1995 to 2013, Ashdown was series consultant and lead writer on ''EastEnders''. He was involved in the creation of the Sl ...
. It takes the form of a flashback episode, set in both the present and in January 1979, and explores the reason for DCI Samantha Keeble's vendetta against the
Mitchell family The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the UK soap opera ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil ( Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp) bought the local garage, the Arches. Their siste ...
. The episode was first announced in July 2022, when it was reported that
Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...
, who had previously portrayed a young
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
in the 2017 biopic film '' Babs'', would appear as Peggy. The episode also featured the first on-screen appearance of Peggy's husband,
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...
, as well as other members of the Mitchell family. The episode won praise among critics and viewers alike, with viewers calling for further flashback episodes to be made. Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw signalled his interest in making further flashback episodes. On 13 February 2025, Delaney, Winstone, Russo, Jay and Murphy returned as Young Phil, Peggy, Eric, Grant and Sam respectively (as their 1985 counterparts) for a one off episode as hallucinations of Phil Mitchell.


Plot

DCI Samantha Keeble ( Alison Newman) meets with
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
) in her car. Keeble tells Phil that she wants him to inform on his cousin
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
(
Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television Fenwick's first regular television rol ...
), to which Phil refuses to do so. In January 1979, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
is in the grip of the
Winter of Discontent The Winter of Discontent was the period between late September 1978 and February 1979 in the United Kingdom characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits Prime ...
, and
the Mitchells The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the UK soap opera ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) bought the local garage, the Arches. Their sister ...
are living in the London district of
Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains throu ...
. As the family eat dinner, patriarch Eric Mitchell (
George Russo George Russo is a British actor, screenwriter and producer. Early life and education Russo was born and raised in London. Russo trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. In 2005, he took time away from acting to concentrate on a ...
) learns that Phil (Daniel Delaney) has found a job as a garage mechanic and is furious. He also tries to dissuade Phil's brother Grant (Teddy Jay) from his wish to join the
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...
, telling them both they should do a real job and he is going to give them some "work experience". He leaves his wife Peggy (
Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...
) at home with their young daughter Sam (Laila Murphy) and forces Phil and Grant to join him in an armed robbery at a warehouse alongside his cousin
Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...
(Dean Roberts), and his sons Charlie (Charlie Heptinstall) and Billy (George Greenland). When Peggy objects to his actions, Eric assaults her. While Eric and the boys are away, Peggy is visited by Eric's brother
Archie Archie or Archy is a given name, almost exclusively masculine, and a diminutive of Archibald, which is derived from the Germanic ''ercan'', meaning “ genuine”, and ''bald'', meaning “ bold.” It has been in use as an independent given nam ...
( Henry Garrett), his wife Glenda ( Rose Reynolds), and their two young daughters
Ronnie Ronnie may refer to: *Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by FreakBob Gaudio and Bob Crewe * "Ronnie" (Metallica song), a song from the Metallica album ''Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an associ ...
(Lucia De Wan) and Roxy (Elodie De Rohan Willner). Archie and Peggy have a conversation before he leaves for the evening to meet with a mistress, and it is suggested there is some mutual attraction between him and Peggy. Peggy and Glenda then talk in the kitchen, sharing a drink and discussing their husbands, while their children play in the front room. However, Peggy furiously scolds Ronnie and Roxy after they encourage Sam to draw on the wallpaper, leading to an argument between her and Glenda, which ends with Peggy ejecting her sister-in-law. At the warehouse, Eric and the boys steal video recorders when they are caught by a security guard (
Christopher Pizzey Christopher Pizzey (born 23 December 1976) is a British actor and comedian from London, best known for playing Mr. Stephen in the CBBC series '' The Basil Brush Show''. Early life Pizzey was born and raised in London and graduated from the Ros ...
). Billy falls from a ladder while trying to steal a
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
package before Eric orders everyone to leave and abandon him. However, Phil and Grant decide to save Billy, leading to Phil holding the security guard at gunpoint while Stephen and Charlie leave. Eric attempts to goad Phil into shooting the security guard with the words " Let him have it!", but the guard pleads with Phil, telling him he has a young daughter. When Phil cannot bring himself to pull the trigger, a frustrated Eric takes the gun from him, orders the others to leave and then shoots the security guard dead. Phil later confronts Eric about the shooting. When he, Grant and Eric return home, Eric threatens to beat Phil with a belt for challenging him. Peggy, having had enough of his abuse, grabs a knife and threatens him. Eric turns his abuse on Peggy and attacks her; enraged, Phil attacks Eric, ultimately overpowering him before threatening to kill him if he harms Peggy again. Back in the present, Keeble reveals to Phil that the security guard that Eric killed that night was her father, Malcolm. She once again orders Phil to inform on Billy, warning him he will go back to prison if he does not do so.


Cast

*
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
as
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
** Daniel Delaney as young Phil Mitchell * Alison Newman as DCI Samantha Keeble ** Phoebe Rose Gordon as young Samantha Keeble * Teddy Jay as Grant Mitchell * Laila Murphy as Sam Mitchell *
Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...
as
Peggy Mitchell Peggy Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. Peggy was rein ...
*
George Russo George Russo is a British actor, screenwriter and producer. Early life and education Russo was born and raised in London. Russo trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. In 2005, he took time away from acting to concentrate on a ...
as Eric Mitchell * George Greenland as
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
* Charlie Heptinstall as Charlie Mitchell * Dean Roberts as Stephen Mitchell * Henry Garrett as
Archie Mitchell Archie Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990—and became the show ...
* Rose Reynolds as Glenda Mitchell * Lucia De Wan as
Ronnie Mitchell Ronnie Mitchell (also Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 200 ...
* Elodie De Rohan Willner as
Roxy Mitchell Roxy Mitchell (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rita Simons.Christopher Pizzey Christopher Pizzey (born 23 December 1976) is a British actor and comedian from London, best known for playing Mr. Stephen in the CBBC series '' The Basil Brush Show''. Early life Pizzey was born and raised in London and graduated from the Ros ...
as
Malcolm Keeble ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
* David Ajayi as police officer * Lizzie Grace as Mrs Keeble


Announcement

Details of the episode were first announced on 26 July 2022, when it was revealed that a flashback episode taking place in 1979 and featuring a younger version of
Peggy Mitchell Peggy Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. Peggy was rein ...
would air in the autumn, with
Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...
having been chosen to play the part of Peggy. The character had first been introduced in 1991, when she was played for a few episodes by
Jo Warne Josephine Margaret Warne (2 January 1938 – 13 January 2017), better known as Jo Warne, was an English actress, who briefly played Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', making her first appearance on 30 April 1991. She appeared i ...
, before
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
played the role from 1994 to 2016. Winstone played Windsor in the 2017 BBC biopic '' Babs'', portraying the actress in her 20s and 30s. It was reported the episode would explore some of the
Mitchell family The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the UK soap opera ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil ( Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp) bought the local garage, the Arches. Their siste ...
's history, and Winstone spoke of her delight at being chosen to play the role of Peggy: "It's been such an honour to step into Peggy Mitchell's shoes for the first time, and into Barbara's shoes for the second time". The episode would also feature the first onscreen appearance of Peggy's husband, Eric Mitchell, who would be portrayed by
George Russo George Russo is a British actor, screenwriter and producer. Early life and education Russo was born and raised in London. Russo trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. In 2005, he took time away from acting to concentrate on a ...
, as well as other previously unseen family members, and take place in early 1979, against the backdrop of the
Winter of Discontent The Winter of Discontent was the period between late September 1978 and February 1979 in the United Kingdom characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits Prime ...
, where "clues to hils present" would "undoubtedly be revealed". Winstone said that Windsor, who died in 2020, was happy with her selection for ''Babs'', telling her, "You're more me than me but you've got to make this your own", but spoke of feeling intimidated by the thought of playing the younger version of Peggy. She ultimately decided to accept the part after seeing a "beautiful blonde butterfly knocking around my garden for a couple of days" while considering whether to take on the role, and feeling this was Windsor signalling her approval. Speaking about his role as Eric Mitchell, Russo described how he connected with the character: "I try and find a piece of music that sort of encapsulates the character so that when you listen to the music it can put you in that mind frame and put you into the characters quickly. I listen to a few pieces of music, the main one was
Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, based on material composed by Gordon Jenkins. Written in 1953, it was first recorded and released as a single in 1955, and later included on his debut studio album ''John ...
by
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
." A preview image of the Mitchells in 1979 was released on 24 August, while it was also confirmed the episode would air on Monday 5 September at 7:30pm, on BBC One and
BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
. Further pictures from the episode were released on 4 September, along with a brief outline of the plot.


Reception

Writing in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', Michael Hogal gave the episode four out of five stars, and described it as "a pacy caper" that was "
Life On Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no conclusive evidence of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that ...
meets kitchen-sink drama, sensitively weaving together past and present". He praised Winstone's Peggy Mitchell, saying "within just half an hour, she made the character her own – respectfully nodding to Windsor's incarnation but succeeding on its own terms". He also described Delaney's portrayal of Phil as "terrific", but questioned why Keeble would seek her revenge against Billy rather than Phil himself, suggesting it was an aspect of the story that "wasn't clearly explained" in the episode (the following day's episode revealed that Billy had procured the gun which was used in the robbery). Winstone's Peggy was also praised by Caroline Frost, writing in the ''i'' newspaper, describing her as having "brought a subtle nuance to her portrayal bringing out the softer layers in the character that the older woman had presumably buried in the years since". Laura Denby, writing in ''
The Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' also praised the episode, saying it had "surpassed all expectations, covering far more than just DCI Keeble's vendetta against the Mitchells and paving the way for more trips down memory lane". She noted Delaney's likeness to Steve McFadden's Phil, who "delivered a stunning character study". In the ''
Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
'', Soaps Editor Duncan Lindsay felt that "the beauty of the episode was in the fact that you could watch it without being up to date with EastEnders, and be drawn in and able to follow it", and wondered why the idea of exploring characters' back stories had not been done before: "in the same breath as I applaud the ingenuity of this episode’s concept and execution, I wonder why it has taken so long. It is setting a very interesting precedent for soap as a whole and one which could be a game changer for the better." The episode proved to be popular with viewers, many of who took to social media to congratulate the producers for their choice of actors. In particular, Delaney's portrayal of Phil won praise, with one viewer writing that his "mannerisms are spot on. Grant & Peggy too. Great acting". Following the positive comments, Winstone thanked viewers on her
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account: "Thank you for all your lovely messages, I am truly honoured to play such an iconic character Peggy Mitchell. This was such a special and emotional job for me. Barbara opened many doors for actresses like me and I’m eternally grateful to have known her and witness her magic, here’s to you, Barbara Windsor." The ''Radio Times'' conducted a poll asking viewers if they would like to see further flashback episodes, with 71.6 per cent of responders saying they would. ''EastEnders'' Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw has spoken of his interest in doing further flashback episodes. Figures compiled by the
Broadcasters' Audience Research Board Barb Audiences Ltd (formerly Broadcasters Audience Research Board) is a British organisation that compiles audience measurement and television ratings in the United Kingdom. It was created in 1981 to replace two previous systems whereby ITV (T ...
(BARB) indicated the episode had been watched by 3.98 million viewers.


References


External links

* {{EastEnders, state=collapsed
6550 Tung-Sol was an American manufacturer of electronics, mainly Lamp (electrical component), lamps and vacuum tubes. History In 1904, the company started as a small business in New York City, with Harvey Wilson Harper and two brothers, Herbert E. ...
6550 Tung-Sol was an American manufacturer of electronics, mainly Lamp (electrical component), lamps and vacuum tubes. History In 1904, the company started as a small business in New York City, with Harvey Wilson Harper and two brothers, Herbert E. ...
Television episodes set in the 1970s Television episodes set in the 2020s Fiction set in 1979 Fiction set in 2022 Television episodes about murder Television episodes about domestic violence Television episodes about theft