When EastEnders fans sat down to watch the first episode of the anniversary week last night, they received a surprise when they spotted the change in opening titles.
And it’s not the first time this has happened.
In the past, when special episodes of the BBC One soap have aired, the iconic shot of the River Thames is slightly altered, allowing the audience to know what’s ahead will be different from usual instalments.
Here’s everything you need to know on the temporary update.
Why has the River Thames turned red for EastEnders this week?
Aside from the fact a red River Thames might represent blood for a life-changing week in Walford, the opening titles have changed and the river has turned red because EastEnders is celebrating 40 years on our screens, aka a ruby anniversary.
The titles for the soap were different a mere few days ago, when Jaime Winstone returned to reprise her role as the past version of Peggy Mitchell.
The intro was presented in a retro 4:3 aspect ratio, and it’s possible that you spotted some of the capital city’s most famous landmarks had disappeared – such as the O2 Arena and Olympic Park.
This happened due to most of the action taking place 40 years ago, as Phil (Steve McFadden) suffered flashbacks and hallucinations from his youth.
With the instalment mostly set in 1985, the return of the original opening sequence was a nod not only to the era in which we see Phil interact with his nearest and dearest, but also to the soap’s 40th anniversary.
What happened in EastEnders yesterday?
As Billy (Perry Fenwick) and Honey’s (Emma Barton) wedding celebrations got underway, Cindy (Michelle Collins) remained determined to find the person who attacked her at Christmas.
After stealing the gun belonging to Phil, Cindy returned home to find someone holding her missing locket.
Concluding the person in front of her was the culprit, she pointed the gun at them, ready to take revenge.
What else is happening in EastEnders this week?
We’ve still got so much more to come, including the live vote as Denise (Diane Parish) picks between Ravi (Aaron Thiara) and Jack (Scott Maslen), the live episode, the Queen Vic fire, and Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) going into labour.
A new trailer released last night also sees Bianca (Patsy Palmer) confronting someone. This is likely to be Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman), who is set to stage a frightening return to the Square later this week.
He went on the run last week after finally admitting to Sonia he was the one who killed his comatose wife Debbie last year and had let Sonia face trial for the crime.
Having been kept hostage in Reiss’ storage unit by him since November, Bianca also managed to escape his evil clutches – but it looks like her ordeal is still far from over…
