Wednesday Trivia Question

What Dusty Springfield song did Martin play at Pauline Fowler’s funeral on EASTENDERS?

For decades, we aired the British soap opera EASTENDERS. It debuted in the UK in 1985 and PBS stations were offered the series a few years later. Many chose to air the popular serial, giving the BBC a nice little revenue stream for repeat episodes. In the time since that US debut, quite a few stations ceased airing the program, eventually giving the BBC a reason to stop offering the show. Sadly, this left US fans unable to watch their fave British import on their local PBS station. Luckily, there were ways for viewers to continue their EASTENDERS experience with streaming services and fan clubs filling in the gaps. So even though PBS NC stopped airing the series in December 2021, we still remember the long-running soap fondly.

So for the faithful EE fanbase, we have this week’s question: What Dusty Springfield song did Martin play at Pauline Fowler’s funeral?

As you may know, Pauline Fowler was played by Wendy Richard from 1985 to 2006. The character was one of the “original 23” and was considered to be the matriarchal stalwart of Albert Square. So it was a shock to many when she was killed off during the Christmas episodes of 2006 (UNC-TV aired that episode in June 2017). Richard herself passed away in 2009.

At Pauline’s funeral, her son Martin played a song he said was one his mum’s favorites. It was a 1966 Dusty Springfield hit that topped the charts in the UK and hit the Top Ten here in the states. Considering the character would have been about 21 when the song was released, it makes sense that Pauline would have taken a liking to it. Since Springfield had many hits, that doesn’t necessarily narrow it down but if you’re a true EASTENDERS fan you may have an inkling.

So what was it? What Dusty Springfield song did Martin Fowler play at his mother’s funeral on EASTENDERS?

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

I’ve talked before about how tote bags seem to be a cliche in connection to public television. But it’s so true. There are loads of tote bags floating around emblazoned with PBS show logos and public television characters and themes. I could probably spin off this Friday photo bit with pics of all the tote bags I’ve amassed over the years (Tote Bag Tuesday?) but I’ll just showcase them here on occasion. This week, it’s a little something from EASTENDERS. In addition to the show’s title, we’ve got a few words and catchphrases from the beloved soap. Do you recognize them all?

RIP June Brown (1927-2022)

June Brown, the actress who played the character of Dot on EASTENDERS has died. Her family reported she passed away “very peacefully” at her home on Sunday. She was 95.

For many fans of the UK soap, Dot Cotton (or Dot Branning, if you prefer) was one of the most iconic characters from the series. She first appeared in the show’s 40th episode in 1985, quickly becoming one of the show’s most well-known and beloved characters. A quick glance at imdb shows she is one of the few people to appear in more than 2,000 episodes of the long-running serial.

Brown had a long career on stage and screen and, while most US fans may only know her from her EE role, she did appear in series like GORMENGHAST, THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET and even DOCTOR WHO (the Pertwee serial, The Time Warrior). She was called a “true national treasure” by UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and heartwarming remembrances have poured out from friends and co-stars alike.

Adam Woodyatt, who played Ian Beale on EASTENDERS for 35 years, said, “So many memories, so much fun. Just purely and simply an incredible woman who had the most incredible life and career, I was fortunate to have shared a small part of it.”