The Stage

Holby City producer steps in as EastEnders’ Berridge quits

Published Tuesday 21 September 2004 at 16:55

EastEnders has drafted in a former Holby City producer to take over the daily management of the soap after beleaguered executive producer Louise Berridge quit.

Sharon Hughff assumes the newly revised role of series producer, where she will be responsible for preliminary casting and key production decisions. She will also be in charge of script development.

Berridge, who was under increasing pressure in recent months following a period of unfavourable publicity for the programme, earlier claimed that Hughff had been brought in to tackle the extra workload created by the show going four days per week in 2001.

She had stated: “The role of series producer has never been seriously revised since the show went four times a week. Mal Young [BBC head of continuing drama] and I have now redefined this role to create a really strong deputy position and the series producer will now be taking over much of the day to day running of the show.”

Berridge’s previous deputy, Peter Rose will now return to directing on the soap. Hughff is a former series editor and producer on the BBC1 hospital drama. Her appointment follows a period in which EastEnders has been criticised for weak storylines and under-par acting. This culminated in an all-time ratings low of 6.4 million in May this year.

Disgruntled fans had called for Berridge’s dismissal. However Young, her boss, had continually supported the executive producer until now, claiming that she was the best person for the job. Recently the programme’s ratings have improved with the new Miller family and the return of Barbara Windsor to the cast proving popular. The BBC1 soap managed to attract 11 million viewers last week - 700,000 more than Coronation Street.