“Blimey, it stinks in here, don’t it?” On 19 February 1985, millions tuned in at 7pm to hear Simon May’s now-iconic theme music and watch the undulating aerial shots of the River Thames—before being greeted with that pungent opening line. The BBC’s latest soap opera was its grand attempt at creating a mainstream, twice-weekly alternative to ITV’s Coronation Street. Developed by producer Julia Smith and writer Tony Holland, this gritty drama took place in a Victorian square in the fictional East