Advertisement

'EastEnders' stars kiss through plastic screen to adhere to social distancing rules

Mick Carter (DANNY DYER), Linda Carter (KELLIE BRIGHT) - (BBC - Photographer: Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)
EastEnders stars Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer share a kiss in scenes filmed before the pandemic. (BBC)

EastEnders bosses have found a way to film kissing scenes again - with stars simulating smooches through a plastic shield.

The perspex screen can be digitally edited out before broadcast, providing a loophole to social distanced filming measures introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

BBC drama boss Piers Wenger revealed at the Edinburgh Television Festival: “The remarkable thing about this time is just how much people want to work and how much writers are willing to think laterally to facilitate that.

Read more: 'EastEnders' to use CGI in 'almost every shot' for social distancing filming

“Everyone is massively determined. Both on EastEnders and on Pursuit of Love – which we’re filming in the West Country at the moment – amazing, ingenious ways have been found to get around the need to put actors in close proximity to each other.”

'EastEnders' returned to filming this week. (BBC/Jack Barnes)
EastEnders has resumed filming, but actors must keep two metres apart, (BBC)

He also revealed plans to quarantine cast and crew members together, without seeing family or friends, in a “bubble” to allow them to film in close proximity.

The BBC soap was forced off air in June for the first time in 35 years, after filming was halted during lockdown.

Production has now resumed, with cast and crew adhering to the two-metre social distancing rule, and EastEnders will be returning to BBC One on 7 September.

Read more: Casting of real-life couples will increase to work around social distancing rules in TV

Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer stayed two metres apart when they met up on the 'EastEnders' set. (BBC)
Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer staying two metres apart on the EastEnders set. (BBC)

The soap will return to broadcasting four nights a week, however, the episode length has been reduced from 30 minutes to 20.

It had been reduced to two episodes a week in order to make the pre-filmed instalments last longer.

During the hiatus the BBC has been airing airing classic episodes as well as behind-the-scenes interviews in Secrets From the Square as hosted by Stacey Dooley.

It was previously revealed the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, STV and ITN have teamed up to create guidelines for how filming could take place without social distancing, but with other measures put in place to help limit the spread of coronavirus.