Walford State of Mind: Eastenders as Reported by the Walford Gazette [Paperback]

Walford State of Mind is the second volume on the long-running successful British soap opera, EastEnders, edited by Larry Jaffee. Mr. Jaffee is the co-founder of Walford Gazette, an EE fanzine published in America and not officially affiliated with the BBC(producers of EE), but read by EE fans worldwide. My review of the previous volume (Albert Square and Me: The Actors of EastEnders) may be found on Amazon.com and will not be repeated here, other than to say that book is a collection of interviews with EE cast members over the years. Walford State of Mind, in contrast, is a volume for which I see two major audiences, which in some cases may overlap: Die-hard EE fans, and professional TV critics/historians. The first group will likely be entranced by chapters on such subjects as: visits to America by castmembers, to help raise funds for PBS stations which broadcast the series here; articles on the socio-economic aspects of the "real" East End of London and how they are reflected in the series' scripts; the post-EE careers of some of the most popular actors on the series; an analysis of favorite episodes -- among many other topics. For the second audience - TV critics and historians (some of whom may also be fans)this book is a treasure-trove as a case study on the creation of a long-running television series, and its vicissitudes over time. For instance: changes in administration,organization and policy at the BBC which affected the series in both positive and negative ways -- as did personnel changes among the producers, writers and directors of the series itself; competition from its main rival back in the UK -- Coronation Street, which led to EE producers having to increase its production schedule from one episode per week to four, so that now in the USA, PBS viewers in most areas are approximately seven years behind the episodes currently being shown in the UK; the canceling of the series by a number of PBS stations because of steady increases in BBC licensing fees for carrying it -- with resultant panic among fans in the USA (I am fortunate that my local PBS station - WPBT2(Miami) has carried the series since the first episode, but I hold my breath each year, as do other EE fans, that it will be renewed.
Lastly,the book has a nice selection of photos which are relevant to its focus.