EastEnders is a popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985. It currently ranks within the top of the most watched shows in the United Kingdom. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the London Borough of Walford in the East End of London. The series primarily centres around the residents of Albert Square, a Victorian square of terraced houses, and its neighbouring streets. The average audience share for an episode is currently between 35-45%. Created by producer Julia Smith and script editor Tony Holland, EastEnders has remained significant in terms of the BBC's success and audience share, and also the history of British television drama, tackling many controversial and taboo issues previously unseen on mainstream television in the UK.