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Following on from the huge success of EastEnders: E20 a second series has been commissioned and will be available on the EastEnders website later this year.

The new content will premiere online on the EastEnders website with a run of 10x14-minute episodes and will later be seen in five televised episodes on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Three.

Between 8 January and 18 February 2010, EastEnders: E20 attracted over three million requests across the EastEnders website and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iPlayer, plus over half a million viewers on Red Button.

The first series of EastEnders: E20 will also transmit on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Three in 3x30-minute television episodes from Friday 23 April at 8.30pm.

As the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ continues its drive to develop and nurture new talent, the second series of EastEnders: E20 will be penned by the same 13 young writers who were responsible for the first series. All the writers are aged between 17 and 22. The second series will focus on four new young characters who live in a flat above Roxy's beauty salon.

Simon Nelson, Controller of Portfolio & Multiplatform, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Vision, said: "E20 was one of the most ambitious and successful multiplatform projects we've commissioned. It was brilliantly realised by the EastEnders team, introduced new writing and acting talent and threaded audiences and plotlines between the main and spin-off shows.

"We had no hesitation in commissioning another series, something which will delight the 17,000 fans who've been calling for more episodes on the E20 Facebook page."

EastEnders executive producer, Bryan Kirkwood, commented: "I am so pleased that we are announcing a second series of EastEnders: E20. Not only have viewing figures been fantastic but – and most importantly – we've had such positive feedback from the viewers.

"It'll be very exciting to see where our brilliant young writers will take the next series and the evolution of a whole new set of characters. The cast have been a noisy burst of fun in EastEnders and provided the show with new faces that audiences have really engaged with."

Behind-the-scenes packages documenting each stage of the EastEnders: E20 production process will be uploaded daily prior to episodes going live.

EastEnders: E20 was commissioned by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Multiplatform commissioning executive Sarah Clay from ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Drama Production.

The series is a product of EastEnders and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ new talent initiative, both overseen by John Yorke, Controller ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Drama Production & New Talent. John Yorke is the executive producer along with Bryan Kirkwood, EastEnders executive producer. The series will again be produced by Deborah Sathe.

EastEnders: E20 series 2 will be available at bbc.co.uk/eastenders, with repeats on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Three in September 2010.

HT