BBC EastEnders, Silent Witness, and Waterloo Road all pulled from air
BBC has announced a major shake-up to its schedule, resulting in popular shows such as EastEnders, Silent Witness, and Waterloo Road being temporarily shelved. The changes come as Bristol City and West Ham United are set to face each other in their second FA Cup rematch. The tie ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a replay on Tuesday night.
Due to the football game, EastEnders, which typically airs on BBC One from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm, will be replaced by live coverage of the FA Cup match. As a result, the Tuesday night episode of EastEnders will be postponed, and an additional episode will air on Friday night instead.
Moreover, the fourth episode of Silent Witness was originally scheduled to air on January 16, but it has been rescheduled to the following Monday. Similarly, Waterloo Road will be pushed back by one week to accommodate the football match.
The highly anticipated Bristol City versus West Ham United match will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app. This FA Cup fixture has drawn significant attention after the first match ended in a draw. Jarrod Bowen’s opening goal was matched by Bristol City’s Tommy Conway, setting the stage for an exciting rematch.
In response to the schedule changes, ITV will broadcast live coverage of Nottingham Forest’s trip to Blackpool the following night. This match is another replay, as the initial tie ended in a 2-2 draw at the City Ground. The winners of both matches will face each other in the fourth round, with the games scheduled for the weekend of January 27-28.
West Ham United manager David Moyes expressed his commitment to selecting a strong team for the replay, despite injuries affecting the squad. He mentioned, I had no intention of doing anything else than making sure we put out as strong a team as we possibly could. Injuries are part of football, and unfortunately we picked up a couple today. Losing Lucas was a big turning point in the match.
Bristol City manager Liam Manning, a former Hammers Under-23s coach, was pleased with his team’s performance in the second half of the last game. He stated, The immediate emotion would be pride in terms of the performance level. Going a goal down early can derail you, but the response was outstanding. For the first 20 or 25 minutes of the second half, the performance level was excellent, and the goal was a terrific moment of quality.
Fans of EastEnders, Silent Witness, and Waterloo Road will need to wait patiently for their favorite shows to return to the airwaves. In the meantime, they can enjoy the excitement of the FA Cup rematch between Bristol City and West Ham United. The schedule changes implemented by the BBC demonstrate their commitment to providing live sports coverage to viewers.
With this alteration in programming, the BBC ensures that football enthusiasts can experience the thrill of the FA Cup, while fans of the popular dramas eagerly await the return of their beloved shows. The temporary absence of EastEnders, Silent Witness, and Waterloo Road will be a small sacrifice for fans who can now indulge in the excitement of high-stakes football action.
