In the high-stakes world of British soap operas, the 40th anniversary is more than just a milestone; it is a battleground for creative supremacy. While EastEnders fans recently witnessed the historic destruction of the Queen Vic in a devastating explosion, a new revelation has surfaced regarding an alternative, even more catastrophic, vision for the Square. Former executive producer Chris Clenshaw has officially pulled back the curtain on the “blockbuster” storyline that almost redefined the show’s legacy: a full-scale London Underground disaster.

Cinematic Ambition on Albert Square

Speaking on the Albert Square After Dark podcast, Clenshaw reflected on his tenure and the intense pressure surrounding the show’s fourth decade. While his leadership saw the rise of “The Six” and the heart-wrenching exit of Lola Pearce, Clenshaw revealed that for the 40th anniversary, he initially set his sights on the tracks.

“We talked about the tube coming off the tracks and things like that,” Clenshaw admitted, describing a scenario where the iconic Walford East station would have become the site of a horrific derailment. “It would have been a real spectacle—high stakes, shocking visuals, and maximum drama.” The goal was to create a “blockbuster” event that could stand alongside the most cinematic moments in the soap’s history, providing the kind of visceral shock that only a public transport disaster can deliver in a metropolitan setting.

Grounding the Spectacle

The question for many fans is why such a visceral concept was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. According to Clenshaw, the decision came down to a choice between sheer scale and community heart. While a tube crash offers a “sick-style” spectacle, the production team began to pivot toward a storyline that felt more intrinsic to the DNA of Walford.

Practical constraints played a role, but the narrative pull of the Queen Vic proved too strong to ignore. “The Vic is the heart of the show,” Clenshaw explained. By shifting the disaster to the pub, the writers were able to trap the entire community in one location. This allowed the explosion to coincide with Billy and Honey’s wedding, creating a juxtaposition of joy and tragedy that a remote tube crash might have lacked. The result was not just a fire, but a community-shattering event that culminated in the shock death of Martin Fowler.

The Legacy of the “What If?”

The revelation of the tube crash plot highlights the extraordinary level of planning that goes into these milestones. Clenshaw noted that his team held more meetings for the 40th anniversary than for any other storyline during his tenure. It was a period of intense creative friction, balancing the need for “surprises” against the necessity of “issue-led” realism that fans relate to.

As the baton has passed to current executive producer Ben Wade—who has since pivoted to the high-profile return of Zoe Slater and the resolution of the Christmas stalker mystery—the tube crash remains one of the greatest “what ifs” in soap history. While Albert Square was spared a derailment this time, Clenshaw’s insights serve as a reminder that behind the scenes of our favorite dramas, the line between a neighborhood fire and a city-wide catastrophe is often decided by a single meeting. For now, the tube continues to run through Walford, its tracks silent on a disaster that was narrowly avoided.