EastEnders is set to break with tradition this New Year as the BBC soap airs an entire flashforward episode – the first of its kind in the show’s 40-year history.
In a dramatic 30-minute special landing on New Year’s Day, viewers will be catapulted exactly one year into the future, following Max Branning (Jake Wood) as he navigates a situation with consequences that will shake not only his own life, but the Branning family as a whole.
The episode, set in January 2027, promises a gripping and chaotic glimpse into the year ahead, teasing the twists, secrets and tensions that will dominate 2026 in Walford. True to form, Max finds himself right at the heart of the action, with multiple storylines around him as the flashforward plays out.
With the Brannings’ future hanging in the balance, the special instalment will drop clues about the events that unfold over the coming year – and the trouble Max has got himself, and those around him, into.
Max made a brief return to Walford last month, with his ‘permanent return’ scheduled for later in the year being teased at the time.
‘All is not what it seems,’ revealed EastEnders executive producer Ben Wadey, ‘2026 is going to be full of drama in Walford, especially for the Brannings’
‘For the first time in the show’s history, we’re going to be offering our viewers an entire flashforward episode set on New Year’s Day 2027. The episode is sure to raise plenty of questions on how Max has got himself, and his family, into such predicaments, but all is not what it seems, so stay tuned for 2026 to find out how and why…’
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday on BBC One with catchup via iPlayer, Classic EastEnders airs on Drama with catchup on U.