For the first time in its history, the producers of EastEnders are putting real efforts into portraying a ‘real’ Asian family on the show. The BBC has invested in consultants and research to ensure the Masood family are a proper representation.
The primetime soap, which is the third most popular programme with British Asians after the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, recently revealed to the Guardian the efforts being dedicated to making the family realistic. In the past, the ‘Ferreiras’, a previous Asian family on the show, were castigated for being artificial – carrying a mix of Portuguese, Hindu and Muslim names. The BBC controller, John Yorke, who is in charge of the show says:
"We played safe with them and ultimately didn't give them good story lines. We're certainly not doing that with the Masoods, but the devil is in the detail and now pretty much everything we write for them that has a cultural or religious aspect is checked."
