EastEnders isn't on BBC iPlayer today: here's when you can watch Max Branning's New Year flashforward

Tonight's the night!
Joel Harley
By Joel Harley

EastEnders hasn’t been added to BBC iPlayer for streaming this morning (Thursday, January 1), ahead of a very special episode tonight. Yes, it’s the day of Max Branning’s very special flashforward – in which we get an unprecedented glimpse into the character’s future.

Exciting stuff. But what time is EastEnders on tonight? And when will it be added to BBC iPlayer?

Max wearing a suit in an EastEnders flashforward
Max Branning will take centre stage in tonight’s episode (Credit: BBC)

What time is EastEnders on tonight – and is it on BBC iPlayer yet?

EastEnders airs on BBC One tonight (Thursday, January 1) at its usual time of 7.30pm. In order to protect some of the episode’s biggest twists, it won’t drop on BBC iPlayer at 6am like it normally would – meaning that viewers will have to wait until it airs on terrestrial television before they can tune in.

EastEnders will be added to the streaming service at 7.30pm sharp, allowing online viewers to watch at the same time as those who prefer to wait for broadcast.

But what’s happening on EastEnders tonight?

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Read all the latest spoilers

Max's shocking future is revealed in an Earth shattering flashforward Thu, Jan 1

Max's shocking future is revealed in an Earth shattering flashforward

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Kat tries to save Zoe from prison, Jasmine confesses the truth, and Patrick demands answers Upcoming

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4 days ago
It's Max to the future as a shocking flashforward airs... with terrible consequences Upcoming

It's Max to the future as a shocking flashforward airs... with terrible consequences

5 days ago
Max looks suspicious as he stands at a window in his wedding suit
There’s never a dull moment where Max is concerned (Credit: BBC)

A flashforward airs in spoilers for tonight

As the episode begins, Max is caught up in another hugely dramatic situation. As New Year’s Day dawns on Walford in 2027 (!), Max is forced to navigate a precarious sequence of events.

What drama has Max Branning wrought this time?

While precise details have been kept under wraps, actor Jake Wood recently teased: “I think it’s the first time EastEnders have done anything like this, so they have a whole episode which is one New Year’s Day,” Jake began.

He continued: “So, in the new year, you have got Max in a lot of trouble, and there’s a lot of drama. Those episodes are amazing. Then suddenly on New Year’s Day, we cut to The Vic, and it’s not New Year’s Day 2026, it’s New Year’s Day 2027.”

“We see Max, and he has obviously had a busy year. He has been in lots of drama and lots of events that have happened.”

Jake added: “I think the audience is really going to love it. There has been so much speculation, and it’s just a really interesting way of telling the story. Over the next year, we are going to build up to what we have seen.

“We have got a whole half an hour episode of the flash forward, and honestly, it’s jam-packed full of questions.”

Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns.