The actors, who played Queen Vic bosses Den and Angie Watts when the soap was launched in 1985, are appearing as man and wife in a new series for Sky called The Stretch.

Filming starts in October in the UK and Spain, and the series will be broadcast on Sky Premier next year.

Grantham and Dobson's explosive partnership ended when Angie Watts was written out of EastEnders in 1988, with 'Dirty' Den following a year later.

Their on-screen chemistry made the new soap an instant hit with viewers - especially the Christmas Day 1986 special when Den served Angie with divorce papers.

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Both actors have continued to work regularly since leaving the soap - with Dobson, 50, recently starring in the BBC drama Sunburn.

Grantham, 52, will play another villain, Terry, a career criminal who keeps his life of crime secret from his wife Sam, played by Dobson.

Terry is jailed for a murder he did not commit - and a penniless Sam, discovering Terry's underworld dealings, has to decide whether she should continue where her husband left off.

The programme is written by Stephen Leather, whose previous credits include the ITV drama The Knock.

Grantham said: "When I first read the script for The Stretch, I felt as if the lead roles had been written with me and Anita in mind.

"The role of Terry is one that I really feel that I can get my teeth into and I'm really looking forward to working with Anita again."