Dirty players who need a SOAPING down (Top Ten TV Characters)

Member Name: whitby

Product:	Top Ten TV Characters
Date:	24/08/02 (3648 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They make us watch the soaps more, Their acting draws us into 'their world' for escapism, Cheap form of relaxation

Disadvantages: They aren't real

Internet, soaps, watching Formula 1 – it’s just as well that I have Tzar and Merlin (my Siberian Huskies) to keep me active or I’d suffer from a very large bottom!

I am an avid soap freak and watch many of the soap operas that adorn our television screens. I think that my boyfriend Paul is secretly glad that we’ve lost our ITV Digital coverage or else I’d be spending more hours glued to the box. Over time I’ve started surfing the web whilst having the soaps on in the background, as I didn’t want to choose between the two.

Here is my list of favourite soap characters. I've posted in the Top Ten TV Characters section as I rarely get to watch any other television, so soap characters are about the only people I can talk purposefully about. I devised this list over a couple of days, allowing my brain to wander through soap memories both recent and in the distant past (as you’ll see from the list).

In case you can’t remember any of the characters, I’ve added links to their photographs from various websites to help jog your memory!


TEN
KAREN MCDONALD ~ CORONATION STREET
www.coronationstreet.co.uk/profiles/profile.xm l?id=89

Played by Suranne Jones, Karen McDonald is a character that I didn’t instantly take to; in fact I can’t really remember her entrance into the street. Ever since marrying Steve for a bet, the character has grown and she is often the first to open her big mouth and cause trouble. Initially a bit of a tart, she often takes the lead in causing trouble with her chums. I am reluctant to say friends, as Karen can be so horrible and mouthy that she has annoyed most of them in her time. I love the way she manipulates Steve and has tamed him quite well. I think their relationship is based on lust and the fiery passion that they get after making up. Her conniving ways are what appeal to me most! Do any of you remember hearing that s
he had a boyfriend in jail? Sparks should fly when he is released!


NINE
MATT HANCOCK ~ NEIGHBOURS
Www.neighbours.com/bio/matt_hancock.htm

Played by Stephen Hunt, I thought Matt was great when he was employed as an Elvisogram and he had Flick (the object of his desires) as his Priscilla. Matt is one of the few good guys in my list. I had to add him firstly to balance out with the bad guys I’m about to mention, but also because of his great boy next-door looks and nature. I was quite disappointed when the family were written out as I felt that Matt’s character could have been explored a little bit more. Especially his relationship with his mother which was fraught at times, the aftermath of the car crash and coping with his best friends relationship with his step-mother. I didn’t have much time for the rest of his family – Maggie’s voice drove me potty! Personally I’d have loved an older brother like Matt, he seemed to believe in true family values. As a boyfriend he’d probably drive me mad though – far too nice and accommodating! Slightly off topic, but the Neighbour’s website still has the Hancock’s as being the residents of Number 32 Ramsey Street, despite their departure a while ago on UK screens – get it together!


EIGHT
JESSE MCGREGOR ~ HOME AND AWAY
www.homeandaway.utvinternet.com/Profiles/Jesse .htm

Ben Unwin – What a guy – phew! Do you remember Jesse; the bad guy turned good who had an adorable daughter named Rachel? Just as we thought he was getting set up in life, his ex-girlfriend Kylie turned up and sent Jesse’s life into a downward spiral. Anyone who knows about my Formula One driver tastes will know that I love the underdog and that’s certainly what Jesse was. Unlucky in love and business he was last seen zooming out of the bay following a car crash – leaving his daughter to stay with Natalie and J
oel Nash. Jesse originally had long hair but became even more gorgeous when he cut off his locks – definitely one of the best looking guys to have graced the bay, along with Shane Parrish!


SEVEN
BARRY GRANT ~ BROOKSIDE
www.btinternet.com/~brookside.soapbox/gallery/ barry_grant/

Paul Usher, who now stars in the Bill, is the actor who made this character stand out for me. When I started watching Brookside it was Barry’s brother Damon that caught my eye. I really enjoyed the ‘Debbie and Damon’ spin off programme that saw Damon meet his death. After that time Barry became more and more of a crook, moving from petty incidents to mixing with the big boys. This descent into the ‘gangster’ world led to Barry crossing the path of criminals such as the McArdles. Some of Barry’s antics in the ‘underworld’ where so far fetched (have you seen The Lost Weekend – with Lindsey Corkhill?) that more often than not Barry disappeared for a year or so before rearing his head again. I used to get quite excited if I read in a newspaper or magazine that Barry was returning as he always bought excitement with him. He’s the kind of guy that girls would love to tame, except I doubt it will ever happen…. I still hold out hope that one day he may return to the close for some more antics. However with Paul Ushers acting career going in leaps and bounds elsewhere, this does seem likely. Especially as Barry wouldn’t have any real ties with the present residents of the close, unless he rekindled Jackie Farnham’s interest in him (from her schooldays!).


SIX
CAIN DINGLE ~ EMMERDALE
www.emmerdale.co.uk/history/profile.xml?id=78

The Emmerdale website describes Cain as the village’s answer to Liam Gallagher. Having seen actor Jeff Hordley during interviews on television I am not too sure if he’d appreciate that as he comes across totally different fr
om his character. Following Butch’s death in a minibus accident, Cain and Charity Dingle appeared in the village and seemed as though they were of typical Dingle mould. Brash, mean, rude, vicious, psychotic and a criminal were all words used to describe Cain’s character. In the two years or so that he has been with Emmerdale we have seen a slightly better side of his character. The storylines that allowed us to see a nicer side of Cain were his discovery that Zak was his father and his love for Angie Reynolds. Cain is a jack the lad type and bearing in mind his Dingle background it’s not surprising that he doesn’t know an honest way of earning a pound or two. I enjoyed seeing Ray Mullen pull criminal rank on him – as it was the first time we saw Cain getting some grief back. He also struck up an interesting relationship with Andy Sugden and became his confident after Andy set fire to his Dad’s barn. Cain’s a great character that I hope will be around for a long time to come…


FIVE
CLIFF BARNES ~ DALLAS
www.dallas.ndirect.co.uk/lifeof/cliff1.htm

I always remember Cliff Barnes as being the arch- rival of JR Ewing due to a long and bitter family feud that started long before their time. Cliff couldn’t believe it when his sister Pam married Bobby Ewing. Cliff knew Bobby was a good guy, but he still had the Ewing surname and Ewing blood. More often than not Cliff would be seen either boozing or eating Chinese takeaways. To me Clifford Barnes is one of the original soap underdogs. Looking back I should have known that nobody would beat JR, but that didn’t stop me thinking, at the beginning of each series, that this could be the year. Upon reflection the character was probably asking for trouble by taking up with JRs wife Sue Ellen, and interfering in Pam and Bobby’s relationship. But then again, if he hadn’t done so there would not have been the juicy plots that I rememb
er so well. To have a glance through the life and times of Cliff Barnes, check out the website above. It gives tremendous detail and covers some background of Cliff’s life that I was not aware of.


FOUR
STEVE OWEN ~ EASTENDERS
www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/steve_o_bi og.shtml

Having followed the Mitchell Brothers in Eastenders for so long, and classing them as the resident rogues, it took me a while to accept Martin Kemp’s character. Steve was the E20 nightclub owner that became so important to so many storylines. The main events were Saskia’s murder in the nightclub and his subsequent stitch up of Mathew Rose. Both actor’s played out this storyline brilliantly – do you remember the night that Mathew returned and had Steve cowering! Another great on and off storyline was his relationship with his mother. Having seen her departing actions with Steve it’s not surprising that he turned out the way he did! And how about his relationship with wife Mel, a well-suited couple except for the fact that neither trusted the other! The scriptwriters did well with Steve’s character and in hindsight I think the time was right for the character to be blown up, as there wasn’t much more that could surely happen to him. I didn’t think much of Martin’s performance in the film ‘The Krays’ but feel that his performances week after week in Eastenders are of great credit to him.


THREE
ABBY EWING ~ KNOTTS LANDING
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Mills,+Donna

Well, Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner to be more exact! Abby was the Knotts Landing equivalent of Alexis in Dynasty. She was a man-eater who was able to manipulate most situations to her advantage. I always remember that Donna Mills’ eyes and face would be heavily made up against her almost white complexion. This created a frame around the great facial expressions that she used whilst carrying out
her scheming and plotting. Originally a sister show to Dallas, Knotts Landing started off with the intention of showing how alcoholic Gary Ewing and his wife Valene ‘settled’ in California in a pleasant cul-de-sac in Knotts Landing. As far as I was concerned as the show developed these characters played second fiddle to Abby. I think I remember her character as she was the first screen ‘b***h’ that graced my TV screen – I thought she was great as she always ended up on top against the men (in more ways than one!). Unfortunately I haven’t succeeded in finding a good Knotts Landing web site, so if anyone knows of one then please leave a message in my guest book.


TWO
PETE CALLAN ~ FAMILY AFFAIRS www.channel5.co.uk/soaps&drama/family_affairs/fa_c haracter_frame.php

Do you remember David Easter in Brookside many years ago? What a much more interesting character he plays now. Pete is Family Affairs’ resident bad guy and has caused havoc to the lives of many –which makes for great viewing in my opinion. The character is key to the success of the soap, and when checking the shows web site for character profiles – it’s Pete’s that appears first. By clicking the link above, you are taken to a rundown of his escapades. You are greeted by his profile picture that shows his dark, mysterious eyes staring out at you. Pete is also known for his characteristic snarl that is always on show to his numerous enemies. It often seems that as soon as he sees one foe off, another is lurking around the corner ready to destroy him. Over recent years, many of Pete’s opponents have teamed up with Claire Toomey – Pete’s ex who was beaten up by him. Claire plays a great schemer and I love watching the two of them trying to get one up on each other. At the moment I am quite intrigued by the Pete’s relationship with Charlotte. Don’t you think that her sister Lucy looks and acts
like Pete’s long lost daughter (Siobhan’s sister)? Non-viewers must be totally lost! Pete is a great rogue and I think the attraction is his ability to solve ‘problems’ both with his fists and his superb mind games – plus his good looks help as well! A definite bit of rough!


ONE
KIM TATE ~ EMMERDALE
www.emmerdale.co.uk/history/profile.xml?id=105

You’ve probably realised by now that the soap characters that appeal to me most are those that have the vital job of being the villain! One person that I will never forget is Kim Tate. I believe that the introduction of the Tate family was the turning point for the soap formally known as Emmerdale Farm. We stopped seeing as much of the Sugden family and their struggling farm, and the wealthy entrepreneur partnership of Frank and Kim Tate gradually took over the village. Kim was portrayed as the wicked stepmother (Chis and Zoe), the unfaithful partner (Dave Glover), doting mother (James) and manipulative businesswoman. She then shocked us more when she returned to rile her husband Frank into an early grave by taunting him until he had a heart attack. The link above shows a picture of Kim watching happily as Frank is doubled over in pain. Formally Frank’s secretary, she eventually became his wife and turned the Tate Empire upside down. We often saw a mixture of lust, admiration and hatred between Kim and her stepson Chris – which was great to see bearing in mind that the stars are married in real life. I thrive on the rags to riches type stories, and especially enjoyed seeing Kim’s wonderful mind games against most people she encountered!




Well that’s it – my top ten soap characters. They say that soap is a form of escapism. I expect that having seen the type of people that intrigue me – many of you will want to stay away from my profile in future as I appear obsessed by the bad guys! But don’t
worry – it’s not real you know!





Links correct at time of posting.
Please advise in my comments if I’ve recorded my memories of any of the events inaccurately.

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