The Queen of Soaps (Eastenders)

Member Name: fooyoo

Product:	Eastenders
Date:	23/11/02 (662 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertaining

Disadvantages: Some would like more realism

As much as I try to fight watching the ever increasing number of soaps on television, my wife is an avid fan, and unless I pack up and move out, I have to admit that I cannot avoid them! Eastenders is probably the only one that I am interested in, and god help me I think I am becoming a fan. There is no hope for me, especially as I now find myself writing an opinion on it. I always laugh when I hear people complain that the soaps are not realistic. Of course they aren't, that is why we watch them, because I for one would not want to watch my neighbours go about their daily mundane lives. Eastenders and the other soaps condense events into 4 weekly episodes, so obviously it will seem that they have an unbelievable amount of drama in their lives.

The BBC presented us with this new soap in February 1985, and the opening scene is one that is referred to regularly. Arthur Fowler and Ali Osman breaking into a flat to find the occupant, Reg Cox dead. Eastenders is set in Walford, a fictional east London borough, postcode E20. The lives and loves of the families in the programme centre around Albert Square and it's pub, The Queen Victoria. When it first started, the programme seemed like a dumping ground for Grange Hill characters who were starting to look past it, as some of the actors who have appeared include Susan Tully and Todd Carty.

The characters in the programme are an interesting community. All of them seem to work in poorly paid manual jobs within walking distance of 'the square', which is probably the reason that none of them can afford a washing machine, as they all seem to do their washing at the local launderette, but then they can afford many more visits to the pub than I can! The community is very family based, and over the years families have come and gone. Here is a reminder of some of the past characters.

**The Mitchells**
Headed up by mother Peggy, now played by Barbara Windsor. This family first appeared
in the square when brother Grant and Phil opened up 'The Arches', a now well established backstreet garage. Grant was played by Ross Kemp. He was an ex para who had witnessed some haunting events in The Falklands, which affected him, and which he used as a regular excuse for uncontrollable anger and violence. Grant, as are most of the occupants of the square was very popular with ladies of the opposite sex. First of all, he met and married Sharon Watts, but divorced her after discovering she had an affair with his brother Phil. He then had a fling with Sharon's best friend Michelle Fowler, which resulted in her having a baby, which he is still unaware is his. His second marriage was to Tiffany Raymond (Martine McCutcheon) after she became pregnant with his daughter Courtney. The marriage was very rocky, and ended when Tiffany was knocked over and killed by Frank Butcher while trying to stop Grant snatching their daughter.
Phil is another man whose temper needs to be controlled. Another ladies man, he married Nadia, an immigrant who needed to stay in the country, but he forgot to tell his girlfriend Kathy Beale. She couldn't have been that bothered, as she later became Mrs Mitchell, and they had a son, Ben. They split up after Phil became an alcoholic, and Kathy found comfort in the arms of brother Grant. (You spotting a pattern yet? Share and share alike eh?) Phil then got together with Lisa Raymond, and after suffering a traumatic misscarriage, Phil started to treat Lisa so badly, that it resulted in her shooting him, which created similar publicity to the Dallas 'Who Shot Jr?' debate. Lisa later married Mark Fowler and gave birth to a daughter, Louise, who Phil later discovered was his. Phil is now suspected of murdering Lisa and abducting their daughter.
Other minor members of the Mitchell family are..Billy, cousin of Phil and Grant, engaged to Little Mo Slater; Jamie, Billy's nephew who has been disowned by Phil as he betrayed
the Mitchell's, and finally sister Sam, who was originally played by the infamous Daniella Westbrook, but now played by Kim Metcalfe.

**The Beales/Fowlers**
Originally headed up by Lou Beale, but when she died, she left her daughter Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richards), her bobbly oversized cardigan and instructions to rule the family with an iron rod and no common sense! Pauline was married to Arthur Fowler, a seemingly mild mannered man, who served 2 prison terms for fraud (one of them was a set up, and eventually caused his death). They had 3 children, Mark (Todd Carty), Michelle (Susan Tully), and much later in life, in 1985, Pauline gave birth to Martin (James Alexandrou). Mark is HIV positive, and has been married 3 times. Michelle was a teenage mother, after having a baby daughter, Vicky, with her best friend Sharon's dad Den. After being Albert Square's own runaway bride, she eventually ran off to America where she had a baby boy, who she named Mark, but decided not to tell Grant Mitchell that he was the father. Martin was a mild mannered child until he was swapped for another actor, and then he became the errant teenager, getting Sonia Jackson pregnant, and denying it! Now he is trying to act more maturely running the family fruit an veg stall, but this Christmas will feature him strongly in a heart wrenching storyline
Pauline has 2 brothers, Kenny, who lives in New Zealand, and twin Pete (Peter Dean). He ran the fruit and veg stall in the market on the square. His first wife Pat broke his heart when she told him that he son's were actually another man's, and then turned the knife in by sleeping with his brother Kenny. His second wife Kathy gave him a son, Ian, but after she was raped by her boss, their marriage went downhill rappidly, as Kathy had to suffer alone, as Pete always doubted that she had not encouraged her attacker in some way. He finally found love with gangsters wife Rose Chapman, which did not please her hus
band, and he arranged for the pair of lovers to die in a road accident.

**The Slaters**
One of the newest but most featured family lately. Headed up by streetwise wheeler dealer maternal gran Mo Harris (Laila Morse, who is the sister of actor Gary Oldman). She moved to the square after the death of her daughter Viv, and is the arch enemy of Pat Evans, as she was married to Pat's brother and had an affair which resulted in the birth of Viv. She now lives with her widowed son in law, black cab driver Charlie, and his daughters, Kat, Lynn, and Zoe. His 2 other daughter's Mo and Belinda live with their partners. Each family member has had some pretty high profile storylines lately, which I will mention later.

Notable mentions must go to The Watts, The Jacksons, and The Butchers. Favourite character in our house over the last few years has been Steve Owen, although I am not too sure that my wife was 100% in awe of his acting! When the programme first started it was very dark, and left you with the feeling that the studio needed a better lighting rig, but over the last 2 years, the quality of the programme has reached new highs, and the production team have tackled some very difficult storylines brilliantly, such as:

Teenage pregnancy. This has been covered in different storylines which were decades apart. The most recent being Sonia Jackson giving birth to daughter Chloe, and then later witnessing her anguish at giving her up for adoption, and trying desperately to get pregnant by new boyfriends Jamie Michell.

Domestic violence. This has been the storyline of the moment, and it involved Little Mo Slater and her husband Trevor. Mo had been abused and beaten by Trevor for many years, and as is so typical, she covered up the bruises and brushed off the concerns of her family. Eventually, she tried to break free and stick up for herself, and in an act of self defense she hit him with an iron and was convicted and sent to pris
on, but eventually freed on appeal after fresh evidence was presented.

Rape. Kathy Beale was raped by her boss James Wilmott-Brown. This was the second time she had been raped, although this time was different as she knew and trusted her attacker. Even I remember this storyline and how harrowing the scenes were.

Murder. The first murder was that of ex pub boss Den Watts. He was killed whilst having a clandetine meeting with Michelle Fowler. The second, and very high profile was the murder committed by club boss Steve Owen after he hit his ex girlfriend Saskia across the head with an ashtray. He tried to frame local lad Matthew Rose for the murder in another very high publicity storyline.

Terminal illnesses. This has been presented in many different guises. Mostly memorable, is Mark's fight against HIV, which he unknowingly contracted from a girlfriend who later became his 1st wife Jill. Recently, there was Peggy Mitchell's discovery she had breast cancer, and later her mastectomy, and rejection from husband Frank Butcher who could not cope with the upset. In my mind, the most controversial storyline has been Ethel suffering from cancer, and pleading with her best friend Dot Cotton to end her suffering. As viewers, we watched Dot wrestle with the conscience and religious beliefs, before eventually granting her friend's dying wish, and then her guilt after the event, which even led her to ask the police to arrest and imprison her. It was very moving stuff.

Prostitution. This is a current recurring storyline involving Janine Butcher. She has been abandoned by all of her family and friends, and after become involved with drugs, turned to prostitution to pay her bills. These scenes were sordid, and I am sure reflected the lives of so many other young girls in her position.


With all of these, you can imagine that the viewing becomes quite depressing at times, and that is my major criticism of the show. The prod
ucers seem intent on making all of the residents as miserable as possible, and if they do have any happiness, it is only a matter of time before the next traumatic event is on it's way to beat them down again.


Each programme ends with the well known drum beats, and then the unforgettable theme tune, which both Anita Dobson and Nick Berry had chart hits with, after they had put lyrics to the tune! Eastenders has now overtaken Coronation Street as the top British soap, and the ratings and awards certainly back that up.

If you have never seen this, which I highly doubt, then it is on BBC1 on Monday and Friday at 8pm, and Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm. It is repeated each night at 10pm on BBC Choice, and the omnibus is on Sunday. I have to say that I recommend this as the one to watch.

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