EastEnders: A Literary Tribute
By Lise Alper
ENGLEWOOD, CO-EastEnders has been a part of my life for over 10 years. In many ways, it has been the closest thing to stability I've known through many turbulent times.
I've known the Fowler family, the Butchers and the Beales longer than anyone else I currently relate with. Personally, I've changed in so many ways that most TV shows I enjoyed back in the late 1980s now leave me scratching my head. Yet EastEnders remains a beloved constant.
To someone unfamiliar with EastEnders, it may sound as if I'm one of those dotty old ladies who lives and dies by the latest connubial confrontation of "Erica Kane" (of General Hospital). No, I don't set the table for my "friends" before I watch EastEnders; neither do I talk back to the screen to warn them about backstabbers or evil twins. EastEnders isn't that sort of show, which is why it's withstood the test of time.
As an avid reader, it seems to me that EastEnders is more akin to Dickens than Days of Our Lives. When I hear the familiar theme song, I'm not expecting a fast-paced or glamorous 40 minutes. Rather, it's a window into a world I had only heard about prior to discovering EastEnders in 1989. The people who populate Albert Square are the modern-day descendants of the people in Great Expectations or David Copperfield. The first time I saw June Brown as Dot Cotton, I couldn't believe my eyes! I had never seen anyone remotely like her on film before! But I had seen her many times in my mind's eye while reading a novel from the 19th century.
The daily grind, the trials and tribulations of the residents of Walford are the same as those of the lower middle-class the world over. Except in rare instances the storylines are character driven rather than event driven. Mark Fowler is a perfect example. Almost every storyline involving his character is based upon his ongoing desire to live a normal family life, without allowing his HIV status to destroy his quality of life. Everything that happens to him, such as confronting Nick Cotton, stems from the simple need to be paterfamilias of the Fowlers.
But no matter how high the standard of writing might generally be (there have been some exceptions), it's the actors who inhabit these characters that really deserve mention. Although Todd Carty is actually the second actor to play Mark Fowler, it's his presence that has brought this character to the forefront. The previous actor ensured that Mark was more often talked about than seen. And even though Susan Tully has gone on to larger horizons, her portrayal of Mark's sister Michelle is still talked about amongst fans of EastEnders. June Brown's appearance has been mentioned but not her consummate skill as an actress. Not only does she make nosey, righteous and gossiping Dot a lovable person, she has allowed the character to grow with her troubles over the life of the show. Dot Cotton has mellowed and become compassionate with old age which are words that would never have been associated with her in 1987!
The original matriarch of EastEnders, Pauline Fowler, has also changed with age but in a much different direction. As played by Wendy Richard, Pauline initially was a harried but loving Mum, always ready to take in a stray or feed yet another mouth on a strained budget. Yet the Pauline of 2001 has become a tired, bitter widow who never sees the bright side of anything.
This is absolutely in keeping with the events of her life, thru Arthur's various brushes with the law, Michelle's illegitimate children, Mark's illness and Martin's waywardness. She often seems so tired of life it's no wonder that currently she's played as Dot's contemporary when Dot is actually Pauline' mother's (Lou's) age!
Finally I must mention the continuing authenticity of Albert Square itself. I have never seen a flat in the East End of London in person, nor a 2-up 2-down, but I have no doubt they look just like the interiors of EastEnders. When the series started, in 1985, the Fowlers didn't even have an indoor loo! They had to go out to the shed in the garden to use the W.C.!
The Queen Vic hasn't changed much, through all her various landlords, and though the yuppies have been making inroads for years, it seems as if they join the Square instead of Walford joining them.
Yes, although I often feel as if the BBC is doing all it can to get me to stop watching EastEnders, I continue a loyal viewer and proud of it! Keep up the good work, cast and crew of EastEnders! There are some Yanks who do understand!
Lise Alper updates the Cast List up to date and accurate at the
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