Ferreira family
Encyclopedia
The Ferreira family are a fictional family from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, that appeared on screen between 2003 and 2005. Created by Tony Jordan
and introduced by Louise Berridge
as a new Asian
family, producers hoped they would become central to the show. However, after India
n actor Dalip Tahil
was forced to leave due to a controversy over his work permit
, a major plot involving the family had to be scrapped and was replaced with a kidney transplant storyline that was branded "boring". The characters were also called "unrealistic", "annoying", and "unlikeable" by many of the show's fans and critics. They were blamed for a decline in the show's viewing figures and were eventually axed by Kathleen Hutchison
after bosses struggled to find storylines for the family. Jordan later admitted the family's members were "the least successful characters [he] created".
(Deepak Verma
) and Gita Kapoor
(Shobu Kapoor
), who both departed from the show in 1998. They were also the first large family to arrive since the Slater family
's arrival in 2000. The family were the creation of writer Tony Jordan
, and Bollywood
star Dalip Tahil
was cast by the show's executive producer, Louise Berridge
, to play Daniel "Dan" Ferreira, the patriarch of the family. The family, from Goa
in India
, also consisted of Dan's three sons, Rohan "Ronnie" (played by Ray Panthaki
), Ashwani "Ash" (Raji James
) and Aditya "Adi" (Ameet Chana
), and daughter Kareena (Pooja Shah
). Ronnie's friend Tariq Larousi, played by Nabil Elouahabi
, also joined the show at the same time.
BBC drama bosses worked on introducing an Asian family, who would be central to the show, for a couple of years. Berridge commented on the casting: "After a search which has taken more than two years, and in which we have met literally hundreds of people, we have finally found the perfect cast for our dynamic new family. We're delighted to welcome the Ferreiras to Albert Square
and I'm sure the viewers will be too." Berridge also claimed the show didn't set out to look for an Asian family, saying: "We wanted a new family as there were various elements missing from the show. I thought we were short on males and needed a surge of testosterone," and said that the characters were formed around the actors: "We didn't set out knowing exactly what we wanted. We workshopped constantly, trying out different improvisations with the actors and the characters evolved."
It was hoped that the family would have a big impact on the other characters. The show's producers apparently vowed not to include too many racial issues in the family's storylines, although upon their arrival, the character of Jim Branning
(John Bardon
) was heard saying "they're Indian, they do like to pack 'em in, don't they?" in reference to the family's size.
On being cast in the show, Tahil admitted that he wasn't aware of how big a part of British culture the soap was until he arrived in the United Kingdom, saying "It's going to be a big adventure." The other actors in the family all said they were looking forward to joining the show, with James saying "I'm really looking forward to the challenges of working on such a huge programme," and Shah commenting "Joining EastEnders is a dream come true. I have been a fan of the programme for many years and I'm looking forward to joining the cast."
The family first appeared on screen on 3 June 2003. Later on in the year Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey
was cast in EastEnders as Dan's estranged wife, Pushpa. Jaffrey commented, "I really wanted to do the role because Indian women are usually portrayed as so proper and withdrawn – the kind of women who just stay at home cooking and cleaning. I thought, 'How wonderful of EastEnders to write a character that is realistic.' What my character has done happens all the time in India; there are all kinds of stories of people running away and marrying their lovers. This is what commonly happens in those places, but somehow the image of Indian womanhood is different." Pushpa was a guest character only appearing for the duration of a storyline that revealed Dan had been lying about her death and had actually left him for another man, Dan's best friend.
, neither he nor the BBC had obtained proper authorisation from the Home Office
to make the switch of employment legal. The BBC issued a one-line statement, which read: "We are considering any potential problems with a view to resolving them as soon as possible." Tahil was forced to leave the show, and made his last appearance on 30 December 2003, although the actor was eventually allowed to remain in the UK.
Following Tahil's departure, plots were abandoned and many scripts had to be rewritten. EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan revealed that it was intended that Dan would be murdered by his children after prolonged bullying and abuse, saying "The family arrived in Albert Square in what was expected to be a huge storyline. The father [...] was an oppressive and violent bully – eventually his children were going to kill him. It was all scripted – how they buried him in a shallow grave, how they dealt with it, and how it all exploded. And then Dalip got bloody deported. He was actually on the studio floor and they marched him off. Broken legs, nervous breakdowns – we can deal with that. But when actors are physically taken away by the government and deported, there's not much you can do. Fifty scripts had to be reworked. And because all the episodes had been written around this big storyline, we had to keep the same amount of Ferreira material." The murder storyline was replaced with one concerning a kidney transplant between Ronny and his newly-discovered half brother Tariq. Jordan admitted they could have recast the character of Dan, but it may have looked "tacky": "We couldn't go, 'Tonight, the part of Mr Ferreira will be played by Michael French with a suntan'. We were trying to do it with integrity. Then somebody said, 'What if Ronnie Ferreira's mate Tariq turns out to be his half-brother and we do the whole kidney transplant thing?' And, of course, it was like watching paint dry. 'Can I have your kidney?' 'No. Oh, go on then...'" Jordan told the Daily Mirror the Ferreiras were "the least successful characters I created – through no fault of their own."
Berridge defended the family, saying that Tahil's departure caused a lot of problems, however, she added, "[T]he Ferreiras have not been as successful as we had hoped. I think in retrospect we made a mistake in giving their entrance such a fanfare as a New Asian Family. Viewers traditionally take a long time to adapt to anyone new [...] so it was wrong to emphasise what was different about this family from the start. Even so, we had a terrific first story for them, which was to have culminated in a huge, action storyline to mark the exit of their father. However, the sudden removal of actor Dalip Tahil, for reasons beyond our control, meant that the story had to be abandoned quickly – and 40 scripts rewritten on the spot. The result was the transplant story, which I have to admit did go on for far too long, especially when our biggest story in this period had also to be abandoned because of the pregnancy of Kacey Ainsworth
. The writers and production team did their very best under these circumstances but I would be the first to admit the end result was not our finest hour. I hope that viewers will not hold this against the Ferreira family and will be prepared to watch the next stage of their stories with an open mind. This is a very talented bunch of actors, who've had to put up with a lot of stick for problems which have not been of their making. Viewer response to their lighter material was very favourable and I am confident the Ferreiras will regain their popularity." Lorraine Heggessey
, controller of BBC One, said the show became overdependent on the kidney transplant storyline as there were several cast problems, such as illness, pregnancy, rehab and a car crash. Berridge quit as executive producer of EastEnders and was replaced by Kathleen Hutchison
.
In April 2004, producers were concerned that the family were losing popularity with viewers, and a decision was made to write Pooja Shah out of the show for a while, but to bring her back with a sexier image to rival Michelle Ryan
, who played Zoe Slater
. Shah expressed a dislike of her character, saying "I'm fed up with it now. Kareena's too dowdy. I wanted Kareena to be different, to stand out. If I'm completely honest, I can't stand her – she just grates on my nerves. She hasn't got many friends, but then I wouldn’t be her friend if I met her." The family had failed and rumours began that the entire family would be killed off in a house fire. A further attempt to "spice up" the family was made in July 2004 by bringing back character Sasha Perkins, played by Jemma Walker
, and having her move in with the Ferreiras.
The show struggled to find storylines for Dan's children, and the remainder of the family, including Sasha Perkins, were dropped from the show by Hutchison in October 2004. This was claimed to be a mutual decision between the programme makers and the actors, as the characters had "run their course." They made their final on-screen appearance on 22 March 2005.
, portrayed as a womaniser and a bully. He claims to be a widower, talking about his wife as being dead, both to the neighbours and his children, but they have merely separated after she had an affair with his best friend, with whom she moved in. Ash is portrayed as the intelligent member of the family, the standard of his education being much higher than his siblings, so much so that he is a lecturer. He has an on/off problem with gambling, something that presumably led to the breakup of his first marriage, before he is seen on screen. Kareena is in a relationship with Tariq, though it is not a sexual one. Ronny works as a DJ under the name DJ Ronny Flawless, and Tariq is his best friend and promoter.
Dan starts a relationship with Shirley Benson (Robyn Moore
), telling her that his wife, Pushpa, is dead. He takes her to a wedding as his guest, but Pushpa arrives, introducing herself and exposing Dan's lie. Shirley then breaks up with him. The Ferreiras help Shirley to deal with her neighbour from hell, Gavin Sharp (Steve Nicolson), which leads to Shirley and Ash becoming close and starting a secret relationship. Shirley is unhappy that Ash refuses to tell anyone about their relationship, as he knows his father will be furious if he discovers them together. Ash reveals to Shirley that he is a compulsive gambler and he lost his house and ruined his marriage in the process; Dan had bailed him out. He says he owes his father everything and he is not willing to hurt him. Dan attempts to woo Shirley again, forcing her to confess her relationship with Ash. This causes friction between the Ferreiras, and Ash breaks up with Shirley to keep the peace.
Ronny's love life is equally unsettled. He begins dating Kelly Taylor
(Brooke Kinsella
), but ends the relationship when he discovers her past as a prostitute and begins dating Kelly's best friend, Zoe Slater
(Michelle Ryan
). This abruptly ends when Kelly witnesses Ronny kissing another woman. Meanwhile, Adi has a romance with Sasha Perkins (Jemma Walker
), a pole dancer and escort
, who he initially pays to pretend to be his girlfriend. He spends a lot of time trying to impress his father but fails. Dan disappears suddenly and clears out the family's bank account, leaving his children £12,000 in mortgage arrears. The truth behind his disappearance is never revealed.
Ronny is stabbed by a gang while trying to protect Tariq and has to have his kidney removed. However, it is discovered he was born with just one and will need a kidney transplant. None of his siblings are a tissue match, so Ash, Adi and Kareena visit their mother, but her kidney is not a match either. Tariq is forced to reveal that he is Dan's son, and he donates his kidney to Ronny. He explains that he thought having a mildly romantic relationship with his half sister would bring him closer to the family. Adi dislikes the fact he and Tariq are half brothers, but mellows towards him eventually. When bailiffs arrive to evict the family from their home, they board themselves into their living room, but eventually admit defeat and move into a flat with Sasha, starting a minicab firm called Toucan Cars.
Kareena begins dating Mickey Miller
(Joe Swash
), but problems arise between them when Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
) gives Kareena cocaine and she is seduced by him, though she manages to sort out her differences with Mickey eventually. Adi also has relationship problems after Sasha cheats on him with Danny Moon
(Jake Maskall
), leading to the couple's split. Gangster Johnny Allen
(Billy Murray
) agrees to loan several cars to the Ferreiras' business, but three of them are stolen and Johnny orders the family out of Walford immediately or face repercussions. Kareena initially opts to remain in Walford with Mickey, but at the last minute she changes her mind and departs with the rest of her family in March 2005.
and Renu Setna
complained that home-grown talent was being overlooked, with Moses saying, "British Asian actors have been fighting for the last five years to persuade the BBC to bring an Asian family into EastEnders and when at last it happens it goes to Bollywood. It is a disgrace and an insult to British Asian actors. This is a terrible thing for the BBC to do. It should be ashamed." Setna said: "I have heard that for this storyline the BBC has brought over a Bollywood star to play the father. Why, when we have excellent Asian actors of our own?" British immigration laws state that nationals from outside the European Union
should not replace resident actors capable of doing the same work. A spokesperson for the BBC responded: "After due consideration, Dalip was deemed to be the most appropriate actor for the job."
The family were criticised for being unrealistic, as their first names were a mixture of Muslim
and Hindu
and their surname was Portuguese
. Additionally, it was suggested that Madhur Jaffrey was miscast in the role of Dan's wife Pushpa. Several of the family's storylines were criticised and branded as unbelievable and poorly researched,
and they were cited as one of the main reasons viewing figures for the show dropped to a low of 6.2 million. One columnist for the Daily Mirror wrote, "Never has a family bored me so much. During their transplant saga I nearly donated a kidney myself to end the turgid tale. Get rid of 'em." Fans called for the family to be axed, and an editorial on the Daily Mirror stated: "The Ferreiras' father, Dan, was probably not just the worst character in soap, but the most annoying, unlikeable person on all television. Inveterate gambler, Ash and daughter Kareena are mere ciphers while Adi is just weird – like a gay version of a character from Rainbow
. Ronny Ferreira, meanwhile, [...] presided over the most boring storyline in EastEnders' history when viewers spent several weeks watching him lying in bed growing a beard (i.e. waiting for a kidney transplant). The fact that the Ferreiras still haven't been axed shows how indecisive and complacent the show's executives have become." However, a poll on radio station BBC Asian Network
found that 75% of respondents wanted the family to stay.
One thousand young Asian professionals were surveyed on their opinions of the family, with most respondents saying the family were extremely unrealistic. One girl said "I think the Ferreiras are shit! The story lines are stupid, unrealistic and dull. Most Asians would not get evicted and then remain homeless, they would go to an aunty." A female PR manager told the survey: "Just how many shades of brown can there be in one family? You can't put them in any context. They have no background," and another participant said, "The Ferreiras should just be killed off. They are pointless, boring and the storylines are rubbish."
Following the axing of the family, actor Ameet Chana accused the BBC of discriminating against the family, saying, "I'm not afraid to admit that the Ferreira family have been treated like [shit]. We've been made scapegoats, discriminated against. They wouldn't do this to the Watts
or Slater
family. [...] The Ferreira family have had bad storylines and we've taken the blame for it."
The family's Goan origin was also criticised by Samir Shah, a member of the BBC's board of directors, citing it as an example of "inauthentic representation" of ethnic minority communities. He said, "If you were to cast an Asian family in the East End, it should have been Bangladeshi
. Instead we had a family of Goan descent." A report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission claimed that the Ferreiras were an example of stereotyping in the media.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, that appeared on screen between 2003 and 2005. Created by Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan is a British television writer. He was listed as the number 1 television screen writer in the UK by Broadcast magazine and among British Broadcastings Top 20 in The Stage ., He currently resides in Hertfordshire, UK.For many years, he was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One...
and introduced by Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
as a new Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
family, producers hoped they would become central to the show. However, after India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actor Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil is an Indian film, television and theatre actor. He did his schooling from the elite Sherwood College in Nainital, India and later graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.-Films:...
was forced to leave due to a controversy over his work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
, a major plot involving the family had to be scrapped and was replaced with a kidney transplant storyline that was branded "boring". The characters were also called "unrealistic", "annoying", and "unlikeable" by many of the show's fans and critics. They were blamed for a decline in the show's viewing figures and were eventually axed by Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include Playing the Field, Holby City and Casualty @ Holby City.-EastEnders:...
after bosses struggled to find storylines for the family. Jordan later admitted the family's members were "the least successful characters [he] created".
Creation
The Ferreiras were introduced in 2003 as the first Asian family in EastEnders since SanjaySanjay Kapoor (EastEnders)
Sanjay Kapoor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Deepak Verma.Sanjay the market trader had an eye for the ladies and a weakness for gambling...
(Deepak Verma
Deepak Verma
Deepak Verma, is a British Asian actor, writer and television/film producer.- Career :Verma trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama for three years . He made his television debut in the Scottish detective series, Taggart in 1992...
) and Gita Kapoor
Gita Kapoor
Gita Kapoor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shobu Kapoor.Gita had a fierce temper, which was needed to keep her troublesome husband in check. Any success they achieved was down to her...
(Shobu Kapoor
Shobu Kapoor
Shobu Kapoor is a British actress.She is most notable for playing the role of Gita Kapoor, the long suffering wife of the market-trader Sanjay , in the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders ....
), who both departed from the show in 1998. They were also the first large family to arrive since the Slater family
Charlie Slater
Charles "Charlie" Slater is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Derek Martin, making his first appearance on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the...
's arrival in 2000. The family were the creation of writer Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan is a British television writer. He was listed as the number 1 television screen writer in the UK by Broadcast magazine and among British Broadcastings Top 20 in The Stage ., He currently resides in Hertfordshire, UK.For many years, he was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One...
, and Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
star Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil is an Indian film, television and theatre actor. He did his schooling from the elite Sherwood College in Nainital, India and later graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.-Films:...
was cast by the show's executive producer, Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
, to play Daniel "Dan" Ferreira, the patriarch of the family. The family, from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, also consisted of Dan's three sons, Rohan "Ronnie" (played by Ray Panthaki
Ray Panthaki
Ray Panthaki is a British-born actor, film producer and writer.Born in London, Panthaki is best known for the roles he played on BBC soap opera EastEnders as Ronny Ferreira and as 'Hassan B' the nemesis to Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G in Ali G Indahouse...
), Ashwani "Ash" (Raji James
Raji James
Rajesh Jhanji better known by his stage name Little Raji James That Used To Be In Eastenders But Ruined It, is a British Indian actor, club night promotor and podcast co-host, best known for his role as Ash Ferreira in EastEnders, he also played Abdul Khan in the 1999 British Film East Is East...
) and Aditya "Adi" (Ameet Chana
Ameet Chana
Ameet Chana is a British Indian actor. His most notable role is Adi Ferreira in EastEnders....
), and daughter Kareena (Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah is a British Asian actress and model of Kenyan-Asian descent. Her grandparents migrated to Kenya from Gujarat in Western India and so her ancestral roots are there....
). Ronnie's friend Tariq Larousi, played by Nabil Elouahabi
Nabil Elouahabi
Nabil Elouahabi , sometimes credited as Nabil Elouhabi, is a British Moroccan actor, arguably best known for his role as Tariq Larousi in EastEnders from 2003 to 2005, or as his role as "Gary", the 'kidnapped' son of a French millionaire, in Only Fools and Horses in 2002.-Career:Nabil made his...
, also joined the show at the same time.
BBC drama bosses worked on introducing an Asian family, who would be central to the show, for a couple of years. Berridge commented on the casting: "After a search which has taken more than two years, and in which we have met literally hundreds of people, we have finally found the perfect cast for our dynamic new family. We're delighted to welcome the Ferreiras to Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
and I'm sure the viewers will be too." Berridge also claimed the show didn't set out to look for an Asian family, saying: "We wanted a new family as there were various elements missing from the show. I thought we were short on males and needed a surge of testosterone," and said that the characters were formed around the actors: "We didn't set out knowing exactly what we wanted. We workshopped constantly, trying out different improvisations with the actors and the characters evolved."
It was hoped that the family would have a big impact on the other characters. The show's producers apparently vowed not to include too many racial issues in the family's storylines, although upon their arrival, the character of Jim Branning
Jim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
(John Bardon
John Bardon
John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
) was heard saying "they're Indian, they do like to pack 'em in, don't they?" in reference to the family's size.
On being cast in the show, Tahil admitted that he wasn't aware of how big a part of British culture the soap was until he arrived in the United Kingdom, saying "It's going to be a big adventure." The other actors in the family all said they were looking forward to joining the show, with James saying "I'm really looking forward to the challenges of working on such a huge programme," and Shah commenting "Joining EastEnders is a dream come true. I have been a fan of the programme for many years and I'm looking forward to joining the cast."
The family first appeared on screen on 3 June 2003. Later on in the year Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
was cast in EastEnders as Dan's estranged wife, Pushpa. Jaffrey commented, "I really wanted to do the role because Indian women are usually portrayed as so proper and withdrawn – the kind of women who just stay at home cooking and cleaning. I thought, 'How wonderful of EastEnders to write a character that is realistic.' What my character has done happens all the time in India; there are all kinds of stories of people running away and marrying their lovers. This is what commonly happens in those places, but somehow the image of Indian womanhood is different." Pushpa was a guest character only appearing for the duration of a storyline that revealed Dan had been lying about her death and had actually left him for another man, Dan's best friend.
Development
In November 2003, it emerged that actor Dalip Tahil faced being axed from the show due to not having the correct work permit. It was reported that after Tahil joined EastEnders from appearing in stage musical Bombay DreamsBombay Dreams
Bombay Dreams is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan,and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two years...
, neither he nor the BBC had obtained proper authorisation from the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
to make the switch of employment legal. The BBC issued a one-line statement, which read: "We are considering any potential problems with a view to resolving them as soon as possible." Tahil was forced to leave the show, and made his last appearance on 30 December 2003, although the actor was eventually allowed to remain in the UK.
Following Tahil's departure, plots were abandoned and many scripts had to be rewritten. EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan revealed that it was intended that Dan would be murdered by his children after prolonged bullying and abuse, saying "The family arrived in Albert Square in what was expected to be a huge storyline. The father [...] was an oppressive and violent bully – eventually his children were going to kill him. It was all scripted – how they buried him in a shallow grave, how they dealt with it, and how it all exploded. And then Dalip got bloody deported. He was actually on the studio floor and they marched him off. Broken legs, nervous breakdowns – we can deal with that. But when actors are physically taken away by the government and deported, there's not much you can do. Fifty scripts had to be reworked. And because all the episodes had been written around this big storyline, we had to keep the same amount of Ferreira material." The murder storyline was replaced with one concerning a kidney transplant between Ronny and his newly-discovered half brother Tariq. Jordan admitted they could have recast the character of Dan, but it may have looked "tacky": "We couldn't go, 'Tonight, the part of Mr Ferreira will be played by Michael French with a suntan'. We were trying to do it with integrity. Then somebody said, 'What if Ronnie Ferreira's mate Tariq turns out to be his half-brother and we do the whole kidney transplant thing?' And, of course, it was like watching paint dry. 'Can I have your kidney?' 'No. Oh, go on then...'" Jordan told the Daily Mirror the Ferreiras were "the least successful characters I created – through no fault of their own."
Berridge defended the family, saying that Tahil's departure caused a lot of problems, however, she added, "[T]he Ferreiras have not been as successful as we had hoped. I think in retrospect we made a mistake in giving their entrance such a fanfare as a New Asian Family. Viewers traditionally take a long time to adapt to anyone new [...] so it was wrong to emphasise what was different about this family from the start. Even so, we had a terrific first story for them, which was to have culminated in a huge, action storyline to mark the exit of their father. However, the sudden removal of actor Dalip Tahil, for reasons beyond our control, meant that the story had to be abandoned quickly – and 40 scripts rewritten on the spot. The result was the transplant story, which I have to admit did go on for far too long, especially when our biggest story in this period had also to be abandoned because of the pregnancy of Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth is an English actress, best known for playing the long-suffering Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Life and career:Kacey Ainsworth, is the only soap actress who has won three Soap Actress awards in one single year in 2002...
. The writers and production team did their very best under these circumstances but I would be the first to admit the end result was not our finest hour. I hope that viewers will not hold this against the Ferreira family and will be prepared to watch the next stage of their stories with an open mind. This is a very talented bunch of actors, who've had to put up with a lot of stick for problems which have not been of their making. Viewer response to their lighter material was very favourable and I am confident the Ferreiras will regain their popularity." Lorraine Heggessey
Lorraine Heggessey
Lorraine Heggessey is a British television producer and former Chief Executive of the production company Talkback Thames...
, controller of BBC One, said the show became overdependent on the kidney transplant storyline as there were several cast problems, such as illness, pregnancy, rehab and a car crash. Berridge quit as executive producer of EastEnders and was replaced by Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include Playing the Field, Holby City and Casualty @ Holby City.-EastEnders:...
.
In April 2004, producers were concerned that the family were losing popularity with viewers, and a decision was made to write Pooja Shah out of the show for a while, but to bring her back with a sexier image to rival Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
, who played Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
. Shah expressed a dislike of her character, saying "I'm fed up with it now. Kareena's too dowdy. I wanted Kareena to be different, to stand out. If I'm completely honest, I can't stand her – she just grates on my nerves. She hasn't got many friends, but then I wouldn’t be her friend if I met her." The family had failed and rumours began that the entire family would be killed off in a house fire. A further attempt to "spice up" the family was made in July 2004 by bringing back character Sasha Perkins, played by Jemma Walker
Jemma Walker
Jemma Walker is an English actress, known for portraying Siobhan Jones Callan in Family Affairs and Sasha Perkins in EastEnders.-Background:Born in Essex, Walker was a dancer until the age of sixteen...
, and having her move in with the Ferreiras.
The show struggled to find storylines for Dan's children, and the remainder of the family, including Sasha Perkins, were dropped from the show by Hutchison in October 2004. This was claimed to be a mutual decision between the programme makers and the actors, as the characters had "run their course." They made their final on-screen appearance on 22 March 2005.
Family tree
Background
Dan Ferreira is a fan of Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, portrayed as a womaniser and a bully. He claims to be a widower, talking about his wife as being dead, both to the neighbours and his children, but they have merely separated after she had an affair with his best friend, with whom she moved in. Ash is portrayed as the intelligent member of the family, the standard of his education being much higher than his siblings, so much so that he is a lecturer. He has an on/off problem with gambling, something that presumably led to the breakup of his first marriage, before he is seen on screen. Kareena is in a relationship with Tariq, though it is not a sexual one. Ronny works as a DJ under the name DJ Ronny Flawless, and Tariq is his best friend and promoter.
2003–2005
The Ferreiras move to Albert Square in 2003. Kareena and Adi run a clothes stall on the market, Ash starts working at the local community centre, and Ronny earns money as a disc jockey, managed by his friend, Tariq, whom Dan dislikes. It transpires that Tariq is in a secret relationship with Kareena, but the Ferreiras discover this after they split up, causing further animosity between Tariq and Dan.Dan starts a relationship with Shirley Benson (Robyn Moore
Robyn Moore (British actor)
Robyn Moore is a British actress, probably best known for playing Shirley Benson in EastEnders from 2003 to 2004....
), telling her that his wife, Pushpa, is dead. He takes her to a wedding as his guest, but Pushpa arrives, introducing herself and exposing Dan's lie. Shirley then breaks up with him. The Ferreiras help Shirley to deal with her neighbour from hell, Gavin Sharp (Steve Nicolson), which leads to Shirley and Ash becoming close and starting a secret relationship. Shirley is unhappy that Ash refuses to tell anyone about their relationship, as he knows his father will be furious if he discovers them together. Ash reveals to Shirley that he is a compulsive gambler and he lost his house and ruined his marriage in the process; Dan had bailed him out. He says he owes his father everything and he is not willing to hurt him. Dan attempts to woo Shirley again, forcing her to confess her relationship with Ash. This causes friction between the Ferreiras, and Ash breaks up with Shirley to keep the peace.
Ronny's love life is equally unsettled. He begins dating Kelly Taylor
Kelly Taylor (EastEnders)
Kelly Taylor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Brooke Kinsella. The character was introduced by executive producer John Yorke, in 2001...
(Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella, MBE is an English actress and author. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre School, Kinsella has been acting since childhood. She has had various roles on television and in film...
), but ends the relationship when he discovers her past as a prostitute and begins dating Kelly's best friend, Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
(Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
). This abruptly ends when Kelly witnesses Ronny kissing another woman. Meanwhile, Adi has a romance with Sasha Perkins (Jemma Walker
Jemma Walker
Jemma Walker is an English actress, known for portraying Siobhan Jones Callan in Family Affairs and Sasha Perkins in EastEnders.-Background:Born in Essex, Walker was a dancer until the age of sixteen...
), a pole dancer and escort
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
, who he initially pays to pretend to be his girlfriend. He spends a lot of time trying to impress his father but fails. Dan disappears suddenly and clears out the family's bank account, leaving his children £12,000 in mortgage arrears. The truth behind his disappearance is never revealed.
Ronny is stabbed by a gang while trying to protect Tariq and has to have his kidney removed. However, it is discovered he was born with just one and will need a kidney transplant. None of his siblings are a tissue match, so Ash, Adi and Kareena visit their mother, but her kidney is not a match either. Tariq is forced to reveal that he is Dan's son, and he donates his kidney to Ronny. He explains that he thought having a mildly romantic relationship with his half sister would bring him closer to the family. Adi dislikes the fact he and Tariq are half brothers, but mellows towards him eventually. When bailiffs arrive to evict the family from their home, they board themselves into their living room, but eventually admit defeat and move into a flat with Sasha, starting a minicab firm called Toucan Cars.
Kareena begins dating Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joe Swash. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge. The character is...
(Joe Swash
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
), but problems arise between them when Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie is a British actor, who plays Juley Smith in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He joined the show in 2002 and was axed in early 2005 after his character was criticised for being too stereotypical...
) gives Kareena cocaine and she is seduced by him, though she manages to sort out her differences with Mickey eventually. Adi also has relationship problems after Sasha cheats on him with Danny Moon
Danny Moon
Daniel "Danny" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Maskall. He made his first appearance on 30 December 2004...
(Jake Maskall
Jake Maskall
Jake Maskall is an English television, film and theatre actor.-Career:Jake's most notable role came in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders where he played ladies' man and bad boy Danny Moon. His character first appeared on 30 December 2004 and was driven out of the show by gangster Johnny...
), leading to the couple's split. Gangster Johnny Allen
Johnny Allen (EastEnders)
Jonathan "Johnny" Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Billy Murray.-Storylines:Johnny Allen was a businessman and retired gangster, who grew up in Walford but moved away to start up an empire of his own which he named J.A. Enterprises...
(Billy Murray
Billy Murray (actor)
Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
) agrees to loan several cars to the Ferreiras' business, but three of them are stolen and Johnny orders the family out of Walford immediately or face repercussions. Kareena initially opts to remain in Walford with Mickey, but at the last minute she changes her mind and departs with the rest of her family in March 2005.
Reception
Tahil's casting was considered to be controversial, and was slammed by British Asian actors who said the part should have been given to a UK actor, referring to it as "disgraceful". Actors Albert MosesAlbert Moses
Albert Moses is a British-based actor born near Kandy, Sri Lanka. He had begun to act by the 1960s in India where he appeared in several films, then produced and directed his first. From India, he moved to Africa where he undertook work on documentaries...
and Renu Setna
Renu Setna
Renu Setna is a Pakistani actor, perhaps best known for his appearance as the shopkeeper Mr. Kittel in In Sickness and in Health.Setna made an appearance in the british BBC Sictom Only Fools And Horses, in the episode "Cash and Curry", where he played a con-artist who cons Del and Rodney out of Two...
complained that home-grown talent was being overlooked, with Moses saying, "British Asian actors have been fighting for the last five years to persuade the BBC to bring an Asian family into EastEnders and when at last it happens it goes to Bollywood. It is a disgrace and an insult to British Asian actors. This is a terrible thing for the BBC to do. It should be ashamed." Setna said: "I have heard that for this storyline the BBC has brought over a Bollywood star to play the father. Why, when we have excellent Asian actors of our own?" British immigration laws state that nationals from outside the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
should not replace resident actors capable of doing the same work. A spokesperson for the BBC responded: "After due consideration, Dalip was deemed to be the most appropriate actor for the job."
The family were criticised for being unrealistic, as their first names were a mixture of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and their surname was Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
. Additionally, it was suggested that Madhur Jaffrey was miscast in the role of Dan's wife Pushpa. Several of the family's storylines were criticised and branded as unbelievable and poorly researched,
and they were cited as one of the main reasons viewing figures for the show dropped to a low of 6.2 million. One columnist for the Daily Mirror wrote, "Never has a family bored me so much. During their transplant saga I nearly donated a kidney myself to end the turgid tale. Get rid of 'em." Fans called for the family to be axed, and an editorial on the Daily Mirror stated: "The Ferreiras' father, Dan, was probably not just the worst character in soap, but the most annoying, unlikeable person on all television. Inveterate gambler, Ash and daughter Kareena are mere ciphers while Adi is just weird – like a gay version of a character from Rainbow
Rainbow (TV series)
Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran twice weekly at 12:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays on the ITV network, from 16 October 1972 to 6 March 1992...
. Ronny Ferreira, meanwhile, [...] presided over the most boring storyline in EastEnders
BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
found that 75% of respondents wanted the family to stay.
One thousand young Asian professionals were surveyed on their opinions of the family, with most respondents saying the family were extremely unrealistic. One girl said "I think the Ferreiras are shit! The story lines are stupid, unrealistic and dull. Most Asians would not get evicted and then remain homeless, they would go to an aunty." A female PR manager told the survey: "Just how many shades of brown can there be in one family? You can't put them in any context. They have no background," and another participant said, "The Ferreiras should just be killed off. They are pointless, boring and the storylines are rubbish."
Following the axing of the family, actor Ameet Chana accused the BBC of discriminating against the family, saying, "I'm not afraid to admit that the Ferreira family have been treated like [shit]. We've been made scapegoats, discriminated against. They wouldn't do this to the Watts
Watts family
The Watts are a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The family consists of Den, Sharon, Dennis, Chrissie, Angie, and Vicki. Most recently, Dennis Jr was born in 2006, but has yet to be seen onscreen....
or Slater
Charlie Slater
Charles "Charlie" Slater is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Derek Martin, making his first appearance on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the...
family. [...] The Ferreira family have had bad storylines and we've taken the blame for it."
The family's Goan origin was also criticised by Samir Shah, a member of the BBC's board of directors, citing it as an example of "inauthentic representation" of ethnic minority communities. He said, "If you were to cast an Asian family in the East End, it should have been Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
. Instead we had a family of Goan descent." A report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission claimed that the Ferreiras were an example of stereotyping in the media.