Joanne Francis
Encyclopedia
Joanne Francis is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Pamela Salem
. She appeared on screen between 16 June 1988 and 3 January 1989.
in June 1988. She was a member of the gangster
organisation known as the Firm, and was sent to Walford
by Mr Vinnicombe (The Firm's boss) to manage Strokes Winebar, which was actually a facade for an illegal gambling
den. Her arrival upset Den Watts
, as he had thought that he was being given managerial status. Despite initial hostility, Joanne and Den proved to be a good team and built up a strong working relationship.
Den, however, was too unpredictable for the Firm's liking, and after his friend, Kathy Beale, was raped by rival wine-bar owner, James Willmott-Brown
, he went against the Firm's orders and instigated a revenge attack without their approval. With the help of another member of The Firm, Brad Williams, he had Willmott-Brown's winebar torched. This led to a police investigation, putting Strokes under surveillance and the Firm under suspicion. In order to put the police off, the Firm decided that Den had to take the blame for the arson
. Den unwillingly did so following pressure from Joanne, and then went into hiding to avoid arrest. However, The Firm's real agenda was to lure Den into a false sense of security before killing him, thus stopping him implicating them for their heinous crimes. Realising this, Den managed to escape the Firm and went on the run, but when The Firm traced him to his hideout, he was forced to turn himself into the police in order to avoid being killed. Den was sent to Dickens Hill
prison, leaving the Firm to assume that it would only be a matter of time before Den divulged his knowledge about their criminal antics. Actually, Den had no intention of grassing, but the investigating officer, D.I. West, decided to play up to The Firm's fears, spreading rumours that Den was on the verge of implicating them. Gregory Mantel (a superior member of The Firm) made plans to have Den eradicated from within prison. Joanne did not believe that Den was an informant and she tried to do everything she could to stop her associates from setting up a hit on him, even going above Mantel's head and relaying her doubts to Mr Vinnicombe, which earned her the wrath of Mantel, but managed to spare Den's life temporarily.
Joanne moved into a flat in Albert Square and continued running Strokes, but her position was put in jeopardy when a new Detective Inspector, Bob Ashley, started to take umbrage with her presence in Walford. He began putting pressure on Brad Williams to frame the Firm, threatening him with prison unless he obliged. Brad divulged the whereabouts of evidence that would show Joanne's criminal dealings, enabling him to get rid of her and close down Strokes. Sensing her imminent downfall, Joanne considered resigning from The Firm. This did not please Mantel, he reminded her not to 'rock the boat' or else she would meet the same fate as her late husband. It turned out that Joanne's husband had also been employed by The Firm, and his association had led to his untimely demise. So Joanne fled, stealing thousands of pounds of The Firm's money in the process. Her exit was nearly halted by a speeding car, driven by Brad, who had been instructed by Mantel to eliminate her. Brad missed his target and she managed to escape unharmed. Her last appearance was in January 1989. Strokes closed down soon after.
, played by Leslie Grantham
.. The character was deemed so popular by the producers of the serial, that when Grantham announced he was quitting the soap in November 1987, creators Julia Smith
and Tony Holland
devised a storyline that would keep the character on screen for a further year, while only requiring Grantham to commit to a couple of months filming. This was done by sending Den to prison on remand and mixing the previously filmed prison storyline in with the current happenings in Albert Square
. On screen, the build-up to Grantham's exit occurred throughout 1988, as Den, always portrayed as a petty criminal with shady connections, was recruited to work for the more serious East End organised crime operation, known as The Firm
. Various characters were introduced as part of the storyline. Among them was Joanne Francis, a middle classed "hard woman", who was brought in to be the manageress of Strokes winebar, a facade for an illegal gambling den owned by The Firm.
was given the role of Joanne. Salem had known Grantham for many years prior to her casting. Before EastEnders went to air, Grantham had served time in Wormwood Scrubs
prison for the murder of a taxi driver, and occasionally actors were brought in to entertain the prisoners. Among the visiting actors were Louise Jameson
(who later went on to play Rosa di Marco
) and Salem. Both actresses were instrumental in introducing Grantham to acting while he was in prison, and helping him to enroll in drama school upon his release. Salem had already auditioned for a part in EastEnders, Jan Hammond, the mistress of Den Watts. She was unsuccessful, and that part went to Jane How
; however, Grantham later persuaded the casting director of EastEnders to give Salem the role of Joanne.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
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...
, played by Pamela Salem
Pamela Salem
Pamela Salem is a British film and television actress.She was born in Bombay, India, and educated at Heidelberg University in Germany and later at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England...
. She appeared on screen between 16 June 1988 and 3 January 1989.
Storylines
Joanne was first seen in Albert SquareAlbert 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...
in June 1988. She was a member of the gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
organisation known as the Firm, and was sent to Walford
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
by Mr Vinnicombe (The Firm's boss) to manage Strokes Winebar, which was actually a facade for an illegal gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
den. Her arrival upset Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
, as he had thought that he was being given managerial status. Despite initial hostility, Joanne and Den proved to be a good team and built up a strong working relationship.
Den, however, was too unpredictable for the Firm's liking, and after his friend, Kathy Beale, was raped by rival wine-bar owner, James Willmott-Brown
James Willmott-Brown
James Sebastian Willmott-Brown is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by William Boyde.- Background :Willmott-Brown was an ex-army officer, arriving in Albert Square in March 1986 as area manager for 'Luxford and Copley', the brewery that owned The Queen Vic...
, he went against the Firm's orders and instigated a revenge attack without their approval. With the help of another member of The Firm, Brad Williams, he had Willmott-Brown's winebar torched. This led to a police investigation, putting Strokes under surveillance and the Firm under suspicion. In order to put the police off, the Firm decided that Den had to take the blame for the arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. Den unwillingly did so following pressure from Joanne, and then went into hiding to avoid arrest. However, The Firm's real agenda was to lure Den into a false sense of security before killing him, thus stopping him implicating them for their heinous crimes. Realising this, Den managed to escape the Firm and went on the run, but when The Firm traced him to his hideout, he was forced to turn himself into the police in order to avoid being killed. Den was sent to Dickens Hill
Dickens Hill
Dickens Hill is a fictional prison in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The prison was part of a storyline that aired between 1988 and 1989. The storyline centred on the popular character Den Watts and was filmed on location at Dartmoor Prison in Devon...
prison, leaving the Firm to assume that it would only be a matter of time before Den divulged his knowledge about their criminal antics. Actually, Den had no intention of grassing, but the investigating officer, D.I. West, decided to play up to The Firm's fears, spreading rumours that Den was on the verge of implicating them. Gregory Mantel (a superior member of The Firm) made plans to have Den eradicated from within prison. Joanne did not believe that Den was an informant and she tried to do everything she could to stop her associates from setting up a hit on him, even going above Mantel's head and relaying her doubts to Mr Vinnicombe, which earned her the wrath of Mantel, but managed to spare Den's life temporarily.
Joanne moved into a flat in Albert Square and continued running Strokes, but her position was put in jeopardy when a new Detective Inspector, Bob Ashley, started to take umbrage with her presence in Walford. He began putting pressure on Brad Williams to frame the Firm, threatening him with prison unless he obliged. Brad divulged the whereabouts of evidence that would show Joanne's criminal dealings, enabling him to get rid of her and close down Strokes. Sensing her imminent downfall, Joanne considered resigning from The Firm. This did not please Mantel, he reminded her not to 'rock the boat' or else she would meet the same fate as her late husband. It turned out that Joanne's husband had also been employed by The Firm, and his association had led to his untimely demise. So Joanne fled, stealing thousands of pounds of The Firm's money in the process. Her exit was nearly halted by a speeding car, driven by Brad, who had been instructed by Mantel to eliminate her. Brad missed his target and she managed to escape unharmed. Her last appearance was in January 1989. Strokes closed down soon after.
Background
One of the most popular characters in the early years of EastEnders was Den WattsDen Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
, played by Leslie Grantham
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham is an English actor best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the soap opera EastEnders. He is also a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a German taxi driver, and he generated significant press coverage as the result of an online sex scandal...
.. The character was deemed so popular by the producers of the serial, that when Grantham announced he was quitting the soap in November 1987, creators Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
and Tony Holland
Tony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
devised a storyline that would keep the character on screen for a further year, while only requiring Grantham to commit to a couple of months filming. This was done by sending Den to prison on remand and mixing the previously filmed prison storyline in with the current happenings in 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...
. On screen, the build-up to Grantham's exit occurred throughout 1988, as Den, always portrayed as a petty criminal with shady connections, was recruited to work for the more serious East End organised crime operation, known as The Firm
The Firm (EastEnders)
The Firm is a fictional gangland organisation in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-1980s era:The Firm, aka "Walford Investments", was first introduced to the show in 1988, and was represented by the sharp-suited Gregory Mantel , the lackeys Brad Williams and Joanne Francis , and the elusive boss Mr...
. Various characters were introduced as part of the storyline. Among them was Joanne Francis, a middle classed "hard woman", who was brought in to be the manageress of Strokes winebar, a facade for an illegal gambling den owned by The Firm.
Casting
Actress Pamela SalemPamela Salem
Pamela Salem is a British film and television actress.She was born in Bombay, India, and educated at Heidelberg University in Germany and later at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England...
was given the role of Joanne. Salem had known Grantham for many years prior to her casting. Before EastEnders went to air, Grantham had served time in Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
prison for the murder of a taxi driver, and occasionally actors were brought in to entertain the prisoners. Among the visiting actors were Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson is an English actress, best known for playing Leela, the leather-clad barbarian warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. Jameson has also appeared on Emmerdale , The Omega Factor Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951 in Wanstead, London) is an English actress, best known...
(who later went on to play Rosa di Marco
Rosa di Marco
Rosa di Marco is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louise Jameson. She is the mother of Beppe , Gianni , Teresa and Nicky di Marco .-Storylines:...
) and Salem. Both actresses were instrumental in introducing Grantham to acting while he was in prison, and helping him to enroll in drama school upon his release. Salem had already auditioned for a part in EastEnders, Jan Hammond, the mistress of Den Watts. She was unsuccessful, and that part went to Jane How
Jane How
Jane Onslow How is an English actress with a range of television,film and stage credits. In 1977 she married actor Mark Burns and had a son Jack in 1981...
; however, Grantham later persuaded the casting director of EastEnders to give Salem the role of Joanne.