Paul Priestly
Encyclopedia
Paul Priestly is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
, EastEnders
, played by Mark Thrippleton
.
Paul, a builder, came to London
with a building firm he worked for, then decided to go it alone. He found work around the Square — the money wasn't great but there were benefits — for instance, Julie Cooper
discussed his estimates in bed. He was a ladies man and a heart-breaker, as sixteen year old Diane Butcher
discovered. When their relationship grew too serious, he scarpered and a devastated Diane ran away from home shortly afterwards.
, Paul came to London with a building firm he worked for. He arrived in Walford in April 1989 in search of a place to stay and soon began lodging
with the Butcher's at The Queen Vic.
Paul had quite an impact on the ladies of Walford, particularly the school girl Diane Butcher
, who was instantly attracted to him. Her father Frank
became extremely worried about all the attention she gave Paul. His fears were mistakenly realised when Paul took Diane to a Deacon Blue
concert
and they were both assault
ed on their way home by a gang
of violent thugs. As the gang teamed up on Paul, Diane was struck while attempting to fend them off. She ran home to the Vic to get help, however Frank immediately assumed that Paul was the one who had struck her. When Paul escaped the thugs and returned to the Vic, he was greeted by a furious Frank, who knocked him to the floor with a punch
. Only after Paul had fled in fear did a hysterical Diane manage to explain what had really occurred. Frank was forced to apologise for his overreaction and as Paul was relatively laid back, he didn't bear him any grudge
s. Paul and Diane began dating, although spending time alone together was almost impossible with Frank watching their every move, not to mention Mo Butcher
— who took to standing guard outside their bedrooms at night to stop any secret liaisons. While Diane quickly fell in love with Paul, it wasn't nearly as serious for him.
In June 1989 Paul's friend Trevor Short
came to Walford in search of him. He and Trevor had shared a room together briefly at a youth hostel. Trevor was a dim-witted
, needy individual who idolised Paul. Paul wasn't exactly thrilled to see Trevor initially, but soon came round to the idea of having him around. When Paul decided to take on some freelance work, he employed Trevor as a builder's aid, although he was more of a liability than a labourer and made many disastrous mistakes. Paul found a fair bit of work around Walford, his first big job being the conversion of Julie Cooper's
salon
. Julie took a shine to Paul and while Diane was waiting for Paul to take her on a romantic date, Julie seduced him and coaxed him into her bed. Paul continued to mess Diane around, standing her up on several occasions to be with Julie. Diane was devastated by his sudden rejection, but she placed the blame entirely on Julie. Meanwhile, Paul soon began to feel that Julie was merely using him in order to get a cheap deal for his labour and he began to take against her flirtatious behaviour towards other men. He dumped her and refused to finish the salon conversion. Julie, who only saw their fling as a bit of fun, wasn't particularly bothered about the end of their affair, but refused to pay him for his prior work unless he finished the salon, so Paul was forced to continue. Immediately after finishing with Julie, Paul returned to Diane and she willingly took him back. She would not forgive Julie however, and played various vengeful tricks on her as payback.
Paul found work redecorating Ashraf Karim
's property, which was hindered somewhat by the ineptitude of Trevor, who caused the property's ceiling to collapse. Paul and Diane's relationship continued, but it soon became obvious to everyone that Paul was losing interest in her. Oblivious to this, Diane's feelings only strengthened and she even invited him away for a weekend alone together, indicating that sex would be on the agenda. Paul, who still had Frank watching his every move, declined the offer, but Diane wasn't perturbed and by the end of the year she had got it into her head that Paul wanted to marry her. Actually the relationship had grown far too serious for Paul's liking. He began to tire of living in London and longed for his old life and the people back up north. After finishing the Karim's property he broke the news that he was leaving to Trevor and hinted that it was unlikely he would return. Meanwhile, Diane was adamant that Paul was about to propose and even instructed Trevor to show Paul the engagement ring she wanted. Trevor tried to convince Paul to tell Diane that he was leaving, but Paul couldn't pluck up the courage to do it and said his goodbyes to everyone but her. Eventually Trevor informed Diane that Paul was leaving and she reacted with anger and disbelief. She went in search of him and saw him waiting at a bus stop. She called out to him, but Paul merely glanced at her before getting on a bus and leaving.
Diane was devastated to lose Paul and in January 1990 (on her sixteenth birthday) she ran away from home without trace. Frank blamed Paul for her disappearance and went to Leeds to track him down thinking that Diane was with him, but his search was fruitless. He was told that Paul had not been there recently and no one knew where he was. Frank became so desperate to find Paul that he hired a private detective, and was in the process of being conned by him when Paul coincidentally turned up in Walford. He revealed that he had spent some time in America
, and knew nothing of Diane's whereabouts. He felt guilty about the way he'd treated Diane and came back to put things right. After some heavy interrogation
from Frank, Paul revealed that he spoke to Diane on the day she ran away. She had asked to come to Leeds to see him, but Paul had refused and promised to come to Walford when he had more time. Frank eventually accepted that Paul was telling the truth.
Trevor was overjoyed to see Paul again, but his happiness was fleeting as Paul soon announced that he was leaving once again, and this time for good. Seeing how upset Trevor was about this, Paul asked him to join him in his home town of Leeds
. Trevor gratefully accepted and left with Paul in March 1990.
and Julia Smith
, both decided that the time had come to move on too; their final contribution coinciding with the exit of one of EastEnders most successful characters, Den Watts
(Leslie Grantham
). A new producer, Mike Gibbon
, was given the arduous task of taking over the show and he enlisted the most experienced writers to take over the storylining of the programme, including Charlie Humphreys, Jane Hollowood and Tony McHale.
The departure of two of the soap's most popular characters, Den and Angie Watts
(Anita Dobson
), had left a massive void in the programme, which needed to be filled. In addition several other long running characters left the show that year including two original cast members, Sue
and Ali Osman
(Sandy Ratcliff
and Nejdet Salih) and their family; Donna Ludlow
(Matilda Ziegler
); Carmel Jackson
(Judith Jacob
) and her family and one of the show's more controversial characters, Colin Russell (Michael Cashman
). So, it was decided that 1989 was to be a year of change in Walford. EastEnders script-writer, Colin Brake
, has suggested that "it was almost as if Walford itself was making a fresh start".
At the time the programme had come under criticism in the British media for being too depressing
; arguably a reputation that it has never been able to shake. The programme makers were determined to change this. In 1989 there was a deliberate attempt to increase the lighter, more comic aspects of life in Albert Square
. This led to the introduction of some characters who were deliberately conceived as comic or light-hearted. Such characters included Paul Priestly, a northern heartbreaker, and his sidekick
Trevor Short
(Phil McDermott
), "the nearest thing to a village idiot that Walford had seen in many years"; Julie Cooper
(Louise Plowright
), the man-mad hairdresser
; Marge Green
— a batty older lady played by veteran comedy actress Pat Coombs
; wheeler-dealer Vince Johnson (Hepburn Graham) and Laurie Bates
(Gary Powell
), who became Pete Beale
's (Peter Dean) sparring partner.
Paul Priestly was a cheeky, carefree romeo, whose principal purpose was to become Walford
's latest teen heartthrob. Since 1985 this role had been occupied by the hugely popular Simon Wicks
(Nick Berry
), but as the character aged and took on a more mature role, the programme needed a new teen pin-up to appeal to the younger audience. The actor Mark Thrippleton
shared many similarities with the character of Paul. Like Paul he came from Leeds
, had a strong Yorkshire
accent, and before taking up acting he was a builder. As he also looked the part Thrippleton was given the role.
Humour was an important element in the storylines during 1989, with a greater amount of slapstick and light comedy than ever before. The character of Paul was regularly used for comic effect in conjunction with his dim-witted sidekick Trevor Short, who Paul compassionately employed as a labourer. Emphasis was placed on the obvious differences between the two friends, as well as Trevor's tendency to idolise Paul and fail at every task he was given. Paul would despair over Trevor's ineptitude, but although Trevor was more of a liability than a labourer, Paul remained his loyal defender and persisted in helping him out and taking responsibility for his errors.
1989's changes were a brave experiment and while some found this period of EastEnders entertaining, many other viewers felt that the comedy stretched the programme's credibility somewhat. Although the programme still covered many issues in 1989, such as domestic violence
, drugs, rape
and racism
, the new emphasis on a more balanced mix between "light and heavy storylines" gave the illusion that the show had lost a "certain edge".
By the end of the year EastEnders had acquired a new executive producer, Michael Ferguson
, who had previously been a successful producer on ITV
's The Bill
. Ultimately, Ferguson was responsible for bringing in a new sense of vitality, and creating a programme that was more in touch with the real world than it had been over the last year. A new era began in 1990 with the introduction of the Mitchell brothers, Phil
(Steve McFadden
) and Grant
(Ross Kemp
), two hugely successful characters, who would go on to dominate the soap thereafter. As the new production machine cleared the way for new characters and a new direction, a number of characters were axed from the show at the start of the year. Among them was Paul, as well as every other "comedic" character that had been introduced to the show in 1989. By March 1990 they had all gone. Several of the actors were upset to be leaving the programme so soon, but with the show's new direction there was no place for characters "whose prime function was to be comic relief".
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 Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton is an English actor from Leeds.Thrippleton worked as a roofer and tiler before taking up acting in the 1980s.In 1984 he appeared in How We Used to Live — a British educational drama tracing the lives and fortunes of fictional Yorkshire families from Ewardian times...
.
Paul, a builder, came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with a building firm he worked for, then decided to go it alone. He found work around the Square — the money wasn't great but there were benefits — for instance, Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper (EastEnders)
Julie Cooper is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Louise Plowright from 1989-1990. The character was one of Mike Gibbon's introductions, but she was axed in 1990 at the start of Michael Ferguson's reign as executive producer...
discussed his estimates in bed. He was a ladies man and a heart-breaker, as sixteen year old Diane Butcher
Diane Butcher
Diane Maureen Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997...
discovered. When their relationship grew too serious, he scarpered and a devastated Diane ran away from home shortly afterwards.
Storylines
Originally from LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Paul came to London with a building firm he worked for. He arrived in Walford in April 1989 in search of a place to stay and soon began lodging
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
with the Butcher's at The Queen Vic.
Paul had quite an impact on the ladies of Walford, particularly the school girl Diane Butcher
Diane Butcher
Diane Maureen Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997...
, who was instantly attracted to him. Her father Frank
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
became extremely worried about all the attention she gave Paul. His fears were mistakenly realised when Paul took Diane to a Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
and they were both assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ed on their way home by a gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
of violent thugs. As the gang teamed up on Paul, Diane was struck while attempting to fend them off. She ran home to the Vic to get help, however Frank immediately assumed that Paul was the one who had struck her. When Paul escaped the thugs and returned to the Vic, he was greeted by a furious Frank, who knocked him to the floor with a punch
Punch (strike)
A punch is a striking blow with the fist. It is the most commonly used attack in hand to hand combat. It is used in some martial arts and combat sports, most notably boxing where it is the only type of technique allowed...
. Only after Paul had fled in fear did a hysterical Diane manage to explain what had really occurred. Frank was forced to apologise for his overreaction and as Paul was relatively laid back, he didn't bear him any grudge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
s. Paul and Diane began dating, although spending time alone together was almost impossible with Frank watching their every move, not to mention Mo Butcher
Mo Butcher
Maureen "Mo" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edna Doré between 1988 and 1990. She was introduced as the matriarch figure of the Butcher family, Frank Butcher's elderly mother. She was portrayed as a battle-axe, tough and interfering...
— who took to standing guard outside their bedrooms at night to stop any secret liaisons. While Diane quickly fell in love with Paul, it wasn't nearly as serious for him.
In June 1989 Paul's friend Trevor Short
Trevor Short
Trevor Short is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Phil McDermott.Trevor was the inseparable sidekick of Paul Priestly. He was a well-meaning individual but he wasn't blessed with much intelligence and he managed to mess up almost every job he was given...
came to Walford in search of him. He and Trevor had shared a room together briefly at a youth hostel. Trevor was a dim-witted
Stupidity
Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or sense. It may be innate, assumed, or reactive - 'being "stupid with grief" as a defence against trauma', a state marked with 'grief and despair...making even simple daily tasks a hardship'....
, needy individual who idolised Paul. Paul wasn't exactly thrilled to see Trevor initially, but soon came round to the idea of having him around. When Paul decided to take on some freelance work, he employed Trevor as a builder's aid, although he was more of a liability than a labourer and made many disastrous mistakes. Paul found a fair bit of work around Walford, his first big job being the conversion of Julie Cooper's
Julie Cooper (EastEnders)
Julie Cooper is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Louise Plowright from 1989-1990. The character was one of Mike Gibbon's introductions, but she was axed in 1990 at the start of Michael Ferguson's reign as executive producer...
salon
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
. Julie took a shine to Paul and while Diane was waiting for Paul to take her on a romantic date, Julie seduced him and coaxed him into her bed. Paul continued to mess Diane around, standing her up on several occasions to be with Julie. Diane was devastated by his sudden rejection, but she placed the blame entirely on Julie. Meanwhile, Paul soon began to feel that Julie was merely using him in order to get a cheap deal for his labour and he began to take against her flirtatious behaviour towards other men. He dumped her and refused to finish the salon conversion. Julie, who only saw their fling as a bit of fun, wasn't particularly bothered about the end of their affair, but refused to pay him for his prior work unless he finished the salon, so Paul was forced to continue. Immediately after finishing with Julie, Paul returned to Diane and she willingly took him back. She would not forgive Julie however, and played various vengeful tricks on her as payback.
Paul found work redecorating Ashraf Karim
Ashraf Karim
The Karims are a fictional family that appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders between 1987 and 1990.-Creation and development:The Muslim Karim family were introduced as the owners of the soap's grocery store, the First til Last, following the departure of the character Naima Jeffery in 1987,...
's property, which was hindered somewhat by the ineptitude of Trevor, who caused the property's ceiling to collapse. Paul and Diane's relationship continued, but it soon became obvious to everyone that Paul was losing interest in her. Oblivious to this, Diane's feelings only strengthened and she even invited him away for a weekend alone together, indicating that sex would be on the agenda. Paul, who still had Frank watching his every move, declined the offer, but Diane wasn't perturbed and by the end of the year she had got it into her head that Paul wanted to marry her. Actually the relationship had grown far too serious for Paul's liking. He began to tire of living in London and longed for his old life and the people back up north. After finishing the Karim's property he broke the news that he was leaving to Trevor and hinted that it was unlikely he would return. Meanwhile, Diane was adamant that Paul was about to propose and even instructed Trevor to show Paul the engagement ring she wanted. Trevor tried to convince Paul to tell Diane that he was leaving, but Paul couldn't pluck up the courage to do it and said his goodbyes to everyone but her. Eventually Trevor informed Diane that Paul was leaving and she reacted with anger and disbelief. She went in search of him and saw him waiting at a bus stop. She called out to him, but Paul merely glanced at her before getting on a bus and leaving.
Diane was devastated to lose Paul and in January 1990 (on her sixteenth birthday) she ran away from home without trace. Frank blamed Paul for her disappearance and went to Leeds to track him down thinking that Diane was with him, but his search was fruitless. He was told that Paul had not been there recently and no one knew where he was. Frank became so desperate to find Paul that he hired a private detective, and was in the process of being conned by him when Paul coincidentally turned up in Walford. He revealed that he had spent some time in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and knew nothing of Diane's whereabouts. He felt guilty about the way he'd treated Diane and came back to put things right. After some heavy interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
from Frank, Paul revealed that he spoke to Diane on the day she ran away. She had asked to come to Leeds to see him, but Paul had refused and promised to come to Walford when he had more time. Frank eventually accepted that Paul was telling the truth.
Trevor was overjoyed to see Paul again, but his happiness was fleeting as Paul soon announced that he was leaving once again, and this time for good. Seeing how upset Trevor was about this, Paul asked him to join him in his home town of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. Trevor gratefully accepted and left with Paul in March 1990.
Character creation and development
1989 was a year of big change for EastEnders, both behind the cameras and in front of them. Original production designer, Keith Harris, left the show, and co-creators, Tony HollandTony 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:...
and 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...
, both decided that the time had come to move on too; their final contribution coinciding with the exit of one of EastEnders most successful characters, 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"....
(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...
). A new producer, Mike Gibbon
Mike Gibbon
John Michael "Mike" Gibbon is an English television producer and director. Gibbon married Moya McCarthy in July 1976 and they have a daughter, Sophie....
, was given the arduous task of taking over the show and he enlisted the most experienced writers to take over the storylining of the programme, including Charlie Humphreys, Jane Hollowood and Tony McHale.
The departure of two of the soap's most popular characters, Den and Angie Watts
Angie Watts
Angela "Angie" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the show until 1988 when the actress decided to quit and the character was written out....
(Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
), had left a massive void in the programme, which needed to be filled. In addition several other long running characters left the show that year including two original cast members, Sue
Sue Osman
Susan "Sue" Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sandy Ratcliff. She was one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created by Tony Holland and Julia Smith, Sue was...
and Ali Osman
Ali Osman
Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original EastEnders cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five years afterwards, making his final appearance on 10 October...
(Sandy Ratcliff
Sandy Ratcliff
Alexandria "Sandy" Ratcliff is an English former actress. Ratcliff made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she is best known for being one of the original cast members in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in the 1980s...
and Nejdet Salih) and their family; Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matilda Ziegler between 1987-1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her...
(Matilda Ziegler
Matilda Ziegler
Matilda Ziegler is a British television, stage and film actress best known for her roles as Irma Gobb in Mr. Bean and as Donna Ludlow in the long-running BBC1 serial EastEnders and Ruth in the BBC Three sitcom Swiss Toni.-Television career:Matilda Ziegler's first screen role remains her most...
); Carmel Jackson
Carmel Jackson
Carmel Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Judith Jacob. Carmel, a Health Visitor, was introduced in a recurring, minor role in 1986. Producers saw potential in the character. Script writers were asked to develop more promienent storylines, and Carmel...
(Judith Jacob
Judith Jacob
Judith Jacob , is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role she played from 1986 to 1989. During her stint in Albert Square, her character suffered from severe marital abuse and her husband's attempted murder and eventual...
) and her family and one of the show's more controversial characters, Colin Russell (Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
). So, it was decided that 1989 was to be a year of change in Walford. EastEnders script-writer, Colin Brake
Colin Brake
Colin Brake is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programs such as Bugs and EastEnders. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series Doctor Who...
, has suggested that "it was almost as if Walford itself was making a fresh start".
At the time the programme had come under criticism in the British media for being too depressing
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
; arguably a reputation that it has never been able to shake. The programme makers were determined to change this. In 1989 there was a deliberate attempt to increase the lighter, more comic aspects of life 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...
. This led to the introduction of some characters who were deliberately conceived as comic or light-hearted. Such characters included Paul Priestly, a northern heartbreaker, and his sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Trevor Short
Trevor Short
Trevor Short is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Phil McDermott.Trevor was the inseparable sidekick of Paul Priestly. He was a well-meaning individual but he wasn't blessed with much intelligence and he managed to mess up almost every job he was given...
(Phil McDermott
Phil McDermott
Phil McDermott is a British actor. Before turning to acting he was a trainee priest, a scrap metal worker, a weighbridge operator and a carpenter. He is most famous for playing a regular character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He played the dim-witted odd-job man, Trevor Short from 1989-1990...
), "the nearest thing to a village idiot that Walford had seen in many years"; Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper (EastEnders)
Julie Cooper is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Louise Plowright from 1989-1990. The character was one of Mike Gibbon's introductions, but she was axed in 1990 at the start of Michael Ferguson's reign as executive producer...
(Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright is a British actress, who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and first came to prominence playing abrasive hairdresser Julie Cooper in the television soap opera EastEnders from 1989 to 1990....
), the man-mad hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
; Marge Green
Marge Green
Marjorie "Marge" Green is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Pat Coombs. Introduced in 1989, elderly Marge was scripted as comical and timid. The character was one of many to be axed in 1990 when the show changed Executive Producer.-Storylines:Marge first...
— a batty older lady played by veteran comedy actress Pat Coombs
Pat Coombs
Pat Coombs was an English actress. Coombs was considered one of Britain's great character actresses, specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, film and television sitcoms...
; wheeler-dealer Vince Johnson (Hepburn Graham) and Laurie Bates
Laurie Bates
Laurie Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Gary Powell. Laurie was introduced by producer Mike Gibbon in September 1989 as a rival to the long-established character Pete Beale – he opened up a business in direct competition to him and then dated his...
(Gary Powell
Gary Powell (actor)
Gary Powell is a British actor. He is possibly best known for playing the character Laurie Bates in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Laurie made his first screen appearance in September 1989 as a love interest for Kathy Beale , but the character was one of many to be written out of the serial early...
), who became Pete Beale
Pete Beale
Peter "Pete" Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Peter Dean. He made his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was created by Tony Holland, one of the creators of EasEnders; he was based on a member of...
's (Peter Dean) sparring partner.
Paul Priestly was a cheeky, carefree romeo, whose principal purpose was to become 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...
's latest teen heartthrob. Since 1985 this role had been occupied by the hugely popular Simon Wicks
Simon Wicks
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler; Mark's actor David Scarboro had left...
(Nick Berry
Nick Berry
Nicholas "Nick" Berry is a British television actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in the British soap opera EastEnders from 1985 to 1990 and as PC Nick Rowan in the British drama television series Heartbeat from 1992 to 1998.-Career:Berry started acting at the age of...
), but as the character aged and took on a more mature role, the programme needed a new teen pin-up to appeal to the younger audience. The actor Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton is an English actor from Leeds.Thrippleton worked as a roofer and tiler before taking up acting in the 1980s.In 1984 he appeared in How We Used to Live — a British educational drama tracing the lives and fortunes of fictional Yorkshire families from Ewardian times...
shared many similarities with the character of Paul. Like Paul he came from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, had a strong Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
accent, and before taking up acting he was a builder. As he also looked the part Thrippleton was given the role.
Humour was an important element in the storylines during 1989, with a greater amount of slapstick and light comedy than ever before. The character of Paul was regularly used for comic effect in conjunction with his dim-witted sidekick Trevor Short, who Paul compassionately employed as a labourer. Emphasis was placed on the obvious differences between the two friends, as well as Trevor's tendency to idolise Paul and fail at every task he was given. Paul would despair over Trevor's ineptitude, but although Trevor was more of a liability than a labourer, Paul remained his loyal defender and persisted in helping him out and taking responsibility for his errors.
1989's changes were a brave experiment and while some found this period of EastEnders entertaining, many other viewers felt that the comedy stretched the programme's credibility somewhat. Although the programme still covered many issues in 1989, such as domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, drugs, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, the new emphasis on a more balanced mix between "light and heavy storylines" gave the illusion that the show had lost a "certain edge".
By the end of the year EastEnders had acquired a new executive producer, Michael Ferguson
Michael Ferguson (director)
Michael Ferguson is a British script writer, television director and television producer. Ferguson has been described as a “long term champion of realistic popular drama”. Ferguson was executive producer of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders between 1989 and 1991...
, who had previously been a successful producer on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
. Ultimately, Ferguson was responsible for bringing in a new sense of vitality, and creating a programme that was more in touch with the real world than it had been over the last year. A new era began in 1990 with the introduction of the Mitchell brothers, Phil
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) and Grant
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
), two hugely successful characters, who would go on to dominate the soap thereafter. As the new production machine cleared the way for new characters and a new direction, a number of characters were axed from the show at the start of the year. Among them was Paul, as well as every other "comedic" character that had been introduced to the show in 1989. By March 1990 they had all gone. Several of the actors were upset to be leaving the programme so soon, but with the show's new direction there was no place for characters "whose prime function was to be comic relief".