Rod Norman
Encyclopedia
Rodric "Rod" Norman is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Christopher McHallem
.
Rod the roadie, was a modern day hobo
. He dossed in squats
and never settled anywhere for long, although he did return to Albert Square
several times. Rod was a sucker for female hopeless cases and he tried to help out several 'women in need' over the years, although he was rarely thanked for his efforts.
, Mary Smith. Rod was a greasy layabout, but underneath his scruffy appearance lay a kind-hearted, genuine guy, who would go out of his way to help anyone in need.
Mary became the first lady who Rod took under his wing. Mary was going through a hard time around the time of his arrival. She had been arrested for solicitation, lost her baby to social services due to neglect and as well as continuing to prostitute
herself, she was heavily using recreational drugs. Seeing how desperate Mary had become, Rod made it his mission to help her out of the mess she'd got herself into. He moved in with her, got her a job as a cleaner at The Dagmar, weaned her off drugs and prostitution and was instrumental in helping her work towards getting her baby back, who was now in the care of Mary's parents in Stockport
. Although there were initial problems (mainly because Mary's parents refused to give Annie back to her), by the end of the year Mary's father Chris had arrived in Walford
and mother and daughter were finally reunited.
Rod really cared for Mary and her baby, but their relationship was always tested, due to Mary's selfish, hot-headed nature. Things came to a head in March 1988 when Rod accidentally forgot to pick Annie up from play-group. Mary was furious, and despite all that Rod had done for her, she proceeded in pointing out all his flaws and humiliating him in public by calling him useless and lazy, after which she threw him out of her flat. In the wake of this, a furious Rod disappeared from Walford on one of his many road trips.
Rod returned a month later and despite Mary's feeble apology, he refused to move back in with her and started squatting in an abandoned flat on the Square. Mary took Rod's rejection badly and after witnessing him with another woman, she started using drugs again, much to Rod's concern. Mary spent the subsequent months in a downward spiral, and although Rod made yet another attempt at helping her out, this failed. He washed his hands of her and by May of that year, Mary had fled Walford.
Rod remained in Walford, as did Mary's father, who employed Rod as his bookkeeper and organiser of his haulage
company and later Rod took over Barry Clark's market stall. Rod was later forced to act against his principles, when he was threatened by Brad Williams, a dodgy member of The Firm
, and forced to stitch up local publican Den Watts
. The Firm wanted Den to take the rap for the torching of The Dagmar, so they coerced Rod into providing a false testimony to the police, which implicated Den. Den fled Walford and managed to escape arrest but when The Firm decided they wanted Den dead, Rod was later forced to coerce his whereabouts from his best friend Pete Beale
, which led to his arrest and a spell in prison
.
It was at around this time when Rod started to become close to Donna Ludlow
, who had also recently become homeless, and she eventually came to live with him in his squat. Donna was particularly vindictive and everyone on the Square had washed their hands of her after her malicious games were uncovered. Rod couldn't resist a lost cause, and like Mary before her, he tried to get Donna back on the 'straight and narrow'. Donna wasn't as receptive as Mary though, and it wasn't long before she had managed to get herself addicted to heroin. Rod tried to get Donna off the drug but this only infuriated her, and in order to get revenge for his meddling, she planted heroin on him and then informed the police that he was a dealer. Despite this, Rod continued to try to help Donna, even rescuing her from a vicious gang rape when she turned to prostitution, and contacting her adoptive parents to come and sort her out. His efforts were in vain though, and by 1989, Donna had become so depressed and affected by her drug use that she purposefully took an overdose of heroin and died.
Rod later took up lodging with Dot Cotton. It was here that he became involved with yet another hopeless female, Hazel, the girlfriend of Dot's son, Nick
. Hazel had arrived in Albert Square under the pretence that her baby was Nick's. This later turned out to be a lie and a ploy to extort money from Dot. Dot was devastated to learn she'd been conned, but she came to forgive Hazel and allowed her to live with her, which led to Hazel and Rod also growing close. When Nick came back and discovered Hazel's games, he beat her close to death and she spent time in hospital. Whilst there, Rod visited her regularly and he helped wean her off Nick. They subsequently became a couple, but the relationship didn't last and Rod left Walford in February 1990 to follow a hippy trail in India
.
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 Christopher McHallem
Christopher McHallem
Christopher McHallem is a British actor, writer, musician and director.McHallem began his career in 1977 with the punk rock/post-punk band The Transmitters under the pseudonym "Dexter O'Brian", but left the band shortly after its formation to pursue a career in acting.He is well remembered for...
.
Rod the roadie, was a modern day hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
. He dossed in squats
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
and never settled anywhere for long, although he did return 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...
several times. Rod was a sucker for female hopeless cases and he tried to help out several 'women in need' over the years, although he was rarely thanked for his efforts.
Storylines
Rod was first seen in Albert Square in July 1987 as an acquaintance of fellow punkPunk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
, Mary Smith. Rod was a greasy layabout, but underneath his scruffy appearance lay a kind-hearted, genuine guy, who would go out of his way to help anyone in need.
Mary became the first lady who Rod took under his wing. Mary was going through a hard time around the time of his arrival. She had been arrested for solicitation, lost her baby to social services due to neglect and as well as continuing to prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
herself, she was heavily using recreational drugs. Seeing how desperate Mary had become, Rod made it his mission to help her out of the mess she'd got herself into. He moved in with her, got her a job as a cleaner at The Dagmar, weaned her off drugs and prostitution and was instrumental in helping her work towards getting her baby back, who was now in the care of Mary's parents in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
. Although there were initial problems (mainly because Mary's parents refused to give Annie back to her), by the end of the year Mary's father Chris had arrived in 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...
and mother and daughter were finally reunited.
Rod really cared for Mary and her baby, but their relationship was always tested, due to Mary's selfish, hot-headed nature. Things came to a head in March 1988 when Rod accidentally forgot to pick Annie up from play-group. Mary was furious, and despite all that Rod had done for her, she proceeded in pointing out all his flaws and humiliating him in public by calling him useless and lazy, after which she threw him out of her flat. In the wake of this, a furious Rod disappeared from Walford on one of his many road trips.
Rod returned a month later and despite Mary's feeble apology, he refused to move back in with her and started squatting in an abandoned flat on the Square. Mary took Rod's rejection badly and after witnessing him with another woman, she started using drugs again, much to Rod's concern. Mary spent the subsequent months in a downward spiral, and although Rod made yet another attempt at helping her out, this failed. He washed his hands of her and by May of that year, Mary had fled Walford.
Rod remained in Walford, as did Mary's father, who employed Rod as his bookkeeper and organiser of his haulage
Haulage
Haulage may refer to:* The business of being a haulier or hauler , also called haulage contractor, common carrier, contract carrier, or private carrier, in other words of transporting goods by road or rail for other companies or one's own company.* The horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies,...
company and later Rod took over Barry Clark's market stall. Rod was later forced to act against his principles, when he was threatened by Brad Williams, a dodgy member of 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...
, and forced to stitch up local publican 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"....
. The Firm wanted Den to take the rap for the torching of The Dagmar, so they coerced Rod into providing a false testimony to the police, which implicated Den. Den fled Walford and managed to escape arrest but when The Firm decided they wanted Den dead, Rod was later forced to coerce his whereabouts from his best friend 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...
, which led to his arrest and a spell in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.
It was at around this time when Rod started to become close to 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...
, who had also recently become homeless, and she eventually came to live with him in his squat. Donna was particularly vindictive and everyone on the Square had washed their hands of her after her malicious games were uncovered. Rod couldn't resist a lost cause, and like Mary before her, he tried to get Donna back on the 'straight and narrow'. Donna wasn't as receptive as Mary though, and it wasn't long before she had managed to get herself addicted to heroin. Rod tried to get Donna off the drug but this only infuriated her, and in order to get revenge for his meddling, she planted heroin on him and then informed the police that he was a dealer. Despite this, Rod continued to try to help Donna, even rescuing her from a vicious gang rape when she turned to prostitution, and contacting her adoptive parents to come and sort her out. His efforts were in vain though, and by 1989, Donna had become so depressed and affected by her drug use that she purposefully took an overdose of heroin and died.
Rod later took up lodging with Dot Cotton. It was here that he became involved with yet another hopeless female, Hazel, the girlfriend of Dot's son, Nick
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders played by John Altman on a recurring basis from the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance to date in 2009. Nick is the son of characters Charlie and Dot Cotton, and the father of Ashley and...
. Hazel had arrived in Albert Square under the pretence that her baby was Nick's. This later turned out to be a lie and a ploy to extort money from Dot. Dot was devastated to learn she'd been conned, but she came to forgive Hazel and allowed her to live with her, which led to Hazel and Rod also growing close. When Nick came back and discovered Hazel's games, he beat her close to death and she spent time in hospital. Whilst there, Rod visited her regularly and he helped wean her off Nick. They subsequently became a couple, but the relationship didn't last and Rod left Walford in February 1990 to follow a hippy trail 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...
.