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Tom King (Emmerdale)
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tom" Albert King was a fictional character
on the ITV
soap opera
Emmerdale
. He appeared in the show from February 2004 to December 2006. Ken Farrington
played him during the character's run.
Tom grew up in Emmerdale and was keen to return. When he did return, he particularly wanted Home Farm but Zoe Tate refused to sell until Sadie, Tom's daughter-in-law, blackmailed her into it. While he waited, Tom bought Holdgate Farm, Pear Tree Cottage and Dale View.
Tom had a good 'side' to his relationships with his sons but tended to see, and dwell upon, the worst in his children. Tom constantly browbeat Jimmy for being so prone to chaos and useless with the business, Carl over his unsuitable choice of women, Matthew over his duplicity and Max over his desire for independence and life away from the business which he hated.
He owned a haulage company, Home Farm and was a millionaire
.
set her cap at him. Although they seemed a total mismatch, Charity and Tom were actually well-suited. Having endured years of romantic disasters, Charity loved Tom’s stability and devotion, and he had fallen deeply in love with the brassy blonde.
However, his family were horrified when Tom announced that he and Charity intended to marry - especially his daughter-in-law, Sadie King
. Although Tom loved Charity, he found it hard to trust her - worried she’d leave for someone younger. When Tom’s best friend, Roger, died suddenly, he began to question his mortality. Sensing his insecurity, Sadie planned to get Charity out of the family permanently. She set up Charity up so she was photographed kissing another man - her cousin/ex-lover Cain Dingle
. She insisted they were proof Charity was cheating on him. Seeing the photos on his wedding day, Tom plunged into a deep depression - and jilted Charity at the altar.
A few weeks later, Tom discovered Charity was telling the truth when she insisted Sadie had set her up. Storming into Holdgate Farm with a video of her in bed with Jimmy - Sadie’s husband - Tom discovered that Sadie set Charity up and robbed him of his chance of happiness. Although she loved him, Charity refused to get back with Tom and left with her infant son. Horrified by the level Sadie had stooped to, Tom disowned her and Jimmy, warning his other children not to cross him. Eventually, Tom forgave Jimmy and let him back into his life. When Sadie shrewdly bought a piece of land Tom needed for his development, she was also let back into the business.
Tom met Rosemary Sinclair who he soon fell for and married on December 25, 2006. During their engagement, Tom angered many people, blackmailing Edna Birch
, bullied/blackmailed Chas Dingle
to end things with Carl, taunting people and paying Jean Hope
, Dawn Woods's mother, off. The Hopes took this badly and burnt down the "King's River" billboard.
Tom has kept several secrets during his life but one in particular looked set to destroy his sons' memories of him. He had a daughter, Scarlett, with Carrie Nicholls, a nurse who looked after his late wife, Mary, before she died. This was bad enough but he chose not to tell his sons they had a sister, leaving evidence of her in his will, for them to discover after his death.
His youngest son Max was tragically killed in a car crash caused by Robert Sugden
and the family were left devastated. The last thing Tom ever said to Max was "You're a disgrace."
Driven half mad by grief, Tom was in a terrible state and let his guard down so much, he allowed Sadie back into his inner circle. Impressed that she’d managed to scheme her way to getting Home Farm for him, Tom finally forgave Sadie and even made a move on her. Horrified, she turned him down and Tom was humiliated.
Having now lost two sons, Tom was feeling low and threw himself into launching Home Farm as a working estate. He enlisted the help of newcomer Jean Hope
and found himself falling for her. Jean liked Tom and it suited her to keep him hanging on to cover up her affair with Tom’s chauffeur, Terry Woods
. When he found out, Tom felt a fool and sacked them but soon got over it and supported them as they faced criticism from the rest of the village.
, Dawn's father, as his daughter was one of the people who died.
This led to the Kings facing a charge of corporate manslaughter and were defended by Grayson Sinclair
. When that was settled, the Kings tried to make some money back by selling the development but everyone they approached were concerned about lawsuits from relatives of the people who died. Dawn Woods's family seemed determined to sue as the Kings denied liability in court. Jean Hope was more concerned about her young grandson and told Tom that he was admitting liability by offering compensation of £200,000. She took the money and took TJ to Morocco.
Tom King fell to his death from his bedroom window on Christmas Day 2006. He had been hit with an ornament and then pushed through the window. Tom's final scene was of him lying in a morgue, on the slab; where the coroner
stated that Tom suffered massive head trauma and a fractured skull, with the cause of death being a broken neck.
His funeral was held on February 20, 2007. His will was read the next day and that revealed Tom had a daughter. He split his estate equally between his children, Jimmy, Matthew, Carl and Scarlett.
Tom's murder launched an on-line investigation in which members of the public could follow 20 weeks of clues and discover who killed him. This is the first time a British soap has launched an interactive storyline. It has also been revealed that the murderer has been chosen, on Emmerdale Confidential; making the urgency for the public to find the murder even more influential. The storyline title was named Who Killed Tom King?
. The storyline would go on to become one of Emmerdale's most popular storylines of all time.
On 17 May 2007, Carl King was revealed as his father's murderer. The episode in which Carl King was revealed as Tom's murderer fetched nearly 10 million viewers. It was revealed that when Chas crashed the wedding reception
with her cousin, Eli, and revealed Tom had paid her to end things with him, a furious Carl followed Tom to his room where they argued about Chas. Tom started calling her names and desperate to stop him, Carl grabbed an ornament and hit him over the head. Shocked, Tom fell towards him but Carl pushed him away and he fell out of the window.
Tom was one of Emmerdales most popular characters throughout his reign and since his death, he has been mentioned many times and the repercussions of his death are still apparent in Emmerdale today.
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...
on the 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...
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,...
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
. He appeared in the show from February 2004 to December 2006. Ken Farrington
Ken Farrington
Ken Farrington is an English actor.He first found fame playing the role of Billy Walker, wayward son of publican Annie, in ITV's long running soap opera, Coronation Street...
played him during the character's run.
Tom grew up in Emmerdale and was keen to return. When he did return, he particularly wanted Home Farm but Zoe Tate refused to sell until Sadie, Tom's daughter-in-law, blackmailed her into it. While he waited, Tom bought Holdgate Farm, Pear Tree Cottage and Dale View.
Tom had a good 'side' to his relationships with his sons but tended to see, and dwell upon, the worst in his children. Tom constantly browbeat Jimmy for being so prone to chaos and useless with the business, Carl over his unsuitable choice of women, Matthew over his duplicity and Max over his desire for independence and life away from the business which he hated.
He owned a haulage company, Home Farm and was a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
.
Relationships
Being rich and single made Tom a target for the local women - regardless of his age. Having lost his wife, Mary, 18 years ago, Tom couldn’t believe his luck when Charity TateCharity Tate
Charity Tate is a fictional character on the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Emma Atkins.The character was involved in numerous high-profile storylines during her first stint on the show, such as her marriage to Chris Tate, lesbian affair with Zoe Tate, the arrival of her...
set her cap at him. Although they seemed a total mismatch, Charity and Tom were actually well-suited. Having endured years of romantic disasters, Charity loved Tom’s stability and devotion, and he had fallen deeply in love with the brassy blonde.
However, his family were horrified when Tom announced that he and Charity intended to marry - especially his daughter-in-law, Sadie King
Sadie King
Sadie Jacqueline King , was a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Patsy Kensit...
. Although Tom loved Charity, he found it hard to trust her - worried she’d leave for someone younger. When Tom’s best friend, Roger, died suddenly, he began to question his mortality. Sensing his insecurity, Sadie planned to get Charity out of the family permanently. She set up Charity up so she was photographed kissing another man - her cousin/ex-lover Cain Dingle
Cain Dingle
Cain Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Jeff Hordley.-Character creation:In 2000 series producer Kieran Roberts introduced three new members of the Dingle family. The new characters were introduced to the regular cast in 2000, who first arrived...
. She insisted they were proof Charity was cheating on him. Seeing the photos on his wedding day, Tom plunged into a deep depression - and jilted Charity at the altar.
A few weeks later, Tom discovered Charity was telling the truth when she insisted Sadie had set her up. Storming into Holdgate Farm with a video of her in bed with Jimmy - Sadie’s husband - Tom discovered that Sadie set Charity up and robbed him of his chance of happiness. Although she loved him, Charity refused to get back with Tom and left with her infant son. Horrified by the level Sadie had stooped to, Tom disowned her and Jimmy, warning his other children not to cross him. Eventually, Tom forgave Jimmy and let him back into his life. When Sadie shrewdly bought a piece of land Tom needed for his development, she was also let back into the business.
Tom met Rosemary Sinclair who he soon fell for and married on December 25, 2006. During their engagement, Tom angered many people, blackmailing Edna Birch
Edna Birch
Edna Birch is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Shirley Stelfox.In a village marred by affairs, double-crossing and sin, widow Edna is a paragon of virtue. She first appeared on the show in 2000, but had been living in the village for many years...
, bullied/blackmailed Chas Dingle
Chas Dingle
Chastity "Chas" Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Lucy Pargeter.-Storylines:...
to end things with Carl, taunting people and paying Jean Hope
Jean Hope
Jean Hope is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Initially she was a recurring character and played by Julie Higginson, but when she returned in 2006 as a regular character, Susan Penhaligon took over the role....
, Dawn Woods's mother, off. The Hopes took this badly and burnt down the "King's River" billboard.
Tom has kept several secrets during his life but one in particular looked set to destroy his sons' memories of him. He had a daughter, Scarlett, with Carrie Nicholls, a nurse who looked after his late wife, Mary, before she died. This was bad enough but he chose not to tell his sons they had a sister, leaving evidence of her in his will, for them to discover after his death.
Max's death
Robert Sugden
Robert Jacob Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by three different actors: Richard Smith , Christopher Smith and Karl Davies .-Storylines:A character that was born on the show, Robert was notorious for the number of romantic relationships in...
and the family were left devastated. The last thing Tom ever said to Max was "You're a disgrace."
Driven half mad by grief, Tom was in a terrible state and let his guard down so much, he allowed Sadie back into his inner circle. Impressed that she’d managed to scheme her way to getting Home Farm for him, Tom finally forgave Sadie and even made a move on her. Horrified, she turned him down and Tom was humiliated.
Early retirement
After many tragic events, Tom was ready to retire and hand his business over to his son Matthew. Just as the deal was about to be done, Tom discovered Matthew and Sadie were having a relationship. Incensed, he insisted Matthew choose - her or the business. He chose the business but it was clear the situation was not resolved. So when Matthew stormed Sadie’s wedding to Alasdair Sinclair and begged her to be with him instead, Tom was furious. He reiterated his ultimatum but Matthew let his heart rule his head.Having now lost two sons, Tom was feeling low and threw himself into launching Home Farm as a working estate. He enlisted the help of newcomer Jean Hope
Jean Hope
Jean Hope is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Initially she was a recurring character and played by Julie Higginson, but when she returned in 2006 as a regular character, Susan Penhaligon took over the role....
and found himself falling for her. Jean liked Tom and it suited her to keep him hanging on to cover up her affair with Tom’s chauffeur, Terry Woods
Terry Woods (Emmerdale)
Terence "Terry" Woods is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Billy Hartman. He was one of the longest-serving characters in the show when he was killed off in early 2011, after 16 years.-1995–2003:...
. When he found out, Tom felt a fool and sacked them but soon got over it and supported them as they faced criticism from the rest of the village.
The Kings River explosion
The explosion, caused by The Kings made them public enemy number one when the show home collapsed, claiming the lives of three people. This infuriated residents such as Bob HopeBob Hope (Emmerdale)
Robert Reginald "Bob" Hope is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Tony Audenshaw.-Character's background:...
, Dawn's father, as his daughter was one of the people who died.
This led to the Kings facing a charge of corporate manslaughter and were defended by Grayson Sinclair
Grayson Sinclair
Grayson Sinclair is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Christopher Villiers.-History:Grayson is part of the wealthy Sinclair family. He was married to Perdita Hyde-Sinclair, he is the eldest son of Rosemary King and brother of Alasdair Sinclair.He first...
. When that was settled, the Kings tried to make some money back by selling the development but everyone they approached were concerned about lawsuits from relatives of the people who died. Dawn Woods's family seemed determined to sue as the Kings denied liability in court. Jean Hope was more concerned about her young grandson and told Tom that he was admitting liability by offering compensation of £200,000. She took the money and took TJ to Morocco.
Murder
It was annnounced in Autumn 2006 that Ken Farrington had decided to leave Emmerdale, and reports suggested the character would be killed off by being shot or by falling through the church window.Tom King fell to his death from his bedroom window on Christmas Day 2006. He had been hit with an ornament and then pushed through the window. Tom's final scene was of him lying in a morgue, on the slab; where the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
stated that Tom suffered massive head trauma and a fractured skull, with the cause of death being a broken neck.
His funeral was held on February 20, 2007. His will was read the next day and that revealed Tom had a daughter. He split his estate equally between his children, Jimmy, Matthew, Carl and Scarlett.
Tom's murder launched an on-line investigation in which members of the public could follow 20 weeks of clues and discover who killed him. This is the first time a British soap has launched an interactive storyline. It has also been revealed that the murderer has been chosen, on Emmerdale Confidential; making the urgency for the public to find the murder even more influential. The storyline title was named Who Killed Tom King?
Who Killed Tom King?
Who Killed Tom King? was a storyline in the popular soap opera Emmerdale which began on 25 December 2006 and culmated on 17 May 2007, attracting 10 million viewers.Tom King was a popular character in the British television soap opera Emmerdale...
. The storyline would go on to become one of Emmerdale's most popular storylines of all time.
On 17 May 2007, Carl King was revealed as his father's murderer. The episode in which Carl King was revealed as Tom's murderer fetched nearly 10 million viewers. It was revealed that when Chas crashed the wedding reception
Wedding crashing
Wedding crashing is the act of coming to a wedding without an invitation.-In real life:Some of the most common reasons for crashing a wedding in real life are:...
with her cousin, Eli, and revealed Tom had paid her to end things with him, a furious Carl followed Tom to his room where they argued about Chas. Tom started calling her names and desperate to stop him, Carl grabbed an ornament and hit him over the head. Shocked, Tom fell towards him but Carl pushed him away and he fell out of the window.
Tom was one of Emmerdales most popular characters throughout his reign and since his death, he has been mentioned many times and the repercussions of his death are still apparent in Emmerdale today.
See also
- King family
- Who Killed Tom King?Who Killed Tom King?Who Killed Tom King? was a storyline in the popular soap opera Emmerdale which began on 25 December 2006 and culmated on 17 May 2007, attracting 10 million viewers.Tom King was a popular character in the British television soap opera Emmerdale...
- Emmerdale Cast List
External links
- http://emmerdalemurder.itv.com/site/index.php
- Tom King at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...