Michelle Fowler
Encyclopedia
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by actress Susan Tully
.
Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford
, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square
. Michelle had a habit of choosing the wrong men and her stubborn nature meant that she rarely accepted anyone's help or listened to good advice. She is tough, feisty, determined and outspoken and never afraid to defend herself or her beliefs.
, but that romance quickly fizzles out and Michelle is soon seen liasing with older men: Tony Carpenter
, Ali Osman
, Andy O'Brien, and local publican Den Watts
; when she discovers in September 1985 that she is pregnant, she is uncertain which is the father. Her parents, Pauline and Arthur, are appalled to discover that their 16-year-old daughter is expecting, and even more upset when she refuses to name the father. She also refuses to have an abortion: she is adamant that she is keeping her baby.
On the Square, speculation persists on Michelle's child's father's identity. He is eventually revealed as Den Watts, Sharon's 39-year-old father. Michelle had turned to Den for sympathy during a difficult time and they'd eventually had a one-night stand at the Queen Vic. At a nearby canal
, away from the prying eyes of Walford, Den promises to provide financial support for his child and keep its paternity a secret.
Michelle spends the early part of 1986 struggling with the hardships of being a pregnant teenager. Restricted from the youthful pursuits of her peers she begins to get depressed. She turns to kind-hearted barman George "Lofty" Holloway
who eventually falls in love with her, proposing to her and offering to bring up her child as his own. Although she initially refuses, she eventually accepts. That May she gives birth to a daughter she names Vicki
. As their wedding day nears, Michelle has second thoughts. Unable to get over Den, she realizes that she doesn't love Lofty. Den visits her moments before she's supposed to walk down the aisle, and their chat spurs her to jilt Lofty at the altar
. But later that year she changes her mind and Lofty whisks her off for a secret wedding away from Walford.
Their marriage does not go smoothly. Michelle grows tired of Lofty, who pressues her to let him to adopt Vicki legally and also to have another baby. Michelle likes neither idea, but after an ill-fated attempt to elope with Den, she settles for an unhappy life with Lofty and ends 1987 with an unwanted pregnancy. Lofty is overjoyed and--against Michelle's wishes--tells all of Walford what he considers good news. Michelle retaliates by sneaking away for a private abortion funded by Den, who doesn't want Lofty to adopt Vicki. A devastated Lofty physically attacks Michelle in front of her family. The marriage dissolves and Lofty leaves Walford.
Michelle moves into a flat with Vicki and Sharon, paid for by Den who had got involved with local gangsters known as The Firm
, leading to a spell in prison in 1988. After it becomes clear that the firm want Den dead, he escapes from custody but meets with Michelle by the canal one last time, not realising she is under surveillance. At the canal, Michelle tells Den that she will wait for him and that one day they will be together with Vicki as a family. After their emotional farewell, Den is shot by a man concealing a gun in a bunch of daffodils and falls into the canal.
With Den presumed dead, both Michelle and Sharon are distraught. When a witness says Den had been seen with a mystery woman the day of his death, Sharon wonders who it was, and Michelle decides to confess not only that she was the one but also that Den is Vicki's father. Feeling hurt, angry, deceived, and unable to accept Michelle's explanation, Sharon walks out wishing she had never been told. Later, Arthur accidentally overhears a conversation between Pauline and Michelle in which he discovers the truth about Vicki, and he reacts with fury. Michelle and Sharon remain estranged for months, until Vicki contracts meningitis
late in the year and their shared worry brings them closer and they manage to patch things up.
In 1989 Michelle gets involved with another married man, computer salesman, Danny Whiting, who pretends to Michelle that his marriage is over, while trying to reconcile with his wife. In 1991 Michelle moves in with Rachel Kominski, a lecturer who persuades Michelle to resume her studies and enroll at University
. Michelle and Rachel become inseparable, and rumours about their sexuality prompt Michelle to embark on a relationship with Clyde Tavernier
, a fellow single parent. Some of the Albert Square residents, including Arthur, view their interracial relationship with disdain. Later that year Clyde is falsely accused of murdering publican Eddie Royle
. With the police closing in, Clyde decides to flee the country with his son Kofi, and Michelle decides to take Vicki and go with him. Their getaway fails and Clyde is imprisoned. He is freed 3 months later, but in late 1992 he catches Michelle in bed with fellow student Jack Woodman.
Early in 1993, Jack turns up in Walford claiming he and Michelle are meant to be together. When she rejects his constant advances, he behaves erratically: he convinces Pauline that he is dating Michelle and steals her unwashed knickers, he makes threatening phone calls, and he injures himself to gain her sympathy. Michelle turns to Phil Mitchell
for help with handling him, and Jack disappears while they're finding out from his parents that he is mentally unstable. In March, Vicki is abducted from her playgroup and Jack becomes the prime suspect of her kidnapping
. A national police operation eventually finds Vicki in the clutches of an old woman named Audrey Whittingham and Michelle is reunited with her daughter.
Michelle has one clear enemy on the Square: Grant Mitchell
, Sharon's abusive husband. In 1994 Michelle is shot by Dougie Briggs, a psychotic army friend of Grant's. Michelle survives, but she rethinks her life in Walford. In 1995 she plans to move to Scotland with her middle-aged boyfriend Geoff Barnes
, her former University lecturer. They decide to marry, but Michelle has second thoughts and calls it off. After Sharon flees following the breakup of her marriage, Michelle and Grant have a heated argument about Grant's poor treatment of Sharon and the two end up sleeping together in The Vic
. Michelle quickly regrets this, and when she discovers she's pregnant, she tells only her brother Mark
that Grant is the father, and when she is offered a job in Alabama
, she moves to America.
Seven months later, in May 1996, Arthur Fowler dies. Michelle is unable to travel back for the funeral as she gives birth off-screen to a son she names after Mark. It is later revealed that Michelle married and is living in Florida
with Vicki, Mark Jr., and her new husband. When Pauline dies in December 2006, Michelle does not attend the funeral, but inherits her mother's life savings.
and Julia Smith
. Michelle is a member of the first family of EastEnders, the Beales and Fowlers
, and Holland took the inspiration for some of the series' earliest characters from his own London family and background. Michelle's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, EastEnders: The Inside Story
.
Holland and Smith wanted the character to be feisty and emotionally strong. They had been introduced to the young actress Susan Tully
when they attended an open evening at the Anna Scher Theatre School in North London
. They were extremely impressed with her "natural and unaffected" acting abilities and felt she displayed hidden depths of emotion. Despite their interest, both Holland and Smith were hesitant about casting her because she was already widely known for playing the student Suzanne Ross in the children's television show Grange Hill
. Nevertheless she was asked to audition for the role of Michelle and was informed of the intention to make the character a pregnant schoolgirl. Tully liked the story and liked the fact that the character was going to keep the baby, but what interested her most was the opportunity to allow the character to grow up on screen, something she was unable to do with her Grange Hill character. Although Julia Smith initially feared that Tully was too well-known to play the part, they eventually decided to use this fact to their advantage. Tully had a huge following from Grange Hill, and they felt that those fans would be likely to tune in to EastEnders, so she was offered the part.
, Ali Osman
, Andy O'Brien, and Den Watts
. As Michelle waited by their rendezvous point, a car pulled up and the fluffy white legs of Roly
the poodle bounded out of the car, revealing that the man who was meeting Michelle, the father of her baby, was Den Watts! The rest of the episode was one long scene of Den and Michelle discussing whether or not to keep the baby.Until that time, that 15-minute scene was the longest ever done on a soap opera. Writer Colin Brake
has suggested that this was a bold experiment for a series that had established a reputation, in its first 8 months, for being fast-moving and rapidly cut. It relied on only 1 story and 2 actors to hold the audience for over half an episode. Tony Holland's handling of the awkward scene between a teenage girl and her best friend's father is considered one of the highlights of the programme's first year. The finishing touch was the use of alternative end-title music, "Julia's Theme", a variation of the usual one which replaced the dramatic drum beats with a longer, gentler piano-solo introduction.
The following year Michelle and Lofty's
church wedding was another target of press speculation before the episodes aired. According to Holland and Smith, they wanted to know two things: the design of Michelle's dress, and whether she'd jilt Lofty at the altar. The wedding was shot in a church in private grounds to which the press would not have access. But the press still assembled in large numbers, and security people had to be hired to keep camerapeople away from the story acction. Huge lorries were parked in front of the church's entrance so nothing could be seen, and the cast arrived in disguise. Finally strong lights were shone into the eyes of the journalists and photographers, making them angry, and they tried to gain access to the grounds by breaking the security barrier and telling the production team that they were extras needed inside the church. The entire episode, written by David Ashton, was devoted to Lofty and Michelle's wedding day. Brake has said that at the time it was deemed one of the best cliffhangers of the series, with the episode ending as the bride arrives at the church door and hesitates. The birth of Michelle and Den's daughter, and Michelle and Lofty's eventual marriage, helped to consolidate a fast-growing audience. Accoding to Holland and Smith, "The young couple had come together under enormously difficult circumstances". The subsequent storylines were built to keep the audience guessing about the future of their relationship. Had they married for the wrong reasons? Would the relationship survive? What would happen if Lofty wanted his own child?
Michelle did become pregnant by Lofty, and in another controversial storyline she had an abortion behind Lofty's back in January 1988. The episode, written by Tony McHale, was screened on the same day that a private member's bill was discussed in the House of Commons
, which sought to reduce the number of weeks following conception in which an abortion can be carried out.
An April 1989 two-hander episode in which Michelle confessed Vicki's paternity to her best friend Sharon Watts returned to a model established by the first Den-and-Angie
solo episode, with revelations and major character changes to an important relationship. According to Brake, this episode was held in high regard by the programme's producers, directors, and writers and gave Susan Tully and Letitia Dean
(Sharon) the chance to demonstrate how much they had grown as actresses during their 4 years on the show.
Michelle went onto to feature in controversial storylines such as her daughter's kidnapping, a shooting, and a brief liaison with Grant Mitchell
--her best friend's husband and her own archnemesis--which left her pregnant. This heralded one of the soap's best-kept secrets as Grant never discovered that Michelle had his child. Michelle remained central to the programme for 10 years and became one of the most popular characters of her time. She was written out of it in 1995 when Susan Tully decided to move on. Tully has since taken up directing, and has directed several episodes of EastEnders
.
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 actress Susan Tully
Susan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
.
Although she was one of the brighter people 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...
, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time 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...
. Michelle had a habit of choosing the wrong men and her stubborn nature meant that she rarely accepted anyone's help or listened to good advice. She is tough, feisty, determined and outspoken and never afraid to defend herself or her beliefs.
Storylines
Michelle spends the early part of 1985 fighting with her best friend Sharon Watts for the affections of Kelvin CarpenterKelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul J. Medford.Kelvin was a bright spark and full of initiative. He opened several businesses in Albert Square and even formed a band. He was a bit of a heartbreaker in EastEnders early years, but he ended up...
, but that romance quickly fizzles out and Michelle is soon seen liasing with older men: Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Oscar James.Happy go lucky Tony tried to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, but nothing he did was ever good enough for his nagging wife.-Storylines:Trinidadian born Tony, married...
, 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...
, Andy O'Brien, and 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"....
; when she discovers in September 1985 that she is pregnant, she is uncertain which is the father. Her parents, Pauline and Arthur, are appalled to discover that their 16-year-old daughter is expecting, and even more upset when she refuses to name the father. She also refuses to have an abortion: she is adamant that she is keeping her baby.
On the Square, speculation persists on Michelle's child's father's identity. He is eventually revealed as Den Watts, Sharon's 39-year-old father. Michelle had turned to Den for sympathy during a difficult time and they'd eventually had a one-night stand at the Queen Vic. At a nearby canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, away from the prying eyes of Walford, Den promises to provide financial support for his child and keep its paternity a secret.
Michelle spends the early part of 1986 struggling with the hardships of being a pregnant teenager. Restricted from the youthful pursuits of her peers she begins to get depressed. She turns to kind-hearted barman George "Lofty" Holloway
Lofty Holloway
George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, 26 February 1985....
who eventually falls in love with her, proposing to her and offering to bring up her child as his own. Although she initially refuses, she eventually accepts. That May she gives birth to a daughter she names Vicki
Vicki Fowler
Victoria Louise "Vicki" Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Johnson from 2003 to 2004. The character was born in the serial, conceived in a...
. As their wedding day nears, Michelle has second thoughts. Unable to get over Den, she realizes that she doesn't love Lofty. Den visits her moments before she's supposed to walk down the aisle, and their chat spurs her to jilt Lofty at the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. But later that year she changes her mind and Lofty whisks her off for a secret wedding away from Walford.
Their marriage does not go smoothly. Michelle grows tired of Lofty, who pressues her to let him to adopt Vicki legally and also to have another baby. Michelle likes neither idea, but after an ill-fated attempt to elope with Den, she settles for an unhappy life with Lofty and ends 1987 with an unwanted pregnancy. Lofty is overjoyed and--against Michelle's wishes--tells all of Walford what he considers good news. Michelle retaliates by sneaking away for a private abortion funded by Den, who doesn't want Lofty to adopt Vicki. A devastated Lofty physically attacks Michelle in front of her family. The marriage dissolves and Lofty leaves Walford.
Michelle moves into a flat with Vicki and Sharon, paid for by Den who had got involved with local gangsters 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...
, leading to a spell in prison in 1988. After it becomes clear that the firm want Den dead, he escapes from custody but meets with Michelle by the canal one last time, not realising she is under surveillance. At the canal, Michelle tells Den that she will wait for him and that one day they will be together with Vicki as a family. After their emotional farewell, Den is shot by a man concealing a gun in a bunch of daffodils and falls into the canal.
With Den presumed dead, both Michelle and Sharon are distraught. When a witness says Den had been seen with a mystery woman the day of his death, Sharon wonders who it was, and Michelle decides to confess not only that she was the one but also that Den is Vicki's father. Feeling hurt, angry, deceived, and unable to accept Michelle's explanation, Sharon walks out wishing she had never been told. Later, Arthur accidentally overhears a conversation between Pauline and Michelle in which he discovers the truth about Vicki, and he reacts with fury. Michelle and Sharon remain estranged for months, until Vicki contracts meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
late in the year and their shared worry brings them closer and they manage to patch things up.
In 1989 Michelle gets involved with another married man, computer salesman, Danny Whiting, who pretends to Michelle that his marriage is over, while trying to reconcile with his wife. In 1991 Michelle moves in with Rachel Kominski, a lecturer who persuades Michelle to resume her studies and enroll at University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. Michelle and Rachel become inseparable, and rumours about their sexuality prompt Michelle to embark on a relationship with Clyde Tavernier
Clyde Tavernier
Clyde Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steven Woodcock. Introduced in the summer of 1990, Clyde was featured in various prominent storylines including an inter-racial relationship with Michelle Fowler, and being framed for the murder of publican Eddie...
, a fellow single parent. Some of the Albert Square residents, including Arthur, view their interracial relationship with disdain. Later that year Clyde is falsely accused of murdering publican Eddie Royle
Eddie Royle
Edward "Eddie" Royle is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael Melia from 1990 until 1991.-Storylines:...
. With the police closing in, Clyde decides to flee the country with his son Kofi, and Michelle decides to take Vicki and go with him. Their getaway fails and Clyde is imprisoned. He is freed 3 months later, but in late 1992 he catches Michelle in bed with fellow student Jack Woodman.
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...
for help with handling him, and Jack disappears while they're finding out from his parents that he is mentally unstable. In March, Vicki is abducted from her playgroup and Jack becomes the prime suspect of her kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
. A national police operation eventually finds Vicki in the clutches of an old woman named Audrey Whittingham and Michelle is reunited with her daughter.
Michelle has one clear enemy on the Square: Grant Mitchell
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...
, Sharon's abusive husband. In 1994 Michelle is shot by Dougie Briggs, a psychotic army friend of Grant's. Michelle survives, but she rethinks her life in Walford. In 1995 she plans to move to Scotland with her middle-aged boyfriend Geoff Barnes
Geoff Barnes
Geoff Barnes is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Roper.Geoff was introduced as a love interest for the long running character, Michelle Fowler, in 1994. He was much older than Michelle, and their age difference caused most of the major problems in their...
, her former University lecturer. They decide to marry, but Michelle has second thoughts and calls it off. After Sharon flees following the breakup of her marriage, Michelle and Grant have a heated argument about Grant's poor treatment of Sharon and the two end up sleeping together in The Vic
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
. Michelle quickly regrets this, and when she discovers she's pregnant, she tells only her brother Mark
Mark Fowler
Mark Albert Fowler is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders. Mark was an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made...
that Grant is the father, and when she is offered a job in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, she moves to America.
Seven months later, in May 1996, Arthur Fowler dies. Michelle is unable to travel back for the funeral as she gives birth off-screen to a son she names after Mark. It is later revealed that Michelle married and is living in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with Vicki, Mark Jr., and her new husband. When Pauline dies in December 2006, Michelle does not attend the funeral, but inherits her mother's life savings.
Creation
Michelle Fowler is one of the original 23 characters invented by the creators of EastEnders, 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...
. Michelle is a member of the first family of EastEnders, the Beales and Fowlers
The Beale/Fowler family
The Beale/Fowler family is a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.For many years before the show began, the Beale family consisted of head of the family, Albert, his wife, Lou Beale, and their three children, Kenny and twins Pauline and Pete...
, and Holland took the inspiration for some of the series' earliest characters from his own London family and background. Michelle's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, EastEnders: The Inside Story
EastEnders books
This is a list of books about or relating to the British soap opera EastEnders.-Non-fiction books:* EastEnders: The Inside Story* Public Secrets: EastEnders and its Audience* EastEnders Special...
.
- "Michelle has another year of schooling...Michelle is more on the straight and narrow...Unlike her brother, she gets the things she wants, by doing part-time work. "Saturday girl" at the local hairdressers, and two late shifts a week at a hamburger place. She's into Reggae." (page 55)
Holland and Smith wanted the character to be feisty and emotionally strong. They had been introduced to the young actress Susan Tully
Susan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
when they attended an open evening at the Anna Scher Theatre School in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. They were extremely impressed with her "natural and unaffected" acting abilities and felt she displayed hidden depths of emotion. Despite their interest, both Holland and Smith were hesitant about casting her because she was already widely known for playing the student Suzanne Ross in the children's television show Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
. Nevertheless she was asked to audition for the role of Michelle and was informed of the intention to make the character a pregnant schoolgirl. Tully liked the story and liked the fact that the character was going to keep the baby, but what interested her most was the opportunity to allow the character to grow up on screen, something she was unable to do with her Grange Hill character. Although Julia Smith initially feared that Tully was too well-known to play the part, they eventually decided to use this fact to their advantage. Tully had a huge following from Grange Hill, and they felt that those fans would be likely to tune in to EastEnders, so she was offered the part.
Development
Early in the series, the character of Michelle became central to the programme and was the focus of a controversial storyline involving her teenage pregnancy. Press interest in the show escalated to "record levels" as journalists continuously tried to guess who had fathered her baby. In whodunnit fashion, the audience had been kept in the dark as to the father's identity and were offered teasers implicating several Square residents. The culprit was finally exposed in October 1985 on episode 66. Written by series co-creator/script editor Tony Holland and directed by co-creator/producer Julia Smith, it was considered to be a landmark episode in the show's history. 4 possible suspects were seen leaving the Square in the episode's first half: Tony CarpenterTony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Oscar James.Happy go lucky Tony tried to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, but nothing he did was ever good enough for his nagging wife.-Storylines:Trinidadian born Tony, married...
, 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...
, Andy O'Brien, and 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 Michelle waited by their rendezvous point, a car pulled up and the fluffy white legs of Roly
Roly
Roly is a fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Roly was an apricot coloured Standard Poodle, who appeared in the first episode of the programme and remained in the show until 1993.-Storylines:...
the poodle bounded out of the car, revealing that the man who was meeting Michelle, the father of her baby, was Den Watts! The rest of the episode was one long scene of Den and Michelle discussing whether or not to keep the baby.Until that time, that 15-minute scene was the longest ever done on a soap opera. 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 this was a bold experiment for a series that had established a reputation, in its first 8 months, for being fast-moving and rapidly cut. It relied on only 1 story and 2 actors to hold the audience for over half an episode. Tony Holland's handling of the awkward scene between a teenage girl and her best friend's father is considered one of the highlights of the programme's first year. The finishing touch was the use of alternative end-title music, "Julia's Theme", a variation of the usual one which replaced the dramatic drum beats with a longer, gentler piano-solo introduction.
The following year Michelle and Lofty's
Lofty Holloway
George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, 26 February 1985....
church wedding was another target of press speculation before the episodes aired. According to Holland and Smith, they wanted to know two things: the design of Michelle's dress, and whether she'd jilt Lofty at the altar. The wedding was shot in a church in private grounds to which the press would not have access. But the press still assembled in large numbers, and security people had to be hired to keep camerapeople away from the story acction. Huge lorries were parked in front of the church's entrance so nothing could be seen, and the cast arrived in disguise. Finally strong lights were shone into the eyes of the journalists and photographers, making them angry, and they tried to gain access to the grounds by breaking the security barrier and telling the production team that they were extras needed inside the church. The entire episode, written by David Ashton, was devoted to Lofty and Michelle's wedding day. Brake has said that at the time it was deemed one of the best cliffhangers of the series, with the episode ending as the bride arrives at the church door and hesitates. The birth of Michelle and Den's daughter, and Michelle and Lofty's eventual marriage, helped to consolidate a fast-growing audience. Accoding to Holland and Smith, "The young couple had come together under enormously difficult circumstances". The subsequent storylines were built to keep the audience guessing about the future of their relationship. Had they married for the wrong reasons? Would the relationship survive? What would happen if Lofty wanted his own child?
Michelle did become pregnant by Lofty, and in another controversial storyline she had an abortion behind Lofty's back in January 1988. The episode, written by Tony McHale, was screened on the same day that a private member's bill was discussed in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, which sought to reduce the number of weeks following conception in which an abortion can be carried out.
An April 1989 two-hander episode in which Michelle confessed Vicki's paternity to her best friend Sharon Watts returned to a model established by the first Den-and-Angie
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....
solo episode, with revelations and major character changes to an important relationship. According to Brake, this episode was held in high regard by the programme's producers, directors, and writers and gave Susan Tully and Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995...
(Sharon) the chance to demonstrate how much they had grown as actresses during their 4 years on the show.
Michelle went onto to feature in controversial storylines such as her daughter's kidnapping, a shooting, and a brief liaison with Grant Mitchell
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...
--her best friend's husband and her own archnemesis--which left her pregnant. This heralded one of the soap's best-kept secrets as Grant never discovered that Michelle had his child. Michelle remained central to the programme for 10 years and became one of the most popular characters of her time. She was written out of it in 1995 when Susan Tully decided to move on. Tully has since taken up directing, and has directed several episodes of 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...
.