Moira Barton
Encyclopedia
Moira Barton is a fictional character
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 British 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...

, played by Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb is a Scottish actress born in Bellshill, Glasgow on 3 December 1974.- Personal life :Born Natalie Joy Robb, she is the youngest of three children. As a child, Robb attended weekend drama groups in Glasgow, where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan, later going to the Royal...

. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 July 2009.

Creation and casting

In May 2009, it was announced that Emmerdale's new series producer, Gavin Blyth
Gavin Blyth
Gavin John Blyth was a British television producer and journalist. He was well known for being series producer of Emmerdale from January 2009 until his death. Beginning his career in 2002, he joined Emmerdale in 2003 as a writer...

, would be introducing a new farming family called the Bartons, as part of an ongoing overhaul of the show. The family, which consists of five members - a mother, father, two daughters and a son - took over the running of Butler's Farm. Of the family, Blyth said "I don't want to make Emmerdale a show about teenagers and young people, it's about family values. The Bartons are sexy, modern and contemporary. They're almost happy - and in soapland that's quite strange!" James Thornton
James Thornton (actor)
James Thornton is an English actor and Voice-over artist.-Early life and career:Thornton was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He starred in the BBC One police series Holby Blue and currently appears as John Barton in the British soap opera Emmerdale...

 was cast in the role of John Barton and Adam Thomas
Adam Thomas
For the Welsh rugby union player see Adam Thomas Adam Thomas is a British actor, currently starring in British ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Adam Barton well known for his role in BBC drama Waterloo Road as Donte Charles-Career:It was in 2002, at the age of 15, that Adam started his television career...

, Sophie Powles
Sophie Powles
Sophie Powles , originally from Cleethorpes, a seaside town in North East Lincolnshire, is an English actress most famous for her role as Holly Barton in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.-Career:...

 and Grace Cassidy
Grace Cassidy
-Career:Cassidy's most notable role so far is that of Rachel Towers in BBC children's drama Grange Hill, but she has had a number of smaller roles in some of the biggest television series of the past few years, including The Street, The Chase and Marian, Again...

 were cast as Adam
Adam Barton (Emmerdale)
For the English footballer see Adam BartonAdam Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Adam Thomas. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 July 2009...

, Holly
Holly Barton
Holly Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Sophie Powles. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 July 2009. Holly was introduced to the soap as part of the Bartons, a new farming family who took over the running of Butler's Farm. Holly was joined...

 and Hannah respectively.

Former 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...

actress Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb is a Scottish actress born in Bellshill, Glasgow on 3 December 1974.- Personal life :Born Natalie Joy Robb, she is the youngest of three children. As a child, Robb attended weekend drama groups in Glasgow, where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan, later going to the Royal...

 was cast in the role of John's wife, Moira. Robb said a call went through her agent asking her to audition for the role of Moira. She auditioned with several different actors, including Thornton. Robb's agent later called to tell her she had won the role. Robb explained finding out she had won the part was one of the best bits of the job. The actress said she was looking forward to joining because the Emmerdale team, which she described as "genuine and lovely." She added "Cast and crew have been very welcoming and that always helps. There’s nothing better than being able to really look forward to going into work."

Characterisation

Upon announcement of her casting, Moira was described as being a vivacious, fun woman, who puts her family first. Though she values her independence too." The Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...

described Moria as "Fun-loving and feisty" and said she is guaranteed to cause a stir with the locals. Of Moira, What's on TV
What's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...

said she is a "farmer's wife and looking good on it, Moira Barton is a very down-to-earth woman - and that just adds to her appeal!" Robb said the idea of a modern day farming family drew her to the role of Moira. She explained the family being a freshness to the Butler's Farm, saying "The Barton’s are very lively and young-spirited and that really appealed to me. There are families out there that do work together and aren’t dysfunctional so the chance to represent one of those groups really drew me to the role." Robb said her character is independent, fun-loving and strong. She loves her family and is very protective of them. Moira keeps them going and coordinates their lives.

During an interview with Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....

Robb said she would probably not make a good farmer's wife, unlike Moira. Robb said she is strong and loves animals, but could not send them to slaughter. Moira finds employment as a barmaid at The Woolpack
The Woolpack
This article is about the soap opera. Click the link for the Cumulus cloud formation synonym.The Woolpack is a fictional public house on the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Its sign is a wool bale, a popular symbol in sheep-rearing country. It has played host to many of the soap's storylines and...

 and Robb said she was looking forward to getting behind the bar and pulling a few pints. The Yorkshire Post said her most volatile relationship will be with The Woolpack's chef Marlon Dingle
Marlon Dingle
Marlon Sebastian Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Mark Charnock. -1996–:...

 (Mark Charnock
Mark Charnock
Mark Charnock is an English actor best known for his part in ITV's Emmerdale as lanky chef Marlon Dingle.-Biography:...

). Robb told the paper, "Moira generally gets on with everybody. However, you'll see her and Marlon develop a love-hate relationship, which will be interesting." Robb later thought Moira would warm to Marlon, in between their battles.

Marriage to John Barton

Moira and her husband, John, were childhood sweethearts. Robb said it was love at first sight for both Moira and John and they have a "great chemistry" together. The actress added "Moira really finds him attractive, fancies him a lot and loves him deeply. They have a lot of affection for each other." Thornton said John and Moira had a lot of fun in their youth and there have often been hints about their party lifestyle. When Marlon falls in love with Moira, she tells him she has not looked at another man during her twenty years of marriage to John. Robb thought Moira told Marlon that because she did not want to hurt him or cheat on John. Moira manages to maintain a good work and family balance because she has John's support. Together they make a strong team and do not take themselves seriously. John encourages Moira to have her independence, but to share her experiences with the family. Thornton told Kris Green of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....

 that John and Moira are enough for each other. John knows Moira is the boss of the house and he respects that. He added that while no one knows much about the Barton's backstory, they do know John and Moira have a solid marriage.

John kisses Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson is a fictional character from the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Suzanne Shaw. She made her first on-screen appearance on 31 August 2001. The character was originally played by Raine Davison from 2001 to 2006. In early 2010, series producer Gavin Blyth recast the role and Shaw...

 (Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...

) and Thornton said it is because he is flattered by her interest in him. Robb explained John is Moira's soulmate and even though she knows he looks at other woman, she did not think he would ever act upon it. Robb added "Moira sensed it before it happened, which made it worse!" When asked what kind of man it would take for Moira to cheat on John, Robb opined the man would have similar values to John and she thought Marlon wouuld be a safe bet as he is loyal and trustworthy. Thornton said he is worried the writers are going to split John and Moira up and Robb said if the characters were to split, they would find it hard to live without each other.

Cain Dingle

In October 2011, Moria begins an affair with 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...

 (Jeff Hordley
Jeff Hordley
Jeff Hordley is an English actor most notable for playing Cain Dingle in ITV's long-running soap opera Emmerdale.-Early life:...

). Cain has been interested in Moira for a while as he knows how much she loathes him. Moria decides to purchase a Land Rover from Cain and agrees to pay him the money in weekly installments. Moira asks Cain to keep the arrangement from John, as their marriage is under a lot of strain and is quite fragile at that moment. Hordley told Laura Morgan of All About Soap
All About Soap
All About Soap is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....

that Cain sees the deal as his chance to have a bit of fun with Moira. He explained "Cain enjoys causing friction between her and John - he just doesn't care about offending anyone. Cain keeps toying with Moira, and he knows that she secretly wants him..." When asked if Cain and Moria could be heading towards a full-blown affair, Hordley said he did not think so as Cain is still in love with Charity Tate
Charity 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...

 (Emma Atkins
Emma Atkins
Emma Atkins is an English actress best known for the role of Charity Tate in the ITV1 Soap Opera Emmerdale from 2000 to 2005 and from 2009 to the present, which was her first role on British Television.-Television:...

). The actor added Cain is just playing with Moira like a cat plays with a mouse.

On 23 October, Nada Farhoud of The People
The People
The People, previously known as the Sunday People, is a British tabloid Sunday-only newspaper. The paper was founded on 16 October 1881.It is published by the Trinity Mirror Group.In July 2011 it had an average daily circulation of 806,544....

reported the attraction between Moira and Cain was going to "explode into Emmerdale's steamiest ever fling." The affair starts after Cain tells John about his and Moira's arrangement. Moira goes to the garage to tell Cain off and they have a huge fight. Suddenly Moira kisses Cain and they have sex. Of the scene, Robb said "The director asked me to wear a crossover dress so my breasts look very voluptuous, perfect for a seduction scene. We ripped each other's tops off, he cleared everything off his fridge, picked me up and my legs were wrapped around him. We looked at each other and then went into a clinch." The actress told Kate White of Inside Soap that her character does not like Cain, but that is part of the attraction for her. She cannot explain why she has a thing for him, but she cannot help herself. Moira is left feeling dirty and guilty after the encounter. However, she cannot help giving into temptation again and Robb revealed Moira does not want to go back to Cain and she tries to fight it when she does. Robb opined the relationship is quite abusive, but Cain brings out a different side to Moira. Farhoud said Moira and Cain end up having sex in a barn and on a bed. The writer said the scenes are "so hot" the soap's film crew became embarrassed during filming.

Of why her character puts her marriage in jeopardy, Robb explained "She still loves John, but she feels isolated and neglected because he's stopped including her in the finances of the new business. He's changed the dynamic of their relationship." Robb also said the way Cain treats Moira makes her realise what she has with John. Cain later decides to tell John what has been going on between him and Moira and Robb said it is not going to be a good Christmas for the family.

Storylines

Moira and her family have taken over the farm from the Sugden family
Sugden family
The Sugden family are a fictional family in the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. They are a traditional, Christian family of farmers who originate from rural Yorkshire, the Sugden family have been farming in Yorkshire for generations and still do...

. They made their first appearance in July 2009, when she arrived with husband John Barton, and children, Adam
Adam Barton (Emmerdale)
For the English footballer see Adam BartonAdam Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Adam Thomas. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 July 2009...

, Holly
Holly Barton
Holly Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Sophie Powles. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 July 2009. Holly was introduced to the soap as part of the Bartons, a new farming family who took over the running of Butler's Farm. Holly was joined...

 and Hannah. In August 2009, Moira Stood up for John when he faced prison for standing up against Aaron Livesy. She also became concerned when her daughter Hannah started to show an interest in Andy Sugden
Andy Sugden
Andrew "Andy" Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Kelvin Fletcher.-1996–2007:...

, who was recovering from a breakdown. Moira had heard from a number of local residents that Andy was dangerous, and was unsure of her daughter's safety. Moira jumped to conclusions after seeing Hannah crying after leaving Andy's, and argued with him. She had misunderstood the situation however, and later apologised to Andy. Moira began working as a barmaid in the Woolpack in September 2009, and frequently clashed with Marlon Dingle
Marlon Dingle
Marlon Sebastian Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Mark Charnock. -1996–:...

. Soon after Marlon began to develop feelings for Moira, however Moira did not feel the same way, and he read too much into her flirty nature. They both soon agreed though that it was wrong and that Marlon was still trying to get over his ex-wife Donna Windsor-Dingle
Donna Windsor-Dingle
Donna Windsor Dingle is a fictional character that appeared in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was originally played by Sophie Jeffery, and later replaced by Verity Rushworth in 1998. Donna was the third longest running character on Emmerdale at the time of her departure. She made her first...

.

Moira continued to work in the Woolpack, making more friends as time went on and becoming a great staff member and confidant to land lady Diane Sugden
Diane Sugden
Diane Sugden is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is portrayed by Elizabeth Estensen.-Backstory:...

. Soon though, Moira revealed her nasty side as after months of torment and bullying, her daughter Hannah revealed the wicked torture she had been enduring by Victoria Sugden
Victoria Sugden
Victoria Anne Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale originally played by Jessica Heywood, then Hannah Midgley and currently Isabel Hodgins.-1994–:...

 and her friend Kayleigh, after confronting Victoria in the pub where the two families were having a meal together. However, Moira and Diane soon made up and continued to be good friends, with Hannah and Victoria also building bridges in their friendship.

When Edna Birch's granddaughter, Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson is a fictional character from the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Suzanne Shaw. She made her first on-screen appearance on 31 August 2001. The character was originally played by Raine Davison from 2001 to 2006. In early 2010, series producer Gavin Blyth recast the role and Shaw...

, arrived in the village and started working for the Bartons as their farmhand, Eve's constant flirting with John made Moira suspicious, but Eve reassured her that nothing was going on, even finding it amusing. Although Moira began to dislike her new farmhand, she put Eve's flirting down to her personality and thought her husband couldn't cheat. John however kissed Eve in the back of his car and was spotted by 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...

. Cain visited Moira in The Woolpack
The Woolpack
This article is about the soap opera. Click the link for the Cumulus cloud formation synonym.The Woolpack is a fictional public house on the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Its sign is a wool bale, a popular symbol in sheep-rearing country. It has played host to many of the soap's storylines and...

 and told her what he had seen, but Moira refused to believe him and went home to confront John. When she got home she told John what Cain had told her and John confessed that he and Eve had kissed but said there was nothing to it and he loved Moira. Moira however told John if he could kiss her he might as well have slept with her and she told him to get out of the house.
After that however they reconciled [Moira and John] and continued to battle their eldest daughter, Holly's continual drug problem. A little later, Moira could not bear to see Holly suffering, so she bought heroin and supplied her daughter with it. She was caught and cautioned by the police.

Moira finds out about her son, Adam's affair with Ella Hart
Ella Hart
Ella Hart is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Corrinne Wicks. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 November 2010. Ella is a businesswoman who is described as "sexy and savvy". She is the ex-wife of Declan Macey and mother of Mia...

, she demands Adam to finish with Ella, but they decide to carry on with the affair, since then Moira has given Ella a number of dirty looks and has told her to back off from Adam. Ella's husband Declan Macey
Declan Macey
Declan Macey is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, introduced in an episode that aired on the 15 April 2010. He is portrayed by Jason Merrells.-Creation:...

 discovers the affair and goes mad, Adam comes back home to John and Moria, which then Moira makes Adam come clean to John about the affair, John's not happy about this because it could affect the deal he has with Declan about the farm, but Adam ensures that the farm will be safe.

John and Moira's relationship becomes strained, especially when Cain reveals Moira is paying him in installments for a Land Rover. Moira goes to the garage to confront Cain, but she ends up having sex with him. Moria and Cain then begin an affair. Moira tells Diane she is having an affair with someone and Diane works out it is with Cain. Cain reveals the affair to John and he throws Moira out. She then goes to stay with her mother.

Reception

For her portrayal of Moira, Robb was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...

. The following year, Robb was shortlisted for "Best Serial Drama Performance" at the 16th National Television Awards
16th National Television Awards
The 16th National Television Awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London on 26 January 2011 and was hosted by Dermot O'Leary. The awards are voted by the public and the winners are revealed live on ITV1. Ant & Dec won the award for Most Popular Entertainment Presenter for the tenth year in a...

.

External links

  • Character profile at the Official UK Emmerdale website
  • Character profile at What's on TV
    What's On TV
    What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...

  • Character profile at the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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