Wellard
Encyclopedia
Wellard is a fictional
Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female dogs: Zenna, her daughter Chancer, and her granddaughter Kyte. A fourth dog briefy served as a replacement for Zenna in 1996, when she was given time off from the show to have a litter of puppies.
Wellard was briefly written out of the series under executive producer Matthew Robinson, but returned when Robinson was succeeded by John Yorke. Wellard's owners for the majority of his duration in the soap were Robbie Jackson
and Gus Smith
. He was voted "Best Pet" at the 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards
, and named the UK's favourite soap opera pet in a 2009 Inside Soap
poll. Wellard was a fan favourite, and although a storyline that saw him threatened with euthanasia for biting local café owner Ian Beale
was poorly received by critics, his death drew generally favourable reviews.
resident Robbie Jackson
(Dean Gaffney
) takes in a dog he assumes to be a stray, naming him Wellard. The dog's owner, Mr Hammond, locates him and demands him back, but Wellard later returns to Albert Square
of his own accord. Robbie realises he has been mistreated and has run away. Mr Hammond admits to neglecting Wellard, and allows Robbie to keep him. Wellard fathers puppies with Grant Mitchell
(Ross Kemp
) and Nigel Bates
's (Paul Bradley
) greyhound
, Frieda; however, the puppies are stillborn
. When Robbie begins a relationship with a woman allergic to dogs, she gives him the ultimatum of choosing between her and Wellard: Robbie chooses Wellard. Several years later, when Robbie is due to leave Walford to live in India
, Wellard is run over, delaying Robbie's departure. He is cared for by Robbie's sister Sonia
(Natalie Cassidy
), who gives him to her friend Gus
(Mohammed George
) after Robbie's departure. When Gus is involved in a minibus crash, Wellard is able to save his owner by leading him to a spot from where he can call the emergency services.
Wellard is reported to the police when he bites local café owner Ian Beale
on the buttocks. He is taken away, with the possibility that he will be euthanised
, but Gus and Deano Wicks
(Matt Di Angelo
) launch a campaign to save him, under the moniker "Walford One Owed Freedom" (WOOF). When Wellard is put on trial, Ian's partner Jane (Laurie Brett
) presents character witness statements for the dog, written by Ian's children, Lucy
(Melissa Suffield
) and Peter
(Thomas Law
). Wellard is found guilty, but as a result of the statements, Gus is allowed to take him home as long as he keeps him on a lead at all times. When Gus leaves Walford to travel with his girlfriend Keisha (Suzie McGrath), he leaves Wellard with his friend Mickey Miller
(Joe Swash
). Mickey sells Wellard to Vinnie Monks
(Bobby Davro
), who intends to gift him to his girlfriend Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
). When it transpires Shirley does not want him, Vinnie gives Wellard to the Jackson family
. Bianca Jackson
(Patsy Palmer
) feeds Wellard a chocolate, causing him to suffer from theobromine poisoning
. He has to be euthanised, is cremated
, and has his ashes scattered on the local allotment.
Zenna was replaced in the soap by her daughter Chancer, who was in turn succeeded by her own daughter, Kyte. Kyte played Wellard for seven years, longer than Zenna and Chancer. The dog, whose pedigree name is Minka Kyte, came to the soap from Raddings' company Stunt Dogs, along with another EastEnders dog, Terence. She had previous experience in the television and film industry, having appeared on A Touch of Frost, The Jonny Vaughan Show, 102 Dalmatians
and Gladiator
. Raddings revealed that Kyte came to understand the words "action" and "cut", meaning the director would sometimes have to give an alternate cue such as "go" during scenes featuring Wellard, as the dog would become instantly alert upon hearing the usual commands, which appeared incongruous in scenes which called for Wellard to be relaxed. Kyte worked closely with Mohammed George
, who played Wellard's owner Gus. George was afraid of dogs as a child, but after working with Kyte for three years, commented that they were so close he "sometimes [felt] like [her] dad."
Wellard was briefly written out of the show under executive producer Matthew Robinson, but returned in 2000, when Robinson was succeeded by John Yorke. A show insider commented: "Wellard just disappeared. It seemed odd because Robbie loved that dog and never noticed it had gone." An EastEnders spokesman stated of his return: "John Yorke believes Wellard should be an integral part of Robbie's character."
When a 2005 storyline saw Wellard threatened with euthanasia for biting local café owner Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
), James Desborough of The People
suggested that EastEnders producers were hoping to emulate the success of a storyline from rival soap opera Coronation Street
, which saw fans protest the arrest of character Deirdre Rachid (Anne Kirkbride
), going as far as to lobby the UK Parliament
for her release. Desborough deemed the storyline "bizarre" and accused the BBC of being "desperate to boost flagging ratings". An EastEnders spokesman responded that it was simply "a funny story which we hope the nation will get behind."
In June 2008, it was reported that Wellard was to be killed off. A show insider explained: "Wellard has been a much-loved character and everyone will be sad to see him go. But if you think about it, Wellard was not a puppy when he arrived on Albert Square, so he would be over 100 in dog years by now. It makes sense for him to bow out of the show gracefully." Raddings commented: "I used to take Kyte on set everyday but I found the scenes when Wellard was put down too hard to watch so I asked someone else to take her to filming." The scene in which Wellard was euthanised had to be re-edited, as Kyte could be seen breathing when supposedly dead. At the time of his death, Wellard had been in EastEnders for 14 years, making him one of the show's longest-running characters, and its longest-serving pet.
. His death storyline was nominated in the "Tearjerker" category at the 2008 All About Soap
Bubble Awards. In 2009, a poll by magazine Inside Soap
named Wellard as the UK's favourite soap opera pet. He came second in a poll to find Britain's favourite TV pet in April 2006, losing to Lassie
, and in March 2008 was named the fifth best dog on television by Anna Pickard of The Guardian
, behind Bouncer from Neighbours, Willy
from EastEnders, Lassie and Dogtanian. It was noted in The People
in July 1997 that Wellard was "a firm favourite with the soap's fans", while in August 2008, the Daily Mail
deemed him "one of [EastEnders] most well-loved characters." The dogs received fanmail from viewers hailing them as the best actors on EastEnders.
Zenna, Chancer and Kyte were occasional targets of professional jealousy from their human co-stars, and some television critics have suggested that Wellard was a better character than his owner, Robbie. When Michael Greco
commented in 2002 that Wellard received better scripts than his character, Beppe di Marco
, the Sunday Mirror Ian Hyland
wrote: "He should try being Robbie Jackson. Wellard gets better scripts and better girls than him." Similarly, Garry Bushell of The People compared EastEnders with rival soap Coronation Street following a 2003 scheduling clash, observing: "ITV
had Richard Hillman
's heavyweight murder confession. BBC1 gave us Robbie Jackson's heart-to-heart with Wellard. (Don't scoff – it's tough to play moving scenes with a dumb and soppy creature, but Wellard rose to the occasion.)". Derek McGovern of The Mirror criticised Gaffney's acting ability, observing: "Outside of Lassie movies I haven't seen a dog consistently steal scenes off a human the way Wellard used to pinch them from Dean." Gemma Bissix
appeared in the show as a child actor from 1993 to 1998, playing Clare Bates. She commented on her return in 2008 that as a child, the dogs playing Wellard were better paid than she was. When Emma Barton
, who played Honey Mitchell
, was axed from the soap later that year, she spoke of her dismay that Wellard's death was being marketed as a bigger storyline than her character's exit. Roz Laws of the Sunday Mercury
called it "particularly galling" that Barton's exit was upstaged by Wellard's death.
Hyland was critical of the 2003 storyline which saw Robbie leave EastEnders to move to Mumbai
with his girlfriend Nita (Bindya Solanki
) and her son Anish (Ali Zahoor). He explained that the aspect of the storyline which upset him most was Wellard being run over "so the scriptwriters could engineer the inevitable last-minute dash to the airport", questioning: "What's Wellard ever done to deserve that?" The storyline which saw Wellard threatened with euthanasia after biting Ian Beale received negative reviews from critics, deemed "bizarre" by James Desborough of The People, and the "longest, most tedious ever soap storyline" by Jim Shelley
of The Mirror. Bushell simply wrote: "Wellard bit Ian Beale. Which one needs the Tetanus
jab?" Tim Teeman of The Times
called it the "daftest" storyline of the year, comparing it to a similarly ill-received and long-running storyline given to the unpopular Ferreira family
.
Wellard's death drew generally favourable reviews from critics. The Guardian Nancy Banks-Smith
deemed Wellard to have "died with great dignity [...] Not, as a lesser dog might, making a meal of it." Grace Dent
, also of The Guardian, wrote that she was an "emotional mess" when Wellard was euthanised, calling him "one of the true old guard of EastEnders". Andy Bollen of the Sunday Mail
deemed it a shame Wellard had been killed off, calling him "the most convincing actor on the soap", while The Mirror Maeve Quigley called Wellard's death sadder than that of human character Jase Dyer
(Stephen Lord
) shortly afterwards. Wise similarly opined that Wellard upstaged most of the cast, and that his death was more of a "tear-jerker" than the return of Jim Branning
(John Bardon
) who had been absent after suffering from a stroke
. The Mirror Kevin O'Sullivan commented: "a canine Oscar to the hound who played Wellard – the pedigree chum whose sad demise after 14 years of fouling Walford's pavements was genuinely moving." Shelley wrote that it signified the "[d]eath of the best actor in the show", and the South Wales Echo
published the obituary:
In contrast, however, Laws felt that EastEnders was becoming too depressing, noting that Wellard's death came at the same time Jase was murdered and Honey and her husband Billy
(Perry Fenwick
) broke up, writing: "I feel like slitting my wrists when I tune in now. [...] There's only so much gritty realism we can take in our soaps, and EastEnders is really overloading us at the moment."
in 1998, a fundraising appeal for the Victoria Animal Hospital in London in 2000, and the first All About Dogs Day at Notcutts garden centre in August 2008. Satirical impression series Dead Ringers
referenced Wellard in a 2004 episode, running the continuity announcement: "Later on ITV1
, new drama featuring the latest EastEnders star we've signed up for a ridiculous advance. Yes Wellard the dog is Barker, a cop on the edge with a drink problem and distemper." For Red Nose Day 2007
, Aardman Animations
created a Creature Comforts
-style short featuring Wellard asking for money for Comic Relief, along with selling his offspring and being put in prison.
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...
Belgian Tervuren dog 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...
. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female dogs: Zenna, her daughter Chancer, and her granddaughter Kyte. A fourth dog briefy served as a replacement for Zenna in 1996, when she was given time off from the show to have a litter of puppies.
Wellard was briefly written out of the series under executive producer Matthew Robinson, but returned when Robinson was succeeded by John Yorke. Wellard's owners for the majority of his duration in the soap were Robbie Jackson
Robbie Jackson
Robert "Robbie" Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney from 1993 to 2003. The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings.-Backstory:Robbie was the product of a...
and Gus Smith
Gus Smith
Augustus "Gus" Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mohammed George. He made his first appearance on 28 May 2002. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Gus would leave the show later in 2008...
. He was voted "Best Pet" at the 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards
Digital Spy Soap Awards
The Digital Spy Soap Awards was an event that honoured the successes in British soap operas in 2007-8. It was hosted by the entertainment website Digital Spy....
, and named the UK's favourite soap opera pet in a 2009 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....
poll. Wellard was a fan favourite, and although a storyline that saw him threatened with euthanasia for biting local café owner Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
was poorly received by critics, his death drew generally favourable reviews.
Storylines
In November 1994, WalfordWalford
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...
resident Robbie Jackson
Robbie Jackson
Robert "Robbie" Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney from 1993 to 2003. The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings.-Backstory:Robbie was the product of a...
(Dean Gaffney
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney is an English actor most notable for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC1 soap opera Eastenders from 1993 to 2003, when his character was axed. He has since made guest appearances in the soap in 2004 and 2010. Gaffney went on to appear in various reality television shows,...
) takes in a dog he assumes to be a stray, naming him Wellard. The dog's owner, Mr Hammond, locates him and demands him back, but Wellard later returns 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...
of his own accord. Robbie realises he has been mistreated and has run away. Mr Hammond admits to neglecting Wellard, and allows Robbie to keep him. Wellard fathers puppies 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...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
) and Nigel Bates
Nigel Bates
Nigel Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Bradley from 1992 to 1998. Introduced in 1992 by Leonard Lewis, the character was incorporated gradually and brought back as a regular following a brief stint due to a popular reception. He was depicted as a...
's (Paul Bradley
Paul Bradley (actor)
Paul Bradley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Nigel Bates in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders from 1992 to 1998 and Elliot Hope in the BBC medical drama series Holby City since 2005....
) greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
, Frieda; however, the puppies are stillborn
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
. When Robbie begins a relationship with a woman allergic to dogs, she gives him the ultimatum of choosing between her and Wellard: Robbie chooses Wellard. Several years later, when Robbie is due to leave Walford to live 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...
, Wellard is run over, delaying Robbie's departure. He is cared for by Robbie's sister Sonia
Sonia Fowler
Sonia Ann Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on 21 December 1993 and she made her final appearance on 2 February 2007...
(Natalie Cassidy
Natalie Cassidy
Natalie Ann Cassidy is a British actress, most commonly known for appearing in the television soap EastEnders where she played Sonia Jackson for many years. She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom Psychoville and was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing.-Career:As a...
), who gives him to her friend Gus
Gus Smith
Augustus "Gus" Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mohammed George. He made his first appearance on 28 May 2002. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Gus would leave the show later in 2008...
(Mohammed George
Mohammed George
Mohammed "Mo" George is an actor who played Gus Smith on the soap opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2008. Before appearing in EastEnders, George made guest appearances in Holby City, Bottom and The Last Detective...
) after Robbie's departure. When Gus is involved in a minibus crash, Wellard is able to save his owner by leading him to a spot from where he can call the emergency services.
Wellard is reported to the police when he bites local café owner Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
on the buttocks. He is taken away, with the possibility that he will be euthanised
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
, but Gus and Deano Wicks
Deano Wicks
Dean "Deano" Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters of Deano and his sister Carly were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer...
(Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...
) launch a campaign to save him, under the moniker "Walford One Owed Freedom" (WOOF). When Wellard is put on trial, Ian's partner Jane (Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett is a Scottish actress, currently known for her role as Jane Beale in EastEnders, in which she has starred since 2004.-Personal life:...
) presents character witness statements for the dog, written by Ian's children, Lucy
Lucy Beale
Lucy Katherine Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Eva Brittin-Snell from 1993 to 1996, Casey Anne Rothery from 1996 until 2004, Melissa Suffield from 2004 to 2010 and Hetti Bywater from 2012 onwards. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the newborn baby...
(Melissa Suffield
Melissa Suffield
Melissa Hollie Suffield is a British actress from London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lucy Beale. Her first appearance on the show was 28 October 2004 and her last on 27 August 2010.-Career:...
) and Peter
Peter Beale
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010. The character has previously been portrayed by James Martin, Joseph Shade, Alex Stevens and Francis Brittin-Snell. Law took over the role on 31 August 2006...
(Thomas Law
Thomas Law
Thomas John Law is a British actor. He is the fourth actor to play Peter Beale in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders...
). Wellard is found guilty, but as a result of the statements, Gus is allowed to take him home as long as he keeps him on a lead at all times. When Gus leaves Walford to travel with his girlfriend Keisha (Suzie McGrath), he leaves Wellard with his friend Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joe Swash. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge. The character is...
(Joe Swash
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
). Mickey sells Wellard to Vinnie Monks
Vinnie Monks
Vince "Vinnie" Monks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by comedian Bobby Davro. He made his first appearance on 8 October 2007. It was announced on 19 July 2008 that Davro quit the show to do other projects...
(Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
), who intends to gift him to his girlfriend Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...
). When it transpires Shirley does not want him, Vinnie gives Wellard to the Jackson family
Branning family
The Branning family are a fictional, extended family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.Before the show began, consisted of Jim Branning, his wife Reenie and their three sons, Derek, Max and Jack, and three daughters, Carol, Suzy and April....
. Bianca Jackson
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
) feeds Wellard a chocolate, causing him to suffer from theobromine poisoning
Theobromine poisoning
Theobromine poisoning or chocolate poisoning is an adverse reaction to the alkaloid theobromine, found in chocolate, tea, cola beverages, açaí berries, and some other foods. Cacao beans contain about 1.2% theobromine by weight, while processed chocolate, in general, has smaller amounts...
. He has to be euthanised, is cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
, and has his ashes scattered on the local allotment.
Development
Wellard's name is a portmanteau of "well hard", meaning "very tough". The character was originally played by a Belgian Shepherd (Tervuren) named Zenna, who was cast at the age of one. Producers had envisioned Wellard as a "rough, tough mongrel", and Zenna's owner, dog-handler Gill Raddings, explained: "She had the look they wanted and the ability to do what was needed on command." EastEnders producers were initially unaware that Zenna was female, and had to find a canine double to serve as temporary replacement in 1996 when it transpired that she was pregnant, going on to deliver 10 puppies. Zenna was retired in 1998, as she was "losing her looks".Zenna was replaced in the soap by her daughter Chancer, who was in turn succeeded by her own daughter, Kyte. Kyte played Wellard for seven years, longer than Zenna and Chancer. The dog, whose pedigree name is Minka Kyte, came to the soap from Raddings' company Stunt Dogs, along with another EastEnders dog, Terence. She had previous experience in the television and film industry, having appeared on A Touch of Frost, The Jonny Vaughan Show, 102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians is a 2000 live-action film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. It is the sequel to 101 Dalmatians, a live-action remake of the 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name. In the film, Cruella de Vil attempts to steal puppies for her...
and Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
. Raddings revealed that Kyte came to understand the words "action" and "cut", meaning the director would sometimes have to give an alternate cue such as "go" during scenes featuring Wellard, as the dog would become instantly alert upon hearing the usual commands, which appeared incongruous in scenes which called for Wellard to be relaxed. Kyte worked closely with Mohammed George
Mohammed George
Mohammed "Mo" George is an actor who played Gus Smith on the soap opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2008. Before appearing in EastEnders, George made guest appearances in Holby City, Bottom and The Last Detective...
, who played Wellard's owner Gus. George was afraid of dogs as a child, but after working with Kyte for three years, commented that they were so close he "sometimes [felt] like [her] dad."
Wellard was briefly written out of the show under executive producer Matthew Robinson, but returned in 2000, when Robinson was succeeded by John Yorke. A show insider commented: "Wellard just disappeared. It seemed odd because Robbie loved that dog and never noticed it had gone." An EastEnders spokesman stated of his return: "John Yorke believes Wellard should be an integral part of Robbie's character."
When a 2005 storyline saw Wellard threatened with euthanasia for biting local café owner Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
), James Desborough 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....
suggested that EastEnders producers were hoping to emulate the success of a storyline from rival soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, which saw fans protest the arrest of character Deirdre Rachid (Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride is an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street which she has played for thirty-nine years.-Coronation Street:...
), going as far as to lobby the UK Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for her release. Desborough deemed the storyline "bizarre" and accused the BBC of being "desperate to boost flagging ratings". An EastEnders spokesman responded that it was simply "a funny story which we hope the nation will get behind."
In June 2008, it was reported that Wellard was to be killed off. A show insider explained: "Wellard has been a much-loved character and everyone will be sad to see him go. But if you think about it, Wellard was not a puppy when he arrived on Albert Square, so he would be over 100 in dog years by now. It makes sense for him to bow out of the show gracefully." Raddings commented: "I used to take Kyte on set everyday but I found the scenes when Wellard was put down too hard to watch so I asked someone else to take her to filming." The scene in which Wellard was euthanised had to be re-edited, as Kyte could be seen breathing when supposedly dead. At the time of his death, Wellard had been in EastEnders for 14 years, making him one of the show's longest-running characters, and its longest-serving pet.
Reception
Wellard was voted "Best Pet" at the 2008 Digital Spy Soap AwardsDigital Spy Soap Awards
The Digital Spy Soap Awards was an event that honoured the successes in British soap operas in 2007-8. It was hosted by the entertainment website Digital Spy....
. His death storyline was nominated in the "Tearjerker" category at the 2008 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....
Bubble Awards. In 2009, a poll by magazine 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....
named Wellard as the UK's favourite soap opera pet. He came second in a poll to find Britain's favourite TV pet in April 2006, losing to Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, and in March 2008 was named the fifth best dog on television by Anna Pickard of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, behind Bouncer from Neighbours, Willy
Willy (EastEnders)
Willy is a fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Willy was a Pug, who appeared in the first episode of the programme and remained in the show until 1992.-Storylines:...
from EastEnders, Lassie and Dogtanian. It was noted in 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....
in July 1997 that Wellard was "a firm favourite with the soap's fans", while in August 2008, the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
deemed him "one of [EastEnders] most well-loved characters." The dogs received fanmail from viewers hailing them as the best actors on EastEnders.
Michael Greco
Michael Greco is an English actor and poker player. He was educated in Surrey, England at Reigate College. Internet rumours claim he was born in Dunbar, Scotland, but Greco himself states that this is false, and that he grew up in London....
commented in 2002 that Wellard received better scripts than his character, Beppe di Marco
Beppe di Marco
Beppe di Marco is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael Greco.Beppe was his family's pride and joy, so it was a big shock to them when he was fired from the police force for attempting to frame local hardman Grant Mitchell...
, the Sunday Mirror Ian Hyland
Ian Hyland
Ian Hyland is an English television critic.-Journalism career:Hyland wrote a column for the Sunday Mirror from 2000 to 2005. Until 2011 closure of the newspaper, he wrote for the News of the World. He currently writes for the Daily Mail...
wrote: "He should try being Robbie Jackson. Wellard gets better scripts and better girls than him." Similarly, Garry Bushell of The People compared EastEnders with rival soap Coronation Street following a 2003 scheduling clash, observing: "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...
had Richard Hillman
Richard Hillman
Richard Charles Hillman was a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron. Hillman is now rated as one of the best soap villains of all time.-Development:...
's heavyweight murder confession. BBC1 gave us Robbie Jackson's heart-to-heart with Wellard. (Don't scoff – it's tough to play moving scenes with a dumb and soppy creature, but Wellard rose to the occasion.)". Derek McGovern of The Mirror criticised Gaffney's acting ability, observing: "Outside of Lassie movies I haven't seen a dog consistently steal scenes off a human the way Wellard used to pinch them from Dean." Gemma Bissix
Gemma Bissix
Gemma Bissix is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in EastEnders and Clare Devine in Hollyoaks ; she was awarded with two British Soap Awards for the latter role...
appeared in the show as a child actor from 1993 to 1998, playing Clare Bates. She commented on her return in 2008 that as a child, the dogs playing Wellard were better paid than she was. When Emma Barton
Emma Barton
Emma Louise Barton is an English actress. She played Honey Mitchell in EastEnders from November 2005 to September 2008....
, who played Honey Mitchell
Honey Mitchell
Susan "Honey" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. It was reported on 19 April 2008 that she had been axed from EastEnders, and her last appearance was on 2 September 2008...
, was axed from the soap later that year, she spoke of her dismay that Wellard's death was being marketed as a bigger storyline than her character's exit. Roz Laws of the Sunday Mercury
Sunday Mercury
Sunday Mercury is a Sunday tabloid published in Birmingham, UK, and owned by Trinity Mirror.The first editor was John Turner Fearon , who left the Dublin-based Freeman's Journal to take up the position...
called it "particularly galling" that Barton's exit was upstaged by Wellard's death.
Hyland was critical of the 2003 storyline which saw Robbie leave EastEnders to move to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
with his girlfriend Nita (Bindya Solanki
Bindya Solanki
Bindya Solanki is a British Asian actress. Solanki comes from Southend on Sea, the seaside town in Essex. Her parents are of Gujarati descent and emigrated to England in the 60s...
) and her son Anish (Ali Zahoor). He explained that the aspect of the storyline which upset him most was Wellard being run over "so the scriptwriters could engineer the inevitable last-minute dash to the airport", questioning: "What's Wellard ever done to deserve that?" The storyline which saw Wellard threatened with euthanasia after biting Ian Beale received negative reviews from critics, deemed "bizarre" by James Desborough of The People, and the "longest, most tedious ever soap storyline" by Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
of The Mirror. Bushell simply wrote: "Wellard bit Ian Beale. Which one needs the Tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
jab?" Tim Teeman of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called it the "daftest" storyline of the year, comparing it to a similarly ill-received and long-running storyline given to the unpopular Ferreira family
Ferreira family
The Ferreira family are a fictional family from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, that appeared on screen between 2003 and 2005. Created by Tony Jordan and introduced by Louise Berridge as a new Asian family, producers hoped they would become central to the show...
.
Wellard's death drew generally favourable reviews from critics. The Guardian Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith is a British television critic; she began writing for The Guardian in 1969. In 1970 she was recommended for the Order of the British Empire, which she declined.*1951- 1955: Northern Daily Telegraph, reporter...
deemed Wellard to have "died with great dignity [...] Not, as a lesser dog might, making a meal of it." Grace Dent
Grace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
, also of The Guardian, wrote that she was an "emotional mess" when Wellard was euthanised, calling him "one of the true old guard of EastEnders". Andy Bollen of the Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
deemed it a shame Wellard had been killed off, calling him "the most convincing actor on the soap", while The Mirror Maeve Quigley called Wellard's death sadder than that of human character Jase Dyer
Jase Dyer
Jason "Jase" Dyer is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stephen Lord between 2007 and 2008. The character was killed off in the serial, making his final credited appearance on 29 August 2008.-Storylines:...
(Stephen Lord
Stephen Lord
Stephen Lord is a British actor probably best known for playing Jase Dyer, in BBC soap opera EastEnders between 2007-2008.- Personal life :...
) shortly afterwards. Wise similarly opined that Wellard upstaged most of the cast, and that his death was more of a "tear-jerker" than the return of Jim Branning
Jim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
(John Bardon
John Bardon
John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
) who had been absent after suffering from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. The Mirror Kevin O'Sullivan commented: "a canine Oscar to the hound who played Wellard – the pedigree chum whose sad demise after 14 years of fouling Walford's pavements was genuinely moving." Shelley wrote that it signified the "[d]eath of the best actor in the show", and the South Wales Echo
South Wales Echo
The South Wales Echo is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed throughout the surrounding area.The newspaper was founded in 1884 and was based in Thomson House, Cardiff city centre. It is published by Media Wales Ltd , part of the Trinity Mirror group...
published the obituary:
In contrast, however, Laws felt that EastEnders was becoming too depressing, noting that Wellard's death came at the same time Jase was murdered and Honey and her husband Billy
Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)
William "Billy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was seen when Phil went to visit his godson Jamie. However, he didn't arrive in the Square until 2 August 1999, almost a year after...
(Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick is an English film and television actor. He has one sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He is, also, the second cousin of Georgina Hagen, who played Lauren Waters in the series of Britannia High....
) broke up, writing: "I feel like slitting my wrists when I tune in now. [...] There's only so much gritty realism we can take in our soaps, and EastEnders is really overloading us at the moment."
Impact on popular culture
Wellard is considered a "celebrity" dog, and during his EastEnders tenure, the dogs playing him would occasionally make personal appearances at events, including the dog-show CruftsCrufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
in 1998, a fundraising appeal for the Victoria Animal Hospital in London in 2000, and the first All About Dogs Day at Notcutts garden centre in August 2008. Satirical impression series Dead Ringers
Dead Ringers (comedy)
Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry...
referenced Wellard in a 2004 episode, running the continuity announcement: "Later on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, new drama featuring the latest EastEnders star we've signed up for a ridiculous advance. Yes Wellard the dog is Barker, a cop on the edge with a drink problem and distemper." For Red Nose Day 2007
Red Nose Day 2007
Red Nose Day 2007, was a fund raising event organized by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 16 March 2007 to early the following morning. It was part of "The Big One" campaign...
, Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
created a Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
-style short featuring Wellard asking for money for Comic Relief, along with selling his offspring and being put in prison.