The EastEnders-Charles Dickens Connection
By Frank Segall
As a passionate viewer of longstanding (.88?) who has lived in England,
I have long contended that EastEnders, with its compelling characters
and constant considerations of the social ill du semaine is but a
latter day attempt to resuscitate the serialized stories of that other
chronicler of East End life, Charles Dickens. Like Dickens. readers,
regular EE viewers often await the next installment with bated breath,
in order to see what fate will befall their favorite, or least favorite
character. Also in the Dickensian vein is the creation of stock
characters for purposes of comedy, melodrama or villainy. Prime examples
here are Barry Evans or Nigel Bates as Mark the Fat Boy (Pickwick
Papers); Little Mo Slater as Little Nell (The Old Curiosity Shop) or
Little Dorrit; Kat Slater or Pat Butcher as Nancy , the Tart with a
Heart (Oliver Twist); Nick Cotton or Phil Mitchell as Bill Sikes (Oliver
Twist), and various other stock types such as the shrewish landlady
(Peggy Mitchell); elderly eccentric (Ethel Skinner); sweet soul (Nana
Moon) or Cockney Jack-The-Lad (Alfie Moon).
As did Dickens. publisher with monthly installments of his work, so has
the BBC with EastEnders captivated an international audience who keenly
anticipate the next episode, and who genuinely care about its
characters. Due largely to the rich vein of acting talent which it
mines, EastEnders (like British television in general) features
characters that linger with the viewer, again in the Dickensian
tradition. The fate of Arthur Fowler or Charlie Slater, both decent and
hardworking family men, matters (I recall seeing .Free Arthur Fowler.
t-shirts). Nigel and Jamie are truly missed. While EastEnders is not,
and never will be, David Copperfield, and can never approach even
remotely the depth of Dickens. art, it can and does capture the feelings
of one segment of his favorite, and least favorite city and its
residents.
Back to Latest Articles