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260-543: The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke . The first character to be introduced was Jill Marsden , a detective chief inspector who investigates the shooting of local hardman Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ). April saw the introductions of: Ritchie Stringer ( Gareth Hunt ), an associate of Phil, Paul Trueman ( Gary Beadle ),

520-404: A pervert . Kat reveals that she got pregnant all those years ago and that Zoe is the child. She says that Zoe hates him for what he did to her. Harry calls Kat a bitch and leaves in the back of a taxi. Kat later attempts suicide, but is found in the park by Zoe and rushed to hospital. Harry made his last appearance on 4 October 2001. In February 2002, Charlie receives news that Harry has died from

780-422: A big and important storyline.". Norris reprised the role and Belinda appears more regularly from 14 April 2016. Seven months later, on 11 November 2016, Belinda makes a previously unannounced departure from the show. Norris thanked her fans and added that she "loved" the role and hoped "to be back one day". Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap was shocked by her departure, writing "Please say it isn't so!" Belinda

1040-426: A bomb under her car. Garry Hobbs ( Ricky Groves ) receives minor injuries but, furious, Precious tells Angel she will only provide his alibi if he promises to divorce her. Angel agrees but, days later, Precious is kidnapped by the victim's family. They convince her that Angel will never let her go and that the only way to be rid of him is to get him locked up. Precious agrees and at the trial, denies being with Angel at

1300-640: A builder called G. Bolton. When they go to his house, Gary gives Robbie a present he has saved from his first birthday and a cheque to make up for "backdated pocket money". Robbie then meets his half brother, Gary's son Kevin ( Rupert Hill ), and when he realises that Gary had left Carol to be with Kevin's mother, he throws the cheque back at Gary and leaves. In June, Gary arrives in Walford to talk to Robbie. He tells Robbie he will pay for him to go to college, but Jim tells him to leave. Later, in July, Gary returns to Walford and

1560-505: A call and discovers that Nick is still alive. Nick reappears in Albert Square seven months after his faked death. Ronnie takes an instant dislike to him and tries to bribe him to leave but Nick returns for Charlie and Ronnie's wedding. Nick decides to get revenge on Ronnie and cuts the brakes of her car. After the wedding, Roxy, Charlie and Ronnie are involved in an accident which hits and later kills Emma Summerhayes, while Ronnie ends up in

1820-693: A censorship apparatus for the inevitability of war. Due to the BBC's advancements in shortwave radio technology, the corporation could broadcast across the world during the Second World War. Within Europe, the BBC European Service would gather intelligence and information regarding the current events of the war in English. Regional BBC workers, based on their regional geo-political climate, would then further censor

2080-475: A central point, they will be able to use the house as a central point, as Dot will be there." Critic Grace Dent has likened Dot and Jim to Coronation Street' s Hilda and Stan Ogden , comparing a scene in EastEnders where Dot nags Jim and he prays for a quiet life to a similar one from Coronation Street , that aired decades before. Brown discussed Dot's relationship with Jim in 2004: "Initially, Jim wasn't

2340-442: A collapsed fairground ride, in the midst of a cake-selling war. However, Pauline and Dot were most frequently shown gossiping , reminiscing about the past, or sharing their woes in the launderette. The duo has been described by television personality Paul O'Grady as a "fabulous double-act": "Dot's probably Pauline's one and only confidant. Pauline eventually will break down and tell Dot things that she'd never tell anybody else." On

2600-530: A coma but survives. Yvonne discovers that Nick cut the brakes of the car. Yvonne tells Charlie but he does not believe her until he catches Nick with some of the money Ronnie used to bribe him. Then Nick implicates Yvonne in Ronnie's accident, so Charlie asks them both to leave. Dot hides Nick next door and obtains heroin for Nick. Later she finds him unconscious, Nick regains consciousness briefly but later dies in Dot's arms, in

2860-419: A convict friend of Nick, she returns to the square and is shocked when Nick returns unexpectedly. He tries to steal her money by claiming he has AIDS and needs money to pay for illegally imported medication. Dot believes him but later discovers it is a lie and he is on the run from the police. She contacts the police and he is arrested. Dot moves in with fellow senior citizen Lilly Mattock ( Barbara Keogh ) and

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3120-572: A couple with a boy; Kat realises that was in fact her son. When Stacey is discharged from the mother and baby unit, she arranges a family lunch and invites Belinda, Jean and Jean's new husband Ollie Walters ( Tony O'Callaghan ). Belinda learns that her cousin Kyle Slater ( Riley Carter Millington ) is transgender and when Jean is convinced Kyle is lying, Belinda encourages Stacey to stand up to her. Belinda then tells Stacey and Martin they will have to move out as Kat and Alfie promised to pay their rent for

3380-462: A cultural archetype and Brown won multiple awards for her portrayal. However, aspects of the character, such as her smoking and her religious beliefs, have been criticised, with religious groups suggesting Dot's faith is used in a pejorative manner. The character has also made an impact on popular culture; she has been spoofed, most notably by Alistair McGowan , and has been credited as inspiration for catwalk collections. Dot's backstory states that she

3640-483: A derelict neighbouring house. Unable to leave the premises, Nick starts using heroin again but cannot feed his drug addiction and asks Dot to obtain drugs for him. Dot later finds Nick unconscious, having had a bad reaction to the drugs, and she realises that Nick is dying. Once he awakens, Nick accuses Dot of raising him wrong. Dot remains adamant to see the best in Nick until he confesses to the one crime he never told her about;

3900-512: A full-time carer exhausting and lonely. Eventually, after Dot experiences ill-health brought on by stress, Jim moves back to a nursing home. Shortly after Jim leaves, Dot hears a doorbell ring and assumes that it is Jim has come back to collect his hat. She opens the door and is surprised to find Nick waiting outside. He claims that he has changed and is now a plumber. Dot believes Nick when he introduces her to his six-year-old daughter Dotty ( Molly Conlin ). Although Dot promptly bonds with Dotty, she

4160-469: A heart attack in Spain. Harry leaves Zoe £18,000 in his will, but when Zoe sees how much the idea of taking anything from Harry is upsetting Kat, she burns the cheque – saying she does not need his money. In January 2015, Kat's grandmother Mo Harris ( Laila Morse ) reveals to Harry's great-niece Stacey ( Lacey Turner ) that Kat has received a cheque from Harry's will for £19,500, which has been left unclaimed for

4420-575: A heavy drinking session, Anthony had driven a car, hit a pedestrian and then left the scene. Not wanting to ruin his brother's chance of a successful career, Paul took the blame and subsequently served 18 months in prison. Paul threatens to tell their mother the truth unless Anthony gives him the money he needs. Anthony feels he has no choice but to oblige, so he takes out a loan and Paul pays Angel. Satisfied, Angel leaves, but tells Paul they will meet again. Angel returns in June 2002 with more orders for Paul. Angel

4680-481: A heroin addict. That made him vulnerable, in a mess and needing his mother to get money for him. We then had to kill Charlie because I figured that only in a state of shock and uncertainty about her belief in God would Dot contemplate forgiving Nick and attempting to reform him. She decides to believe that she can make a decent human being of Nick. She feels it's her last chance. As a widow Dot enters new territory. Dot's snobbery

4940-461: A larger brand: in 2003, BBC Choice was replaced by BBC Three , with programming for younger adults and shocking real-life documentaries, BBC News 24 became the BBC News Channel in 2008, and BBC Radio 7 became BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2011, with new programmes to supplement those broadcast on Radio 4. In 2008, another channel was launched, BBC Alba , a Scottish Gaelic service. During this decade,

5200-529: A launderette assistant for most of that time, along with original character Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard ), and was close friends with original characters Ethel Skinner ( Gretchen Franklin ) and Lou Beale ( Anna Wing ). Dot moved away with her son and his family in 1993. In reality, Brown left the show in 1993, unhappy with the development of her character. Brown returned to the role in April 1997, and on 28 April 2017, Dot overtook Pat Butcher ( Pam St Clement ) as

5460-472: A letter. Harry tells Charlie he is ashamed of his actions and that it's ruined his life. He admits that Charlie's late wife Viv (April Martin) knew what happened and told him to leave, ruining Charlie's idealised image of Viv in the process. He goes to shake Charlie's hand to say goodbye, but Charlie – disgusted by him – spits in his face and calls him a monster. Kat confronts Harry and he says she must hate him. She denies that she hates him but just thinks he's

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5720-698: A little uncomfortable in such exalted company, what it did show is that handled properly an audience is able to engage in, and relate to profound ethical debate." Deborah Annetts, CEO of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES), has praised the storyline. In 2004 she commented, "It was a sympathetic portrayal. It demonstrated to a lot of people their own experiences. Lots of us have had conversations with someone, particularly our mothers and fathers, where they have said to us: 'If I get really ill, you will end it, won't you?' The Dot/Ethel storyline showed just what that conversation can entail and what happens to

5980-496: A lot of gangsters' mothers throughout history. Probably Al Capone 's mother thought he was a sweet lad, you know." One of Nick's most notable returns to the series occurred in 1990. Nick returned to his mother's life with the claim that he was a born-again Christian, which happened to coincide with her £10,000 win on the bingo. EastEnders writer Sarah Phelps explained: "For Dot, the idea that Jesus had finally spoken to Nick, that

6240-545: A lot of tears. [...] The feeling is that this is the end of Jim as a character because he won't leave the home and won't ever be a regular in Albert Square again." It was reported that Jim could still appear in the care home if Bardon's health permitted it, although ultimately this did not happen, as Bardon never recovered enough to make any further appearances. Jim left the show on 26 May 2011. Brown opined that Dot would feel lonely without Jim, saying, "I think she'll be very lonely and feel she doesn't have much purpose in life. It

6500-591: A love interest for Terry Raymond ( Gavin Richards ), and Angel Hudson ( Goldie ), a gangster , made their first appearances in June. Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker ), the former husband of Audrey and replacement parental figure for Paul and Anthony, was introduced in September. Belinda Peacock ( Leanne Lakey ), Charlie's daughter, and Viv Slater , Charlie's deceased wife, appear for guest stints in October. November saw

6760-596: A love interest for Terry Raymond ( Gavin Richards ). She appears for over two months, making her final appearance in episode 2155, first broadcast on 24 August. She first appears when she begins renting a flat from Terry and Janine Butcher 's ( Charlie Brooks ) letting agency. Terry and Margaret are attracted to each other and a relationship soon develops. Janine and Margaret do not get along, which makes things awkward for Terry as he and Janine live together. Janine grows extremely jealous of Margaret and Terry's relationship, and she plays various tricks to split them up. Margaret

7020-461: A message asking her to find out why Martin took the money and to let her know. Over a year later, Sonia receives news from Charlie that Dot has died peacefully in her sleep. The residents of Walford honour her in the Queen Vic where they toast her. Many Albert Square residents, past and present, gather at her funeral to pay their respects and share their memories of Dot whilst Sonia delivers a eulogy. She

7280-450: A narrative function as a gossip, has in turn been the subject of other people's gossip, with her own problems, troubles and vulnerability. Dot's relationship with her wayward son Nick (John Altman) , has been a feature of the character's narrative since her inception. Unlike Dot, Nick is scripted as a semi-regular character, one who comes and goes sporadically and, as authors Jill Marshall and Angela Werndly have observed, "we know heartache

7540-599: A news and information service. In 1978, BBC staff went on strike just before the Christmas, thus blocking out the transmission of both channels and amalgamating all four radio stations into one. Since the deregulation of the UK television and radio market in the 1980s, the BBC has faced increased competition from the commercial sector (and from the advertiser-funded public service broadcaster Channel 4 ), especially on satellite television, cable television, and digital television services. In

7800-643: A newspaper in 2005 that Neil and Sue have died in a car accident. This leads to her gaining contact with Rebecca again. Detective Chief Inspector Jill Marsden is played by Sophie Stanton . She makes her first appearance on 5 March 2001, when she investigates who shot Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) which is part of the whodunit storyline, Who Shot Phil? . She returns in 2002 and 2003, and returns again in 2009 for another whodunit storyline, Who Killed Archie? and returns again on 5 January 2012 for her third whodunnit storyline, 'Who's Stalking Phil?'. When brought back in 2009, Marsden feelings are further explored in

8060-408: A number of "'friends' to fulfill the same function of a female friend for Dot and the series." An example of this was the character Lilly Mattock ( Barbara Keogh ) who appeared between 1998 and 1999. The author goes on to note that Ethel's role in Dot's narrative was difficult to replace because "far from being complete stereotypes, their relationships depend on them being long-standing friends with

List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2001 - Misplaced Pages Continue

8320-489: A number of additional channels and radio stations have been launched: Radio 5 was launched in 1990, as a sports and educational station, but was replaced in 1994, with BBC Radio 5 Live to become a live radio station, following the success of the Radio 4 service to cover the 1991 Gulf War . The new station would be a news and sport station. In 1997, BBC News 24 , a rolling news channel, launched on digital television services, and

8580-434: A number of years. Mo gives the cheque to Kat, which causes Kat to become upset over the bad memories, but she refuses to mention it to anyone. After Kat contemplates whether cashing the cheque is a good idea, her husband Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie ) tells her to consider using it to make a fresh start for their children, she ponders it and later tears up the cheque in front of Alfie. Mo then decides to impersonate Kat and cashes

8840-516: A permanent contract. In 2000, Dot was featured in a storyline about euthanasia , when her oldest friend Ethel, who had terminal cancer, asked her to help her die. The storyline allowed the production team to present all sides of the debate about euthanasia, from the perspective of the sufferer and from the person who is asked to assist in the mercy killing, religious and moral opposition. According to author Dorothy Hobson, "Dot suffered torment as she struggled with her conscience and she tried to resist

9100-579: A pimp who grooms Zoe Slater ( Michelle Ryan ), Kelly Taylor ( Brooke Kinsella ), a prostitute groomed by Roxy, and Tom Stuart ( Shaun Dooley ), a vicar, were introduced in December. Sue Miller , played by Sadie Shimmin in 2001 and Victoria Willing in 2002, is the adoptive mother of Sonia Jackson ( Natalie Cassidy ) and Martin Fowler 's ( James Alexandrou ) daughter. Sonia gave birth to baby Chloe in 2000, but decided to give her daughter up for adoption. Chloe

9360-399: A plan to make her think she had developed dementia then overdose her with sleeping pills, which fails when Dotty has a change of heart and Nick flees once again after causing an explosion and being disowned by Dot. In March 2014, Dot is told by the police that Nick has died of respiratory failure from a heroin overdose the previous week. One of the police officers who breaks the news to Dot

9620-474: A plot that saw him largely responsible for the death of his son Ashley (Frankie Fitzgerald) in June 2001, ultimately leading Dot to disown Nick and prompting to leave the Square again. He is not seen for more than seven years after this, although he was mentioned in 2006 when recovering from cancer off-screen. Following pleas from Brown to resurrect Nick, John Altman returned to the serial again in December 2008, in

9880-681: A proposal to cut 4,000 jobs, and to privatise parts of the BBC, disrupted much of the BBC's regular programming. In 2006, BBC HD launched as an experimental service and became official in December 2007. The channel broadcast HD simulcasts of programmes on BBC One , BBC Two , BBC Three and BBC Four as well as repeats of some older programmes in HD. In 2010, an HD simulcast of BBC One launched: BBC One HD . The channel uses HD versions of BBC One's schedule and uses upscaled versions of programmes not currently produced in HD. The BBC HD channel closed in March 2013 and

10140-435: A prostitute and orders her to leave. After having one last fight with a smug Janine, Margaret goes home, where it is revealed that the man at her flat really is her brother after all. She puts him into a taxi and tells him that he is all that matters to her. Although sources prior to the filming of this storyline had suggested that Margaret would be a sophisticated conwoman, this is never actually confirmed on-screen. The ending

10400-582: A public message, Dot should appear breathless, not with "implausibly good health". They added, "Though Dot Cotton has a smoker's voice – deeper than you might expect, she does not seem to be short of breath or wheezy" and that viewers would be influenced by this. However, Dot's smoking has been described by broadcasting watchdogs Ofcom as "justified in the context of the programme as a representation of an East End character" and they therefore stipulate that enforcement of broadcast smoking-sanctions would be unlikely on EastEnders . Upon her arrival, Dot Cotton

10660-453: A runner, leaving Paul to face a furious Angel. Paul goes to get Precious back, while Angel holds his father, Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker ), and his brother's girlfriend, Zoe Slater ( Michelle Ryan ), hostage. Luckily, Paul persuades Precious to return before Angel does any real harm. Their affair continues and it soon blossoms into love. Later in the month, the family of the man that Angel had killed, tries to silence Precious by placing

List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2001 - Misplaced Pages Continue

10920-470: A segment of the BBC EastEnders homepage entitled 'Marsden's Video Diaries', documenting the character's thoughts on the storyline she is involved in. Marsden's relationship with Phil has been explored since her first appearance, the BBC describing their relationship as "romance in negative" and "Her ultimate dream is that some day she'll get [Phil]… behind bars." DS Thomas Burton , played by Cyril Nri ,

11180-539: A series of strikes; however, the BBC stated that the cuts were essential to move the organisation forward and concentrate on increasing the quality of programming. On 20 October 2010, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced that the television licence fee would be frozen at its current level until the end of the current charter in 2016. The same announcement revealed that the BBC would take on

11440-426: A source of information and a means of speculation for the viewer." She asserts that a fundamental aspect of British soap is the idea of supporting members of community, based on the sharing of intimate knowledge, allowing "practical and emotional needs to be met" within the enclosed community. However, according to Geraghty, there is nevertheless "an unease about the price paid for such support and an acknowledgement of

11700-491: A storyline that saw Nick attempt to con Dot again, this time aided by a previously unheard of daughter, Dotty ( Molly Conlin ), who was born in 2002 after Nick's previous exit. Altman explained: "Nick needed something, because I think if he didn't have little Dotty, for him to walk through that door, she would just have treated him as a complete outcast." As the storyline progressed, it was revealed that Nick and Dotty had intentions to kill Dot for her inheritance; they concocted

11960-666: A stroke and is nursed mostly by Charlie and Little Mo. She manages to make amends with all of her daughters before she dies at the age of 48. BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London , England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company , it evolved into its current state with its current name on New Year's Day 1927. The oldest and largest local and global broadcaster by stature and by number of employees,

12220-412: A tight corner. That's really the sort of foundation. I try to put as much humour as possible into the character." Belinda Peacock (also Slater ), portrayed by Leanne Lakey between 2001 and 2003 and Carli Norris in 2016, is introduced as the fifth Slater sister following the family's introduction in 2000. Additionally, the character also appears as a baby in a flashback on 25 December 2018. Belinda

12480-459: A waste. But I was too late, I couldn't change their minds. In the past, I have talked things through and I was listened to". Charlie's funeral episode, written by Linda Dearsley, was aired on 11 July 1991, and was dominated by Dot's reaction to Charlie's death and her trip to identify his body. It is selected by writer Colin Brake as one of 1991's episodes of the year. Dot's second significant romance

12740-476: A week after Trevor's death. Harry Slater , played by Michael Elphick , is the younger brother of Charlie Slater ( Derek Martin ). Dale Hayes portrays Harry in a flashback on 25 December 2018. It transpires that Harry groomed his niece Kat ( Jessie Wallace ) as a child in 1983, and it is later revealed that he had raped her when she was 13 years old, thus making Kat pregnant with their daughter Zoe ( Michelle Ryan ) and son Dermott Dolan ( Oisín Stack ). Zoe

13000-494: A while and encounters Ashley (now played by Frankie Fitzgerald) after he runs away from home. Eventually, Nick himself returns to the square and reunites with Dot – who is shocked to see her son once more. Initially sceptical over Nick's previous criminality, Dot is pleased to have her family around and moves out of the Fowler household to live with them. Mark, however, is unimpressed and the two end up clashing with each other on multiple occasions. Nick's feud with Mark leads him to cut

13260-620: A year after Robbie's birth. When David Wicks ( Michael French ) is revealed as Bianca's father in 1994, Carol tells Robbie she had left his father because he was having relationships with under-age girls; however, this is retconned when the character appears on-screen for the first time in 2001. He tries to get in touch with Robbie on his eighteenth birthday by phoning Carol's father Jim Branning ( John Bardon ), but Jim refuses to give Gary Carol's number. In May 2001, Robbie and his half sister Sonia ( Natalie Cassidy ) go to Portsmouth to find Gary. They find his number when they see an advert for

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13520-460: A year, which has now ended. Belinda visits Stacey and Buster Briggs ( Karl Howman ) realises she is wealthy. He gets her address by offering a fish delivery and later goes with his grandson Lee Carter ( Danny-Boy Hatchard ) to her house to steal her koi carp . Lee tells his father Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer ) where they are, so Mick stops them and returns the fish as Belinda returns home and sees him through her window. The next day, Belinda visits

13780-531: Is brainstem dead after falling from a roof. Dot is surprised to see the launderette had reopened and Karen Taylor ( Lorraine Stanley ) is working there. After Dr Legg's death, she inherits his entire estate and goes away to visit her family. Dot returns with Dotty and she buys her council house with her inherited money. After Sonia cons her out of money, Martin Fowler ( James Bye ) takes the blame. She convinces Dot to visit Charlie again in Ireland and Dot leaves Sonia

14040-421: Is "stuck for words". In 2004, Brown discussed the origin of the saying: "It was written once in the script and I quite enjoyed it, so I used to say it occasionally when it wasn't in the scripts. It was useful because it could be said in all different ways. Dot's very straight-laced, so it helped to express her horror at what went on." Brown revealed in 2008 that she has tried to cut down the use of this, along with

14300-503: Is Nick's son Charlie Cotton, although it is later revealed that he is impersonating a police officer. Charlie explains that he was conceived from a brief marriage Nick had with his mother Yvonne. During the funeral, Charlie and undertaker Les Coker prevent Dot from looking in the coffin. Dot is suspicious and invites Yvonne to tell the truth and she assures Dot that Charlie is her grandson. A few weeks later, Carol Jackson asks Charlie for advice, when he leaves his phone at her house, she answers

14560-465: Is a family friend, and snatches Rebecca, taking her to Walford . Neil and Sue work this out and trace her. While Sonia barricades herself inside her house, the Millers give Dot Branning ( June Brown ) fifteen minutes to persuade Sonia to hand Rebecca over before they phone the police. Just before the Millers are about to call the police, Dot successfully persuades Sonia to hand Rebecca over. Sonia reads in

14820-400: Is a mob boss who knows Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ). He first appears in April 2001 when Phil contacts him to request a favor; conspiring with Phil against their mutual acquaintance, Dan Sullivan ( Craig Fairbrass ). It transpires that Dan had worked for Ritchie in the past, and so he does not suspect anything untoward when Ritchie provides him with a gun to do a raid on Phil. However, it

15080-462: Is a policeman who assisted his fellow chief detective Jill Marsden ( Sophie Stanton ) with investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) (see Who Shot Phil? ) — the criminal hardman of Albert Square , a local community of the borough Walford in East London . The events of Phil's shooting occurs on 1 March 2001 after he antagonized several of his neighbours and fellow residents by

15340-488: Is all part of Phil's plan, and Dan is caught by the police in the middle of the armed robbery. It soon becomes clear that the gun Ritchie had given Dan is the same gun that was used to shoot Phil, even though Dan never shot Phil and the gun itself had belonged to their common nemesis Steve Owen ( Martin Kemp ); earlier on, it was revealed that the shooter was in fact Phil's ex-girlfriend Lisa Shaw ( Lucy Benjamin ). Nonetheless, Dan

15600-413: Is annoyed that her eyesight does not improve much. Dot is told that she is being let go from the launderette, which closes on Christmas Eve and everyone is too busy to visit her. She finds a Christmas mixtape recorded by her dead friend Heather Trott ( Cheryl Fergison ), and takes in a stray cat, which she eventually names Dave . She spends Christmas Day alone, but when Patrick realises , he invites her to

15860-469: Is apprehensive towards Nick and learns that he is once again exploiting their reconciliation for her. She refuses to pay him, so Nick responds by telling his mother that she either relents or cannot see Dotty again, which makes her pay. It soon transpires that Nick is plotting to kill Dot for her life insurance and that Dotty is secretly involved with the plan. They work to convince Dot that she has symptoms of dementia, but their plan backfires when Dotty exposes

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16120-500: Is arrested for the illegal use of cannabis, which she confuses for herbal tea. When Lilly leaves after she is mugged, Dot moves in with Pauline. Her oldest friend Ethel also comes to stay with the Fowlers for a time, having become terminally ill. Ethel begs Dot to help her end her life. Torn between her Christian beliefs against euthanasia and her best friend's wishes, she helps Ethel to die, but later feels she should be jailed for murder. When

16380-585: Is aware of Terry's paternal feelings towards her, and she begins using emotional blackmail to manipulate him. Margaret eventually grows tired of all the game playing and so she and Terry book a trip to Paris to spend some time alone together. Janine is furious and Margaret goads her further by telling her that she plans to propose to Terry while they are away. To prevent this, Janine goes to Margaret's property to steal Terry's passport, and whilst there she witnesses Margaret kissing her supposed brother goodbye. Janine becomes suspicious and when Terry tells her that he

16640-426: Is based on ludicrous misconceptions, one of which is that she is better than [her friend] Ethel because she has a husband. She is going to have a lot of scope [...] Dot's life is going to change." Brown was opposed to the killing of Charlie and she attempted to get the programme-makers to change their minds. She comments, "I was very unhappy to learn that Charlie would be killed off. I would have preferred if they'd left

16900-400: Is cleared of murder at the court hearing; however, she is found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to prison for 14 months. She is released four months later. Dot reveals that she thinks she is going blind to Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker ); he books Dot a doctor's appointment and the doctor suspects age-related macular degeneration , which is later confirmed. Dot starts treatment but she

17160-419: Is consequently blamed for the shooting when Phil confirmed this to the police without exposing Ritchie's involvement behind the crime. Ritchie Stringer was 10/3 at Ladbrokes bookmakers as the culprit in the " Who Shot Phil? " storyline, despite not being one of the named suspects . When the BBC announced that actor Gareth Hunt was appearing in EastEnders , there was a massive betting flurry on Ritchie being

17420-446: Is diagnosed with kidney cancer and decides not to tell anyone except friend Dennis Rickman ( Nigel Harman ). She initially refuses treatment and plans to die quietly, but is eventually persuaded to undergo chemotherapy and makes a full recovery. Jim suffers a stroke , leaving him seriously ill. He is placed in a nursing home, but Dot struggles with this decision and tries at a later date to care for Jim at home. However, she finds being

17680-432: Is essential if the community is to provide support to its members [...] the very process of exchanging information makes her an essential yet mistrusted figure." Indeed, it has been noted that, throughout the soap's early years, Dot was portrayed as a "lovable bigot ", prejudiced against her neighbours and only happy when others were not. During the 1980s, Dot was shown to exhibit both racism and homophobia to members of

17940-562: Is halted when Burton visits Phil at his home to try and get information on who shot him, but Phil stalls him by claiming to have no idea about the identity his shooter. Once Burton leaves, Phil contacts Dan's old crime boss Ritchie Stringer ( Gareth Hunt ) and they hatch a plot to incriminate Dan. Later on that night, Phil phones DS Burton, telling him that Dan was the shooter and he is planning to finish him off for good. Dan corners and threatens to shoot Phil and extort money from him and Jamie again but Burton and an armed police unit rush over to

18200-492: Is happy to see old friend Mo Harris ( Laila Morse ). Gary and Mo spend the day reminiscing in The Queen Victoria pub, and when Robbie comes in, Gary gives him a cheque for £10,000. This is the last time Gary is seen. Robbie uses £1,000 of his money to travel to India , and gives Sonia £9,000 to pay her college fees. Margaret Walker , played by Susan George , is introduced in episode 2120, first broadcast on 11 June, as

18460-513: Is her mother. When Zoe demands that Kat tell her who her real father is, Kat shocks her by revealing that it's Harry. Zoe tells Charlie as he was under the impression that Zoe's birth father was a boy Kat had gone to school with. He goes to find Harry and attacks him in The Queen Victoria public house, but is restrained by the punters. Charlie tells Harry to leave Walford and that if he ever sees him again he will kill him. He also tells him to end his relationship with Peggy and he does so by writing her

18720-421: Is implicated as the prime suspect. However, it is soon revealed the following month after Phil's shooting that the assailant is fact his ex-girlfriend Lisa Shaw ( Lucy Benjamin ). After gradually forgiving Lisa for the incident, Phil decides to frame his fellow nemesis Dan Sullivan ( Craig Fairbrass ) for the crime, after Dan tries to extort money from Phil and his godson Jamie ( Jack Ryder ). His plan to do so

18980-630: Is implied that Paul is killed upon his exit, though his death is not screened. Donna Andrews , played by Allison Senior (2001) and Paula Jennings (2002), is the mistress of Trevor Morgan ( Alex Ferns ), who first appears on 24 April 2001. Donna first appears when Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick ) spots her and Trevor entering Donna's house. A few days later, after much agonising over whether to tell Little Mo Morgan ( Kacey Ainsworth ), Trevor's wife, Billy takes Little Mo to see for herself. On 28 August, Little Mo's sisters, Kat Slater ( Jessie Wallace ) and Lynne Hobbs ( Elaine Lordan ), reveal that Donna

19240-539: Is in July 2002. Patrick Trueman , played by Rudolph Walker , makes his first appearance on 13 September 2001. The character was introduced by John Yorke as a replacement parental figure to the Trueman brothers, Anthony ( Nicholas Bailey ) and Paul ( Gary Beadle ), following the departure of Audrey Trueman ( Corinne Skinner-Carter ), a character killed off in the serial in September 2001. Patrick first appears at Audrey's "rum-fuelled wake" as her estranged husband. Walker

19500-500: Is in store for Dot Cotton every time her son, 'Nasty Nick', turns up [...] The recurrence of generic elements means we derive pleasure from expectation and prediction." Executive producer Diederick Santer has discussed the "wonderfully dysfunctional mother-son relationship" Nick shares with Dot and her perpetual willingness to give Nick another chance regardless of his history of wrongdoing. Santer explained: "There's that thing where you sort of dare to hope that someone's changed, which

19760-511: Is initially presented as Kat's sister but she is in fact Kat and Harry's daughter. Charlie understood the father was a boy from Kat's school and had no idea that it could have been his brother, so he decided to raise Zoe as his own daughter and Kat had to become her sister. Harry fled to Spain soon after the incident and didn't reappear until the death of his sister Violet – in 1988. After Violet's funeral, Harry quickly left again. Harry arrives in Walford to visit his older brother, Charlie. Most of

20020-502: Is just making excuses and leaves with Mo. Belinda returns later in January for Charlie's funeral, and eventually manages to make amends with Kat. However, when she makes a thoughtless comment about Stacey, who is suffering from postpartum psychosis , Kat throws a drink over Belinda and then storms off. Belinda catches up with her, and recalls the time when she, their mother Viv (April Martin), Little Mo and Zoe visited Ireland and saw Viv visit

20280-446: Is left ambiguous and although the man at Margaret's flat turns out to be her brother, Margaret's final line – "We'll find the money somehow" – does not confirm he is dying. Angel Hudson , played by Goldie , is a gold-toothed gangster who is first seen in June 2001 when he attends a poker game that Steve Owen ( Martin Kemp ) is holding. His appearance is a huge shock to one of the other gamblers, Paul Trueman ( Gary Beadle ), and it

20540-882: Is married to Neville Peacock ( Gary Webster ) who is wealthy and Belinda frequently brags about this to her sisters. She wears a blonde wig and speaks in an exaggerated accent, but reveals her true self at Lynne's hen night under the influence of alcohol. Belinda usually turns up in Albert Square when she is having marriage problems. She has brief flings with Jamie Mitchell ( Jack Ryder ) and her brother-in-law Garry Hobbs ( Ricky Groves ). Although Belinda resides in Kent, within driving distance of Walford , she makes great use of her villa in Lanzarote . She often holidays there and her grandmother Mo Harris ( Laila Morse ) frequently visits, although Belinda often lets down her father Charlie. Belinda

20800-749: Is mentioned 2008 when she promises Charlie that she is returning to spend some time with him, only then to cancel, leaving Charlie very upset. Belinda also makes a small cameo appearance in the DVD spin-off Slaters in Detention , where she is arrested after Charlie says she is the only normal daughter he has, but sees Belinda at the station and withdraws the remark. She is mentioned in December 2012 by her sister, Kat, when Mo and Jean Slater ( Gillian Wright ) take Kat's son Tommy Moon to visit her, and in February 2014 when Kat tells her husband Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie ) that she

21060-457: Is no longer her son, and he leaves Albert Square in disgrace. Dot establishes a relationship with neighbour Jim Branning ( John Bardon ). He soon proposes to her, but she is overwhelmed and leaves Walford in response to this. Jim perseveres and when they go on the London Eye one Christmas Eve, he proposes again and she accepts. They decide that they will have a platonic marital relationship. Dot

21320-636: Is not perturbed and vows to beat Janine at her own game, leading to numerous squabbles. When Janine discovers a photo of Margaret and another man, she immediately assumes the worst and informs Terry that Margaret is cheating on him. Margaret explains that the man in the photo is her brother, David Walker (Michael Fenner) who is dying of cancer and she is paying for his placement in a drug trial in America. After continued hostility, Margaret tries to persuade Terry to throw Janine out, and he eventually gives in and arranges for Janine to move into one of his bedsits. Janine

21580-500: Is obviously of paramount importance." Reith succeeded in building a high wall against an American-style free-for-all in radio in which the goal was to attract the largest audiences and thereby secure the greatest advertising revenue. There was no paid advertising on the BBC; all the revenue came from a tax on receiving sets. Highbrow audiences, however, greatly enjoyed it. At a time when American, Australian and Canadian stations were drawing huge audiences cheering for their local teams with

21840-520: Is planning to give Margaret £10,000 to help her brother, David ( she tells him that Margaret is conning him and informs him about the kiss she'd witnessed. Furious, Terry goes to Margaret's to discover the truth, but she refuses to let him see her brother and after he insults her, she slams the door in his face. Later that day Margaret confronts Terry demanding an apology. However Terry is adamant that she has been conning him for his money all along. She denies this, but he refuses to believe her. He brands her

22100-414: Is pregnant with Trevor's baby. Little Mo visits Donna several days later, and is urged by her not to let Trevor hurt her any more. The following summer, Donna appears at Little Mo's trial for assaulting Trevor with an iron and gives evidence against Trevor. This proves fruitless as Little Mo is found guilty and given a prison sentence, although her conviction for attempted murder is quashed on appeal and she

22360-468: Is quoted by the paper as saying, "I have always been reluctant to go back because I thought Dot's character was not being portrayed properly. I thought it had faded. I always said if Dot comes back it must be as Dot." Brown secured a deal to return and began filming on-location in Gravesend in February 1997. The episode saw Dot's former lodger, Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley ), visiting Dot to discover that Nick

22620-474: Is really tragic. They've let you down a hundred times, and yet you still hope that the hundred and first time they'll have changed." Actor Leslie Grantham has stated that Dot is the "one friend in [Nick's] life", while series story producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has affirmed: "Dot's always going to forgive him. And that's the beauty of Nick and Dot." Concurring with this sentiment, John Altman (Nick) agreed: "No matter what he does, she'll forgive him. So did

22880-596: Is released from prison within weeks of the verdict. Donna next appears in October, when Trevor forces his way into her home in Swindon , attacks her and kidnaps their son, Sean. On his return to Walford, Trevor also captures Little Mo and attempts to kill them all in a house fire, only for Little Mo and Sean to be rescued, but Trevor and local fireman Tom Banks ( Colm Ó Maonlaí ) die in the resulting explosion, leaving Donna feeling Little Mo should be grieving for Tom, rather than Trevor. Donna makes her last appearance on 8 November,

23140-458: Is renowned for being a hypochondriac , her Christian faith and quoting from the Bible. She has been described by Rupert Smith, author of 20 Years in Albert Square , as "God-bothering" and self-righteous. According to Kingsley, "nothing shakes Dot's view that the world is good because the creator made it so. Her faith sustains her through the most appalling ordeals." The character once expressed part of

23400-404: Is required to wear a wig to replicate Dot's 1950s "Italian Boy" hairstyle that has remained in a largely unchanged style since she first appeared in 1985. Originally, the hair sported by Dot actually belonged to the actress, but Brown later started wearing a wig. Brown has stated that as soon as Dot's hairpiece is on, she becomes the character. The unchanged style of Dot was deemed so important by

23660-419: Is responsible for operational management and delivery of services within a framework set by the board, and is chaired by the director-general , currently Tim Davie , who is chief executive and (from 1994) editor-in-chief. The corporation has the following in-house divisions covering the BBC's output and operations: Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton ) is a fictional character from

23920-479: Is revealed that Charlie is not a policeman, but a caretaker who has helped Nick stage his own death to avoid being arrested following a robbery. Nick reappears in Walford to Dot's shock and persuades his mother to hide him at her house. Although horrified that Charlie and Nick lied to her, she forgives Charlie and agrees to aid Nick's escape from the UK, this time for good. Dot, unwilling to give up on her son, hides Nick in

24180-483: Is scripted as a comic character. Brown has discussed the humour she incorporates into her performances: "I think Dot would be awfully boring if she weren't a bit comic [...] I always thought I had to put an edge on it, an edge of comedy, which just means doing it more seriously than you would do. If you want to play comedy then you have to be very intense about it [...] very, very serious." Some of Dot's catchphrases are used for humour, such as "Ooh I say!", uttered when she

24440-461: Is soon clear that they have unresolved issues. Later, during a break from the game, Angel tells Paul that he wants what he is owed: £30,000. He tells Paul that he has a week to pay up or he will make sure he disappears for good. Paul tries to get the money by stealing property from his mother, Audrey Trueman ( Corinne Skinner-Carter ), pawning the goods and gambling the money he receives. This fails and he ends up with less money than he began with. At

24700-458: Is soon to stand trial for murder and is using his wife, Precious Hudson ( Judi Shekoni ), as a fake alibi . He wants Paul to guard her until she can testify. Paul obliges and Precious moves to Albert Square . Paul is initially unaware that Precious is Angel's wife, so when she sets about seducing him, he has no qualms about having sex with her. When he discovers the truth, he is terrified of what Angel will do if he finds out. However, Precious does

24960-565: Is the adoptive father of Sonia Jackson ( Natalie Cassidy ) and Martin Fowler 's ( James Alexandrou ) daughter. Sonia gave birth to baby Chloe in 2000, but decided to give her daughter up for adoption. Chloe was placed with Neil and his wife Sue (Sadie Shimmin), a childless couple. Neil and Sue changed Chloe's name to Rebecca. Neil is first seen in January 2001, when Martin and his mother Pauline ( Wendy Richard ) visit Rebecca. In 2002, Sonia kidnaps Rebecca while Neil and Sue (now Victoria Willing) are out. Sonia tells their babysitter that she

25220-472: Is the late wife of Charlie Slater ( Derek Martin ), portrayed by Debi Gibson. Viv first appears in her daughter Kat Slater 's ( Jessie Wallace ) flashbacks in a near-death sequence when Kat attempts suicide in late 2001. Additionally, Laura Curnick portrays Viv in another flashback on 25 December 2018 and Natasya Rush portrayed her as a child in the spin-off episode EastEnders: Pat and Mo . Viv's parents are Mo Harris ( Laila Morse ) and Stuart Mullins, and

25480-646: Is the result of a one-night stand; she is brought up by Mo and stepfather Jimmy Harris (Alex King), with little contact with her father. After leaving school at 15, Viv meets Charlie Slater at a dance. They began dating and get engaged. After losing her virginity to Charlie, Viv becomes pregnant at 16. Mo, believing Charlie will not want to marry her, tries to force her to have an abortion; however, Charlie proves supportive and Viv gives birth to daughter Lynne ( Elaine Lordan ). Charlie and Viv marry and Viv goes on to have three more daughters: Kat, Belinda ( Leanne Lakey / Carli Norris ), and Little Mo ( Kacey Ainsworth ). As

25740-491: Is the second youngest Slater sister and rejects her working-class roots, believing herself to be superior to her sisters, although she is not as classy as she makes out. Lakey appears in the role from 1 October 2001 to 25 December 2003. Belinda returns for a guest stint between 11 and 21 January 2016, portrayed by Norris. Of her casting, Norris commented, "Becoming one of the Slaters is an absolute dream, especially to be part of such

26000-471: Is then buried next to best friend Ethel. Although Dot had been referred to since the very early episodes of the programme as the mother of villain Nick Cotton ( John Altman ), she did not actually appear on-screen until episode 40 in July 1985. Dot was conceptualised by show creators, Tony Holland and Julia Smith , along with the other original characters. Introduced as the "bible thumping arch-gossip" of

26260-475: Is true so leaves with Mick and Linda, revealing Neville's CCTV cameras are fake. Neville follows them to Walford, where Belinda ends their relationship because she does not feel loved. He insults her and Mick punches him, forcing him to leave. Belinda then moves in with Stacey, Martin and Kyle. Neville gives Belinda £50,000 as a divorce settlement and she uses the money to open a beauty salon. In August 2016, Belinda flirts with Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp ), much to

26520-626: The Archbishops of Canterbury and York came to St Paul's to broadcast to the UK and the world on the National Day of Prayer. BBC employees during the war included George Orwell who spent two years with the broadcaster. During his role as prime minister during the war, Winston Churchill delivered 33 major wartime speeches by radio, all of which were carried by the BBC within the UK. On 18 June 1940, French general Charles de Gaulle , in exile in London as

26780-506: The BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by June Brown . In a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. A tragicomic character, Dot was known for her devout Christian faith, gossiping, chain smoking , hypochondria , and motherly attitude to those in need. Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother of notorious criminal and original character Nick Cotton ( John Altman ). The character worked as

27040-577: The BBC Television Service ) started from Alexandra Palace in November 1936, alternating between an improved Baird mechanical 240-line system and the all-electronic 405-line Marconi-EMI system which had been developed by an EMI research team led by Sir Isaac Shoenberg . The superiority of the electronic system saw the mechanical system dropped early the following year, with the Marconi-EMI system

27300-936: The MediaCityUK development in Salford , with BBC Three moving online only in 2016, the sharing of more programmes between stations and channels, sharing of radio news bulletins, more repeats in schedules, including the whole of BBC Two daytime and for some original programming to be reduced. BBC HD was closed on 26 March 2013, and replaced with an HD simulcast of BBC Two; however, flagship programmes, other channels and full funding for CBBC and CBeebies would be retained. Numerous BBC facilities have been sold off, including New Broadcasting House on Wilmslow Road in Manchester. Many major departments have been relocated to Broadcasting House in central London and MediaCityUK in Salford, particularly since

27560-514: The 2025–26 season of the Women's Super League campaign. The BBC is a statutory corporation , independent from direct government intervention, with its activities being overseen from April 2017 by the BBC Board and regulated by Ofcom . The chairman is Samir Shah. The BBC is a state owned public broadcasting company and operates under a royal charter . The charter is the constitutional basis for

27820-467: The BBC announced a BBC News savings target of £80 million per year by 2022, involving about 520 staff reductions. The BBC's director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth said there would be further moves toward digital broadcasting, in part to attract back a youth audience, and more pooling of reporters to stop separate teams covering the same news. In 2020, the BBC reported a £119 million deficit because of delays to cost reduction plans, and

28080-537: The BBC employs over 21,000 staff in total, of whom approximately 17,200 are in public-sector broadcasting. The BBC was established under a royal charter , and operates under an agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport . Its work is funded principally by an annual television licence fee which is charged to all British households, companies, and organisations using any type of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts or to use

28340-506: The BBC has played a prominent role in British life and culture. It is sometimes informally referred to as the Beeb or Auntie . In 1923 it launched Radio Times (subtitled "The official organ of the BBC"), the first broadcast listings magazine; the 1988 Christmas edition sold 11 million copies, the biggest-selling edition of any British magazine in history. Britain's first live public broadcast

28600-565: The BBC is subject to an additional 'Agreement' between it and the Culture Secretary , and that its operating licence is to be set by Ofcom, an external regulatory body . It used to be that the Home Secretary be departmental to both Agreement as well as Licence, and regulatory duties fall to the BBC Trust , but the 2017 charter changed those 2007 arrangements. The charter, too, outlines

28860-741: The BBC released minutes of the board meeting which led to Greg Dyke's resignation. Unlike the other departments of the BBC, the BBC World Service was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office . The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, more commonly known as the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. A strike in 2005 by more than 11,000 BBC workers, over

29120-440: The BBC suddenly became the primary source of news for the duration of the crisis. The crisis placed the BBC in a delicate position. On the one hand Reith was acutely aware that the government might exercise its right to commandeer the BBC at any time as a mouthpiece of the government if the BBC were to step out of line, but on the other he was anxious to maintain public trust by appearing to be acting independently. The government

29380-477: The BBC was granted sufficient leeway to pursue the government's objectives largely in a manner of its own choosing. Supporters of the strike nicknamed the BBC the BFC for British Falsehood Company. Reith personally announced the end of the strike which he marked by reciting from Blake's " Jerusalem " signifying that England had been saved. While the BBC tends to characterise its coverage of the general strike by emphasising

29640-531: The BBC", was priced at tuppence (two pence ) on newsstands, and quickly sold out its run of a quarter of a million copies. Mid-1925 found the future of broadcasting under further consideration, this time by the Crawford committee. By now, the BBC, under Reith's leadership, had forged a consensus favouring a continuation of the unified (monopoly) broadcasting service, but more money was still required to finance rapid expansion. Wireless manufacturers were anxious to exit

29900-459: The BBC's airwaves. In 1937, a MI5 security officer was given a permanent office within the organisation. This officer would examine the files of potential political subversives and mark the files of those deemed a security risk to the organisation, blacklisting them. This was often done on spurious grounds; even so, the practice would continue and expand during the years of the Cold War. There

30160-535: The BBC's censorship office, which surveilled and edited American coverage of British affairs. By 1940, across all BBC broadcasts, music by composers from enemy nations was censored. In total, 99 German, 38 Austrian and 38 Italian composers were censored. The BBC argued that like the Italian or German languages, listeners would be irritated by the inclusion of enemy composers. Any potential broadcasters said to have pacifist, communist or fascist ideologies were not allowed on

30420-512: The BBC's revenue comes from its commercial subsidiary BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide ), which sells BBC programmes and services internationally and also distributes the BBC's international 24-hour English-language news services BBC News , and from BBC.com, provided by BBC Global News Ltd. In 2009, the company was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in recognition of its international achievements in business. Since its formation in 1922,

30680-679: The BBC's streaming service, iPlayer . The fee is set by the British Government , agreed by Parliament , and is used to fund the BBC's radio, TV, and online services covering the nations and regions of the UK. Since 1 April 2014, it has also funded the BBC World Service (launched in 1932 as the BBC Empire Service), which broadcasts in 28 languages and provides comprehensive TV, radio, and online services in Arabic and Persian . Some of

30940-510: The BBC, and sets out the BBC's Object, Mission and Public Purposes. It emphasises public service , (limited) editorial independence , prohibits advertising on domestic services and proclaims the BBC is to "seek to avoid adverse impacts on competition which are not necessary for the effective fulfilment of the Mission and the promotion of the Public Purposes". The charter also sets out that

31200-575: The British government's asylum policy on social media. Lineker was suspended from his position on Match of the Day before being re-instated after receiving overwhelming support from his colleagues. The scandal was made worse due to the connections between BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, and the Conservative Party. In April 2023, Richard Sharp resigned as chairman after a report found he did not disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest in his role in

31460-500: The CBBC Channel and CBeebies Channel. In addition to the television channels, new digital radio stations were created: 1Xtra , 6 Music and Radio 4 Extra . BBC 1Xtra was a sister station to Radio 1 and specialised in modern black music, BBC 6 Music specialised in alternative music genres and BBC7 specialised in archive, speech and children's programming. The following few years resulted in repositioning of some channels to conform to

31720-486: The Carters and invites Mick and his wife Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ) to her house for dinner; when they get there, Neville makes it clear to Mick that the couple are into swinging and will not allow Mick to refuse because they have CCTV footage of him in their garden. Mick tells Linda this, so she confronts Neville, accusing him of not having real intimacy in his relationship and wanting power over women. Belinda realises this

31980-628: The Corporation's governance and regulatory arrangements as a statutory corporation, including the role and composition of the BBC Board. The current Charter began on 1 January 2017 and ends on 31 December 2027; the Agreement being coterminous. The BBC Board was formed in April 2017. It replaced the previous governing body, the BBC Trust, which itself had replaced the board of governors in 2007. The board sets

32240-642: The GPO and the BBC had become deadlocked and the Postmaster General commissioned a review of broadcasting by the Sykes Committee. The committee recommended a short-term reorganisation of licence fees with improved enforcement in order to address the BBC's immediate financial distress, and an increased share of the licence revenue split between it and the GPO. This was to be followed by a simple 10 shillings licence fee to fund broadcasts. The BBC's broadcasting monopoly

32500-510: The Millers give Dot Branning ( June Brown ) fifteen minutes to persuade Sonia to hand Rebecca over before they phone the police. Just before the Millers are about to call the police, Dot successfully persuades Sonia to hand Rebecca over. Sonia reads in a newspaper in 2005 that Sue and Neil have died in a car accident. This leads to her gaining contact with Rebecca again. Neil Miller , played by an uncredited actor in 2001 and Robin Sneller in 2002,

32760-498: The Prime Minister, maintained the censorship of editorial opinions on public policy, but allowed the BBC to address matters of religious, political or industrial controversy. The resulting political "talk series", designed to inform England on political issues, were criticised by members of parliament, including Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Sir Austen Chamberlain . Those who opposed these chats claimed that they silence

33020-637: The Queen Victoria public house and her neighbours present her with the gift of a washing machine. Dot trips over Dave and falls awkwardly onto a chair. Nobody knows she is injured until her step-granddaughter, Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ), finds her. Dot is then taken to hospital and Sonia blames her neighbours for not looking out for her. Dot is worried when the doctor tells her that she will need an operation on her hip but she refuses physiotherapy. Dot goes to stay with Dotty for three months, returning when she hears that Abi Branning ( Lorna Fitzgerald )

33280-492: The UK's first Independent local radio station, LBC came on-air in the London area. As a result of the Pilkington Committee report of 1962, in which the BBC was praised for the quality and range of its output, and ITV was very heavily criticised for not providing enough quality programming, the decision was taken to award the BBC a second television channel, BBC2 , in 1964, renaming the existing service BBC1 . BBC2 used

33540-573: The United States, the GPO proposed that it would issue a single broadcasting licence to a company jointly owned by a consortium of leading wireless receiver manufacturers, to be known as the British Broadcasting Company Ltd , which was formed on 18 October 1922. John Reith , a Scottish Calvinist , was appointed its general manager in December 1922 a few weeks after the company made its first official broadcast. L. Stanton Jefferies

33800-605: The Walford community. In 1987, Dot was shown to respond negatively to Colin Russell ( Michael Cashman ) upon learning he was gay, reacting in "horror and ignorant self-righteousness" and spreading rumours that Colin had AIDS. According to Gary Loach from GaydarNation, Dot was being used by the programme makers to expose the bigotry of the "moral majority" in the real world following a public and media backlash over EastEnders' screening of its first homosexual kiss. However, while Dot has portrayed bigotry, author Anthony Slide has noted that

34060-473: The ability to share stories and reminisce. For the characters to 'work', there is a need for unspoken intimacy and a shared knowledge for each other's lives. They carry the internal knowledge of the narratives and share that knowledge with the audience." Brown has spoken about the "wonderful rapport" she had with Gretchen Franklin who played Ethel. She added, "I do miss Ethel, it was great with Dot and Ethel. They did try and stop us working together at one time, but

34320-622: The air and forced the British government finally to regulate radio services to permit nationally based advertising-financed services. In response, the BBC reorganised and renamed their radio channels. On 30 September 1967, the Light Programme was split into Radio 1 offering continuous "Popular" music and Radio 2 more "Easy Listening". The "Third" programme became Radio 3 offering classical music and cultural programming. The Home Service became Radio 4 offering news, and non-musical content such as quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays. As well as

34580-473: The annoyance of his daughter Courtney Mitchell ( Alice Nokes ). They meet again and they later head to Belinda's flat to have sex, but are interrupted by her family. Stacey later discovers that Belinda's new beauty business, Elysium, is severely struggling financially after all of Neville's money was used to set it up. Due to Belinda's money being relied on to pay the rent monthly, Stacey's husband Martin Fowler ( James Bye ) rages at Belinda, ordering her to find

34840-515: The brakes on Mark's motorbike in an attempt to kill his rival. However, Ashley ends up crashing the motorbike at the launderette in front of his family and the Fowlers. Ashley is confirmed to have died and Dot is devastated. On the night before Ashley's funeral, Dot is horrified to learn that her son is responsible for Ashley's death upon overhearing Nick telling Mark about this during another confrontation between them. The following day, Ashley's funeral takes place and Dot disowns Nick, telling him that he

35100-458: The broadcast of baseball, rugby and hockey, the BBC emphasised service for a national rather than a regional audience. Boat races were well covered along with tennis and horse racing, but the BBC was reluctant to spend its severely limited air time on long football or cricket games, regardless of their popularity. John Reith and the BBC, with support from the Crown , determined the universal needs of

35360-642: The carriages of the London Eye on the South Bank of the River Thames . Their wedding aired on 14 February 2002, Valentine's Day . The Guardian critic, Nancy Banks-Smith , described the wedding as "uniquely uneventful [...] For Dot and Jim 'In sickness and health... till death do us part' seemed to carry more resonance than for most." Bardon has revealed that both he and Brown were sceptical about their characters marrying. In an interview with American fan-based newspaper, Walford Gazette , he commented, "No way did

35620-606: The challenge of better reflecting and representing a changing UK". Since 2017, the BBC has also funded the Local Democracy Reporting Service , with up to 165 journalists employed by independent news organisations to report on local democracy issues on a pooled basis. In 2016, the BBC Director General Tony Hall announced a savings target of £800 million per year by 2021, which is about 23% of annual licence fee revenue. Having to take on

35880-467: The character can typically be "relied upon to drop her prejudices – she learned to accept both blacks and homosexuals in Albert Square." Despite Dot's remaining penchant for gossip, it has been noted by Cole Moreton of The Independent in 2008 that the character has "evolved from a nasty gossip into a strong character for whom viewers feel warmth". Author Dorothy Hobson has discussed this in her book Soap Opera , suggesting that Dot, while providing

36140-619: The characters Dot Cotton and Ethel Skinner (played by Gretchen Franklin ), first shown on-screen in 1985 and ending with Ethel's death in 2000, though the characters shared a backstory set prior to 1985 and were scripted as neighbours who grew old together in East London, along with Lou Beale ( Anna Wing ). BBC News has described Dot and Ethel as an "incomparable double-act [...] Occasionally spiky and often hilarious". Dot and Ethel shared few similarities in personality. During an episode that aired in 2008, just under 8 years after Ethel died in

36400-504: The characters' relationship in 2008, comparing them to the girls written about by Dylan Thomas : "There was always one pretty and pert [Ethel], and always one in glasses [Dot]." Banks-Smith adds that theirs was "a symbiotic relationship in which the pretty one looks even prettier by contrast and the plain one is popular by proxy. Which is not to say it is not a real and enduring friendship." Their bickering and personality differences were often used for comic effect; however, in episode 248 of

36660-408: The cheque for herself. It later emerges that Harry had abused other young girls when Kat is visited by a compensation lawyer requesting her to give a statement over the abuse. In May 2015, Kat visits the convent where she gave birth to Zoe in 1984 and it is revealed to the viewers that Kat, unknowingly, had in fact had twins, a girl and a boy – meaning Harry has another child, a son. Later that same day,

36920-464: The closure of BBC Television Centre in March 2013. On 16 February 2016, the BBC Three television service was discontinued and replaced by a digital outlet under the same name, targeting its young adult audience with web series and other content. Under the new royal charter instituted in 2017, the corporation must publish an annual report to Ofcom, outlining its plans and public service obligations for

37180-431: The comical aspects of Dot, stating, "She's not dreadfully funny but she's amusing and I like that because it lightens it up a bit." Smoking cigarettes has become synonymous with Dot, and Brown has suggested that the habit is "intrinsic" to the character. Dot's smoking was criticised by private healthcare company Bupa in 2008, when they rated her television's most unhealthy character. They suggest that, in order to spread

37440-408: The corporation began to sell off a number of its operational divisions to private owners; BBC Broadcast was spun off as a separate company in 2002, and in 2005, it was sold off to Australian -based Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and Macquarie Group Limited and rebranded Red Bee Media . The BBC's IT , telephony and broadcast technology were brought together as BBC Technology Ltd in 2001, and

37700-497: The criminal antics of her wayward son. He described her as a "simpleminded woman whom one loved to hate". In Kathryn and Phillip Dodd's published essay, From EastEnd to EastEnders , Dot has been used as an example of the media's representation of the working-class as community-orientated, but defensive: "evangelist-cum-launderette supervisor. Eagle-eyed, she patrols the Square, confronting evil and despair and asking those stricken with doubt to trust God, while simultaneously organizing

37960-486: The culprit. Bookmakers William Hill even "closed the book". William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe commented that there were "dozens of calls" within half an hour of a 16/1 price being quoted and the bookmakers had nearly been "knocked over in the rush of punters wanting to place bets of hundreds of pounds on the actor". William Hill decided to reopen the book later in the week after "information from unofficial BBC sources had convinced them that [Gareth Hunt's] character [was] not

38220-430: The death of her grandson Ashley (in which Nick had played a part), and Brown felt that a traumatic event like that would have changed her character. In her opinion, the only way Dot would have got over Ashley's death "would be to have someone else to care for and when it happened there was nobody [but] with marrying Jim she gets a family – that's what persuaded me. That house will become a house again – it will have

38480-504: The death of her husband. Storyline editor, Andrew Holden, has discussed this in the EastEnders Handbook publication in 1991: "We wanted to bring Nick Cotton back and we also wanted to push Dot forward and change her life. But the problem was how? The last time we saw Nick he was attempting to kill his mother. Dot isn't a fool so we knew getting them back together was like a three card trick. How do we get out of this? So we made [Nick]

38740-553: The division was later sold to the German company Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS). SIS was subsequently acquired from Siemens by the French company Atos . Further divestments included BBC Books (sold to Random House in 2006); BBC Outside Broadcasts Ltd (sold in 2008 to Satellite Information Services ); Costumes and Wigs (stock sold in 2008 to Angels Costumes ); and BBC Magazines (sold to Immediate Media Company in 2011). After

39000-422: The door open for him to possibly return one day. I went to see the writers and put this forward. I suggested that there could be some uncertainty about the body. Charlie may have picked up a hitch-hiker and he was the one who died. John Altman, who plays Nick, was also sorry about Charlie. We weren't thinking just about Christopher Hancock, who played Charlie so well, it was that we liked the character and it seemed

39260-433: The end I thought: 'Oh well, I might as well.' Everyone, including Barbara Windsor , Wendy Richard and Adam Woodyatt , was saying: 'Don't leave'. And people were coming up in the street saying: 'It's lovely to have you back.' Anyway, I find playing the old dear quite fun." After a 5-month break, following Dot being held hostage in her flat by the escaped convict friend of her son, Brown returned to filming in October 1997 on

39520-414: The end of the week, Angel comes to collect his money, and when Paul fails to pay, Angel gives him a severe beating and trashes his mother's bed and breakfast. After more threats from Angel, Paul blackmails his brother, Anthony Trueman ( Nicholas Bailey ), into giving him the money. Anthony is the local GP , a respectable man with a worthy profession, but he has a dark secret. When he was 15 years old, after

39780-409: The episode gave Franklin and Brown the opportunity to show the sadness behind the often comical characters of Ethel and Dot. The episode was written by Charlie Humphreys and directed by Mike Gibbon , a future producer of the show. Author Christine Geraghty has used the episode as an example of the fact that "female conversation is the backbone to traditional soap". Author Dorothy Hobson has discussed

40040-479: The episode marking the screen death of Pauline on 25 December 2006, Dot remarks to Pauline, "You're the only real friend I've got", in a scene that Tim Teeman of The Times has described as "one of the most moving scenes in a soap [in 2006]". In 1993, Brown decided to quit EastEnders after becoming "discontented" with the way Dot was portrayed. The character departed on-screen in August 1993, when Dot moved away from

40300-635: The euthanasia for Dot's character have been described as "extremely serious" as she suffered from "untold guilt and felt that she needed to be punished for the action." The Executive Producer overseeing this storyline, John Yorke, has discussed the storyline in a speech given at the Bishops' Conference for clergy and other ministers in the Diocese of St Albans: "Dot, as a good Christian, refused to help, until her love for her friend overcame her own fear of damnation. Riddled with an intolerable burden of guilt, she felt there

40560-407: The facilitation of a loan to Prime Minister Boris Johnson . Dame Elan Closs Stephens was appointed as acting chairwoman on 27 June 2023, and she would lead the BBC board for a year or until a new permanent chair has been appointed. Samir Shah was subsequently appointed with effect from 4 March 2024. In October 2024 it was announced that the BBC along with Sky Sports signed a deal to broadcast

40820-448: The family welcome him, but Kat leaves the room without explanation whenever Harry enters. He starts a relationship with Charlie's close friend Peggy Mitchell ( Barbara Windsor ), and they soon get engaged and Peggy plans to emigrate to Spain, where Harry lives. Zoe announces that she is going with Harry to Spain but a furious Kat refuses to let her go. Zoe storms out saying she's leaving and Kat follows. The two argue and Kat shouts that she

41080-419: The fine-line between neighbourliness and nosiness. The 'gossip' personifies this unease and though her task of passing on information and ferreting out problems is crucial to the community, she [...] is frequently the butt of mockery and criticism [...] The avidity with which Dot Cotton seeks out news is the subject of some embarrassment to her more restrained neighbours but the exchange of information she provides

41340-436: The first character ever to appear in a monologue episode of a British soap opera, " Pretty Baby.... ". The acclaimed episode saw Dot reminiscing about her years of loss and grief into a tape recorder as a message to her ailing husband Jim. Dot was used to explore topical and controversial issues such as euthanasia , cancer , immigration , and homophobia . Dot was generally well received by critics: she has been referred to as

41600-447: The first fully electronic television system in the world to be used in regular broadcasting. The success of broadcasting provoked animosities between the BBC and well-established media such as theatres, concert halls and the recording industry. By 1929, the BBC complained that the agents of many comedians refused to sign contracts for broadcasting, because they feared it harmed the artist "by making his material stale" and that it "reduces

41860-460: The first person he encountered, The Queen Victoria landlord Eddie Royle ( Michael Melia ). The episode where Eddie was murdered was the big autumn launch episode for 1991. Nick stood trial in January 1993; however, "he got away with murder" for a second time in the serial. Other scams have included Nick's attempt to con Dot by claiming he had AIDS in 1998 after escaping from prison, which ultimately led to Dot having him re-imprisoned. Then followed

42120-429: The following year, BBC Choice was launched as the third general entertainment channel from the BBC. The BBC also purchased The Parliamentary Channel, which was renamed BBC Parliament . In 1999, BBC Knowledge launched as a multimedia channel, with services available on the newly launched BBC Text digital teletext service (later rebranded as BBC Red Button), and on BBC Online . The channel had an educational aim, which

42380-402: The forthcoming ending of the remaining £253 million funding towards pensioner licence fees would increase financial pressures. In January 2021, it was reported that former banker Richard Sharp would succeed David Clementi , as chairman, when he stepped down in February. In March 2023, the BBC was at the centre of a political row with football pundit Gary Lineker , after he criticised

42640-499: The four national channels, a series of local BBC radio stations were established in 1967, including Radio London . In 1969, the BBC Enterprises department was formed to exploit BBC brands and programmes for commercial spin-off products. In 1979, it became a wholly owned limited company, BBC Enterprises Ltd. In 1974, the BBC's teletext service, Ceefax , was introduced, created initially to provide subtitling, but developed into

42900-562: The full cost of running the BBC World Service and the BBC Monitoring service from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and partially finance the Welsh broadcaster S4C . Further cuts were announced on 6 October 2011, so the BBC could reach a total reduction in their budget of 20%, following the licence fee freeze in October 2010, which included cutting staff by 2,000 and sending a further 1,000 to

43160-414: The girls are growing up, Viv becomes a hard, bitter, cold woman. With the death of her stepfather Jimmy, she has no fatherly guidance and resents the fact that she has no sons. She favours her oldest daughter Lynne, whilst Kat, Belinda, and Little Mo all vie for Charlie's attention, making Viv feel second-best to her daughters. When Viv catches 13-year-old daughter Kat trying to run away, it emerges that Kat

43420-633: The government. Throughout the 1930s, political broadcasts had been closely monitored by the BBC. In 1935, the BBC censored the broadcasts of Oswald Mosley and Harry Pollitt . Mosley was a leader of the British Union of Fascists , and Pollitt a leader of the Communist Party of Great Britain . They had been contracted to provide a series of five broadcasts on their parties' politics. The BBC, in conjunction with The Foreign Office of Britain, first suspended this series and ultimately cancelled it without

43680-405: The higher resolution 625-line standard which had been standardised across Europe. BBC2 was broadcast in colour from 1 July 1967 and was joined by BBC1 and ITV on 15 November 1969. The 405-line VHF transmissions of BBC1 (and ITV) were continued for compatibility with older television receivers until 1985. Starting in 1964, a series of pirate radio stations (starting with Radio Caroline ) came on

43940-440: The killer." Paul Trueman , played by Gary Beadle , appears between 2001 and 2004. Paul is introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He is portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing to learn his lines. In his exit storyline, Paul becomes a drug dealer , and Beadle has been critical of the storyline, suggesting it played into black, racial stereotyping. It

44200-534: The late 1980s, the BBC began a process of divestment by spinning off and selling parts of its organisation. In 1988, it sold off the Hulton Press Library, a photographic archive which had been acquired from the Picture Post magazine by the BBC in 1957. The archive was sold to Brian Deutsch and is now owned by Getty Images . In 1987, the BBC decided to centralize its operations by the management team with

44460-474: The launderette, Dot was a character who bridged the generations. The actress June Brown was given the role after being recommended by actor Leslie Grantham , who played original character, Den Watts . Brown was offered the part of Dot Cotton for a period of three months initially and in her own words, she was brought in "merely to be Nick Cotton's mother because Nick was coming back again". Brown has told Decca Aitkenhead of The Guardian in 2009 that she

44720-665: The leader of the Free French, made a speech, broadcast by the BBC, urging the French people not to capitulate to the Nazis. In October 1940, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret made their first radio broadcast for the BBC's Children's Hour , addressing other children who had been evacuated from cities. In 1938, John Reith and the Government of the United Kingdom , specifically the Ministry of Information which had been set up for WWII, designed

44980-444: The local Neighbourhood Watch scheme." The character has taken on a matriarchal role in the absence of her own family, taking on the burdens of numerous waifs and strays throughout the show's history, including Donna Ludlow ( Matilda Ziegler ), Rod Norman ( Christopher McHallem ), Disa O'Brien ( Jan Graveson ), Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley ) and Clare Bates ( Gemma Bissix ). Author Christine Geraghty asserts that Dot's role in

45240-535: The loss-making consortium, and Reith was keen that the BBC be seen as a public service rather than a commercial enterprise. The recommendations of the Crawford Committee were published in March the following year and were still under consideration by the GPO when the 1926 United Kingdom general strike broke out in May. The strike temporarily interrupted newspaper production, and with restrictions on news bulletins waived,

45500-754: The material their broadcasts would cover. Nothing was to be added outside the preordained news items. For example, the BBC Polish Service was heavily censored due to fears of jeopardising relations with the Soviet Union . Controversial topics, i.e. the contested Polish and Soviet border, the deportation of Polish citizens, the arrests of Polish Home Army members and the Katyn massacre , were not included in Polish broadcasts. American radio broadcasts were broadcast across Europe on BBC channels. This material also passed through

45760-422: The mispronunciation of her employer, Mr Papadopolous , as she has become a little embarrassed by them now they are so known. Mr. Papadopolous is the owner of the launderette where Dot works. In a long-running joke, Dot has difficulty pronouncing his surname, and for much of the show's history he has been referred to as Mr. Oppodopolus, Oppydoppy, or varying other mispronunciations. Brown has said she enjoys playing

46020-482: The modest, church-going elderly or a member of the Clergy . Until 1928, entertainers broadcasting on the BBC, both singers and "talkers" were expected to avoid biblical quotations, Clerical impersonations and references, references to drink or Prohibition in the United States , vulgar and doubtful matter and political allusions. The BBC excluded popular foreign music and musicians from its broadcasts, while promoting British alternatives. On 5 March 1928, Stanley Baldwin,

46280-412: The money. Belinda resorts to attempting to prostitute herself to wealthier men, however after joining forces with Lauren Branning ( Jacqueline Jossa ) to help her reduce costs and advertise through social media, Belinda eventually manages to find the rent money. Belinda begins a relationship with Masood Ahmed ( Nitin Ganatra ), although he initially fears she is after his money and they have sex. However

46540-412: The mothering structure of the serial has been confirmed. Describing Dot, Brown has said, "I love playing her – she's a strong character. Dear old Dot, she's got strong moral views and odd religious beliefs, but her heart's in the right place. She has that awful worried expression on her face the whole time". Brown has noted the changes within Dot since the show's inception, saying that initially Dot

46800-508: The murder of her old friend Reg Cox (Johnnie Clayton), who was alleged to have died by accident nearly three decades ago. Horrified to have learned that it was Nick who killed Reg, Dot brands her son evil and slaps him when he insults her. Nick then endures another effect of his drugging and requests his mother to phone an ambulance. She does not phone for one, instead praying to let the circumstances decide whether Nick should live or die. As he takes his last breaths, Nick apologises to Dot for all

47060-413: The new corporation adopted the coat of arms , including the motto "Nation shall speak peace unto Nation". British radio audiences had little choice apart from the upscale programming of the BBC. Reith, an intensely moralistic executive, was in full charge. His goal was to broadcast "All that is best in every department of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement.... The preservation of a high moral tone

47320-425: The next year. In its 2017–18 report, released July 2017, the BBC announced plans to "re-invent" its output to better compete against commercial streaming services such as Netflix . These plans included increasing the diversity of its content on television and radio, a major increase in investments towards digital children's content, and plans to make larger investments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to "rise to

47580-413: The notice of the public. Less radical politicians faced similar censorship. In 1938, Winston Churchill proposed a series of talks regarding British domestic and foreign politics and affairs but was similarly censored. The censorship of political discourse by the BBC was a precursor to the total shutdown of political debate that manifested over the BBC's wartime airwaves. The Foreign Office maintained that

47840-575: The nun who had helped Kat when she gave birth, gives her advice which culminates in Kat finally giving the police a statement on Harry. Harry (played by Dale Hayes) appeared in a dream sequence, in an episode which focuses on the Slater family, on 25 December 2018. Gary Bolton , played by Bruce Byron , is the biological father of Robbie Jackson ( Dean Gaffney ), who appears in three episodes between 17 May and 10 July 2001. Gary lived with Robbie's mother, Carol Jackson ( Lindsey Coulson ), as her boyfriend, and her daughter Bianca ( Patsy Palmer ) until

48100-481: The only baby being introduced, Louise Mitchell (Rachel Cox), the daughter of Phil and Lisa Fowler ( Lucy Benjamin ). Also, November saw the first appearances of: Nathan Williams ( Doug Allen ), the illegitimate son of Roy Evans ( Tony Caunter ), Nita Mistry ( Bindya Solanki ), a love interest for Robbie, Jane Williams ( Ann Mitchell ), Nathan's mother, and Derek Harkinson , the childhood friend of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard ). Roxy Drake ( Tracy Brabin ),

48360-416: The opinions of those in Parliament who are not nominated by Party Leaders or Party Whips, thus stifling independent, non-official views. In October 1932, the policemen of the Metropolitan Police Federation marched in protest at a proposed pay cut. Fearing dissent within the police force and public support for the movement, the BBC censored its coverage of the events, only broadcasting official statements from

48620-415: The other person after – the guilt and pain they have to live with." Such was the controversy surrounding this storyline that the University of Glamorgan uses the plot as part of their new approach to the study of British criminal law. Part of the law foundation course involves studying the soap opera and giving students the chance to decide if Dot Cotton's character is guilty of murder. The storyline

48880-413: The pair of us want to get married because we thought if we got married, we'd sit indoors and watch the telly every night. As it happened, we've had some nice things to do. And we are married, and it's worked out all right." Brown has reiterated that she feared Dot would become boring if she married Jim, but that producers persuaded her that the marriage might be a good thing. On-screen, Dot had just suffered

49140-407: The people of Britain and broadcast content according to these perceived standards. Reith effectively censored anything that he felt would be harmful, directly or indirectly. While recounting his time with the BBC in 1935, Raymond Postgate claims that BBC broadcasters were made to submit a draft of their potential broadcast for approval. It was expected that they tailored their content to accommodate

49400-434: The plot. Months later, Dotty is retrieved by her mother, Sandy Gibson (Caroline Pegg. Dot receives a police visit informing her that Nick has died. One of the police officers returns later to tell her that he is actually her grandson Charlie ( Declan Bennett ), whose existence she never found out about. A devastated Dot holds a funeral for Nick and grows close to Charlie in the aftermath as he moves in with Dot. However, it

49660-439: The police do not believe her story, Dot demands retribution in another form and she ends up in court for shoplifting. She initially avoids a prison sentence but is imprisoned for 14 days for contempt of court following an outburst in the courtroom. When Dot reappears on the square after serving her sentence, she learns that Nick has also been released from prison. She goes to stay with Pauline's son Mark Fowler ( Todd Carty ) for

49920-435: The positive impression created by its balanced coverage of the views of government and strikers, Seaton has characterised the episode as the invention of "modern propaganda in its British form". Reith argued that trust gained by 'authentic impartial news' could then be used. Impartial news was not necessarily an end in itself. The BBC did well out of the crisis, which cemented a national audience for its broadcasting, and it

50180-422: The post, with a note saying 'We regret, etc.'" In the 1930s music broadcasts also enjoyed great popularity, for example the friendly and wide-ranging BBC Theatre Organ broadcasts at St George's Hall , London by Reginald Foort , who held the official role of BBC Staff Theatre Organist from 1936 to 1938. Television broadcasting was suspended from 1 September 1939 to 7 June 1946, during the World War II , and it

50440-434: The pressure from these quarters and uneasiness among the staff of the licensing authority, the General Post Office (GPO), was sufficient to lead to a ban on further Chelmsford broadcasts. But by 1922, the GPO had received nearly 100 broadcast licence requests and moved to rescind its ban in the wake of a petition by 63 wireless societies with over 3,000 members. Anxious to avoid the same chaotic expansion experienced in

50700-593: The procedure by inducing birth. Dot bore a stillborn daughter, who she planned to name Gwen, presumably after the lady she lived with during the war. As she recovered from the stillborn, Dr Legg found Charlie in a pub and hit him for his callousness. Charlie soon left after Dot fell pregnant again, and as Dot was giving birth to their son Nick ( John Altman ), Charlie was having an affair with her sister, Rose, in Liverpool, whom he later bigamously married. She raised Nick alone, with Charlie making unannounced returns and departures sporadically, and although Dot doted on Nick, she

50960-478: The producer changed and it all went back to where it started." Throughout her time in EastEnders , many of Dot's scenes have been set in Walford's launderette, where the character has worked as an assistant for almost the entire duration of her time in EastEnders . Here, Dot was frequently featured with another long-running protagonist, fellow launderette colleague, Pauline Fowler , played by Wendy Richard from 1985 to 2006. Author Christine Geraghty has discussed

51220-434: The programme makers, that when Brown requested to have dental work carried out to improve her prominent front teeth, the producers refused to allow it, arguing that Dot could not afford expensive tooth capping. Brown was not permitted to alter her teeth until early 1991 when they became loose. Brown has indicated that she does not want Dot's style altered. She claimed in 2002 that Dot had the same coats in her wardrobe that she

51480-402: The public should not be aware of their role in the censorship. From 1935 to 1939, the BBC also attempted to unite the British Empire's radio waves, sending staff to Egypt, Palestine , Newfoundland , Jamaica, India, Canada and South Africa. Reith personally visited South Africa, lobbying for state-run radio programmes which was accepted by South African Parliament in 1936. A similar programme

51740-423: The radio and television divisions joining forces together for the first time, the activities of the news and currents departments and coordinated jointly under the new directorate. During the 1990s, this process continued with the separation of certain operational arms of the corporation into autonomous but wholly owned subsidiaries , with the aim of generating additional revenue for programme-making. BBC Enterprises

52000-434: The reason for her faith on-screen in 2000, commenting to a vicar, "I couldn't manage without my faith, not with the life I've had"; former executive producer of EastEnders , John Yorke , has stated that this is his favourite line of EastEnders' entire existence. Author Antony Slide has noted that Dot's religious beliefs have given her solace, but has given her an excuse to be prejudiced against her neighbours, and to deal with

52260-470: The relationship doesn't last when Belinda asks Masood to call his ex-wife Zainab Masood ( Nina Wadia ) who is in the process of a divorce. Belinda finds an old card from her schoolfriend Maggie O'Shea ( Zee Asha ) who has recently been through a divorce and contacts her. They both come to a conclusion they should start a new life with their newfound freedom by travelling around Italy and they both leave Walford together. Vivienne "Viv" Slater (née Harris )

52520-407: The request [...] to assist [Ethel] in the ultimate sin". In the storyline, Ethel enjoyed the last days of her life and chose her final evening. Assisted by Dot, she took an overdose of her medication and died. Written by Simon Ashton and directed by Francesca Joseph the episode ended with a scene in which Ethel tells a weeping Dot "you're the best friend I ever had". Alternative credit music replaced

52780-443: The sales of OBs and costumes, the remainder of BBC Resources was reorganised as BBC Studios and Post Production , which continues today as a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC. The 2004 Hutton Inquiry and the subsequent report raised questions about the BBC's journalistic standards and its impartiality. This led to resignations of senior management members at the time including the then Director General, Greg Dyke . In January 2007,

53040-516: The same location that Reg Cox was discovered 30 years earlier. Like Nick, Dot's first screen husband, Charlie Cotton ( Christopher Hancock ), was also a semi-regular character who came and went throughout his duration in the show. Depicted as bigamous and a conman, Charlie typically would reappear in the show whenever he needed money or temporary accommodation and, because of Dot's Christian ideals regarding forgiveness, Charlie would always be permitted to return. According to Christopher Hancock, Charlie

53300-425: The same. She's a simple creature. There are some people who the same things happen to them again and again. They never learn [...] When I left, there was all that rubbish about it getting too much for me [but] I stopped because I wasn't being used very much. I thought, 'It's a part-time job'. It wasn't being written properly. Instead of finding the gossip and passing it on, [Dot was hearing the gossip from others]. [Dot]

53560-471: The scene to take charge of the situation. Their presence alerts Dan who is armed, and he is consequently arrested. Burton and Marsden later charge Dan for Phil's shooting. Burton reappears at New Year 2002 when Little Mo Morgan ( Kacey Ainsworth ) confesses to striking her abusive husband Trevor ( Alex Ferns ) over the head with a clothes iron during an argument and he and Marsden charge her with attempted murder Ritchie Stringer , played by Gareth Hunt ,

53820-402: The second-longest-serving character in EastEnders , surpassed only by original character Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt ). In April 2012, Brown took a six-month break from the show to write her memoirs. Dot temporarily departed on 18 May 2012. She returned on 14 January 2013. In February 2015, Dot began appearing less frequently due to Brown gradually losing her eyesight; this aspect of her life

54080-503: The serial, Dot discussed the differences between them: "Ethel was a free spirit, not like me. All bottled up. I remember sitting on the step of the Vic, waiting for me mother. I caught a glimpse of her through the door. Sitting on top of the piano, her legs spread, showing next week's washing and bawling out " Roll Out the Barrel ". Just like a navvy. She didn't seem to have a care in the world. I had enough for both of us. I loved Ethel." Critic for The Guardian , Nancy Banks-Smith , discussed

54340-466: The series, and that the show's staff believed it marked the end of the character. A source told the Daily Mirror : "Dot's been struggling for a while and realises that she can no longer give Jim the care and attention he deserves and is forced to make the heartbreaking decision that he should move into a home. [...] It was very emotional on the set for the scenes where Dot discusses her decision and talks to Jim about him going into care for good. There were

54600-399: The series, played by Polly Perkins . Reports stated that the sisters fell out when Rose had an affair with Dot's husband Charlie, but after suffering a bout of hypochondria, Dot would decide to track Rose down, feeling it is time to put things right, but Rose will not be pleased to see Dot again after so many years. An enduring friendship featured in EastEnders was the one shared between

54860-429: The show, scriptwriter Colin Brake notes that viewers were shown a different side to Ethel and Dot's friendship in the soaps second two-hander episode . The episode aired in July 1987 and featured just the two old ladies. Brake has described the episode as a "mini-play about nostalgia and growing old", adding that "some viewers found it too unusual, but many others were charmed by the change of pace". According to Brake,

55120-436: The soap's setting to live with her son Nick and his family in Gravesend. Of her departure, Brown told Donna Hay from What's on TV that "I love her, she appealed to me because she was so funny. If she'd been straight, she would have been boring to play. Instead she took her problems too seriously and dramatised everything." In 1997 she revealed to the Daily Mirror : "I always felt Dot was one of those characters who should stay

55380-449: The son of Audrey Trueman ( Corinne Skinner-Carter ) and brother of Anthony Trueman ( Nicholas Bailey ), and Donna Andrews (Alison Senior; Paula Jennings), the mistress of Trevor Morgan ( Alex Ferns ). Harry Slater ( Michael Elphick ), the brother of Charlie Slater ( Derek Martin ), and Gary Bolton ( Bruce Byron ), the father of Robbie Jackson ( Dean Gaffney ), made their debuts in May, whereas Margaret Walker ( Susan George ),

55640-657: The sort of person that Dot approved of. He drank, he gambled, he lied – he wasn't reliable at all. But Jim decided that he quite fancied Dot – heaven knows why! I think that you always have to work out for yourself how you can make the character work in a new situation. I could see that Jim was kind to Dot [...] His kindness drew her towards him. [...] Dot's definitely in control of Jim. She quite enjoys bossing him around." Brown stated that she enjoys her screen partnership with John Bardon, saying "We work very well together – he's got great timing and he can be very tender too." The on-screen relationship between Dot and Jim

55900-427: The strategy for the corporation, assesses the performance of the BBC's executive board in delivering the BBC's services, and appoints the director-general. Ofcom is responsible for the regulation of the BBC. The board consists of the following members: The executive committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the broadcaster. Consisting of senior managers of the BBC, the committee meets once per month and

56160-534: The time his archenemy, Steve Owen ( Martin Kemp ), marries his wife Mel Healy ( Tamzin Outhwaite ) — who had a one-night stand with Phil on Christmas Day 2000. At the point where DS Burton joins Marsden in questioning Steve and Mel over Phil's shooting, he encounters Phil's cousin Billy ( Perry Fenwick ) and grows curious with his belief over the identity of two other suspected assailants; Phil's stepson Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt ) and love rival Mark Fowler ( Todd Carty ) over different reasons. Nonetheless, Steve

56420-565: The time of the murder. Precious assumes that this will be enough to put Angel away, but is shocked when he is found not guilty. Paul and Precious decide to leave the country. However, Angel catches up with Precious before she can get away. He tells her that her betrayal doesn't bother him enough to kill her and that she can have her divorce on one condition – she stays away from Paul. If he ever finds out she and Paul are together, he promises to kill them both. Precious has no choice but to finish with Paul and leave Walford alone. Angel's last appearance

56680-440: The trouble he caused for her and asks her to forgive him; Dot tells Nick to seek Jesus for forgiveness and watches as Nick dies in front of her. Dot confesses to the police and is charged with Nick's murder and subsequently imprisoned. Dot initially decides to plead guilty, believing she should atone for her sins in prison, but when Jim dies, she attends his funeral and realises how much her family needs her. She changes her plea and

56940-453: The typical drum beats and theme tune at the end of the episode. The 1931 song used instead of the usual theme was " Guilty " by Al Bowlly . Ben Summerskill from The Observer has suggested that Dot's part in the euthanasia storyline was "one of the most moving dramatic sequences shown in recent years on British TV". The episode was voted the most emotional soap death in a Radio Times poll of 4,000 readers in 2006. The repercussions of

57200-440: The use of older female characters in British soap opera as a means of providing comedy. She compares Ethel and Dot's function in EastEnders to the trio of Ena Sharples , Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst from Coronation Street with regard to providing humour. She has noted that following Ethel's retirement from the serial, the production team at EastEnders attempted to replicate Dot and Ethel's friendship by introducing

57460-563: The value of the artist as a visible music-hall performer". On the other hand, the BBC was "keenly interested" in a cooperation with the recording companies who "in recent years ... have not been slow to make records of singers, orchestras, dance bands, etc. who have already proved their power to achieve popularity by wireless." Radio plays were so popular that the BBC had received 6,000 manuscripts by 1929, most of them written for stage and of little value for broadcasting: "Day in and day out, manuscripts come in, and nearly all go out again through

57720-420: The working environment the women inhabited, indicating that because the owner of the launderette is barely present, the "working relationship hinges on the friendships (or otherwise) of the women who work in it". As with Ethel, Dot and Pauline's friendship was often used for comedic purposes; emphasis was placed on their differences, leading to numerous petty squabbles and in 2004 saw them "buried alive" underneath

57980-444: The £700 million cost for free TV licences for the over-75 pensioners, and rapid inflation in drama and sport coverage costs, was given as the reason. Duplication of management and content spending would be reduced, and there would be a review of BBC News . In September 2019, the BBC launched the Trusted News Initiative to work with news and social media companies to combat disinformation about national elections. In 2020,

58240-462: Was "a truly revolting character, a loser." Producers decided to kill Charlie off in 1991; Charlie died off-screen when crashing his lorry on a motorway. The decision to kill Charlie was taken in order to reintroduce Charlie's son, Nick. Nick had been involved in a storyline that saw him attempt to poison Dot in 1990, and producers felt that in order for Dot to allow Nick back into her life again, something major had to occur in her narrative, that being

58500-442: Was a widely reported urban myth that, upon resumption of the BBC television service after the war, announcer Leslie Mitchell started by saying, "As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted ..." In fact, the first person to appear when transmission resumed was Jasmine Bligh and the words said were "Good afternoon, everybody. How are you? Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh ... ?" The European Broadcasting Union

58760-446: Was adopted in Canada. Through collaboration with these state-run broadcasting centres, Reith left a legacy of cultural influence across the empire of Great Britain with his departure from the corporation in 1938. Experimental television broadcasts were started in 1929, using an electromechanical 30-line system developed by John Logie Baird . Limited regular broadcasts using this system began in 1932, and an expanded service (now named

59020-466: Was all her Christmases coming at once! Nick knew that. It was sort of obvious that Nick could be saying 'Jesus walks with me' and then just go out and kick somebody or nick their wallet." With the help of a fake priest, Nick managed to convince his mother of his new-found faith and then began a slow campaign to control her eating habits and poison her in order to claim her money. Discussing the storyline, scriptwriter Colin Brake has indicated that at first it

59280-628: Was born in Walford and was evacuated to Wales as a child during World War II . Her guardians, Gwen ( Eve Myles /Gwenllian Davies) and Will (Dafydd Emyr), wished to adopt her, but Dot returned to Walford after Will's death and spent the rest of her childhood helping her neglectful mother care for her younger half-siblings: Gerry, Tim and Rose ( Polly Perkins ). Aged 18, Dot married Charlie Cotton ( Christopher Hancock ). The following year, he forced her to have an abortion, threatening to leave her if she did not; in desperation, Dot approached Dr. Harold Legg ( Leonard Fenton ), who reluctantly performed

59540-515: Was broadcast on 12 December 2022, with past and present characters paying their respects to the character. A recurring storyline in the serial was Dot's continuous forgiveness of her son's villainous crimes. Initially married at the start of the series to conman Charlie Cotton ( Christopher Hancock ), Dot married again in 2002 to pensioner Jim Branning ( John Bardon ) and the union proved to be popular with fans. Brown and Bardon won awards for their on-screen partnership. On 31 January 2008, Dot became

59800-425: Was built upon by scriptwriters in 2000 on the behest of producer John Yorke . Dot was paired romantically with pensioner Jim Branning , played by John Bardon and a slow courtship was featured, with Dot often shown to be outraged by Jim's advances, resulting in numerous rejections. Dot finally succumbed and accepted his marriage proposal in an episode that aired in December 2001; the scenes were filmed inside one of

60060-422: Was divided on how to handle the BBC, but ended up trusting Reith, whose opposition to the strike mirrored the PM's own. Although Winston Churchill in particular wanted to commandeer the BBC to use it "to the best possible advantage", Reith wrote that Stanley Baldwin 's government wanted to be able to say "that they did not commandeer [the BBC], but they know that they can trust us not to be really impartial". Thus

60320-441: Was followed by the Government's acceptance of the recommendation made by the Crawford Committee (1925–26) that the British Broadcasting Company be replaced by a non-commercial, Crown-chartered organisation: the British Broadcasting Corporation. The British Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on 1 January 1927, and Reith – newly knighted – was appointed its first director general. To represent its purpose and (stated) values,

60580-425: Was formed on 12 February 1950, in Torquay with the BBC among the 23 founding broadcasting organisations. Competition to the BBC was introduced in 1955, with the commercial and independently operated television network of Independent Television (ITV) . However, the BBC monopoly on radio services would persist until 8 October 1973 when under the control of the newly renamed Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA),

60840-411: Was given a list of illnesses the character had. She added, "It meant she was a hypercondriac [ sic ] because she had nobody to care about her. She was quite a selfish woman [initially]." Dot has been described by author Hilary Kingsley as a "born victim." She adds that "with each blow that life delivers [Dot] bobs back up again, almost asking for more trouble, more pain, more suffering." Dot

61100-410: Was given in 1985. The fur-collared coat Dot wears for special occasions was donated by the character Angie Watts ( Anita Dobson ) in 1988 when she left the serial. Brown commented, "I like the older clothes [...] I don't want new clothes, I'm happy the way she is. She thinks she looks really smart. She's got a terrible opinion of herself that woman!" Brown has said that when she was cast as Dot, she

61360-444: Was halted in 2007 when Jim was hastily written out of the soap due to John Bardon suffering a major stroke. In the script Jim suffered a stroke and was placed in the care of off-screen relatives. Dot and Jim remained together, with Jim making sporadic appearances between 2008 and 2009 to visit Dot. A more permanent return for the character was announced in 2009. However, it was reported in April 2011 that Bardon had filmed his exit from

61620-453: Was its first director of music. The company was to be financed by a royalty on the sale of BBC wireless receiving sets from approved domestic manufacturers. To this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to "inform, educate and entertain". The financial arrangements soon proved inadequate. Set sales were disappointing as amateurs made their own receivers and listeners bought rival unlicensed sets. By mid-1923, discussions between

61880-416: Was keen to play a comic element to the character, telling Larry Jaffee of Walford Gazette , "Before joining, I told the producer [comedy] is an area I would like to explore [with the character] because there was not enough of it [in the show]. [Patrick] treats a lot of things with a certain amount of humour. His way of escaping a problem is to find something funny to do or say or sometimes to get himself out of

62140-412: Was left alone, broken-hearted at what her own son had been prepared to do to her. Other storylines have concentrated on Dot's various attempts to reform Nick, such as in 1991, when Nick returned with a heroin addiction. As the plot unfolded, Dot tried to curtail Nick's addiction by locking him in his room and forcing him to go cold turkey . His resulting paranoia and cravings led him to escape and murder

62400-406: Was left to BBC Radio broadcasters such as Reginald Foort to keep the nation's spirits up. The BBC moved most of its radio operations out of London, initially to Bristol , and then to Bedford . Concerts were broadcast from the Bedford Corn Exchange ; the Trinity Chapel in St Paul's Church, Bedford was the studio for the daily service from 1941 to 1945, and, in the darkest days of the war in 1941,

62660-402: Was living on a reputation. [viewers] said to me, 'I loved it when [Dot] had [...] varicose veins .' I thought: 'What?! That was in 1985, it's 1993!'. I was getting so tetchy, so I thought I'd go. I'd had enough. They were a bit shocked, because apparently there were some good stories coming up." Expanding on this in 2008, Brown stated that she "didn't like what they were doing with Dot – she

62920-486: Was made explicit for the duration of its current broadcast licence, as was the prohibition on advertising. To avoid competition with newspapers, Fleet Street persuaded the government to ban news bulletins before 7 pm and the BBC was required to source all news from external wire services. The Radio Times , the world's first and longest-running radio and television listings magazine, was launched by Reith in September 1923. The first edition, subtitled "The official organ of

63180-533: Was made from the factory of Marconi Company in Chelmsford in June 1920. It was sponsored by the Daily Mail ' s Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe and featured the famous Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba . The Melba broadcast caught the people's imagination and marked a turning point in the British public's attitude to radio. However, this public enthusiasm was not shared in official circles where such broadcasts were held to interfere with important military and civil communications. By late 1920,

63440-497: Was meant to spread the gossip. Originally she was a fountain of knowledge then next thing I know, people are telling Dot what had been happening and I thought, 'No, this just won't do'. I was very annoyed, I felt like they had completely changed my character." In October 1996, newspapers reported that BBC bosses had approached Brown about reprising her role as Dot Cotton and, according to the Daily Mirror , Brown had been in negotiations with EastEnders for several months prior. Brown

63700-400: Was modified later on in its life to offer documentaries. In 2002, several television and radio channels were reorganised. BBC Knowledge was replaced by BBC Four and became the BBC's arts and documentaries channel. CBBC , which had been a programming strand as Children's BBC since 1985, was split into CBBC and CBeebies , for younger children, with both new services getting a digital channel:

63960-771: Was not an affectionate mother. Dot is introduced as the gossiping, chain smoking, Christian friend of Ethel Skinner ( Gretchen Franklin ) and Lou Beale ( Anna Wing ) who works with Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard ) at the Walford launderette. After Nick is cleared of murder, his girlfriend Zoe Newton (Elizabeth Chadwick) arrives in Walford and introduces Dot to their nine-year-old son, Ashley Cotton (Rossi Higgins). Dot becomes close to Ashley and eventually Zoe asks her to move to Gravesend with them. Dot then leaves Albert Square. Dot returns nearly four years later when Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley ) tracks her down. She reveals that Nick has been arrested for drugs possession and that Zoe and Ashley have moved away. After being held hostage by

64220-421: Was not clear to the audience whether Nick had reformed or not, but as the weeks passed it became obvious that he did intend to kill his mother, as he was shown practising a fake suicide note in Dot's handwriting – a foil to cover the intended murder; according to Brake, Dot remained blithely and perhaps purposefully ignorant to his wrongdoing. The episode which culminated the storyline, written by P.J. Hammond,

64480-413: Was once again in prison, leaving Dot alone. Her return episode aired in April 1997. Brown has since revealed that she opted to return to EastEnders to raise her profile again. She had originally only intended to return for a 3-month stint, but was persuaded to stay when a project she had been working on was cancelled. In July 1997, she commented, "I've decided to stay in EastEnders. They asked me, and in

64740-522: Was only one person she could talk to [Jesus] The Dot and Ethel storyline played out in over four months with many similar scenes, to an average audience of 16 million viewers. Dot [...] explored the full panoply of religious belief before coming back to terms with her maker. When Alan Bookbinder took over as head of religious broadcasting at the BBC he described EastEnders for the weeks the Dot and Ethel story ran as 'the best religious programme on television' and compared [it] to Graham Greene . While we felt

65000-513: Was placed with Sue and her husband Neil (Robin Sneller), a childless couple. Martin's mother, Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard ), Sonia and Martin are seen visiting Chloe occasionally at the Millers' house Sue and Neil changed Chloe's name to Rebecca. In 2002, Sonia kidnaps Rebecca while Neil and Sue are out. Sonia tells their babysitter that she is a family friend, and snatches Rebecca, taking her to Walford . Neil and Sue work this out and trace her. While Sonia barricades herself inside her house,

65260-400: Was quickly established as the gossip, whose purpose, as author Anthony Slide sees it, was "that of a Greek chorus , commenting on the foibles of her fellow residents of Albert Square, from her vantage point as manager of the local launderette". The "gossip" is a soap opera role that author Christine Geraghty has described as "crucial to the audience's engagement with a serial and provides both

65520-584: Was raped by her uncle Harry ( Michael Elphick ) and is pregnant. When Kat says Harry raped her, Viv pretends not to believe her, then secretly orders Harry to leave and he flees to Spain. She then sends Belinda and Little Mo to live with Charlie's sister, Violet, to hide Kat's pregnancy. When Kat's daughter Zoe ( Michelle Ryan ) is born, Viv decides to raise Zoe as her and Charlie's youngest daughter. Viv dotes on Zoe but continues to treat her own daughters with contempt; although they loyally stick by her, they come to resent her harsh discipline. Eventually, Viv suffers

65780-418: Was really important to tell this story because there are so many people in a similar situation to Dot. It was moving to act out, too — not just because of Dot and Jim's relationship, but because I'm really good friends with John Bardon in real life." Jim died off-screen four years later, shortly after the death of actor John Bardon. In May 2011, it was reported that Dot's estranged half-sister Rose would join

66040-410: Was reorganised and relaunched in 1995, as BBC Worldwide Ltd. In 1998, BBC studios, outside broadcasts, post production, design, costumes and wigs were spun off into BBC Resources Ltd. The BBC Research & Development has played a major part in the development of broadcasting and recording techniques. The BBC was also responsible for the development of the NICAM stereo standard. In recent decades,

66300-479: Was replaced by BBC Two HD in the same month. On 18 October 2007, BBC Director General Mark Thompson announced a controversial plan to make major cuts and reduce the size of the BBC as an organisation. The plans included a reduction in posts of 2,500; including 1,800 redundancies, consolidating news operations, reducing programming output by 10% and selling off the flagship Television Centre building in London. These plans were fiercely opposed by unions, who threatened

66560-414: Was set solely in Dot's house and featured an unusually small cast consisting of Nick, Dot, Nick's estranged father Charlie , Dot's close friend Ethel Skinner and Alistair the fake priest. At the last moment, in what Altman has called the "one time we saw a glimmer of Nick's good side", Nick backed out of his plan and stopped Dot from eating the poisoned meal he had intended to kill her with. Once again Dot

66820-430: Was sharp and selfish, but since her character remarried in 2002, she has gained security and has "no reason to have the hypochondria she had in the past [...] She's become more caring over the years. She enjoys the company of young people. She loves her church. She can get in an anxious state – I like it when Dot's hysterical! She's also amusing, mostly because she doesn't realise she is". As well as being tragic, Dot

67080-410: Was wary of joining a soap opera as she had seen EastEnders once on television, "and there was an argument going on, and I thought, 'Oh, I don't want to watch all that,' so I switched it off. I didn't watch it again until I was asked to be in it." The role was extended and the character has become one of the longest-running to have featured in EastEnders . To become the character of Dot Cotton, Brown

67340-456: Was with Belinda while she was actually trying to track down Stacey Branning ( Lacey Turner ). Belinda returns in January 2016 after Charlie dies of a heart attack, and accuses Kat of killing him as she was arguing with him when he died. An explosive argument then ensues between Belinda and Kat over Charlie and Mo, which leads to Kat revealing that she had another son when she gave birth to Zoe, and that Mo knew about him. Belinda believes that Kat

67600-434: Was written into her character the following year. Brown departed the serial in January 2020 without a proper exit storyline. The following month, Brown announced that her appearance in January would be the character's last, as she was dissatisfied with the storylines being given to her. Following Brown's death on 3 April 2022, the character of Dot died off-screen on 1 December 2022. A special episode centring around Dot's funeral

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