List of minor EastEnders characters (1996)

The following is a list of minor characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders" in 1995, by order of first appearance.

Derek Branning

Infobox EastEnders character 3


character_name=Derek Branning
actor_name=Terence Beesley
years=1996
first=29 April 1996
last=2 May 1996
home = Prison
status=Divorced
family=Branning family
father=Jim Branning
mother=Reenie Branning
brothers=Max Branning
Jack Branning
sisters=April Branning
Carol Jackson
Suzy Branning
nephews=Bradley Branning
Oscar Branning
Robbie Jackson
Billy Jackson
Kevin
nieces=Lauren Branning
Abi Branning
Penny Branning
Bianca Jackson
Sonia Fowler
Rebecca
great nephews=Liam Butcher
Morgan Jackson-King
great nieces=Natasha Butcher
Tiffany Dean
Rebecca Miller
cousin=Gordon Branning

Derek Branning was the racist brother of Carol Jackson and April Branning. He was seen in 1996 when he attended April's wedding to her fiancé Nikos. Derek and his father Jim goaded Carol's black boyfriend Alan, and tried to start fights with him. He still lived with his parents and did his best to split Alan and Carol up. He didn't succeed, and Carol and Alan married that same day after April was jilted at the altar. He and his father walked out of their wedding in protest and Derek continued to goad Carol and Alan after the ceremony. Carol retorted by humiliating him about still living at home at 35. Derek subsequently attacked Alan, but was stopped by David Wicks, Carol's former teenage sweetheart, who then beat him up as revenge for Derek roughing him up when they were teenagers. A shamed Derek departed and has not appeared since.

In 1999 Jim, then living in Southend, mentioned to Carol (who was visiting at the time with her children, son-in-law, Ricky Butcher and new partner Dan Sullivan) that Derek was going through a messy divorce.

On 22 October 2007, Derek's brother Max, revealed during a discussion about Bradley and Stacey's wedding, that Derek is currently in prison and was unable to attend, much like several of their other siblings.

Reenie Branning

Infobox EastEnders character 3


character_name=Reenie Branning
actor_name=Joy Graham
years=1996
first=29 April 1996
last=30 April 1996
dod =8 October 1999
status=Deceased
occupation=Retired
family=Branning family
husband=Jim Branning (?-1999)
sons=Derek Branning
Max Branning
Jack Branning
daughters=April Branning
Suzy Branning
Carol Jackson
grandsons=Bradley Branning
Oscar Branning
Robbie Jackson
Billy Jackson
Kevin
granddaughters=Lauren Branning
Abi Branning
Penny Branning
Bianca Jackson
Sonia Fowler
Rebecca
great granddaughters=Natasha Butcher
Tiffany Dean
Rebecca Miller
great grandsons=Liam Butcher
Morgan Jackson-King

Doreen "Reenie" Branning was the mother of April Branning and Carol Jackson, who appeared on-screen in the lead-up to April's wedding to her fiancée Nikos.

Renee had dated Jim in the early 1960s and as a result she had fallen pregnant with his baby (April). Jim then stepped up and proposed, and they married in a shotgun wedding. However they never got on well together and fought like cat and dog, but Reenie depended heavily on her husband and whenever they got close to separating and ending their marriage, she got herself pregnant. This resulted in her giving birth, in chronological order, to April, Derek, Carol, Suzy, Max and Jack.

Reenie died off-screen in 1999, and Jim went to live with his grandchildren Sonia and Robbie in Walford.

John Valecue

Infobox EastEnders character


character_name=John Valecue
actor_name=Steve Weston
years=1996, 1998
occupation=Hitman

John Valecue was a professional hitman, hired by Cindy Beale to kill her husband Ian. He shot Ian on 7 October 1996, but failed to kill him, leaving him wounded in hospital. Ian failed to identify his assailant, but Valecue was later arrested for another failed shooting. Annie Palmer and Ros Thorne visited him in prison in 1998 when they were trying to help Ian get custody of his stepson Steven and son Peter. Annie threatened to use her contacts inside the prison to get at Valecue, unless he implicated Cindy in the attempted murder of Ian. He did so and Cindy was arrested and charged for attempted murder.

Charlie Mason

Infobox EastEnders character


character_name=Charlie Mason
actor_name=Campbell Morrison
years=1996, 1998-1999
first=8 October 1996
last=5 October 1999
occupation=Detective

Detective Chief Inspector Charlie Mason was a detective who first appeared when Ian Beale was shot by hitman John Valecue, working for his wife, Cindy. He later appeared when Tiffany Mitchell fell down the stairs at The Queen Vic, and arrested Grant Mitchell for her attempted murder on Christmas Day 1998. He later appeared at the inquest into Tiffany's death in January 1999. He also investigated Saskia Duncan's disappearance in March 1999 and appeared at Steve Owen and Matthew Rose's trial for her murder in October 1999. This was his last appearance.

Others

References