- Dickens Hill
-
Dickens Hill is a fictional prison in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The prison was part of a storyline that aired between 1988 and 1989. The storyline centred on the popular character Den Watts and was filmed on location at Dartmoor Prison in Devon. The episodes were shot in a block of intensive filming, over five weeks, but they were worked into regular episodes of EastEnders later on in the year, from September 1988 to February 1989. This was done in order to keep the character Den Watts on-screen after Den's actor, Leslie Grantham, had left the show.
Contents
Storyline development
Two of the most successful and popular characters in the history of EastEnders have been pub landlords Den and Angie Watts, played by Leslie Grantham and Anita Dobson. Original characters, both appeared in the very first episode of EastEnders, and were largely responsible for attracting the highest episode BARB rating for a UK soap opera, when 30.15 million viewers tuned in on Christmas Day 1986 to witness Den hand Angie divorce papers as a Christmas present. As of 2009, the episode is the fourth most highly viewed UK programme of all time, coming behind the 1966 World cup final, the funeral of Princess Diana (1997), and a 1969 Royal family documentary.[1]
However, in 1987 actress Anita Dobson decided that she wanted to leave the serial. After over three years on-screen, the character departed in May 1988.[2] Actor Leslie Grantham, who played Den, came to the decision soon afterwards that he too wanted to move on. He has commented, “I told them in November 1987 that I wanted to leave and Den had to die. It had to be final for both my sake and for the sake of the rest of the cast. After all, everything you seemed to read in the papers about EastEnders concerned 'Dirty Den'.” [3] The executive producer of EastEnders, Julia Smith, didn't want the programme to suffer the “double blow” of losing both Den and Angie at the same time. The solution to the problem was one of the soap's "most complex and creative exercises" that required "intricate planning".[2] The producers and writers came up with an idea to enable Den to stay as an on-screen presence for an extra year, while keeping Grantham working for EastEnders for only a few months. The story, which was conceptualised by scriptwriters Tony Holland and Bill Lyons, saw Den Watts imprisoned. The programme makers’ intention was to record the prison footage in a block of intensive filming, which would then be included in episodes of EastEnders for the rest of the year. Grantham has said, "I agreed to a storyline about the jail sentence that would lead up to the end slowly, and allow new major stories to be developed. I’d always known that I didn’t want to play Den for twenty-five years. I didn’t want Den to end up another Ken Barlow, thanks very much.”[3]
The programme makers did not want to turn Den into a criminal, however, so they decided that he had to be put in prison for a crime that could be justified to the viewing public — otherwise there would be no sympathy for him.[2] The answer lay in a storyline that was running with another character — the rape of Kathy Beale by James Willmott-Brown, which happened in July 1988. After simultaneously getting in too deep with a criminal organisation (The Firm), Den torched Willmott-Brown’s wine bar, The Dagmar, in retaliation for Kathy's rape, and was then forced to take the blame for the deed by “The Firm”. Den was taken away to a “safe house” to avoid police arrest, but when it became clear that “The Firm” were planning to kill him, Den went "on the run". He was eventually forced to turn himself into the police in order to escape “The Firm’s” heavies. Den was put on remand at Dickens Hill prison. For the next five months he was seen - in the company of a small group of new characters also confined in the prison - on a regular basis in EastEnders. Also in prison at the time was regular EastEnders character Nick Cotton (played by John Altman).
This material was shot in less than a month at Dartmoor Prison, Devon. When these segments were written and recorded, they were done so entirely in isolation, and in advance - the production team had no real idea of other material that would have to fit around it.[2] The regular goings on in Albert Square had to fit convincingly around the pre-recorded Dickens Hill material; this “proved to be a major headache” for the programme makers. The Dickens Hill storyline has been referred to as a “soap-within-a-soap", and it “dominated” the majority of episodes that aired between the second half of 1988, and early 1989. Grantham has commented, “Banging Den up in Dartmoor – though we called it Dickens Hill – kept him alive for an extra year. It was the offer that the BBC made me, a brilliant idea, and I’m very grateful for it. I didn’t want to go in a way that harmed the show. This way I was able to record scenes for ninety episodes in five weeks. That must be a record. In the rest of the year I had time off…”[3]
A new batch of characters was needed for the prison storyline. Den was joined by various inmates, each with their own back-story as to why they were in prison, including some who were connected to Den and his ongoing troubles with “The Firm”. Among the prisoners was "Barnsey", played by actor John Hallam, Den’s cellmate and strongest ally.[4] Others included Queenie (John Labanowski), Vic (Michael Brogan), Trevor Kellow (Peter Doran), Squeaky (Phil Smeeton) and Brownlow (David James). In addition, a couple of more “familiar faces” joined Den in prison, including Johnny Harris (Michael O’Hagan), who had been seen various time before the airing of this storyline, and original character Nick Cotton, played by John Altman. Nick had been a semi-regular character since the first episode of EastEnders, a renowned villain who Den had a tempestuous history with. Nick’s presence provided Den with a link back to Albert Square. It was while Nick was in prison that he admitted to Den that he had killed Reg Cox, a character Den had found battered and dying in the first episode of the programme almost four years earlier. Nick had been prime suspect for the attack on Reg, but he was cleared of murder due to a lack of evidence and merely sentenced to probation for burgling Reg's home. The mystery of Reg Cox’s murder was finally solved when Nick confessed to it in prison, “thinking that Dirty Den would be impressed”.[5]
As well as the inmates, prison officers also became regulars for the duration of the storyline, such as officers Crane (Raymond Trickett), Mcleish (Neil Daglish) and Stone (Jeremy Young). Outside of the prison, members of the Firm were also heavily involved in Den’s exit storyline, including Joanne Francis (Pamela Salem), the manageress of Strokes; Gregory Mantel (Pavel Douglas); and Brad Williams (Jonathan Stratt), who had appeared intermittently since 1986, but was seen on a regular basis during this storyline. Investigating police officers included DS West (Leonard Gregory) and D.I.Bob Ashley (Robin Lermittee), who joined Walford CID determined to close down the firm. Occasionally, regular characters from the Albert Square were seen to visit Den in prison, this included Den’s daughter Sharon, his friends Pete Beale, Pat Wicks and Joanne Francis, and even one of his worst enemies - Pauline Fowler.[6]
The Dickens Hill storyline continued for the first two months of 1989, eventually climaxing in February. One by one the storylines of the specially brought in characters were concluded, until the date of Den’s trial approached. Den was eventually to bow out on 23 February 1989 in one of the programme's most famous episodes, which attracted an estimated 20 million viewers. After being abducted by the firm on the way to his trial, Den escaped from their custody. He planned to flee the country after a rendezvous by a canal (in Alperton) with Michelle Fowler, the mother of his illegitimate child, Vicki. This proved to be his downfall, as Michelle was followed by The Firm, and the episode ended with Den being shot by a man (who was carrying a gun concealed in a bunch of daffodils) and then falling into the canal. The scene where Den actually hit the water had to be taped at the BBC's Ealing Film Studios using a water tank, because the waters of the Grand Union Canal were deemed unsafe. When the episode was finished, however, Jonathan Powell, controller of BBC1, requested that the final shot be removed to allow for the possibility of Den returning at a later date. In protest, Tony Holland and Julia Smith had their names taken off the episode's credits. Den's exit ended up being the creators' final contribution to the show.[2] Grantham has since commented, “I was annoyed when I saw the death scene, and so was Julia Smith who’d directed it personally. Because I’d made it clear there would be no going back, I filmed Den collapsing from the bullet and tumbling into the canal. But all the viewers had was the sound of a shot and a splash; it was a deliberate tease. Julia was furious.”[3]
Three weeks after Den was shot, police found spots of blood on the towpath along the section of canal where Den had been shot, but a search of the canal failed to uncover his body. In May 1990, his daughter Sharon found a distinctive ring that had belonged to him for sale on a market stall in Albert Square. She spoke to a young boy who had given it to the market trader, and the boy said he'd fished it out of the canal. The police searched the canal again and found a body, which was identified as Den's.
However, there had been much speculation as to whether Den really had been killed - particularly after the first search of the canal had failed to uncover a body. Eagle-eyed viewers would also have noticed that he was not wearing the ring retrieved from the canal before he was shot. The scene had been set for Den to eventually return to EastEnders, and as early as 1991 the show's producers offered Leslie Grantham the chance to return, but he rejected their offer. The return of Den was on the show's agenda for almost every year afterwards, but Grantham was unwilling to return to the series - particularly at the time when none of Den's family were in it - and felt that a comeback at that stage would have merely been a ratings-booster. However, Grantham returned to EastEnders in September 2003, only to be killed off again in February 2005. [7]
It was eventually revealed that the body found in the canal in 1990 was that of Mr Vinnicombe, who had been killed by Jack Dalton (a character who did not appear until 2003) after the latter had found out that Den survived the shooting.
Prisoners
Den Watts
Main article: Den WattsAfter James Willmott-Brown raped Kathy Beale, Den Watts sought retribution from his contacts with the criminal organisation known as The Firm. They refused to get involved, but Den manipulated The Firm’s errand boy, Brad Williams, and he and Den torched Willmott-Brown’s wine bar, The Dagmar. It burnt to the ground, but the Firm were not impressed with Den’s disobedience. In order to prevent a police investigation, The Firm decided that Den had to take the blame for the arson. Den was offered £20,000 for every year he would spend in prison, but Den decided that the better option was to let the police think he was guilty and then go “on the run”. The Firm agreed and Den was taken to a safe house, where he was looked after by a woman named Christine, who Den was quick to seduce. However, when it became clear that The Firm were intending to kill Den to ensure his silence, he escaped. He visited a friend, Chalkie Whiting, in Manchester, but The Firm followed him and Den was forced to turn himself into the police to escape them. Den was remanded at Dickens Hill prison in September 1988.
In Dickens Hill, Den was introduced to numerous prisoners; his cellmate Barnsey became his closest ally. The police were desperate for Den to provide them information on The Firm, so they could close down their illegal operations. Den remained true to his word and refused to “grass”; however the police were managing to get incriminating information on The Firm from somewhere. Assuming that Den was responsible, The Firm arranged for their contacts inside Dickens Hill to teach Den a lesson. The “number 1” of the cell block, Johnny Harris, ordered his accomplice, Queenie, to give Den a beating. Den was eventually cornered by the thugs and left bruised and battered with an injured arm. The Firm eventually discovered that Den was innocent after all, and after Johnny Harris’ departure, Den was instated as number 1 of the prison wing.
With The Firm under pressure from a police investigation, and various key players in the operation being arrested, they once again decided that Den was a liability. Den had taken out an "insurance policy" with his solicitor — papers the proved The Firm's guilt in various crimes—but this was eventually found by The Firm and destroyed, and they were then free to eliminate Den without repercussions. While Den was being accompanied by the police on the way to his trial in February 1989, The Firm apprehended the vehicle and abducted Den. Although Den managed to escape captivity with the help of Brad Williams, it was only a brief reprieve. Before fleeing the country Den arranged for a rendezvous at a canal with Michelle Fowler, the mother of his daughter. Michelle tried to persuade Den to hand himself into the police, promising that she and their daughter Vicki would be waiting for him when he got out; however, Michelle had unwittingly been followed by The Firm. On the orders of Mr Mantel, Den was shot by a man concealing a gun in a bunch of daffodils. A splash indicated that he had fallen into the canal, and he was presumed dead for over 14 years.
Nick Cotton
Main article: Nick CottonNick was put on remand at Dickens Hill for drug dealing. He was given a cell with Barnsey, who openly disliked him. He also made an enemy out of Queenie due to a multitude of homophobic slurs. It was while he was in Dickens Hill that Nick confessed to an unimpressed Den that he was guilty of killing Reg Cox four years previously, who had been battered to death in the first episode of EastEnders in February 1985. He was cleared of murder but found guilty of burglary, having stolen items from Reg's home, and received a probation order.
Den and all the other prisoners frequently found Nick’s presence an irritant.
After being beaten by Barnsey, Nick applied for a cell swap, but he immediately regretted it when he was moved in with the even more abusive Queenie, who beat Nick several times, and then used him as his skivvy; although Nick found someone else to bully, the emotionally unstable Trevor Kellow. Nick was denied bail, and was told by the magistrate that his trial was to be held in June 1989. His mother, Dot Cotton, visited him occasionally, bringing him a regular supply of cigarettes.
Johnny Harris
Johnny Harris 
EastEnders character Portrayed by Michael O'Hagan Duration 1988 First appearance 11 February 1988 Last appearance 13 December 1988 Johnny Harris was a criminal associate of Den Watts, who would show up occasionally to liaise with Den about various scams they were involved with. He was first seen in February 1988 when he conned Den's nemesis, Darren Roberts, by selling him fake pornographic videos.
In June 1988, Johnny revealed to Den that his latest scam had been uncovered by the police and it was likely that he would serve time in prison. Johnny was sent to Dickens Hill prison on remand, where he met up with Den in September 1988, after he was imprisoned for the arson of the Dagmar winebar.
Johnny had been promoted to "number 1" of the prison wing (head prisoner), meaning he was in charge of issuing supplies to the other inmates and given a cell on his own. Johnny was also on the payroll of The Firm, and he was instructed to keep a close eye on Den in order to stop him stepping out of line. When The Firm suspected Den of being a "grass", they instructed Johnny to organise a beating for him as a reminder to keep quiet. Johnny did so with the help of his ally Queenie. Although Johnny ordered Den's beating, he took no pleasure in seeing his former friend hurt.
When The Firm decided that Den was not the "grass" after all, Johnny tried to make peace with him. Before Johnny left Dickens Hill to attend his trial, he arranged for Den to take over his position of "number 1". Johnny also informed Den that he suspected Queenie of being the police informant, which Den later proved.
Barnsey Barnes
Barnsey Barnes 
EastEnders character Portrayed by John Hallam Duration 1988–90 First appearance 8 September 1988 Last appearance 1 May 1990 "Barnsey" Barnes was the initial cellmate of Den Watts at Dickens Hill prison. He was serving time on remand for GBH and he and Den soon became friends. When Den was branded a "grass", all the prisoners turned against him except Barnesy, who served as his protector while others, such as Queenie, attempted to attack him.
In order to get to Den the other prisoners needed to get rid of Barnsey, so they reported him to the prison guards for a crime he did not commit. Barnsey was sent to solitary confinement for the night and the following day, Den was given a severe beating.
When Den was promoted to the "number 1" of the prison wing (head prisoner), he was given a cell on his own. Barnsey's new cellmate turned out to be Nick Cotton, who he instantly disliked. After Barnsey attacked Nick, he applied for a cell move, though he instantly regretted it, as he was moved in with Queenie.
Barnsey stood trial in January 1989, and left Dickens Hill to await his fate. Den was deeply sorry to see him go. Den was shot in February 1989 and presumed dead. A body was wrongly identified as Den's the following year, and Barnes attended the funeral in May 1990.
Queenie Price
Queenie Price 
EastEnders character Portrayed by John Labanowski Duration 1988–89 First appearance 13 September 1988 Last appearance 14 February 1989 Michael "Queenie" Price was a prisoner, who was serving a sentence in Dickens Hill prison along with Den Watts. He went by the name of Queenie because he was an effeminate homosexual. The other prisoners referred to him as "she" rather than "he", despite the fact that he was a large, butch looking man, with a moustache. Although Queenie acted in a camp manner, he was actually tough and the other prisoners knew not to mess with him. Nick Cotton often got on his wrong side due to his homophobic slurs, and he was eventually given a beating because of this.
It was revealed that Queenie was on The Firm's payroll along with another prisoner, Johnny Harris. When The Firm believed that Den was trying to frame them, Queenie and Harris sought Den out, intending to give him a severe beating. Den eluded this for a while, but Queenie and his gang eventually cornered him, leaving him bruised and battered with a fractured arm.
After The Firm discovered Den was not the informant, he began to suspect that it was Queenie. He concocted a plan to catch him out. He gave him the false name of a drug dealer and as he predicted it wasn't long before the police were questioning Den about him, confirming that Queenie was the "grass". Den stunned Queenie with his discovery, but instead of turning him in to The Firm he used him to provide information on them.
Trevor Kellow
Trevor Kellow 
EastEnders character Portrayed by Peter Doran Duration 1988–89 First appearance 20 September 1988 Last appearance 9 February 1989 Profile Date of death 9 February 1989 Trevor Kellow was an inmate at Dickens Hill prison. Originally from the north of England, Trevor had been imprisoned on remand for the mugging of an old lady. It was the second time he had been imprisoned for this offence, though he claimed to be innocent this time.
Because the other prisoners felt that Trevor's crime was despicable, they immediately took against him. They began to bully him mercilessly. Trevor looked to Den for support, and although he seemed sympathetic, he could do little to stop the bullying. He managed to prevent a few attacks, but the abuse of Trevor still continued behind his back.
In 1989 Trevor's friend contacted him with new evidence that proved he was not guilty of the mugging. However, the following month his friend disappeared with the evidence, meaning he had no chance of avoiding a prison sentence. His solicitor instructed him to plead guilty to the crime to ensure a shorter sentence, but Trevor felt he could not cope with imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit. His mental health swiftly deteriorated and he became depressed, morose and severely paranoid.
Shortly after, Trevor was found dead in his cell, having hanged himself on the morning of his trial. Den was disturbed to discover that Trevor died in vain, as his solicitor had uncovered evidence to exonerate him.
Victor Hampton
Victor Hampton 
EastEnders character Portrayed by Michael Brogan Duration 1988–89 First appearance 29 September 1988 Last appearance 5 January 1989 Family Wife Gillie Hampton Victor "Vic" Hampton was an inmate at Dickens Hill prison. He was imprisoned on remand for the theft of antique furniture. Vic was married to a woman named Gillie, but the marriage had come under strain due to Vic's continuous infidelities. Gillie visited and expressed her concerns about Vic's promiscuity. She asked him to get tested for any STDs he may have picked up.
When the prison officers found out about Vic's concerns he was quarantined in isolation, as they feared he could spread diseases to the other prisoners. Vic was tested and was told by the prison chaplain that he was HIV positive. He became severely depressed and berated himself for giving the virus to his wife. He talked of the humiliation he felt, having the entire prison know about his condition, being segregated from the other prisoners and treated like a leper. He talked about the dreams he had for the future, which would now have to be forgotten. Gillie was supportive and Vic was relieved to discover that she had actually tested negative. She promised to stay with him no matter what. Victor became the first character in EastEnders to be diagnosed as HIV positive, paving the way for the controversial virus to feature in a storyline surrounding a much higher profile character - Mark Fowler - a couple of years later.
Others
Gillie Hampton
Gillie Hampton 
EastEnders character Portrayed by Clare James Duration 1988–89 First appearance 6 October 1988 Last appearance 5 January 1989 Family Husband Victor Hampton Gillie Hampton was the wife of prisoner Victor Hampton, who was in prison on remand for theft. The couple had a young son. Gillie came to Dickens Hill prison to visit Vic. Their marriage had come under strain due to Vic's adulteries. Gillie had been visited by one of Vic's partners and she began to fear that Vic had unwittingly passed on an STD to her. She had blood tests to put her mind at rest and pleaded with Vic to do the same.
Vic eventually did and it turned out he was HIV positive. He was deeply sorry that he passed the disease on to his innocent wife, but to his relief she informed him that she had tested negative. She was supportive and promised to stay with him no matter what.
References
- ^ "The biggest TV audience ever... it is now". London: Daily Mail. 1 May 2005. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=346942&in_page_id=1773. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ a b c d e Brake, Colin (1995). EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration. BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-37057-2.
- ^ a b c d Kingsley, Hilary (1990). The EastEnders Handbook. BBC books. ISBN 0-563-206010-563-36292-8-2.
- ^ Bell, Matthew (20 November 2006). "Tyrannical squire in 'The Mallens'". London: The Independent. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1998869.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ "John Altman on his EastEnders alter ego". Walford Gazette. http://www.wgazette.com/aut03-cotton.html. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ "Xmas 88 - Den in prison", BBC. URL last accessed on 2006-09-26.
- ^ "Sixteen million watch Den's return", BBC. URL last accessed on 2006-09-26.
External links
EastEnders Characters Crew members Julia Smith · Tony Holland · Simon May · Mike Gibbon · Michael Ferguson · Leonard Lewis · Barbara Emile · Corinne Hollingworth · Jane Harris · Matthew Robinson · John Yorke · Louise Berridge · Kathleen Hutchison · Kate Harwood · Diederick Santer · Bryan KirkwoodLocations Storylines The Banned · The Firm · "Sharongate" · "Who Shot Phil?" · "Get Johnny Week" · "The Secret Mitchell" · "Who Killed Archie?"Episodes Off-set episodes · Two-handers · Episodes in Ireland · "Pretty Baby...." · "EastEnders Live" · "Queen Vic Fire Week"Families Spin-offs Music Categories:- EastEnders storylines
- EastEnders locations
- Fictional prisons
- 1988 in British television
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
