Whitney Dean

Infobox EastEnders character 2


character_name=Whitney Dean
actor_name=Shona McGarty
introducer=Diederick Santer
years=2008—
first=1 April 2008
classification=Present; regular
dob = December 1992
father= Nathan Dean
halfsisters = Tiffany Dean
home = 31 Albert Square
occupation = Student

Whitney Dean is a fictional character in the BBC One soap opera "EastEnders". She is played by Shona McGarty. cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a91777/in-pictures-meet-enders-jackson-five.html|title=In pictures: Meet Enders' Jackson Five|first=Kris|last=Green|publisher=Digital Spy|date=18 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-18]

Creation

It was announced in October 2007 that popular character Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) was to return to the show, after an absence of six years. The character of Whitney was created as part of her family, the daughter of Bianca's deceased partner Nathan. She was described as "a teenage drama queen, unable to engage brain before mouth and constantly finding herself in and out of trouble." Bianca sees Whitney as one of her own, and also as "a friend and confidante". "EastEnders"' executive producer Diederick Santer has said that his vision for the character was someone "quite spiky, quite gobby, a bit of an equal to Bianca, and in a way a version of Bianca at that age".cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/13/eastenders.television|publisher="The Guardian"|title=Dark days in Albert Square|first=Aida|last=Edemariam|date=13 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] Shona McGarty was cast in the part.

In considering the character's role in the wider context of the soap as a whole, it was decided that Whitney would be involved in a relationship with Bianca's partner Tony (Chris Coghill). In a BBC News story dated 15 September 2008 it was revealed that this would take the form of an ongoing "predatory paedophile storyline", the first time this subject matter has been tackled by a UK soap opera. [cite web | publisher = BBC News | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7613307.stm | title = Will sex offender pilots work? | first=Dominic |last=Casciani|date=15 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-15] The storyline arose when "EastEnders" series consultant Simon Ashdowne viewed a documentary about homelessness, featuring a mother and child at a bus stop with nowhere to go. Ashdowne questioned what might happen if a paedophile were to befriend the mother, in order to grow closer to the child, and related the scenario to Bianca's return to the soap. BBC Head of Drama John Yorke explained that the idea "drew a sharp intake of breath. Most "EastEnders" stories that have been good and successful have been the ones that caused the sharp intake of breath, so they're always the kind of stories you look for."

The idea that McGarty play a child groomed for sex was pitched to the actress on 9 January 2008. "EastEnders" executive producer Diederick Santer has stated that "If her parents had had an objection, we'd have done something else." In the event, McGarty's parents merely requested that their daughter not be asked to publicise the role, and the actress began filming her first scenes on 14 January 2008.

Development

With regards to Whitney's paedophile storyline, by March 2008 "EastEnders" researchers Libby Duplock and Cleo Bicat were in contact with the NSPCC's Tom Narducci, Jude Toasland, who deals with abused children, and Yvonne Traynor, CEO of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre. This furthered the development of the storyline with the revelation that "11% of children under 16 have experienced sexual abuse by a person known but unrelated to them." Duplock has stated that: "One thing that was quite difficult for me to get right was the idea that she didn't want sex. It's Whitney's way of keeping [Tony] happy. If she lets him do it, then he's nicer to her and he makes her feel special." Research highlighted the fact that 12% of abused children go on to become abusers in turn, however Duplock explained: "We felt that to imply on TV that someone who has been abused is going to go on to abuse other people is not a message you want to give out. Those people have been through enough." Narducci for the NSPCC stated that importance was placed on making children viewing the show "feel comfortable about asking for help if they felt they needed it [and] for the wider community - to recognise the signs and let them know that they can do something about it. [...] We're not trying to cause a national panic. This is a responsible effort to try to get over an important story."

It has initially been decided that, alongside Tony's sexual abuse, Whitney would be seen to self-harm. This aspect of the storyline was discarded, after the NSPCC opined that "it is a different issue and will distract". Final approval for the storyline was sought from BBC Head of Fiction Jane Tranter on 2 June 2008. Tranter has disclosed that: "I thought it was a fantastically good idea. The big moments in "EastEnders", those iconic pieces of television history, tend to be the things that are incredibly near the knuckle, and are actually quite difficult subjects to raise in the context of a family sitting room. [...] Soaps are meant to hold up a mirror to our lives, and sometimes that mirror will show ugly bits, difficult bits, taboo bits. But if a soap doesn't hold up that mirror, then actually, what is it? It will have no depth"

Chris Coghill was cast as Whitney's abuser Tony on 20 June 2008. Upon accepting the role, he commented: "Shona doesn't act, or look, like a little child. Which helps." Having undergone a thorough characterisation session, Coghill began shooting on 30 June 2008, and first appeared on-screen on 12 September 2008.

torylines

Whitney was first seen on 1 April 2008, when she and her family - mother figure Bianca, half-sister Tiffany, and Bianca's sons Liam and Morgan - were thrown out of their home by their landlord. They spent that night sleeping in a bus shelter, and the following night were taken into care after Bianca was arrested for punching an inquiring police officer. The children returned to Bianca a week later, moving into their grandmother Pat Evans' home, although Whitney was initially angry with Bianca for letting them down.

Over the next few months, Bianca became the beneficiary of a mystery "guardian angel", who later transpired to be Whitney. Whitney revealed that she had found the Miller family's missing lottery ticket and cashed it in, but had kept this a secret from Bianca because she knew that she would spend it. Bianca lived up to Whitney's fears by constantly shopping with their windfall, but after getting into a fight with Whitney she reluctantly sent all her shopping back and agreed to bank it. However, knowing that Bianca couldn't be trusted to bank it after learning that she had booked them a holiday, Whitney hid some of money in a box in order to use it in emergencies only. She later used it to pay for family dog Wellard's post mortem.

It was revealed that Bianca had met her imprisoned boyfriend Tony King in 2005, when she was pregnant with her youngest son, Morgan. Whitney had warmed to him when he helped her remove a ribbon which was stuck in her hair. From then on Tony groomed Whitney and they started a sexual relationship behind Bianca's back. Tony was sent to prison in 2007 after assaulting a boy who apparently harassed Whitney, and released on 12 September 2008. Upon returning home, he made it clear to Whitney that they would resume their sexual relationship. Whitney in turn revealed that she had kept some of the Lottery winnings back for her and Tony to run away together. Tony, however, harangued by Bianca about the prospect of marriage, gave her Whitney's money to use as a down-payment on a flat.

When Whitney and Peter Beale were cast in the lead roles for the school play Romeo and Julie, Tony became jealous, punching Peter in the face. Whitney convinced Peter and his sister Lucy not to tell the police about the attack, but Tony blamed her for the incident, and ended their affair. Whitney was devastated when Tony later accepted Bianca's marriage proposal. This caused her to lock herself in her bedroom on 3 October 2008 and give Bianca the silent treatment when she tried to find out why she was doing this. But however, Bianca was impatient and knocked down her bedroom door. When Bianca demanded to know why she was behaving like this, Whitney replied 'You, you did this to me.'

On Monday 6th October, Bianca realised that Whitney was not just a stroppy teenager when Whitney locked Bianca out of the house and spread her clothes over Pat's wall. She sent Dr Poppy Merritt to speak to Whitney. Whitney spoke a little but didn't reveal what was troubling her. Dr Merriitt referred her to a psychiatrist. Bianca was sceptical until she heard a crash and found a smashed plant pot. Bianca at once determined to take Whitney to the psychiatrist the following day.

Reception

The BBC and television regulatory body Ofcom received 70 complaints after Whitney's first scenes with Tony aired.cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1056737/Scores-complaints-EastEnders-shows-scenes-paedophile-grooming-teenager.html |title=Scores of complaints as EastEnders shows scenes of a paedophile grooming a teenager|publisher="Daily Mail"|first=Paul|last=Revoir|date=17 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] A BBC spokesman responded: "'This is a difficult and challenging storyline, but one which keeps with the tradition of the show for tackling difficult social issues such as domestic abuse and mental health in the past. All the content on screen adheres to the BBC's editorial guidelines."cite news|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article1701370.ece|title=Complaints over paedo plot|publisher="The Sun"|first=Cara|last=Lee|date=17 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] "The Guardian"'s Aida Edemariam said of the beginning of the storyline: "what is most disturbing, watching [Tony and Whitney's] first scenes together, is not the sexuality of the situation per se, though that is uncomfortable - it's the subtle blackmail with which he keeps her in line. As it's combined with the emotional manipulation native to soaps, the viewer starts to feel a bit bullied, too."

Numbers of viewer complaints rose within days to over 200.cite news|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article1707989.ece|title=Viewer fury over Enders paedo plot|publisher="The Sun"|first=Colin|last=Robertson|date=19 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] cite news|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/847004/EastEnders-paedophile-plot-sparks-200-complaints/|title=EastEnders paedophile plot sparks over 200 complaints|publisher="Brand Republic"|first=Nikki|last=Sandison|date=18 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] cite news|url=http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/tv-news/274269/eastenders-paedophile-plot-receives-complaints/1/|title=EastEnders paedophile plot receives complaints|publisher="Now Magazine"|first=Holly|last=Arnold|date=19 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] "New Statesman" journalist Jeremy Sare commented on the public outrage and defended "EastEnders" decision to air the storyline, writing: "There may be some justification for the hundreds complaining about these distressing issues being presented in prime time: equally it is courageous for the Beeb to include a scenario which challenges the public’s perception of what is a ‘typical paedophile’. The repellent Tony’s grooming and seduction of his stepdaughter, Whitney, is a much more familiar pattern of abuse than the more commonly held image of predators lurking in parks. [...] The producers of Eastenders, labouring under a welter of tabloid protest and viewers’ complaints, are attempting to make people get past the initial revulsion of the act of abuse and accept the grim fact that ‘paedophiles’ are very often members of the same family."cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/law-and-reform/2008/09/sex-offenders-children-sarah|title=The dangers of Sarah's law|publisher="New Statesman"|first=Jeremy|last=Sare|date=22 September 2008|accessdate=2008-09-25] Sare quoted a BBC spokeswoman as saying: "we appreciate that for some viewers this storyline will have particular resonance and significance. In running it, it's certainly not our intention to cause distress or upset, either to those who've suffered from sexual abuse or their families. Our aim is instead to raise awareness of this very sensitive issue", concluding his article with the summation: "The producers’ dilemma is instructive to children’s charities and Ministers alike on how to confront the issue in a digestible manner which can stimulate an objective debate."

References

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