None of the Carters are iconic or evenue classic characters at this point in my opinion. Not by a long shot.
I really hate the character but a lot of people will know mick because of Dyer (and I see iconic characters as those who are well known beyond the fanbase). So as much as it pains me I think mick could potentially be considered iconic because Dyer is a very high profile actor and people will know he is Mick on EE
I really hate the character but a lot of people will know mick because of Dyer (and I see iconic characters as those who are well known beyond the fanbase). So as much as it pains me I think mick could potentially be considered iconic because Dyer is a very high profile actor and people will know he is Mick on EE
My post was mainly in reply to the people that were referring to Shirley as iconic. However I do agree that Mick is probably the only Carter that could be argued as potenially iconic even if I'm not a fan.
Completely agree. I mean what on earth has Mick done that makes him iconic? the majority of his scenes consist of him telling everyone to walk on eggshells around Linda. He does nothing at all. People throw the word iconic around too loosely.
In the same way as Peggy didn't so much have s/ls of her own but was inevitably in the middle of all the Mitchell drama. Same with Pat with the Butchers. And of course like Barbara Danny was already a big name.
Shirley is another one...part of the Mitchell drama for years and then central to the Carter story. Stan wouldn't have been nearly as good a character if he hadn't been Shirley's father. The Carters were built round her.
Den, Angie and Sharon Watts.
Peggy, Phil and Grant Mitchell.
Ian Beale.
Cindy Beale.
Pat Butcher.
Frank Butcher.
Pauline Fowler.
Bianca Jackson.
Kat Slater.
Nick Cotton and Dot Cotton.
Kathy Beale.
Janine Butcher.
Stacey Slater.
Ronnie Mitchell.
Steve Owen.
Tiffany Mitchell.
Without a doubt the most iconic 20 characters.
Max, Shirley, Sam, Ricky and Arthur Fowler also deserve a mention.
In the same way as Peggy didn't so much have s/ls of her own but was inevitably in the middle of all the Mitchell drama. Same with Pat with the Butchers. And of course like Barbara Danny was already a big name.
Shirley is another one...part of the Mitchell drama for years and then central to the Carter story. Stan wouldn't have been nearly as good a character if he hadn't been Shirley's father. The Carters were built round her.
Peggy had several huge storylines of her own -most notable her double mastectomy following her breast cancer and was crucial to several of the shows most memorable moments from Mark's HIV announcement to smashing up The Vic on Xmas day.
Likewise with Pat, are you seriously suggesting Pat Butcher had to rely on other characters for storylines and that is she only iconic because of other people? really?!
Seems you just want to brand your favourites as iconic when they really aren't.
Peggy had several huge storylines of her own -most notable her double mastectomy following her breast cancer and was crucial to several of the shows most memorable moments from Mark's HIV announcement to smashing up The Vic on Xmas day.
Likewise with Pat, are you seriously suggesting Pat Butcher had to rely on other characters for storylines and that is she only iconic because of other people? really?!
Seems you just want to brand your favourites as iconic when they really aren't.
Spot on! I don't know where this notion Shirley Carter is iconic comes from. I think its because DTC mentioned it once and gullible viewers fell for it.
The ONLY characters from the last ten years who can be considered iconic are Stacey Slater and Ronnie Mitchell with Max Branning not far behind. Shirley hasn't done anything to warrant iconic status. Mickey Miller had a family created just for him, that doesn't mean his character is iconic, likewise with Kush.
Peggy had several huge storylines of her own -most notable her double mastectomy following her breast cancer and was crucial to several of the shows most memorable moments from Mark's HIV announcement to smashing up The Vic on Xmas day.
Likewise with Pat, are you seriously suggesting Pat Butcher had to rely on other characters for storylines and that is she only iconic because of other people? really?!
Seems you just want to brand your favourites as iconic when they really aren't.
To be fair, I don't think that last point is necessarily the case, vald isn't a fan of either Sharon or Ian but considers them both iconic.
Pat of course was a fantastic character in her own right but all icons, as well as being good characters or known for certain traits, are deemed iconic partly because of interactions with others (eg Pat and Frank, Pat and Peggy and Pat with the Butchers)
Peggy had several huge storylines of her own -most notable her double mastectomy following her breast cancer and was crucial to several of the shows most memorable moments from Mark's HIV announcement to smashing up The Vic on Xmas day.
Likewise with Pat, are you seriously suggesting Pat Butcher had to rely on other characters for storylines and that is she only iconic because of other people? really?!
Seems you just want to brand your favourites as iconic when they really aren't.
I'm saying that no character has a s/l in isolation. Peggy's cancer s/l was well done, but I would say Carols was even better. What made Peggy stand out was that she was at the heart of the Mitchell's and was the Vic landlady. Pat was fabulous but was not known for having s/ls of her own, more for being in the middle of the action. If I limited my list to those who've had massive s/ls I'd be down to Den, Sharon, Phil, Grant, Kat and Stacey.
I'm saying that no character has a s/l in isolation. Peggy's cancer s/l was well done, but I would say Carols was even better. What made Peggy stand out was that she was at the heart of the Mitchell's and was the Vic landlady. Pat was fabulous but was not known for having s/ls of her own, more for being in the middle of the action. If I limited my list to those who've had massive s/ls I'd be down to Den, Sharon, Phil, Grant, Kat and Stacey.
One of the biggest storylines EastEnders have ever done was Pat running over and killing a girl on Christmas Day. It was huge at the time as drink driving became a natural talking point thanks to the story so I wouldn't say people only know Pat has being in the middle of other people's stories.
To many Frank and Pat are the greatest love story EastEnders ever had.
I can't believe people think Shirley is on par with that.
To be fair, I don't think that last point is necessarily the case, vald isn't a fan of either Sharon or Ian but considers them both iconic.
Pat of course was a fantastic character in her own right but all icons, as well as being good characters or known for certain traits, are deemed iconic partly because of interactions with others (eg Pat and Frank, Pat and Peggy and Pat with the Butchers)
I was no fan of Angie's either, but acknowledge her place as Den's wife and the Vic's first landlady.
Iconic characters are the characters who you can mention to someone who doesn't watch the show but they will instantly know who you are referring to.
I doubt Shirley fits into this bracket no matter how hard her fans want her too.
This is my take on it too. Characters whom everyone, even non viewers know.
Only Stacey, Ronnie, Max and maybe at a push Jane are characters from the last decade who I would call iconic. I do find it odd people are putting Shirley down as being more iconic than Jane, thats not the case at all!
One of the biggest storylines EastEnders have ever done was Pat running over and killing a girl on Christmas Day. It was huge at the time as drink driving became a natural talking point thanks to the story so I wouldn't say people only know Pat has being in the middle of other people's stories.
To many Frank and Pat are the greatest love story EastEnders ever had.
I can't believe people think Shirley is on par with that.
Pat's drink driving s/l was good but on it's own it would not be enough to make her iconic. If it worked that way I'd have to put Shabnam on my list for the still birth, Whitney for the Tony abuse and Linda for the rape s/l.
In no particular order and off the top of my head (and I know I have some surnames wrong, I've just picked the first one that springs to mind!):
Den Watts
Angie Watts
Sharon Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Ian Beale
Dot Cotton
Kat Slater
Pauline Fowler
Janine Butcher
Pat Butcher
Frank Butcher
Bianca Jackson
Carol Jackson
David Wicks
Michelle Fowler
Mark Fowler
Stacey Slater
Tiffany Mitchell
I love the Carters but none of them make the top 20 for me as most of them haven't been around long enough - although I did seriously consider Shirley. Zainab and Max are probably my two favourite characters of all time but I don't think they qualify as top twenty EE icons.
Edit: Didn't look at the rest of the thread before listing mine. Interesting and valid points on Shirley. I did consider Nick Cotton but the acting was so atrocious I couldn't do it!
Oh no , you didn't. Did you really just say that? Did you just deny the iconic status of Sam James? You're in big trouble with Sam's number one fan - Aaron Silver .
The Fereiras? Nah, they were plain boring. I can't think of a single act of good they did on the show.
Now Sam, on the other hand, he gave us a brilliant exit storyline for 'Dextaaa' and I will always be eternally grateful to Sam for this act .
His story wasn't an exit for Dexter though... not even Ava's. Ava randomly got a new job in Newcastle at the same time as Sam's exit. Dexter stayed for about a year afterwards chasing Nancy who never was on the square until his parents left.
Janine Butcher
Sharon Watts
Cindy Beale
Phil Mitchell
Pauline Fowler
Pat Butcher
Den Watts
Dot Cotton
Ronnie Mitchell
Nick Cotton
Peggy Mitchell
Stacey Slater
Ian Beale
Carol Jackson
Michelle Fowler
Bianca Jackson
Kat Slater
David Wicks
Ethel Skinner
Tracey
Den Watts
Angie Watts
Sharon Watts
Phil Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Pat Butcher
Frank Butcher
Janine Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Bianca Butcher
Pauline Fowler
Mark Fowler
Michelle Fowler
Arthur Folwer
Sonia Jackson
Tiffany Mitchell
Dot Cotton
Stacey Slater
Kat Slater
Phil Mitchell
Ronnie Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Angie Watts
Den Watts
Sharon Mitchell
Frank Butcher
Pat Evans
Bianca Butcher
Ethel Skinner
I've picked my 20 for a variety of reasons, but all of the above are synonymous with EastEnders whether it be for their length of service, a memorable partnership or a specific storyline.
Little Mo and Ethel Skinner might not be big players in the grand scheme of EE history, but Mo's domestic abuse and Ethel's euthanasia are, in my opinion, two iconic storylines that were a big deal at the time.
Characters like Bianca come and go, but if you shout "Rickaaaaaaay" in a group situation, most people will know what you're referencing. Same as "get out of my pub!" and "You Ain't My Mother... Yes I Am!"
I think characters like Shirley Carter and, to an extent, Max Branning deserve a mention. In terms of recent history, both have been big players. And I do think that if you showed people a picture of Max or Shirley, they would know that they are characters from EE and be able to name them.
I'm perplexed that people truly believe Shirley is more iconic than the likes of Tiffany Mitchell, Ricky Butcher and Sonia Jackson. As someone else said even Jane is more iconic.
Things like this are just 'list your faves' rather than actual true stats.
I'm perplexed that people truly believe Shirley is more iconic than the likes of Tiffany Mitchell, Ricky Butcher and Sonia Jackson. As someone else said even Jane is more iconic.
Things like this are just 'list your faves' rather than actual true stats.
Even Billy Mitchell is more iconic than Shirley Carter.
I'm perplexed that people truly believe Shirley is more iconic than the likes of Tiffany Mitchell, Ricky Butcher and Sonia Jackson. As someone else said even Jane is more iconic.
Things like this are just 'list your faves' rather than actual true stats.
But what stats define an icon? I agree that Shirley doesn't really have a place on a top 20 list of iconic characters, but she's been on the show for 10 years now, and for a show that's only been on air for 32 years, that's a sizeable chunk of time and as a character she is definitely known to a wider audience than just those that religiously watch EE.
It depends on how we are looking at it. I've often had my friends say "I look as rough as Shirley off EastEnders" or sharing photos of Shirley on Facebook and Twitter to reflect their hungover state. A lot of gay people I know LOVE Shirley and think both her and Linda Henry are fabulous.
Comments
I really hate the character but a lot of people will know mick because of Dyer (and I see iconic characters as those who are well known beyond the fanbase). So as much as it pains me I think mick could potentially be considered iconic because Dyer is a very high profile actor and people will know he is Mick on EE
In the same way as Peggy didn't so much have s/ls of her own but was inevitably in the middle of all the Mitchell drama. Same with Pat with the Butchers. And of course like Barbara Danny was already a big name.
Shirley is another one...part of the Mitchell drama for years and then central to the Carter story. Stan wouldn't have been nearly as good a character if he hadn't been Shirley's father. The Carters were built round her.
Peggy, Phil and Grant Mitchell.
Ian Beale.
Cindy Beale.
Pat Butcher.
Frank Butcher.
Pauline Fowler.
Bianca Jackson.
Kat Slater.
Nick Cotton and Dot Cotton.
Kathy Beale.
Janine Butcher.
Stacey Slater.
Ronnie Mitchell.
Steve Owen.
Tiffany Mitchell.
Without a doubt the most iconic 20 characters.
Max, Shirley, Sam, Ricky and Arthur Fowler also deserve a mention.
Peggy had several huge storylines of her own -most notable her double mastectomy following her breast cancer and was crucial to several of the shows most memorable moments from Mark's HIV announcement to smashing up The Vic on Xmas day.
Likewise with Pat, are you seriously suggesting Pat Butcher had to rely on other characters for storylines and that is she only iconic because of other people? really?!
Seems you just want to brand your favourites as iconic when they really aren't.
Spot on! I don't know where this notion Shirley Carter is iconic comes from. I think its because DTC mentioned it once and gullible viewers fell for it.
The ONLY characters from the last ten years who can be considered iconic are Stacey Slater and Ronnie Mitchell with Max Branning not far behind. Shirley hasn't done anything to warrant iconic status. Mickey Miller had a family created just for him, that doesn't mean his character is iconic, likewise with Kush.
To be fair, I don't think that last point is necessarily the case, vald isn't a fan of either Sharon or Ian but considers them both iconic.
Pat of course was a fantastic character in her own right but all icons, as well as being good characters or known for certain traits, are deemed iconic partly because of interactions with others (eg Pat and Frank, Pat and Peggy and Pat with the Butchers)
I doubt Shirley fits into this bracket no matter how hard her fans want her too.
I'm saying that no character has a s/l in isolation. Peggy's cancer s/l was well done, but I would say Carols was even better. What made Peggy stand out was that she was at the heart of the Mitchell's and was the Vic landlady. Pat was fabulous but was not known for having s/ls of her own, more for being in the middle of the action. If I limited my list to those who've had massive s/ls I'd be down to Den, Sharon, Phil, Grant, Kat and Stacey.
One of the biggest storylines EastEnders have ever done was Pat running over and killing a girl on Christmas Day. It was huge at the time as drink driving became a natural talking point thanks to the story so I wouldn't say people only know Pat has being in the middle of other people's stories.
To many Frank and Pat are the greatest love story EastEnders ever had.
I can't believe people think Shirley is on par with that.
This is my take on it too. Characters whom everyone, even non viewers know.
Only Stacey, Ronnie, Max and maybe at a push Jane are characters from the last decade who I would call iconic. I do find it odd people are putting Shirley down as being more iconic than Jane, thats not the case at all!
Pat's drink driving s/l was good but on it's own it would not be enough to make her iconic. If it worked that way I'd have to put Shabnam on my list for the still birth, Whitney for the Tony abuse and Linda for the rape s/l.
Den Watts
Angie Watts
Sharon Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Ian Beale
Dot Cotton
Kat Slater
Pauline Fowler
Janine Butcher
Pat Butcher
Frank Butcher
Bianca Jackson
Carol Jackson
David Wicks
Michelle Fowler
Mark Fowler
Stacey Slater
Tiffany Mitchell
I love the Carters but none of them make the top 20 for me as most of them haven't been around long enough - although I did seriously consider Shirley. Zainab and Max are probably my two favourite characters of all time but I don't think they qualify as top twenty EE icons.
Edit: Didn't look at the rest of the thread before listing mine. Interesting and valid points on Shirley. I did consider Nick Cotton but the acting was so atrocious I couldn't do it!
His story wasn't an exit for Dexter though... not even Ava's. Ava randomly got a new job in Newcastle at the same time as Sam's exit. Dexter stayed for about a year afterwards chasing Nancy who never was on the square until his parents left.
Sharon Watts
Cindy Beale
Phil Mitchell
Pauline Fowler
Pat Butcher
Den Watts
Dot Cotton
Ronnie Mitchell
Nick Cotton
Peggy Mitchell
Stacey Slater
Ian Beale
Carol Jackson
Michelle Fowler
Bianca Jackson
Kat Slater
David Wicks
Ethel Skinner
Tracey
Den Watts
Angie Watts
Sharon Watts
Phil Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Pat Butcher
Frank Butcher
Janine Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Bianca Butcher
Pauline Fowler
Mark Fowler
Michelle Fowler
Arthur Folwer
Sonia Jackson
Tiffany Mitchell
Dot Cotton
Stacey Slater
Kat Slater
Kat and Alfie and Pat and Frank.
Also
Peggy
Dot
Janine
Phil
Ian
Sharon
I was never a fan of Den and Angie, couldn't stand them!
Kathy Beale
Cindy Beale
Pauline Fowler
Dot Cotton
Nick Cotton
Kat Moon
Stacey Fowler
Little Mo Slater
Phil Mitchell
Ronnie Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Grant Mitchell
Angie Watts
Den Watts
Sharon Mitchell
Frank Butcher
Pat Evans
Bianca Butcher
Ethel Skinner
I've picked my 20 for a variety of reasons, but all of the above are synonymous with EastEnders whether it be for their length of service, a memorable partnership or a specific storyline.
Little Mo and Ethel Skinner might not be big players in the grand scheme of EE history, but Mo's domestic abuse and Ethel's euthanasia are, in my opinion, two iconic storylines that were a big deal at the time.
Characters like Bianca come and go, but if you shout "Rickaaaaaaay" in a group situation, most people will know what you're referencing. Same as "get out of my pub!" and "You Ain't My Mother... Yes I Am!"
I think characters like Shirley Carter and, to an extent, Max Branning deserve a mention. In terms of recent history, both have been big players. And I do think that if you showed people a picture of Max or Shirley, they would know that they are characters from EE and be able to name them.
Your opinion
I did hesitate over Mick but he does seem to have become the face of EE.
Things like this are just 'list your faves' rather than actual true stats.
Even Billy Mitchell is more iconic than Shirley Carter.
But what stats define an icon? I agree that Shirley doesn't really have a place on a top 20 list of iconic characters, but she's been on the show for 10 years now, and for a show that's only been on air for 32 years, that's a sizeable chunk of time and as a character she is definitely known to a wider audience than just those that religiously watch EE.
It depends on how we are looking at it. I've often had my friends say "I look as rough as Shirley off EastEnders" or sharing photos of Shirley on Facebook and Twitter to reflect their hungover state. A lot of gay people I know LOVE Shirley and think both her and Linda Henry are fabulous.