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Is Ian Beale a popular character or not?


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Old 14-01-2010, 09:22
milmol
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I really dont like Ian Beale,... to me he is a selfish, heartless individual who snivellingly (word?!)vows to change each and every time he stands to lose his family yet within days reverts to type....

BUT I keep getting the impression (can't pin down from where, just generally) that we (the viewer) are supposed to sympathise with the character,... things always turn out right for him in the end... and also on here that Ian is some kind of legend by virtue of him having been in the show since day 1.

Am I alone (and terrible!) in wishing Jane would just have left him once and for all? ... or something terrible befell his business dealings...
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Old 14-01-2010, 09:32
Topolino
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Jack Branning, that's who is popular.

Roxie's bf was popular either but his character was killed off last Christmas. I can't even recall his name now.
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Old 14-01-2010, 09:45
lily.xo
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I can't stand him either. I think unless the writers start making him more human then the viewers are just going to hate him which is a shame for such an old, well known character.
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Old 14-01-2010, 09:52
asyousay
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He is somebody i think you are meant to love and hate. He can be horrible but he can be sweet sometimes, its a mixed bag with Ian.
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Old 14-01-2010, 09:55
BigBHM
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I think the 'landing on his feet' thing is linked to the fact that he is an original cast member - it seems to be something of a special 'prize' for soap.
I am positive they are just trying to hold on to him as Corrie did with William whats-his-face (Ken B).
I am not sure we are meant to really like Ian as such, I think we are meant to be aware he is a snivelling little wimp who takes every opportunity to laud it over people he sees as 'below' him - and as there are not many that is exaggerated when it happens.
He is well played by Adam though it has to be said - my dad had met Adam MANY times - having worked at a Branch of a BMW sales firm that Adam used. My dad said that Adam is a really nice and 'normal' person, yet my dad was a passionate hater of Ian Beale.
I would like to see Ian really suffer for a while - lose his businesses, lose his home, his family and be stuck having to rely on someone like Heather for charity and support. He can build his way back up to self support again, but not as a businessman. Maybe we would have a more humble Ian Beale that way.
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Old 14-01-2010, 09:58
lordOfTime
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Well not really. He's been through bankruptcy before and ultimately it didn't change him at all. Mr Beale is what he is.
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:02
asyousay
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The only thing i have never gotten about him is .....


How in the world does he get woman to marry him ? i never understand how woman date him , let alone walk down the isle with him.
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:02
BigBHM
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Well not really. He's been through bankruptcy before and ultimately it didn't change him at all. Mr Beale is what he is.
Yes, but he did have a rather large 'safety net' at the time - he cheated his way to being able to stay within his businesses and remained somehow in control because he still had his family and home.

I am talking about a COMPLETE loss of everything he 'owns' - THAT would shake him up.
Yes, I am sure that somewhere down the line his ways would return, as it is his character, but it would take a very long time.
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:28
Iphigenia
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I get cross with myself over Ian. He's a toadying, snivelling, deeply un-sexy worm. He's horrid to his kids, cheats his partners, wives and lovers, is a bully and a coward. When he's snivelling to Jane that he's sorry AGAIN (EE really does get through the snot, doesn't it?) I just wish she'd hit with the frying pan
but
when it eventually looks as though he's going to be crushed for ever, I keep hoping he won't be. Of course, I keep hoping he'll learn This Time and become a respectable human being.....
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:31
Dr K Noisewater
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Ian Beale is and EastEnders legend and one of the best characters in the shows history. You are meant to love and hate him as although he can be nasty, selfish and snobby he does have a much nicer caring side which you could see when Kathy was around and when he interacts with the likes of Dot and Pat. And his unpleasant side does have its limits he's not like your proper baddie like Archie. And Adam W plays the role perfectly and has remained very loyal to the show and will probably still be around in many years to come.
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:32
samj_namesake
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I get cross with myself over Ian. He's a toadying, snivelling, deeply un-sexy worm. He's horrid to his kids, cheats his partners, wives and lovers, is a bully and a coward. When he's snivelling to Jane that he's sorry AGAIN (EE really does get through the snot, doesn't it?) I just wish she'd hit with the frying pan
but
when it eventually looks as though he's going to be crushed for ever, I keep hoping he won't be. Of course, I keep hoping he'll learn This Time and become a respectable human being.....
And in that you have summed up Ian Beale

He's a character we love to hate
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:32
when0in0rome
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I love the character. He's so aaawful its brilliant. I particularly like that there are so many people like that in real life - cowardly, slimy, snobby. (obviously i know hes an extreme).

I like that hes a long standing character... we know so much about him. i think the actor does a great job
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Old 14-01-2010, 10:57
granted08
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I think he's played really well and the character is one of the most believeable on the show
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:00
stud u like
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I don't know why they kept him on so long. A boring character who is always the same shade of grey. You can just visualise his underwear as tiresome.
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:05
galentine
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Sometimes I like Ian, sometimes he annoys me big time and I want him to get off my screen. But the main thing is, I cannot imagine Eastenders without him. I agree with others who have said that by all accounts AW is a throughly nice chap who plays snivelling Ian to perfection.
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:07
tenchgirl
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I think it depends what era you come from with EE.
I like Ian he is one of the links to a far superior bygone era.
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:13
Leeah
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Love to hate character
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:29
GloriaSnockers
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I think it was on the last episode thread the other night that I wrote something like 'I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to feel sorry for Ian Beale. He may be a weasel, but he's our weasel'.

It seems to me that it's because we've 'known' him for so long that we're all pretty certain he's not capable of what he's about to find himself accused of, and that despite his regular fits of 'me first' and unpleasantness, we know that he was manipulated into his current situation by people far nastier than he is. I don't think any of us likes to see an injustice done.

Yes, he can be a selfish git, but he's the selfish git who saw to it that Whitney had a birthday cake, for no other reason than that he knew the family were going through a hard time. He's not all weasel
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:37
SproglysMum
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I love Ian. I think he is a fundamentally decent bloke, much more so than Phil Mitchell who really is just a downright unpleasant and thuggish bully.

Ian cares deeply about his family and his children. (Unlike Phil, who just bleats on about "famlee" and then treats them like something he wiped off his shoe.) He looked after Steven as his own all those years. He may have made mistakes, but who doesn't?

Ian also works very hard to support his family. Coming back from his bankruptcy and regaining the status he had before is something to be admired, not denigrated. He didn't sit around moping - he got on with it.

He has a surprising level of optimism, despite all his disasters. After the way Cindy treated him, it's amazing that he went on to marry again once, never mind three times!

The downside is that he is often arrogant about others, selfish at times, and he is weak when it comes to standing up to bullies like Phil and Archie. He is also weak when it comes to sex. I do feel that the writers often feel the need to bring Ian down to size, so they exaggerate this side of his character to the point where it's unbelieveable at times. But I can almost always see where he's coming from - he lies or covers things up because he doesn't want to lose people (e.g. Mel, Jane) because he genuinely loves them. He doesn't just behave like a prat for no reason (well, not usually. Hot tub incident excepted!).

He is fundamentally insecure, and tries to cover it up by being bolshie and boasting about his success. But underneath, "Captain Beale" is a soft, piglety, marshmallowy-type creature.

You know what? I'd marry him!
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Old 14-01-2010, 11:38
milmol
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Yes, but he did have a rather large 'safety net' at the time - he cheated his way to being able to stay within his businesses and remained somehow in control because he still had his family and home.

I am talking about a COMPLETE loss of everything he 'owns' - THAT would shake him up.
Yes, I am sure that somewhere down the line his ways would return, as it is his character, but it would take a very long time.
I'm with you BigBHM. I cant really even say I love to hate him, i just hate him and want him to get his comeuppance!

Agreed with all though regarding the actor he has always done a brilliant job, its just Ian I cant stand!

Still, with the views on this thread I guess the producers & directors have got it spot on - no definitive answer as to whether the character is popular or not
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Old 14-01-2010, 13:37
Uncle Fester
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2 words , " toe rag "
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Old 14-01-2010, 13:48
Stupid_Head
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Jack Branning, that's who is popular.

Roxie's bf was popular either but his character was killed off last Christmas. I can't even recall his name now.
I hope this post is a piss take. Jack Branning popular? Get ****ed.
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Old 14-01-2010, 14:14
Off_the_hook13
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I don't like Ian as a person but he's a great character.
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Old 14-01-2010, 14:49
Seamus2008
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Jack Branning, that's who is popular.

Roxie's bf was popular either but his character was killed off last Christmas. I can't even recall his name now.
Erm, Roxy's ex-husband, Sean Slater was his name, wasn't killed off at Christmas, he left on New Year's Day 08.

Getting back to the subject in hand, I really enjoy Ian Albert Beale. You know, deep-down, he is a great guy (for instance when he interacts with Pat and Dot, or when he used to do so with his mother, his gran or his aunt). I think he took what he had for granted and also became bitter as a person, that's why he's such a snobbish, cheating, snivelling selfish wimp. He can be good now and then, but it seems like it's the bad aspects of his personality that sticks in our mind.

Oh, and TBH I can't even imagine the Square without Ian!
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Old 14-01-2010, 14:53
kitkat1971
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Hving watched from day one (and being the same age as Ian, Sharon etc so effectively growing up with them) Ian is one of my favorite characters. Even when he is being nasty, he's interesting. However, I always retain sympathy for him as for the first 5 years he was a very nice, gentle lad.

Cindy created the monster we see now as she ****** with his head by firstly wanting him for money, marrying him as some sort of bizarre ultimatum to Wicksy, lying to him about being Steven's father, leavng him, coming back to him, having more affairs, trying to have him killed and finally abducting two of his children! People are made by their experiences and Ian's have led him to be very distrusting and develop a hurt them first attitude, especially with women.

I agree his real weakness is punching above his weight with women but again that is probably based on insecuity. Deep down I think he is still Kathy Beale's little boy who is a bit of a snob and has ideas above his station but is basically okay. Other than bitchy comments, when has Ian ever actually deliberately really hurt someone unlike Phil who takes pleasure in bullying people and treating them like dirt. When push comes to shove, Ian would never make someon publicly beg for money to save them from bankrupcy and then say no.
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