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EE: Why was Mark Fowler killed off?


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Old 25-11-2011, 14:34
Pink Kitten
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I may be wrong so correct me if i am, but i remember reading that Mark Fowler was killed off because they felt the character had ran his course and that they had shown Mark living with HIV for so long that it was time for him to succumb to it. I found this a bit weird though because HIV isnt tsn't like that at all and in this day and age life expectency is hardly reduced with the right medication. Seems like it sent out the wrong message about HIV, he died within about 12 years of having it didnt he?
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Old 25-11-2011, 14:39
Suitcase Berao
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I may be wrong so correct me if i am, but i remember reading that Mark Fowler was killed off because they felt the character had ran his course and that they had shown Mark living with HIV for so long that it was time for him to succumb to it. I found this a bit weird though because HIV isnt tsn't like that at all and in this day and age life expectency is hardly reduced with the right medication. Seems like it sent out the wrong message about HIV, he died within about 12 years of having it didnt he?
You answered your question in your own post. The character had simply ran its course.
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Old 25-11-2011, 14:40
MrMarple
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Maybe they finally realised that Todd Carty couldn't act?!?!


Although I do think he should have died on-screen.
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Old 25-11-2011, 14:45
Pink Kitten
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You answered your question in your own post. The character had simply ran its course.
Oh yeah Just don't see why they had to kill him considering the death toll in the fowler/beales was high enough!
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Old 25-11-2011, 14:54
tands
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Mark Fowler was an average character, who ran his course. I have to say that his last scenes with Pauline were very poignant, well written, with some of the finest acting I'd seen from both Todd Carty and Wendy Richards..
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Old 25-11-2011, 14:55
NeutronstarNeko
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I may be wrong so correct me if i am, but i remember reading that Mark Fowler was killed off because they felt the character had ran his course and that they had shown Mark living with HIV for so long that it was time for him to succumb to it. I found this a bit weird though because HIV isnt tsn't like that at all and in this day and age life expectency is hardly reduced with the right medication. Seems like it sent out the wrong message about HIV, he died within about 12 years of having it didnt he?
Mark was diagnosed over 20 years ago, if you are diagnosed today and start on all the anti-virals then yes you can hope to live a normal natural life expectancy (albeit with horrible side effects from the drugs) but that was never on the cards for Mark as far as I could see it.

I wonder how many people who were diagnosed HIV+ in 89/90 are still alive today?
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Old 25-11-2011, 15:06
The Queen Vic
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I think it was actually a very good exit for the character, and remained very true. It also provided one of my favourite scenes of that year, with Wendy Richard showing that she was so much more than just the stereotypical battleaxe - she actually made me cry! I didn't think Todd Carty was a bad actor, I just found Mark very boring as a character which may have been down to the storylines, I don't know.

Either way, a very poignant exit for the character and if ever he was to leave, it needed to be that way considering he had been included in one of the biggest storylines in the show's history.
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Old 25-11-2011, 15:12
Harlowe
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I think he was axed by Louise Berridge as they felt he had 'run his course' its a shame as I thought he was a good character and that was the start of the downfall of the Fowlers.
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Old 25-11-2011, 15:18
The Rhydler
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I think the attempted 'rape' by Mark on Lisa went beyond the pale.
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Old 25-11-2011, 15:25
Too Close
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Eastenders have a habit killing off long term characters, no wonder half the cast are new they hardly has any past characters now!
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Old 25-11-2011, 16:08
Lady Voldemort
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In the show, Mark's body started rejecting the drugs and he left so his family wouldn't have to watch him die.

In reality, at least we didn't have another Michelle running joke, living away from the Square yet utterly incapable of attending any major family events because they were constantly suffering broken legs, major upsets, a sniffle...
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Old 25-11-2011, 16:16
priscilla
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because all he did was cry that he never got the girl he wanted he didnt have storylines that could continue but maybe we should of seen him go through the illness rather than riding off with his motorbike into the distance
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Old 25-11-2011, 18:19
bumpandgrind
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The way they handled his HIV over the last 6 months on screen was atrocious. He was told only a year previously that his drugs were working and that there was no reason why he wouldn't live a long life into his 60s or 70s. Then the producer decides he's run his course and they kill him off.

His story from the off-set was meant to be a true-life depiction of someone living with the virus. As others have mentioned on this thread there are several drugs now on offer which means the vast majority of HIV sufferers live normal lives - a friend of mine is a Dr and said if given the choice of having HIV or Cancer it would be HIV every time (weird convo I know) mainly because has a much higher success rate in terms of treatment than cancer.

I wish they had continued to show Mark living a healthy normal life, and if they felt the need to kill him off, have it non-HIV related, or just have him move away.
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Old 25-11-2011, 18:51
corriegirl1972
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I know he had HIV and forgive me if I am remembering this wrong but did he not actually get Cancer but died of Pneumonia?

I feel the scriptwriters did not want another Michelle who never came back no matter how important the occasion. It was a bit unrealistic. I don't think Michelle's character even came back for her mums funeral did she?
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:10
MelSingleton
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Mark was diagnosed over 20 years ago, if you are diagnosed today and start on all the anti-virals then yes you can hope to live a normal natural life expectancy (albeit with horrible side effects from the drugs) but that was never on the cards for Mark as far as I could see it.

I wonder how many people who were diagnosed HIV+ in 89/90 are still alive today?
I know someone who was positive pre-1990 and still doing fine today.

I don't think it is unheard-of by any means.

I had watched a lot of Mark in EE but had stopped watching by the time he left. I agree the character had run his course and it is a soap - they'll take the most dramatic route so you can understand why they had him die. But in my opinion if you're going to do the storyline and then have him die - show it on screen!
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:13
MelSingleton
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I know he had HIV and forgive me if I am remembering this wrong but did he not actually get Cancer but died of Pneumonia?
Yes, well those *are* the things that people with HIV/AIDS frequently die from. HIV/AIDS destroys the immune system, leading to cancer, pneumonia, etc.
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:16
EastEndFan05
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I didn't like how they had him die off screen. They started the HIV storyline and should have finished it on screen. Saying that, his final scenes were brilliant. Wendy Richard did her best acting in those scenes imo.
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:18
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Speaking of characters who've run their course, why is Billy Mitchell still there?
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:23
sorcha_healy27
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I think the attempted 'rape' by Mark on Lisa went beyond the pale.
had totally forgotten that
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Old 25-11-2011, 19:27
_Orber_
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Todd Carty was treated with such disrespect by EastEnders after all the time he spent on the show. He was TUCKER for crying out loud

BBC suck at times
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Old 25-11-2011, 20:28
emma daily
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I wonder how many people who were diagnosed HIV+ in 89/90 are still alive today?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ositive_people
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Old 25-11-2011, 20:33
boshealecta
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I just feel they let down the writers who devised the initial storyline by having him ride off on his motorbike. They stuck with the storyline of Mark living with HIV and to end it the way they did was a diservice to everyone involved
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Old 25-11-2011, 21:03
WeatherfieldWil
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Well if EE is anything to go by, Mark faked his death for grassing on drug dealers and he comes back to the square with Cindy Beale in toll
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Old 26-11-2011, 09:26
NeutronstarNeko
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not really what I was wondering but interesting list
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Old 26-11-2011, 09:57
AngelicPrincess
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I didn't like how they had him die off screen. They started the HIV storyline and should have finished it on screen. Saying that, his final scenes were brilliant. Wendy Richard did her best acting in those scenes imo.
For me it was the 4 hander scene with Sharon/Mark and the subsequent scenes between the 2 I loved. They both had crushes on one another as kids. I would never want them to get together but there was a very big different time, different place vibe between them. I loved it when 2 episodes later Sharon told Mark she loved him. Really understated and totally never explained. And I would never want it explained. Only time I loved Todd Carty more was when he was with Gill when she died.
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