Viv Windsor.
characters who were spitefully killed off?
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Originally Posted by randomocity:
“Rosemary on Emmerdale. Apparantly the actress was quite difficult to work with so they wrote her out and killed her off screen. To add insult to injury, they had her coffin dug up and crushed.
Shame really as she was a brilliant character.”
“Rosemary on Emmerdale. Apparantly the actress was quite difficult to work with so they wrote her out and killed her off screen. To add insult to injury, they had her coffin dug up and crushed.
Shame really as she was a brilliant character.”
Rosemary was a great character. They did the same sort of attitude with Shadrach, Viv and Terry later on!
Andy Devine (shadrach) only wanted to have semi-early retirement - they killed him off!
Viv Windsor was in Emmerdale for MANY years (started during the plane-crash), and was wiped out in a fire with no dramatic ending at all!)
Terry was a bit of a non-character for many years, but he went by the same peril as Viv did!
And why did they kill Joe Sugden off? He was killed off-screen for no reason at all! Was it 'cos he did Doctor Who again in 1985??
Originally Posted by Rita's Kabin:
“Fred Elliott in Corrie.
Collapsed at Audrey's. The actual death was off-screen visually because all we heard was a crash before finding out Fred was dead.
It just made the production team seem small minded and petty instead of being the professionals you'd expect them to be.”
“Fred Elliott in Corrie.
Collapsed at Audrey's. The actual death was off-screen visually because all we heard was a crash before finding out Fred was dead.
It just made the production team seem small minded and petty instead of being the professionals you'd expect them to be.”
John Savident has been critical of Coronation Street since leaving, saying it's on far too frequently and, as a consequence, the production quality is not as high.
Possibly Johnny Allen too? I remember reading that the actor regretted the decision to leave before he left, but they'd already planned to kill him off.
Originally Posted by Melephunk2010:
“Emmerdale's Andy Devine (Shadrach), he only wanted to take a break from the show and he ended off being killed off.
Tom Lister was very unfairly axed by Stuart Blackburn. A complete demoliton of his character in his last month before being killed off.”
“Emmerdale's Andy Devine (Shadrach), he only wanted to take a break from the show and he ended off being killed off.
Tom Lister was very unfairly axed by Stuart Blackburn. A complete demoliton of his character in his last month before being killed off.”
There was nothing spiteful about that. He'd run his course - overrun it. He'd been nothing more than a speaking extra for years with a repetitive tedious storyline with Chas when they had to justify his existence. Unlike Jimmy he had no personality - even if Jimmy's is bumbling, he's undeniably likeable. Carl wasn't, he had no humour or sympathy.
Some oldies from Corrie …
Len Fairclough
Was killed off in an off-screen motorway accident in 1983 after Peter Adamson sold stories to the press about his fellow cast mates. Len was revealed to have been having an affair behind Rita's back to further demonise the character.
Brian Tilsley
Chris Quinten had requested an extended break to spend time in America but was refused this by the production team. Brian was duly killed off by being stabbed in an alleyway.
Ivy Tilsley
Lynne Perrie had been sacked in 1994 after her 'lip job' changed her appearance drastically which constituted breach of contract. Ivy went to live in a religious retreat and Lynne went a bit wild, releasing her biography - Secrets of the Street - which was one of the first warts-and-all books about Corrie and its cast. Granada was unhappy with Lynne's revelations and Ivy was subsequently killed off off-screen in 1995.
As others have mentioned, Ernie Bishop and Fred Eliot received similar treatment after upsetting show bosses.
Len Fairclough
Was killed off in an off-screen motorway accident in 1983 after Peter Adamson sold stories to the press about his fellow cast mates. Len was revealed to have been having an affair behind Rita's back to further demonise the character.
Brian Tilsley
Chris Quinten had requested an extended break to spend time in America but was refused this by the production team. Brian was duly killed off by being stabbed in an alleyway.
Ivy Tilsley
Lynne Perrie had been sacked in 1994 after her 'lip job' changed her appearance drastically which constituted breach of contract. Ivy went to live in a religious retreat and Lynne went a bit wild, releasing her biography - Secrets of the Street - which was one of the first warts-and-all books about Corrie and its cast. Granada was unhappy with Lynne's revelations and Ivy was subsequently killed off off-screen in 1995.
As others have mentioned, Ernie Bishop and Fred Eliot received similar treatment after upsetting show bosses.
Shaun Williamson was treated like dirt by TPTB, his character became such a oafish buffoon it must have been painful for him to read the scripts. 
How often does McFadden go on pantomime break?
But Shaun had the last laugh of course.
And his performances in Extras and Life's Too Short showed what a bloody fine actor he is.
How often does McFadden go on pantomime break?
But Shaun had the last laugh of course.
And his performances in Extras and Life's Too Short showed what a bloody fine actor he is.
I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal .
.
Originally Posted by T.K. Mazin:
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal.”
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal
.”
His acting work seems to have completely dried up.
Originally Posted by BritFlicks1:
“John Savident has been critical of Coronation Street since leaving, saying it's on far too frequently and, as a consequence, the production quality is not as high.”
“John Savident has been critical of Coronation Street since leaving, saying it's on far too frequently and, as a consequence, the production quality is not as high.”
Hed be right but it's the same for all soaps. Hated how Fred was killed off off screen. Brilliant character and deserved a much better ending
Originally Posted by T.K. Mazin:
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal.”
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal
.”
Steve Owen is probably my favourite EE character ever. His story with Saskia and Matthew was the main reason I started watching regularly. Having said that I think death was the only way for him to exit and it was some exit
Originally Posted by sarah_short:
“His acting work seems to have completely dried up.”
“His acting work seems to have completely dried up.
”
If you can call it acting.
Originally Posted by sarah_short:
“His acting work seems to have completely dried up.”
“His acting work seems to have completely dried up.
”
Yes it has, hasn't it? I remember seeing him in one episode of Hustle (I think it was) a few years ago, but that's about it. His stint at ITV pretty much killed his acting career unfortunately.
It's a shame as I thought he was a good actor. I still regard his role in the Kray Twins movie as his best performance. After watching that, I understood why EE signed him onto the show as Steve Owen was similar to his character in that movie in some ways with his connections to the gangster world.
Originally Posted by c120701:
“Julie Martin on Neighbours”
“Julie Martin on Neighbours”
I was a HUGE Neighbours fan and Julie was an amazing character. But why was she spitefully killed off? Wasn't leaving the actresses own decision?
Originally Posted by iMatt_101:
“She was not spitefully killed off...”
“She was not spitefully killed off...”
Martine found out about her sacking on the radio!
Originally Posted by adamski94:
“Yea for some reason he always hated devon it showed when he recast his character in HO”
“Yea for some reason he always hated devon it showed when he recast his character in HO”
He probably kept the grudge of how he behaved on HO
Originally Posted by Kyle123:
“I don't think the Heather one was particularly spiteful. If the actor wants to stay then it's sad, but that doesn't necessarily mean that killing off that character is a personal attack on them!”
“I don't think the Heather one was particularly spiteful. If the actor wants to stay then it's sad, but that doesn't necessarily mean that killing off that character is a personal attack on them!”
Agreed
Originally Posted by BritFlicks1:
“Gillian Taylforth maybe but Anita Dobson kept saying she would never go back. I think they killed Angie off off-screen because they got fed up asking.”
“Gillian Taylforth maybe but Anita Dobson kept saying she would never go back. I think they killed Angie off off-screen because they got fed up asking.”
I think Anita left in 1988 and was killed off in 2002, so to be fair if she did keep turning them down then they did wait quite a while...
Originally Posted by Seymour Butts:
“Steve Owen is probably my favourite EE character ever. His story with Saskia and Matthew was the main reason I started watching regularly. Having said that I think death was the only way for him to exit and it was some exit”
“Steve Owen is probably my favourite EE character ever. His story with Saskia and Matthew was the main reason I started watching regularly. Having said that I think death was the only way for him to exit and it was some exit”
He was certainly one of my favourites along with Dennis Rickman, followed closely by Grant Mitchell.
Loved Steve. I feel like Santer tried to recreate the character through Jack Branning (well at the beginning, before he came the Sperminator), and failed miserably. He had none of the smooth-talking charm, sophistication and intelligence like Steve. You can't recreate characters like him.
Agreed about the Steve/Saskia/Matthew storyline. That has to be one of EE's best storylines. A 90s classic.
Originally Posted by T.K. Mazin:
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal.”
“I know Steve Owen got blown to smithereens after Martin Kemp agreed to leave EE for ITV. This despite the actor receiving assurances that they would not kill off his character. They could've brought him back after his ITV work flopped, but unfortunately the BBC saw Kemp's move to ITV as a unforgiveable act of betrayal
.”
That's one of the few that I have some sympathy with the producers! The beeb revived his career, then he buggers off to ITV!
Originally Posted by 0...0:
“That's one of the few that I have some sympathy with the producers! The beeb revived his career, then he buggers off to ITV!”
“That's one of the few that I have some sympathy with the producers! The beeb revived his career, then he buggers off to ITV!
”
True. From the BBC's perspective, I can see why they would be pissed off a bit
. Mind you, nowadays it seems common practice for a BBC presenter or entertainer to get wooed by ITV with a bigger paycheck
. I was thinking maybe the BBC should start resorting to public hangings as a way of stopping their employees from moving to ITV .
Originally Posted by Keyser_Soze1:
“Agree with this - the biggest character in Eastenders history killed off for having a wank. Grantham himself and many other members of the cast have done far worse in the past.
A long suspension would have been far better.
Imagine Den stalking around the square now.”
“Agree with this - the biggest character in Eastenders history killed off for having a wank. Grantham himself and many other members of the cast have done far worse in the past.
A long suspension would have been far better.
Imagine Den stalking around the square now.”
Preciously!! It hardly warented sacking! After all he did serve time for Murder in the 60's/70's! But was still allowed to join the cast!
Anyway Den Watts was and still is my favourite character ever!
Originally Posted by BritFlicks1:
“John Savident has been critical of Coronation Street since leaving, saying it's on far too frequently and, as a consequence, the production quality is not as high.”
“John Savident has been critical of Coronation Street since leaving, saying it's on far too frequently and, as a consequence, the production quality is not as high.”
He's bang on. Same for the others.
Originally Posted by T.K. Mazin:
“True. From the BBC's perspective, I can see why they would be pissed off a bit.
Mind you, nowadays it seems common practice for a BBC presenter or entertainer to get wooed by ITV with a bigger paycheck. I was thinking maybe the BBC should start resorting to public hangings as a way of stopping their employees from moving to ITV .”
“True. From the BBC's perspective, I can see why they would be pissed off a bit
. Mind you, nowadays it seems common practice for a BBC presenter or entertainer to get wooed by ITV with a bigger paycheck
. I was thinking maybe the BBC should start resorting to public hangings as a way of stopping their employees from moving to ITV .”
Awww, poor Adrian Chiles
Originally Posted by 0...0:
“Awww, poor Adrian Chiles”
“Awww, poor Adrian Chiles”
I think the BBC were happy to let him go
. His presenting skills are a bit dodgy on the football shows. Though, I do like it when he pokes fun at the angry bear Roy Keane from time to time .
Originally Posted by T.K. Mazin:
“I think the BBC were happy to let him go. His presenting skills are a bit dodgy on the football shows. Though, I do like it when he pokes fun at the angry bear Roy Keane from time to time .”
“I think the BBC were happy to let him go
. His presenting skills are a bit dodgy on the football shows. Though, I do like it when he pokes fun at the angry bear Roy Keane from time to time .”
He takes his life in his hands when he does that!
Originally Posted by Creamtea:
“I was a HUGE Neighbours fan and Julie was an amazing character. But why was she spitefully killed off? Wasn't leaving the actresses own decision?”
“I was a HUGE Neighbours fan and Julie was an amazing character. But why was she spitefully killed off? Wasn't leaving the actresses own decision?”
From an interview with Julie's portrayer Julie Mullins...
Q. What led to your departure from the series in 1994?
A. I resigned. They weren't happy, which is why they decided to kill me off.
The full interview is here http://perfectblend.net/features/interview-mullins.htm and it is very interesting, talking about Julie's sexy school girl seduction scene that caused the entire episode to be banned in the UK, and the Lim family racism storyline.
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