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Dr. Tanya A. Mayfield, M.D. - Pediatrics, St. Jude Heritage Medical Group sjhmg.com | Tanya A. Atagi, MD | Services | Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) atagimd.com |
Tanya Branning (née Cross) is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and is expected to return in 2010.
Creation and developmentIn early reports of the character's arrival, her name was spelt Tania. This was later changed on the official BBC website.[1][2][3] Joyner originally turned down the role as she had doubts over whether she could work in a soap opera.[4] Also, having worked quietly and successfully in the industry for eight years, Joyner wasn't sure if she would be comfortable with the level of fame being on EastEnders would bring her.[3] During the affair storyline between Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Tanya's husband Max (Jake Wood), Joyner did not read any parts of the EastEnders scripts other than her own. This was because she felt her acting improved by not knowing what the character of Max did behind her character's back, and because she felt that she could better justify to herself why Tanya would not suspect Max of cheating if she in reality did not know what he was getting up to.[3] In a July 2008 interview with the Sunday People Joyner revealed that she was disappointed that Tanya's wild side and past hadn't been explored more in the aftermath of her character burying Max alive, saying that after these events she had hoped the character would just "go mad".[citation needed] Producers then revealed that Tanya would once again be the centre of one of the year's major storylines, though kept details of this under wraps.[citation needed] Despite countless award nominations and wins for her role as Tanya, as well as being at the forefront of the action in Albert Square for the past year,[when?] Joyner said that she really does not feel like she has made much of an impact on EastEnders.[citation needed] Joyner temporarily left the show in December 2009 for maternity leave.[5] Her departure was facilitated through a storyline in which Max hid financial problems from the family and Tanya left him. The show's executive producer Diederick Santer revealed that some planned storyline material for Max and Tanya was put on hold until Tanya's return from maternity leave.[6] StorylinesBackstoryBefore appearing on screen, Tanya grew up on a council estate, dabbling with drugs and alcohol and falling pregnant by Max Branning at eighteen. She became estranged from both her parents and from her sister Rainie, with Rainie going on to become a drug-addicted prostitute. Max left his wife Rachel (Sukie Smith/Pooky Quesnel) and six-year-old son Bradley (Charlie Clements) to be with Tanya. Their daughter Lauren (Madeline Duggan) was born in March 1994, and they married in August 1994. She and Max also have a daughter called Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) who was born in 1996. 2006–2009Tanya arrives in Albert Square to collect her husband after his car breaks down, unaware that he is visiting his family in Walford. She stays, despite finding out that Max is having an affair with a woman named Gemma Clewes (Natalie J. Robb). To make it up to her, Max buys Tanya her own salon, which she names Booty. Tanya is unaware that Max has embarked on an affair with Bradley's ex-girlfriend, Stacey Slater, but she begins to grow suspicious of his strange behaviour. Max persuades Tanya to have another baby she becomes pregnant. At Peggy Mitchell's (Barbara Windsor) birthday party, Tanya gets into a fight with Stacey until Max and Stacey's brother Sean (Robert Kazinsky) break them up. Sean kisses Tanya but she stops him, thinking of her marriage. Max breaks off his affair with Stacey and temporarily relocates his family to Spain. During their absence, Stacey and Bradley become engaged, and Tanya is delighted to welcome Stacey into the family. She receives a visit from Rainie, who claims that she is off drugs. Tanya gives her a choice between taking some money or staying and getting help for her addiction. Rainie takes the money and leaves. Sean uncovers Max and Stacey's affair when he sees them together but does not tell Tanya. He asks her to leave Walford with him, and Tanya says if she were not married then she might. Tanya gives birth to Oscar. Relations between her and Max temporarily improve, until on Christmas Day, Bradley and Stacey's wedding video is played, showing footage of Max kissing Stacey. Tanya is horrified and tells Max to leave, demanding a divorce. Rainie returns, saying she has given up drugs, and returns Tanya's money. Max calls social services Tanya tries to prove to Max that Rainie is clean by having her take a drugs test, but it shows she is taking cannabis. Tanya orders her to leave. She begins a relationship with Sean, and plots with him to get revenge on Max. She drugs him, and she and Sean buried him alive, however, she feels guilty and digs him back up. They fight, but eventually share their feelings, and Max decides to leave to give Tanya time to recover. Tanya breaks up with Sean, telling him she was using him all along. Tanya begins a relationship with Max's brother, Jack (Scott Maslen). Max returns and is furious with the development and tries to separate them. Max is abducted and beaten by Jack, and Tanya takes pity on him and they kiss. Max is run down in a deliberate hit-and-run. Tanya admits to the police that she tried to kill Max, however Lauren was the true culprit. Tanya ends her relationship with Jack. During Tanya's hearing, Lauren tells Max that she had attempted to kill him but Max and Tanya agree she can't go to prison. Lauren hands herself, Tanya is released and Lauren is taken into care. Tanya is tried for perverting the course of justice and is given a suspended sentence. On the day of Lauren's trial, Tanya and Max kiss even though their divorce has become final. He tries to get back with her again, but she wants to concentrate with taking care of Lauren and encourages him to meet someone else. She later admits to her friends that she is still in love with him. Tanya invites Max over intending to sleep with him. Max, wanting a proper and long-term relationship, persuades Tanya to make another go of their marriage and they start secret relationship. Abi later overhears them talking and tells Lauren they are back together. Tanya lets Max move back in. Lauren then finds an earring in Max's car that belongs to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), which she lost after she and her brother Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) took a joyride in the car. Lauren gives the earring to Tanya, knowing it belongs to someone else, thinking Max is having another affair. Lauren then discovers the truth from Whitney and tells her mother the earring was a present to her from her boyfriend Peter Beale (Thomas Law). Tanya and her friend Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) decide to swap lives for a week due to their respective husbands rowing over their children. Tanya lives with Jane's husband Ian (Adam Woodyatt) and finds a pack of condoms belonging to Peter. After another argument, Max ends the swap. When Jane leaves Ian, he asks Tanya for a makeover. He misunderstands her and flirts with her, resulting in her throwing wine over him. With just 2 weeks until Christmas, Tanya starts to do some Christmas shopping, however when she returns home she finds debt collectors in her house collecting all of her and Max's assets and discovers that Max has been hiding the family's financial problems from her. She realises that she cannot trust him anymore after discovering that Booty was to close down, packs her bags and drives out of Walford with Lauren and Oscar, leaving Abi behind after she refuses to leave Max. On Christmas Day, Max phones Tanya and she comes back to take Abi with her. ReceptionJoyner won the 'Most Popular Actress' award at the Digital Spy Soap Awards in 2008 for the part of Tanya[7] and also went on to win 'Best Dramatic Performance' at the 2008 British Soap Awards and made the final four in the 'Best Actress' category. She has also received countless other nominations. The character has been pivotal in the transformation of EastEnders. Christmas Day 2007 saw Tanya discover husband Max and step daughter in law Stacey's affair, and was watched by 14.3 million viewers: the highest rated EastEnders episode in three years and the highest rated television broadcast of 2007.[citation needed] In March 2008 11.7 million viewers watched Tanya bury husband Max alive.[citation needed] This was the most watched EastEnders episode of 2008 and, even though the episode received over 600 complaints, the storyline has received countless award nominations.[citation needed] It is also one of the highest rated broadcasts of 2008 beaten only by the Britain's Got Talent finale and an episode of Coronation Street in which popular character Vera Duckworth died.[citation needed] The UK communications regulator Ofcom later found that the episodes depicting the storyline were in breach of the 2005 Broadcasting Code. They contravened the rules regarding protection of children by appropriate scheduling, appropriate depiction of violence before the 9 p.m. watershed and appropriate depiction of potentially offensive content.[8] References
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