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Victoria Louise "Vicki" Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Johnson from 2003 to 2004. The character was born in the serial, conceived in a controversial storyline about teenage pregnancy. She is the daughter of original characters Michelle Fowler and Den Watts. She was written out in 1995, after the actress who played Vicki's mother decided to leave the soap. After an 8 year absence, she was reintroduced by Executive Producer Louise Berridge in 2003 as a rebellious teenager. Her reintroduction was part of the soap's attempt to rebuild the Watts clan, a successful family, headed by Den, that featured prominently in the 1980s. Johnson quit the role in 2004. The media was generally critical about the character upon her return due to her American accent and its sudden disappearance. During the character's original stint, a storyline featuring Vicki being kidnapped was criticised due to its coincidental airing alongside the non-fictional abduction and murder of toddler James Bulger.
[edit] Creation and development[edit] Conception and childhood characterisationA character viewers saw born in the serial, the conception of Vicki Fowler in 1985 was one of the first controversial storylines featured in EastEnders since its inception in February that year, as it involved the pregnancy of a school girl, Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully). Exploiting a whodunnit angle, viewers were not initially told who the father of Michelle's baby was. Press interest in the fledgling show escalated as journalists attempted to predict who had fathered Michelle's baby. The audience finally discovered his identity in episode 66 of the programme, October 1985. The episode was written by series co-creator/script editor Tony Holland and directed by co-creator/producer Julia Smith, and was considered to be a landmark episode in the show's history. Four possible suspects were seen leaving the Square in the early half of the episode: Tony Carpenter (Oscar James), Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih), Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson) and Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). As Michelle waited by their rendezvous point a car pulled up and finally the fluffy white legs of the soap landlord's poodle Roly leapt out of a car and gave it all away: Den Watts had fathered Michelle's baby.[1] After this storyline the programme started to appear in newspaper cartoons as it moved more and more into the public mainstream.[2] Originating the role was baby Emma Henry. She played Vicki till 1988, but her parents moved to Scotland and so the role was recast to Samatha Leigh Martin, who learnt to call the actress who played her on-screen mother, Susan Tully, "Mummy Shell", and the actress who played her mum's best friend, Letitia Dean, "Daddy Sharon".[3] Tully has commented, "What's lovely about working with Samantha is that she's always happy. When it comes to work, she knows it's playing a pretend game, she knows my real name but she knows to call me 'Mummy Shell' when the cameras are running. If she isn't involved for a couple of weeks, I like to visit her at home, so she's always relaxed with me."[3] Tully worried about this when it came to filming scenes in 1989 where Vicki contracted meningitis and was hospitalised and placed in an incubator with tubes attached to her body.[3] Tully said, "[Samantha] has seen me in all kinds of situations but I didn't know how she'd cope if I cried over her".[3] At Tully's suggesttion, the BBC built a hospital room with minimal equipment and a consultant was present to make sure the BBC had the details correct and that neither the viewers or Smanatha would be too distressed.[3] Tully insisted that the child was not present when she had to film scenes of Michelle sobbing over the incubator.[3] In 1995, after 9 years on-screen and being featured in various plotlines including a kidnapping, Vicki was written out of EastEnders, moving to America with her mother.[4] [edit] Recast (2003)In 2002, Executive Producer Louise Berridge decided to reintroduce the character, 8 years after she had last appeared. Auditions were held to cast the role to a professional actor; however, auditionees were not informed which character they were auditioning for. The first audition was a group workshop of 30 auditionees, who were asked to perform improvisations. After whittling down potential actors from 500 to 4,[5] the second stage of the audition process was an interview with EastEnders' Casting Director. The auditionees were asked to perform a monologue in front of a camera and do a screen test with one of the actors already in the show, Christopher Parker, who played Spencer Moon.[6] 17-year old actress Scarlett Johnson was cast and she has commented on the audition process: "At the second audition they gave me a monologue to read, but they'd been really careful about it. They hadn't said what the character's name was, they didn't give away anything in the monologue that might tell me who I was auditioning for. So I didn't know until I got the part who I was going to be playing - I'd been guessing for ages!" When asked to comment how she felt when she realised she would be playing Vicki Fowler, a character linked to the show's early history and the daughter of two prominent original characters, Johnson said: "I felt very honoured, but it was quite scary. I knew there'd be a lot of people out there with expectations of what she'd be like. But it's good fun actually. It means you don't have to introduce yourself to everyone. You can really play with that [...] My family are EastEnders addicts, we've watched it our whole lives. I remember the first Vicki, I remember Michelle and I definitely remember Dirty Den! My knowledge of the show really helped a lot, because I didn't have to do any research into the character. When I joined the show, I felt like I was meeting the actors for a second time. I'd already met them in my home on TV, then I had to actually meet them in real life!"[6] The character made her reappearance in January 2003, turning up unexpectedly at her grandmother Pauline's (Wendy Richard) house.[4] To signify the character's 8 years living in America, Johnson was required to use an American accent while playing Vicki. She was given a voice coach and a sheet of American phrases that she would practice weekly. She commented, "It is hard work, but it's becoming second nature now. As soon as I know that I'm Vicki, the accent just comes with it."[6] However, after 6 months in the role, the American accent was dropped and Vicki adopted a British one instead.[7] Johnson explained the reason for the change in 2004: "The producers knew that I had to have an American accent when I came into the show because my character had been living in America but it's not the kind of accent that you'd want to have for a long time on a show like EastEnders. It's not something that's going to fit in for a long period of time. What would have been perfect would have been to have it gradually fade out, but as you film eight episodes at a time, this would be nigh on impossible. The decision was made that in the story Vicki was coming to terms with the fact that she wanted to live in London so therefore she was going to make a conscious effort to fit in with everyone around her and blend in with London life."[8] The reintroduction of Vicki was part of producers' plan to reform the Watts family, including the resurrection of Vicki's father Den, who had been presumed dead for 14 years. Discussing working with Leslie Grantham, the actor who played Vicki's "iconic" father Den, Johnson hsaid, "I was two when he left EastEnders [in 1989] so I never witnessed the hype surrounding him. I'm very aware of the legend. How could I not be? My only concern was that he should take me seriously [and] It's been fabulous. I can't wait for our scenes to be shown. They're really edgy and no one does edgy better than Leslie. It's been a massive challenge but I think the results are incredibly hard- hitting. EastEnders is becoming more like a serial drama than a soap. It's so well-written."[5] [edit] PersonalityVicki has been described as a "little madam" and a rebel.[5][9] An EastEnders source commented, "Vicki has inherited a lot of her dad Den's traits - she is going to be a right handful".[4] Johnson has said, "Everyone loves to hate her, but I rather like that. I'd be more upset if she was nondescript. At least I provoke a passionate response in people. It's great being a bad girl."[5] [edit] Exit (2004)In August 2004, the BBC announced that Johnson had decided to quit her role as Vicki.[10] She commented, "I've had a really good two years, enjoyed all the experiences but it's time to move on".[10] A spokesman for the soap said, "It’s her decision to go. We’d like to thank her for all her fantastic work and wish her the very best of luck."[11] Johnson filmed her final scenes in October and her departure coincided with that of Vicki's half-sister, Sharon (Letitia Dean).[10] Vicki departed on the Christmas Day episode of 2004. 12.3 million viewers watched the episodes that involved the Watts family's disbandment.[12] Media reports claimed that there were plans to bring Vicki back again the following year, played by a new actress; however, this proved to be false.[13] [edit] StorylinesSixteen year old Michelle Fowler got pregnant with Vicki in 1985 after a one night stand with her best friend Sharon's father, Den Watts. Vicki is born in 1986 and Den is allowed to hold her for a minute on the day she is born, but then he and Michelle decide it is best that he doesn't have any contact with them in case anyone guesses he is the father. Michelle raises Vicki as a single parent while Den provides for them in secret until February 1989 when he is shot and presumed dead. Vicki survives meningitis in 1989 and a kidnapping in 1993 when a woman named Audrey Whittingham steals her from outside her school. A national police investigation is launched and Vicki is returned home safely. In October 1995, when Vicki is nine years old, she and her mother relocate to Florida, USA. Vicki returns to Walford in February 2003 when she runs away from home. She has been rowing regularly with Michelle and it is eventually decided that she can stay in Walford. After clashing with her grandmother Pauline, Vicki moves in with Den's adopted daughter, Sharon. Manipulative and mischievous, Vicki does as she pleases and discovers that Den had fathered a third child, Dennis Rickman, and persuades her new brother to move to Walford. Vicki becomes pregnant by Spencer Moon. Believing she is infertile, Sharon offers Vicki £10,000 to have the baby so she could bring it up as her own. Spencer has decided he wants to be a father but Vicki terminates her pregnancy. Vicki is overjoyed to find out from her brother that Den, who she thought was killed 14 years ago, is alive and living in Spain. Sharon refuses to entertain this notion, so Vicki brings him back to the Square to reunite with his family. Vicki is horrified to discover that Sharon and Dennis have started a romantic relationship. Even though Sharon and Dennis are not biologically related, Vicki cannot accept it and rebels by dating Ash Ferreira for a while. This soon ends when he realises that she is using him to get at her siblings. Eventually, Vicki and Den's objections take their toll on Sharon and Dennis and they end their relationship. In 2004, Vicki starts a relationship with her college lecturer, Tommy Grant who is 46 years old - 28 years her senior. Her family are outraged, particularly her stepmother Chrissie Watts. Tommy feigns love for Vicki, and there is even talk about them leaving Walford to go travelling together. Chrissie knows that Tommy cannot be trusted so she sets about seducing him, with the hope that he will respond and show his true colours. Tommy takes the bait and after a brief kiss, Chrissie strips him naked in the toilets of The Queen Victoria, on the promise that she will soon join him. However, she steals his clothes and then forces Vicki to see him for the lying cheat that he is. Vicki is humiliated, devastated and furious with Chrissie, but eventually realises that she had her best interests at heart. During a family meal on Christmas Day 2004, Sharon and Dennis reveal that they have resumed their romantic relationship, only for Dennis's girlfriend Zoe Slater to announce that she is pregnant. Sharon decides to go to America alone, as Dennis is persuaded to stay with Zoe. Den goes to talk to Sharon alone, trying to persuade her to stay. During the conversation, he reveals he does not love Vicki as much as he does Sharon. However, Vicki overhears and decides she cannot remain living with a father who does not love her as much as her sister. She decides to return to her mother in America. [edit] ReceptionAccording to author Hilary Kingsley, the scenes in EastEnders' early years that showed toddler Vicki "chattering happily" with the baby actor who played her uncle Martin (Jon Peyton Price)" were favourites with viewers.[3] EastEnders was criticised in 1993 for featuring a storyline about child abduction at an inappropriate time. In the storyline, 6-year old Vicki was abducted leaving Michelle frantic with worry. However, in what has been described as a "coincidence of ill-timing", the storyline was screened at the same time as the real life abduction and murder of a 2 year old boy, James Bulger. The BBC was forced to transmit a health warning prior to the airing of the episodes, giving the outcome of the storyline, that it would be "resolved positively".[14] Additionally, in the book, Social Issues in Television, a senior, nameless script editor explained how in his opinion, the abduction storyline sought to engage the audience at the expense of realistic concerns of any parent: "We get it wrong when we take the easy route like the kidnap snatch with Vicky. My argument about this was that I am a father but have never had my kids snatched. If i'm just sitting at home and my children are out late at night and they say they're going to be back at midnight and they don't come back, you immediately think they're dead and you start to worry. If they'd actually been snatched, it would have affected my entire life forever. I would never have recovered from it. I would have been frightened every time one of them left my side. Therefore the consequence of running a storyline like that is immense. If we were being totally responsible about it the fallout on Michelle would have been, well I just don't think she would have been the same person again." The character received media criticism due to her American accent upon her reintroduction in 2003.[5] Johnson said, "I knew that would happen because I'm the only character who speaks differently. I haven't taken any of that to heart."[5] However, when the accent was altered from American to British, this received criticism too with Ian Hyland from the Daily Mirror describing it as "hilarious" and branding the character "Go Away Again Vicki".[15] He added, "Presumably the producers decided the reason viewers found her so annoying was her whiny American voice. Try again, guys."[16] A proportion of viewers responded negatively when Vicki was shown to have an abortion. Johnson claims she received abusive letters from fans of the show and that she was stopped in the street twice by older women who told her "it was quite wrong [...] to have got rid of the baby." She added, "I found that awkward at the time. But, gradually, I came to realise it was rather flattering. Those women believed in my character so completely they forgot she wasn't real. So now I think I must have been doing a good job."[5] [edit] References
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