Dr Al Jenkins is a fictional character from the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'', played by

Adam Croasdell Adam Croasdell (born July 10) is a Zimbabwean-born British actor. He played the role of Dr. Al Jenkins (EastEnders), Al Jenkins on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and has appeared on shows such as ''Blood of Zeus'', ''Castlevania (TV series), ...

. He first appeared on 1 May 2009. It was announced on 26 November 2009 that the character would leave the soap in early 2010. His final appearance was on 4 February 2010.

Creation and development

Adam Croasdell Photo Op GalaxyCon Raleigh 2019

Introduced in May 2009 by executive producer

Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...

, Al Jenkins follows on from Doctors

Harold Legg Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as ...

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Leonard Fenton Leonard Fenton (; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was an English actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''. Early life Fenton was born Leonard FinesteinFred Fonseca (

Jimi Mistry James Patrick Mistry (born 20 March 1973) is a retired British actor. He is known for appearing in numerous films such as '' East Is East'' (1999), '' The Guru'' (2002), '' Touch of Pink'' (2004), ''Ella Enchanted'' (2004), '' The Truth About L ...

), Jonathan Leroy (Ivan Kaye),

Anthony Trueman Dr. Anthony Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nicholas Bailey. He made his first appearance in the episode broadcast on 11 December 2000 and left in 11 July 2003 but returned in 2004 and 2005 for b ...

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Nicholas Bailey Nicholas Richard Bailey (born 5 July 1971 in Birmingham) is a British actor, best known for his role as Anthony Trueman in the soap opera ''EastEnders''.Thwaite, Emily (2008)Breakfast with Mugabe, ''The Gazette'', 20 February 2008, retrieved ...

), Oliver Cousins ( Tom Ellis) and

May Wright Dr. May Wright (often referred to by the media as "Mad May") is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Amanda Drew. May appears in the series between 25 September 2006 and 25 June 2007, and again between 6 and 1 ...

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Amanda Drew Amanda Drew (born 21 December 1969) is a British actress from Boston, England, with extensive credits in theatre, television and film. Biography One of four children, Drew was born in Boston. Drew's mother was a nurse and her father was a vicar ...

) as the soap's resident

General Practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

. Actor Adam Croasdell was cast in the role, commenting, "It is my first soap and I'm really pleased to be in it — it's such a British institution. It's a real honour to be a part of it and it's a whole other skillset to what I've done before. I'm used to getting several takes if I need it, and this is like two takes and you move on. You have to be so on the ball when they call "Action" ..I am so impressed with the writing, the dramatic tension and the array of brilliant characters. I'm a huge fan now and I'm not just saying that." He added: "With the leaving of

Robert Kazinsky Robert John Appleby (born 18 November 1983), known professionally as Robert Kazinsky, is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Casper Rose in the Sky One drama '' Dream Team'' (2005–2006) and Sean Slater in the BBC soap opera ''East ...

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Sean Slater Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Robert Kazinsky, he made his first appearance on 22 August 2006. Sean's existence was revealed on 9 December 2005 when his sister Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) ...

), I'm feeling the pressure if I've been hired to step into his shoes! You hope that your storylines are going to be a little bit more than for flesh-fodder, but it's all good." Al is described as "a big kid nd afree spirit". Croasdell said of his character: "He's outdoorsy, a good doctor and generally nice — but not too nice. He's also domestically useless. He's not a butter-wouldn't-melt sort of a man. He can also be selfish." He also stated that " ls certainly got his flaws and is quite edgy at times. He's not all sweetness and light." Croasdell went on to say that "he's a bit of a surfer ndI think he slightly resents being back for those reasons because he's quite outdoorsy, but his mum comes first. He's come to set up and make a life for himself back at his origins.

e's is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and drawn by Satoru Yuiga. It was originally serialized in '' Monthly GFantasy'' from 1997 through 2005, and later published in 16 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Square Enix from March 18, 2003, to Febr ...

single and he likes to mingle! On 26 November 2009 it was announced that Croasdell would leave the show in 2010 in order to embark on a charity visit to

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

. He stated: "I have worked with and befriended a lot of fantastic actors while I have been at ''EastEnders''. I am very grateful for my time on the show and all the support shown to me to me by the wonderful viewers who have followed my storylines and been so supportive. I see it as a chapter in my ongoing work as an actor – as I am always interested in new challenges, so I am looking forward to future projects."

Storylines

Backstory

Al grew up in

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...

and knew

Dot Cotton Dorothy "Dot" Cotton (also Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in f ...

(

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside ...

) when he was a boy. Prior to moving back to Walford he lived in

Ilfracombe Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs. The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay towar ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

but came to Walford to visit his mother, who has

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

, and to take over the doctor's surgery from Dr. Poppy Merritt (Amy Darcy).

2009–2010

Al arrives on 1 May 2009, and meets

Heather Trott Heather Trott (also Peterson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Cheryl Fergison. She made her first appearance on 26 June 2007. The character was introduced as a guest character, but later became a regu ...

(

Cheryl Fergison Cheryl El Jamouni (born 27 August 1965), known professionally as Cheryl Fergison, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role in which she starred in from 2007 until ...

), who tells him her problems, despite him being off-duty. He is the first person to learn that she is pregnant, and they become friends, with Al reassuring Heather about her new status as a mother. Several female locals comment on his looks, and

Tanya Branning Tanya Branning (also Cross and Jessop) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. Joyner left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity le ...

(

Jo Joyner Joanne Mary Joyner (born 24 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Mandy Carter in the Channel 4 school drama '' Ackley Bridge''. From 2018, she has starred as Lue ...

) accidentally spills coffee on him, prompting him to ask her out. After several drinks on different occasions in

The Queen Victoria ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

, Al invites Tanya to lunch at Fargo's restaurant. Tanya's ex-husband

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and Nov ...

(

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is a British actor and podcaster from Westminster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' a ...

) overhears this and asks his son,

Bradley Branning Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010 after he was killed-off in the show's ...

(

Charlie Clements Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance. Early li ...

), to go to the restaurant and spy on them. After an awkward date, Al ends their brief relationship and starts dating

Roxy Mitchell Roxy Mitchell (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rita Simons.Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer. After beginning her career as a member of the short-lived girl group Girls@Play, she became best known for portraying the role of Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''Ea ...

), and soon realises he has feelings for her. In October 2009,

Jean Slater Jean Slater (also Walters) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduced f ...

(

Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 7 December 1959) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won numerous awards. She previously worked as a drama teacher and a th ...

) approaches Al and asks him to section her mentally unstable daughter, Stacey (

Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She gained prominence in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a role she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014 an ...

). When Stacey comes home, Al is waiting with two colleagues and two police officers. Al formally declares Stacey's sectioning to her, and she is taken away by the police. He DJ's the dance contest for

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

and

Chelsea Fox Chelsea Fox (also Atkins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010, and then Zaraah Abrahams from 2020 onwards. Benjamin was cast in the role and she left her role in the ''Harr ...

(

Tiana Benjamin Tiana Opium Benjamin (born 5 October 1984) is an English actress, known for originally playing Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Benjamin trained at the Anna Scher Theatre in London. In 2005, she made an appearance in ...

) invites him as her date to her parents Denise (

Diane Parish Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. A graduate of the Royal Academy of D ...

) and

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, or the Lucas, a 19th-century African-American singing group * Lucas, a 1960s Swedish pop group formed by Janne Lucas Perss ...

' (

Don Gilet Don Gilet (born 17 January 1967) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as DS Nicky Cole in ''55 Degrees North'', DI Mervin Wilson in ''Death in Paradise'', Lucas Johnson in ''EastEnders'', and Jesse Law in ''Holby City''. Early ...

) wedding. Al reluctantly accepts her invitation, even though he planned to ask Roxy. After Roxy catches Chelsea flirting with him, Al starts a relationship with Roxy. In February 2010, Al asks Roxy to move with him to Cornwall, revealing that someone has complained about their relationship even though she was not his patient, so he resigned. She does not want to leave Walford so he ends their relationship and leaves alone, after saying goodbye to Heather, his favourite patient.

Reception

The character's affiliation with North Devon and surfing has been praised by Devonshire residents, with one saying, "This is really great for Ilfracombe, to have such a high profile mention in EastEnders. Ilfracombe has a huge water sports culture and the town is definitely on the up, with people like

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

raising the profile." Another resident was dubious about the character taking his surf board to Walford: "There's a tube up there, but I don't think he'll be able to surf it."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Al Television characters introduced in 2009 EastEnders characters Fictional physicians in soap operas British male characters in soap operas