Fred Fonseca
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Dr. Fred Fonseca 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
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 ...
from 13 September 1998 to 10 February 2000.


Character creation and development

In 1998, ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer, Matthew Robinson. Robinson was dubbed "the axeman" in the British press, after a large proportion of the ''EastEnders'' cast either quit, or were culled, shortly after Robinson's introduction. It was reported that Robinson hoped the changes would attract more viewers and "spice up he soap's fictional setting of
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 ...
". Among the departing characters were long-running Asian family the Kapoors, including
Sanjay Sanjay, also spelled Sanjai, Sanjey, Sanje, Sanjaye and Sunjay, is a male given name of Sanskrit origin meaning "triumphant," from the Sanskrit Sañjaya ( सञ्जय), and may refer to: People * Sanjaya, an important character in the ancient ...
,
Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Indian religious thought, ...
and
Neelam Kapoor The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1997, by order of first appearance. Many were introduced by the show's executive producer, Jane Harris. Neelam Kapoor Neelam Kapoor is played ...
. As they were the only Asian characters in the show, ''EastEnders'' received criticism for axing them from angry black and Asian MPs, including
Oona King Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow (born 22 October 1967), is a British business executive and former British Labour Party politician. She was a Labour Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005; and a member of t ...
, MP for East End constituency
Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...
, and Dr Ashok Kumar. In response to the criticism, bosses at ''EastEnders'' announced the upcoming arrival of various new ethnic minority characters in July 1998. These included, a "heart-throb" Asian doctor, later revealed as Fred Fonseca, and the Jamaican relatives of Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams), including his mother
Josie McFarlane Josie McFarlane is a fictional character that appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by Joan Hooley between 25 August 1998 and 1 February 2000. Since leaving the serial, Jamaican-born actress Joan Hooley has publicly accuse ...
. According to the press report, BBC bosses held a brainstorming session including black and Asian representatives among the writers and cast, to see how they could reflect black and Asian life in London more fully. In July 1998 it was announced that actor
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 ...
would be playing the part of Fred, "an attractive young doctor". Commenting on his new role, Mistry said "Let's hope it's a prescription for success – I'm working on my bedside manner". Dr Fonseca first appeared briefly in 1998, and became Walford's GP full-time in February 1999, heralding the retirement of original character Dr
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 ...
, who had been the soap's GP for 14 years, since the first episode was broadcast in February 1985. Speaking on his decision to replace Dr Legg, executive producer Matthew Robinson said "Dr Legg is getting on a bit, so we're retiring him. He'll be going to a nice cottage in the country." The character's most notable storyline concerns him
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
as a
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
, and as a result being subjected to
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
from several other characters. In May 1999, it was reported that bosses at ''EastEnders'' were struggling to hold on to actor Jimi Mistry, due to the box office success of a low-budget film he made prior to joining the soap, '' East is East''. Executive producer Matthew Robinson commented, "We've got Jimi signed up until early next year but by then his choice will be Hollywood or Walford...It could be tricky." The film was an international success, and at the end of his contract in 2000, Mistry left ''EastEnders'' to pursue a career as a film actor. At the time the press claimed that Mistry quit because his character was "boring", and Mistry has since commented that he found playing Fred "quite hard".


Storylines

Dr. Fonseca is first seen in September 1998, where he confirms that
Bianca Butcher Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders,'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted ...
(
Patsy Palmer Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is a British actress and DJ. After appearing as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), she came to prominence for her p ...
) is expecting a baby. He is the permanent replacement for Dr. Harold Legg (
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 FinesteinWalford 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 ...
's GP in 1997. Fred moves into the flat above the surgery with Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams). Unlike his predecessor, Fred is not always willing to listen to the medical complaints of his patients outside office hours, and is accused of being tactless and insensitive at times. This, as well as his
holistic Holism is the interdisciplinary idea that systems possess properties as wholes apart from the properties of their component parts. Julian Tudor Hart (2010''The Political Economy of Health Care''pp.106, 258 The aphorism "The whole is greater than t ...
, nontraditional approach to medicine, does not endear him to all of his patients initially. Fred comes from a wealthy family; his father is a consultant. It is revealed that Fred had not wanted to pursue medicine as a career, but family pressure forced him into the profession. Fred and Mick become good friends, but despite their closeness, Fred feels unable to tell Mick that he is gay. When Fred attends a medical convention in
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in the summer of 1999, Mick and several other residents of Walford go along too. Whilst on the trip, it becomes apparent to everyone, bar Mick, that Fred has something he wants to get off his chest. Fred decides to take Mick to a gay club in the hope that he might guess his sexual orientation, but Mick remains blithely ignorant, and is extremely shocked when Fred finally confesses. Mick does not care that Fred is gay, but he is hurt that Fred had not confided in him sooner, and is just as perturbed to discover that Fred doesn't fancy him. Their friendship remains intact, although Mick's mother
Josie Josie may refer to: People * Josie (name), various people and fictional characters with the given name, a diminutive of Josephine * Edith Josie (1921–2000), Canadian writer and newspaper columnist * Peter Josie, Saint Lucia politician Music ...
(
Joan Hooley Joan Hooley (born 13 November 1936) is a British actress. She is best known for playing the role of Josie McFarlane in BBC's ''EastEnders.'' Still'','' she has also appeared in other television programmes, since the mid-1950s. Since 2015, she ha ...
) who is also Fred's receptionist, is not so understanding and denounces Fred's lifestyle as immoral. Fred's sexuality also brings to the fore homophobic tendencies in other residents of Walford, including teenager
Martin Fowler Martin Fowler may refer to: * Martin Fowler (footballer) (born 1957), English footballer * Martin Fowler (software engineer) Martin Fowler (18 December 1963) is a British software developer, author and international public speaker on software ...
(
James Alexandrou James Alekos Alexandrou (born 12 April 1985) is a British actor and filmmaker from London. He is known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1996 to 2007. He was also the presenter of ''Bizarre Crime'' on BBC T ...
). When Josie's confused stepdaughter,
Kim Kim may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kim (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Kim (surname), a list of people and fictional characters ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim dynasty (disambiguation), several dynas ...
(Krystle Williams), approaches Fred to find out more about homosexuality, Josie accuses Fred of "recruiting Kim to the gay cause", and states that he should not be around young children, which deeply offends Fred. Shortly after, Dr. Fonseca decides to leave Walford to work in a new practice in
Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
in February 2000.


Reception

The character has been criticised for being boring. He has been described by Phil Hansen of the Walford Gazette as "bland as
tofu or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...
...the epitome of a sexless gay character, whose only purpose is to prop up the more colorful straight characters", and he has been accused of not existing as "a character in his own right". The character's exit was also criticised in the ''
Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''GAY TIMES Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ magazine established in 1984. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company began including content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
''. The critic comments, "Hardly had he got his stethoscope warmed when he's scared off by a few choice comments by Martin Fowler, a gangly, sullen fifteen-year-old who 'comes over all queer' when Fred scuttles by...Fred is such a coward he's leaving for Islington (implicated as a step up to better things, happier days and no homophobia - the chatterings class round here are so much more tolerant, darling). And everyone's okay with this?...Why do we have to put up with such - yes, I'm going to say it! - namby pamby, piss-weak gay characters who leg it at the first sign of trouble? Everytime ''EastEnders'' disgorges a gay character onto the Square I am asked silently, by the glimmer in the eye, whether I think that this time, just maybe, this is will the one...that will merely stay the course!... I admit it now, I have lost the will to even consider that one day, just maybe, there might be." Lorna Cooper of
MSN TV MSN TV (formerly WebTV) was a web access product consisting of a thin client device that used a television for display (instead of using a computer monitor), and the online service that supported it. The original WebTV device design and servic ...
listed Fred one of soap opera's "forgotten characters".


See also

*
List of LGBT characters in television The large amount of lists of LGBTQ characters and media within the scope of "fiction and myth", which has been divided into the following: Lists Characters ;By medium * List of animated series with LGBT characters * LGBT representation in an ...
*
List of fictional doctors This is a list of fictional doctors (characters that use the appellation "doctor", medical and otherwise), from literature, films, television, and other media. Shakespeare created a doctor in his play Macbeth (c 1603) with a "great many good doct ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fonseca, Fred EastEnders characters Fictional physicians in soap operas Fictional gay men Television characters introduced in 1998 Fictional LGBTQ characters in soap operas British male characters in soap operas