Kelvin Carpenter 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
Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987.
Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in
Albert Square
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 work i ...
and even forms a
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
* Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
* Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
. He is a bit of a heartbreaker in the early years, but eventually he has his heart broken in return, when his middle-aged girlfriend jilts him. Always a bit too intelligent for
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 ...
, Kelvin eventually leaves for
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
.
Creation and development
Kelvin Carpenter was one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',
Tony Holland
Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''.
Early life
Holland ...
and
Julia Smith. Kelvin was originally intended to be named Kevin, and his father
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Oscar James, from 28 February 1985 until 28 May 1987.
Happy-go-lucky Tony tries to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, b ...
was originally named Alan. They were the first
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
characters to appear in the soap. Black and Asian characters were two ethnic minorities that had previously been under-represented in British soap before ''EastEnders'' aired. Holland and Smith knew that for the soap to succeed there needed to be a varied group of characters, so that several different sections of the audience had someone to identify with. Additionally, if the programme was to be realistic, it had to reflect the cross-section of society that actually existed in the real location. For these reasons, different sexes, ages, classes, religions and races were all included in the original character line-up. Both Holland and Smith had been at the forefront of the move towards 'integrated casting' in television and had encountered an array of ethnic diversities in the process. Even though the ethnic minority groups were deemed the hardest to research, Holland and Smith called upon their contacts to relay information about their origins and lifestyles and were then able to portray Walford's most recent immigrants more realistically.
Kelvin's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, ''
EastEnders: The Inside Story'' (In this passage, Kelvin will be referred to as Kevin and his father as Alan).
:"Kevin wants to stay with his dad...How would Alan react to the discovery that Kevin's visiting his mother? How would Kevin react to his father trying to smuggle a woman for the night? And, how would dad react to son doing the same thing? What happens when they're competing for the same woman? As he wants to leave his mark - physically - on the walls of the building, so he wants to leave his mark on his son. Will Kevin take it, or leave it?" (page 58).
The actor
Paul Medford
Paul Junior Medford is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of Kelvin Carpenter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1985-87. His character Kelvin was one of the original characters on the show, and Medford has since appea ...
had been recommended for the role by four separate agencies. He was London born, and they deemed him good-looking, fashionable and street-credible, making him ideal for their vision of Kelvin. After a subsequent and successful reading with the actor
Oscar James (who played his father), Medford was cast in the role.
James was physically much bigger than Medford, and Holland and Smith thought it was a good idea for Tony and Kelvin to be not only different in ages, but different physical types as well. Storywise it was felt it would be possible to build on this and also give them different attitudes and beliefs.
Kelvin became one of the most popular young characters in the show's early years.
Several of his early storylines were actually intended for the character
Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original actor David Scarboro was written out of the role ...
, but following the impromptu departure of actor
David Scarboro (the original Mark, who left after refusing to play a scene where the character delivered racist abuse to Kelvin), his storylines were subsequently given to Kelvin,
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BB ...
and
Ian Beale.
The character of Kelvin remained in the show for over two years, and was eventually written out when Paul Medford decided to follow his ambition of becoming a singer/dancer on stage in 1987.
In his final scene, Kelvin left the square without attending his leaving party. The real reason for this is because 'lot recordings' (scenes recorded on site in Albert Square) for each week's episodes normally occur two weeks before the studio recordings for the same episodes. When the leaving party was recorded in the studio, Paul Medford was already out of contract and had left the show.
Storylines
Kelvin lives on the Square with his
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
ian father,
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Oscar James, from 28 February 1985 until 28 May 1987.
Happy-go-lucky Tony tries to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, b ...
(
Oscar James). Kelvin's parents had separated and he chose to live with his father, whilst his sister
Cassie Carpenter (
Delanie Forbes
Delanie Forbes (born May 1976 in Sidcup, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, I ...
) lived with his mother,
Hannah Carpenter (
Sally Sagoe). His family are reunited later that year when Hannah arrives, telling her father and brother, that her mother's current boyfriend
Neville Agard (Gordon Case) has been beating them both. Hannah had always looked down on Tony's way of life and although they try to make their marriage work, they bicker regularly so Kelvin is often forced to take on the role of mediator.
Kelvin spends most of his spare time with the other youngsters of Albert Square:
Ian Beale (
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985, making him one of the shows longest ...
),
Sharon Watts (
Letitia Dean
Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...
) and
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BB ...
(
Susan Tully
Susan Tully (born 20 October 1967) is a British retired actress, television producer, and television director from London.
Her most prominent television acting roles were those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''Grange Hill'' and single m ...
). Sharon and Michelle are both attracted to Kelvin and they spent most of 1985 fighting for his affections. Kelvin has flings with both of them, leading to more fighting but in the end Kelvin jilts them both in order to concentrate on his exams. Kelvin and Ian then compete for the attentions of
Mary Smith (
Linda Davidson
Linda Davidson (born 18 June 1964) is a Canadian-British former actress and writer, who is best known for playing the wayward punk Mary Smith in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Mary was one of the serial's original characters; Davidson played ...
), who briefly drops her
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
image. However, she is interested in neither. Later that year, Kelvin starts a knitting business with Ian and
Lofty Holloway (
Tom Watt), which is named 'Loftelian' (a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of the three owners' names). Despite a huge effort from all involved, the business is doomed from the start and doesn't last long.
During the latter part of 1986, Kelvin attends
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...
and makes some new friends, including
Harry Reynolds Harry Reynolds may refer to:
* Harry Reynolds (''EastEnders''), fictional character
* Harry Reynolds (''Home and Away''), fictional character
* Butch Reynolds (born 1964), American 400 meters sprinter
* Harry Reynolds (cyclist) (1874–1940), I ...
(Gareth Potter) and
Tessa Parker
The Banned is a fictional band in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The storyline first aired in 1986 and although it was considered to be a failure on-screen, it nevertheless became a successful part of the serial's extensive merchandising ind ...
(
Josephine Melville). He dates Tessa briefly and his new friends' radical political beliefs and influence seems to have an effect on the way Kelvin views life too. He begins moving away from his old friends and none of them like the way he has changed but following an argument with Michelle, he sees the error of his ways. Soon after, Kelvin is instrumental in starting a band with the other Walford youths, including Ian, Sharon,
Simon Wicks (
Nick Berry
Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as Constable, PC Nick Rowan in ''Heartbeat (British TV series), Heartbeat'' f ...
), Harry Reynolds and
Eddie Hunter Eddie Hunter may refer to:
* Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1928) (1928–2002), Scottish footballer (Falkirk FC)
* Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1943), Scottish footballer and manager (Queen's Park)
* Eddie Hunter (baseball) (1905–1967), Maj ...
(Simon Henderson). Tessa wants to join too but is refused membership on the grounds that she is an awful musician - Kelvin's relationship with her ends soon after. The group name themselves
The Banned and write a song entitled "
Something Outta Nothing", but after a disastrous few gigs, they realise they are terrible and split up.
In 1987, Kelvin faces more family problems when his parents' ill-fated reunion finally results in divorce. In order to escape the constant rows at home, Kelvin spends a lot of time with
Carmel Roberts (
Judith Jacob
Judith Jacob (born 13 December 1961) is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she played from 1986 to 1989.[health visitor
Health visitors are professional individuals engaged in public health work within the domestic setting, predominantly found in countries with state-funded health systems. They are distinct from district nurses, who provide clinical healthcare, do ...]
who is considerably older than Kelvin (who has just turned 17) but he moves in with Carmel but their age difference soon begins to take its toll. She soon gets tired of Kelvin's immature behaviour and asks him to move out after publicly dumps him in The Vic. Kelvin then makes a play for Ian's girlfriend,
Tina Hopkins (Eleanor Rhodes), but she shuns his advances. With nothing left in Walford to hold him back, Kelvin decides to leave for
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
in September 1987, to take a course in computer studies. His friends throw a leaving party for him but Kelvin shuns it 'as he hates goodbyes'. He departs Walford without a farewell from anyone.
In 2010, Ian finds Kelvin on a social networking website and Kelvin tells Ian that he is now a songwriter with a model girlfriend, living in
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney alongside neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets, which are also perceived as part of the area due to historic ecclesiastical links. Shoreditch lies just north ...
. However, after failing to meet up with Ian, Kelvin admits that this is a lie. In 2017, Michelle (now played by
Jenna Russell
Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a maj ...
) mentions Kelvin to her brother
Martin Fowler (
James Bye), so he contacts him on social media on Michelle's behalf and later arranges a reunion. Michelle waits to meet him, but he does not turn up.
Reception
Kelvin Carpenter has been described by author Hilary Kingsley as one of the most popular young characters in the show's early years.
However, the way that ''EastEnders'' treated their black characters during the 1980s has been criticized by Robert Clyde Allen, author of the book ''To be Continued--: Soap Operas Around the World''. He has commented that "none of the black families
n ''EastEnders''rivaled the Fowler/Beale
amily'sposition at the heart of the programme's structure, and black characters were pushed to the margins of the storylines." The author goes on to say that although the character of Kelvin Carpenter mixed with characters such as Ian, Sharon and Michelle, "his personal life got little attention and he disappeared from the programme while the other young characters
ere
Ere or ERE may refer to:
* ''Environmental and Resource Economics'', a peer-reviewed academic journal
* ERE Informatique, one of the first French video game companies
* Ere language, an Austronesian language
* Ebi Ere (born 1981), American-Nigeria ...
able to grow up in it."
Before he was written out of the serial in May 1987, actor Oscar James, who played Kelvin's father Tony, controversially criticised ''EastEnders'' and the BBC for not promoting their black characters. He commented, "The powers that be do not think I am interesting enough. Is it because I am a member of an ethnic minority? How often do you see
elvin's actorPaul J. Medford being publicised?...It's as though the BBC are playing us down. I can't believe the white majority of the public are against blacks being stars. They don't give a damn."
Conversely, in ''The Black and White Media Show Book'', edited by John Twitchin of BBC TV's Continuing Education Department (published in 1988), the author praises ''EastEnders'' for portraying black people on mainstream television, and for giving them "respectable, fleshed-out parts which allow them to be the most difficult of things — 'normal people'." In a school-based study (1986) examining black representation on television from 1985 to 1986, a storyline featuring Kelvin Carpenter was used to assess how the character was perceived. The aim was to measure whether Kelvin was being portrayed as "normal" as opposed to a "trouble-maker", a category black people on television were typically labelled as prior to the 1980s. For the study, a storyline was used in which Kelvin began behaving like a "newly-converted revolutionary". Both groups, white students and black/Asian students, felt that Kelvin was not a trouble-maker, or menace, but was being portrayed as an eccentric, and both groups agreed that the Carpenter family were seen as having troubles as opposed to causing trouble, akin to the white families in the serial. However, the black/Asian group felt that the Carpenter family's problems were "less subtlety explored than those of their white counterparts, giving rise to possible racist misinterpretations."
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Kelvin
British male characters in soap operas
EastEnders characters
Fictional Black British people
Fictional Caribbean people
Television characters introduced in 1985