Al Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Doctor Albert "Al" Jenkins is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Adam Croasdell
. 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.
and knew Dot Cotton
(June Brown
) when he was a boy. Prior to moving back to Walford he lived in Ilfracombe
, Devon
but came to Walford to visit his mother who has arthritis
and to take over the doctor's surgery from Doctor Poppy Merritt (Amy Darcy).
), who tells her problems to him 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
(Jo Joyner
) accidentally spills coffee on him, prompting him to ask her out. After several drinks on different occasions in The Queen Victoria
public house
, Al asks Tanya out for lunch at Fargo's restaurant. Tanya's ex-husband Max
(Jake Wood
) overhears this and invites his son Bradley
(Charlie Clements
) to the restaurant so he can spy on them. After an awkward date, Al tells Tanya that he does not want to take their relationship any further. He then takes Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) on a date, and soon realises he has feelings for her.
In October 2009, Jean Slater
(Gillian Wright
) approaches Al and asks him to section her mentally unstable daughter Stacey
(Lacey Turner
). When Stacey returns home, Al is waiting with two of his colleagues and two police officers. Al formally declares Stacey's sectioning to her, and she is taken away by the police that night. He DJ's the dance contest for Children in Need
and Chelsea Fox
(Tiana Benjamin
) asks him to go with her to her parents Denise (Diane Parish
) and Lucas
' (Don Gilet
) wedding. Al reluctantly accepts her invitation, even though he was to ask Roxy. After Roxy walks in on Chelsea flirting with him, he starts a relationship with Roxy.
In February 2010, Al asks Roxy to move with him to Cornwall, and reveals that someone complained about his relationship with her, even though she was not his patient, so he resigned. She does not want to leave Walford, so he ends their relationship and leaves without her, after saying goodbye to Heather, his favourite patient.
, Al Jenkins follows on from Doctors Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton
), Fred Fonseca (Jimi Mistry
), Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey
), Oliver Cousins (Tom Ellis) and May Wright (Amanda Drew
) as the soap's resident General Practitioner
.
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
(Sean Slater
), 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 [and a] free 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 "[Al]'s 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 [and] I 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. [He's] 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
. 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."
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."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by Adam Croasdell
Adam Croasdell
Adam Croasdell is a Zimbabwe-born British actor. He has appeared on TV in Supernatural, The Chase, Holby City, Peak Practice, London's Burning, Agatha Christie's Cat Among the Pigeons and Ultimate Force. In 2009, he was cast as Doctor Al Jenkins in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
. 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.
Backstory
Al grew up in WalfordWalford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
and knew Dot Cotton
Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by June Brown since 1985. In a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother of...
(June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
) when he was a boy. Prior to moving back to Walford he lived in Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and 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 toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
but came to Walford to visit his mother who has arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
and to take over the doctor's surgery from Doctor Poppy Merritt (Amy Darcy).
2009–2010
Al arrives on 1 May 2009, and meets Heather Trott (Cheryl FergisonCheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison is a British actress most notable for playing Heather Trott in the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
), who tells her problems to him 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
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the 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 returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
(Jo Joyner
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress who is best known for her role as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she has appeared since June 2006.-Career:...
) accidentally spills coffee on him, prompting him to ask her out. After several drinks on different occasions in The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, Al asks Tanya out for lunch at Fargo's restaurant. Tanya's ex-husband Max
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.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
(Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
) overhears this and invites his son Bradley
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. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....
(Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements is an English actor, best 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.-Biography:...
) to the restaurant so he can spy on them. After an awkward date, Al tells Tanya that he does not want to take their relationship any further. He then takes Roxy Mitchell
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
(Rita Simons) on a date, and soon realises he has feelings for her.
In October 2009, Jean Slater
Jean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
(Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright, is an English actress who is best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
) approaches Al and asks him to section her mentally unstable daughter Stacey
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
). When Stacey returns home, Al is waiting with two of his colleagues and two police officers. Al formally declares Stacey's sectioning to her, and she is taken away by the police that night. He DJ's the dance contest for Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
and Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tiana Benjamin. She first appeared on 5 May 2006 and was joined by her mother Denise and her half sister Libby. Benjamin announced her departure from the show in April 2010...
(Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Opium Benjamin is a British actress best known for playing Chelsea Fox in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders.Benjamin trained at The Anna Scher Theatre School in London....
) asks him to go with her to her parents Denise (Diane Parish
Diane Parish
Diane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
) and Lucas
Lucas Johnson
Lucas Aaron Johnson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Don Gilet. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a preacher and estranged father of established character Chelsea Fox. He has a son, Jordan, and goes on to marry...
' (Don Gilet
Don Gilet
Don Gilet is a British actor, best known for his roles in BBC productions Babyfather, EastEnders and 55 Degrees North. Don's surname is actually pronounced 'Gillit' but takes the stage name 'Jillay'.-Personal life:...
) wedding. Al reluctantly accepts her invitation, even though he was to ask Roxy. After Roxy walks in on Chelsea flirting with him, he starts a relationship with Roxy.
In February 2010, Al asks Roxy to move with him to Cornwall, and reveals that someone complained about his relationship with her, even though she was not his patient, so he resigned. She does not want to leave Walford, so he ends their relationship and leaves without her, after saying goodbye to Heather, his favourite patient.
Creation and development
Introduced in May 2009 by executive producer Diederick SanterDiederick Santer
Diederick Santer 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...
, Al Jenkins follows on from Doctors Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton
Leonard Fenton
Leonard Fenton is a British actor, best known for his role as Dr. Harold Legg in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Early life:...
), Fred Fonseca (Jimi Mistry
Jimi Mistry
-Early life:Mistry, was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England to an Indian Hindu father and an Irish Roman Catholic mother. He was brought up a Roman Catholic and attended St. James' Catholic High in Cheadle Hulme before his family moved to Cardiff where he attended Radyr Comprehensive School...
), Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey
Nicholas Bailey
Nicholas R. Bailey is a British actor, best known for his role as Anthony Trueman in the British soap opera EastEnders. He was also a contestant on ITV's Soapstar Superstar in January 2006...
), Oliver Cousins (Tom Ellis) and May Wright (Amanda Drew
Amanda Drew
Amanda Drew is a British actress. Drew is best known for her role as the psychotic Dr. May Wright in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Biography:...
) as the soap's resident General Practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
.
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 Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
(Sean Slater
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...
), 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 [and a] free 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 "[Al]'s 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 [and] I 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. [He's] 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
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. 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."
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 HirstDamien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...
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."