Damon Grant
Encyclopedia
Damon Grant is a fictional character
in the defunct British
soap opera
Brookside
, played by Simon O'Brien. The character was part of the initial cast, appearing from episode one in 1982 until 1987. At the time of the soap's inception, Damon was the youngest son of Bobby
and Sheila Grant
, with an older brother, Barry
, and older sister, Karen
.
, Bobby lashes out at Damon. Barry defends Damon after the occurrence, pointing out that he did not have the tools to remove the lavatory in the way it had been done and that the graffiti could not have been Damon either as "he only spells 'bollocks' with one 'l'".
" hairstyle proved to be in keeping with the zeitgeist
of the times, and saw the character further entrenched as a cultural reference point.
Storylines saw Grant presented initially as a cheeky, lovable character, with a close group of friends. The manner of Grant's characterisation, both by the writers, directors and by O'Brien, led Jane Root, writing in Open the Box: About Television, to cite the character as evidence of "complex male characters and masculine storylines". Root saw this focus as different from established soap operas.
As the character grew older and left school, the writers used storylines to comment on life in Thatcher
's Britain. Unemployment
was a serious social issue, especially in a dock
city such as Liverpool
, and Grant's character struggled to find work. Eventually he took a position as a painter and decorator
through the recently introduced YTS
scheme, the writers depicting the excitement and later despair when Grant's participation failed to lead to a full-time job to great effect.
The character was then shown to develop a relationship with Debbie McGrath
, played by Gillian Kearney
. McGrath was an underage school girl, and the relationship caught the heart of viewers. When O'Brien decided to leave the show, the producers of Brookside decided to spin this plotline into a separate show, Damon and Debbie
, broadcast in a later timeslot than that in which Brookside was shown.
This three part series, credited as the first 'soap bubble'. moves the character out from Liverpool in search of work. In the first episode the couple squat on a boat on the River Ouse
in York
, in the second episode they move to Morecambe
and then Bradford
, where Damon gets a job as a groundsman at Valley Parade
before they finally return to York in the third episode. Ultimately, the character is stabbed by Crosby actor Jonathan Comer, and dies at the end of the series at O'Brien's request, a move which sparked upset and outrage amongst fans of the show, and added to both Brookside's fame and notoriety.
, and that of the character's father, Bobby Grant, played by Ricky Tomlinson
, who was shown as blaming the death upon his unemployment. Ultimately, Damon's death led to the splintering of the Grant family within Brookside.
The character's funeral was watched by 7 million viewers, against Channel 4
's record rating of 8.4 million set in 2005, and in The Daily Mirror, critic Clare Raymond claimed it to be one of the "most touching soap scenes". In 2001, Jim Shelley, writing for The Observer, claimed the character's death to be one of two contenders for the moment where it all went wrong for Brookside, while in 2002, with the announcement that Brookside was to end, the funeral scene was listed as the fourth greatest episode in the soap's history by The Daily Mirror. In 2003, producer Phil Redmond
discussed plans to continue the show through a series of dvd
's, with one planned storyline involving '"Brookside's greatest untold story" -what would happen if Barry caught up with Damon's killers.'
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...
in the defunct British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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,...
Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
, played by Simon O'Brien. The character was part of the initial cast, appearing from episode one in 1982 until 1987. At the time of the soap's inception, Damon was the youngest son of Bobby
Bobby Grant
Bobby Grant is a fictional character from British soap opera, Brookside played by Ricky Tomlinson. Bobby appeared in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 until the character's departure in 1988...
and Sheila Grant
Sheila Grant
Sheila Grant is a fictional character from British soap opera, Brookside played by Sue Johnston. Sheila appeared in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 until the characters departure in 1990.-Character:...
, with an older brother, Barry
Barry Grant
Barry Grant is a fictional character in the defunct Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. He was portrayed by Paul Usher and was in the series from episode one in 1982 until 1995 with several sporadic guest appearances in 1997, 1998 and the final episode in 2003....
, and older sister, Karen
Karen Grant
Karen Grant is a character in Brookside portrayed by Shelagh O'Hara from 1982 until 1987.-Grant Family:The Grant family consisted of Bobby Grant, Sheila Grant, Barry Grant, Karen Grant and Damon Grant...
.
Introduction
Damon was introduced after having broken into the Collins' house in the first episode on 2 November 1982, aged 14. When questioned about the theft of a lavatory and vandalism that occurs by Paul CollinsPaul Collins (Brookside)
Paul Collins was a character in Brookside played by Jim Wiggins between 1982 and 1990.-The Collins family:The Collins family moved into Brookside Close during the first episode, having bought Number 8...
, Bobby lashes out at Damon. Barry defends Damon after the occurrence, pointing out that he did not have the tools to remove the lavatory in the way it had been done and that the graffiti could not have been Damon either as "he only spells 'bollocks' with one 'l'".
Social commentary
The Brookside soap opera was regarded as tackling social issues, and this was no less true when dealing with the Grant family, and Damon. One of the first of the show's many teenage characters to capture the viewing public's imagination, the role saw O'Brien catapulted to fame as a teen heart throb, and his adoption of the "mulletMullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
" hairstyle proved to be in keeping with the zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
of the times, and saw the character further entrenched as a cultural reference point.
Storylines saw Grant presented initially as a cheeky, lovable character, with a close group of friends. The manner of Grant's characterisation, both by the writers, directors and by O'Brien, led Jane Root, writing in Open the Box: About Television, to cite the character as evidence of "complex male characters and masculine storylines". Root saw this focus as different from established soap operas.
As the character grew older and left school, the writers used storylines to comment on life in Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Britain. Unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
was a serious social issue, especially in a dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
city such as Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and Grant's character struggled to find work. Eventually he took a position as a painter and decorator
Painter and decorator
A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter...
through the recently introduced YTS
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...
scheme, the writers depicting the excitement and later despair when Grant's participation failed to lead to a full-time job to great effect.
Damon and Debbie
Debbie McGrath
For the Canadian actress see Debra McGrathDebbie McGrath is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by a then-14-year-old Gillian Kearney, from 1986 to 1988...
, played by Gillian Kearney
Gillian Kearney
Gillian Louise Kearney is an English actress best known for playing Jessica Harrison in the long-running BBC television medical drama series Casualty, and her early role as Debbie McGrath in Channel 4's Liverpool-based soap opera Brookside and the spin-off mini-series Damon and Debbie.-Early...
. McGrath was an underage school girl, and the relationship caught the heart of viewers. When O'Brien decided to leave the show, the producers of Brookside decided to spin this plotline into a separate show, Damon and Debbie
Damon and Debbie
Damon and Debbie was a three-part 'soap bubble' from Brookside, broadcast late on Wednesday evenings on Channel 4 in November 1987, with an omnibus edition over the Christmas period of that year. A Mersey Television production, it was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, directed by Bob Carlton, and...
, broadcast in a later timeslot than that in which Brookside was shown.
This three part series, credited as the first 'soap bubble'. moves the character out from Liverpool in search of work. In the first episode the couple squat on a boat on the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, in the second episode they move to Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
and then Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, where Damon gets a job as a groundsman at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
before they finally return to York in the third episode. Ultimately, the character is stabbed by Crosby actor Jonathan Comer, and dies at the end of the series at O'Brien's request, a move which sparked upset and outrage amongst fans of the show, and added to both Brookside's fame and notoriety.
Legacy
Within the Brookside show the character's death was used as a catalyst for again exploring a number of issues, including the grief of the character's mother, played by Sue JohnstonSue Johnston
Susan "Sue" Johnston, OBE is a BAFTA nominated English actress best known for playing Sheila Grant in the long-running soap opera Brookside , Grace Foley in Waking the Dead from 2000 to 2011 and Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family between 1998 and 2000, and again in 2006, 2008, 2009,...
, and that of the character's father, Bobby Grant, played by Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, who was shown as blaming the death upon his unemployment. Ultimately, Damon's death led to the splintering of the Grant family within Brookside.
The character's funeral was watched by 7 million viewers, against Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's record rating of 8.4 million set in 2005, and in The Daily Mirror, critic Clare Raymond claimed it to be one of the "most touching soap scenes". In 2001, Jim Shelley, writing for The Observer, claimed the character's death to be one of two contenders for the moment where it all went wrong for Brookside, while in 2002, with the announcement that Brookside was to end, the funeral scene was listed as the fourth greatest episode in the soap's history by The Daily Mirror. In 2003, producer Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond CBE is an English television producer and screenwriter.He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill , Brookside and Hollyoaks...
discussed plans to continue the show through a series of dvd
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
's, with one planned storyline involving '"Brookside's greatest untold story" -what would happen if Barry caught up with Damon's killers.'