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Jim Branning
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James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a recurring fictional character previously a regular in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He is played by John Bardon, and first appeared on 29 April 1996, becoming a regular character in 1999.
Jim was written out of the show in August 2007 due to Bardon suffering a stroke. A storyline was created that Jim also suffered a stroke. It was reported on 10 March 2008 that Bardon would be returning to the role of Jim in Summer 2008.
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Encyclopedia
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a recurring fictional character previously a regular in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He is played by John Bardon, and first appeared on 29 April 1996, becoming a regular character in 1999.
Jim was written out of the show in August 2007 due to Bardon suffering a stroke. A storyline was created that Jim also suffered a stroke. It was reported on 10 March 2008 that Bardon would be returning to the role of Jim in Summer 2008. Collectively, Bardon has returned to film 4 separate episodes in the later half of 2008 and is due to appear on a semi recurring basis until the actor is ready to return full time.
History
Jim made his first appearance in 1996 when his daughter April was supposed to marry her fiancé Nikos. When Nikos jilted April at the altar, Jim's other daughter, Carol, and her boyfriend, Alan Jackson, decided to marry instead. Jim, who was once prejudiced, hated the fact that Carol was marrying a black man. He stormed out and refused to give her away at the wedding (despite being overtly racist initially, these hostile feelings have now mellowed, as shown through his close friendship with the Trinidadian shopkeeper, Patrick Trueman). He
once spoke of his earlier years as an amateur boxer under the nickname 'Basher' Branning whilst trying to win over Dot's heart.
Jim reappeared on 21 June 1999, when Carol, her children Robbie, Sonia and Bianca, along with Bianca's husband Ricky and Carol's new flame, Dan Sullivan visited him in Southend.
Later that year, on 15 November, Jim came to look after his grandchildren in Walford following the death of his wife Reenie. Jim's first marriage to Reenie was, according to Jim, a loveless union, so following her death it didn't take Jim long to chase after an eligible widow on the Square, Dot Cotton. After much chasing, she eventually became his second wife, marrying him on Valentines Day 2002. After a mishap with viagra, Dot decided that sex wasn't 'on the menu' and their love remains purely platonic.
Jim worked as a potman, collecting glasses in the Queen Victoria pub, and was prone to helping himself to a free drink when his employer's back is turned. He liked to gamble (Dot despairs over this), usually in the company of Patrick Trueman.
Jim's grandson Bradley came to live with him in Albert Square in 2006, and he was also shocked and appalled to find out that his married granddaughter, Sonia, embarked on a lesbian affair with Naomi Julien. He refused to talk to Sonia in the wake of this, and her actions brought some of his old prejudices to the surface again. After having a heart-to-heart with Sonia, Jim decided to support her in whatever she did.
Dot was angry with Jim when he discovered that her son, Nick, was ill with throat cancer and kept it from her. Jim didn't want to worry Dot, but when she found out from Stacey Slater, she was livid. She refused to talk to him, but as she got on the bus to visit Nick, he went and sat with her for the journey. He stayed with her while she settled, and then returned to Walford.
When Jim's son Max arrived in Walford, Jim showed a lot of animosity towards him. He threw Bradley out of his house when he took his father's advice and reported a bully at work, but later allowed Bradley to move back in.
Jim was excited when Patrick's friend Cedric was due to visit, and Patrick told him that Cedric was a 'party animal'. When Cedric and his wife Joy arrived, Cedric had turned into a frail old man, and declined any offer Patrick made to have fun. Jim was disappointed and fell asleep, while Cedric told Patrick that he was dying. When Jim awoke, Cedric and Joy were gone, and Jim told Patrick of his disappointment. Patrick was upset and threw Jim out of his house.
On 26 January 2007, Jim and his great granddaughter Rebecca Miller went to get Dot from the Fowlers' house and saw Dot trying to open the bedroom window. Jim hurriedly ran into the house and went upstairs and saw Joe Macer with Dot. She tried to tell Jim that he was the person who caused the death of his wife Pauline but Joe tried to stop her from talking. Jim struggled to get Dot free, pushing Joe out the way. Joe fell out of the window onto a market stall. Jim and Dot looked out the window and saw him dead on the ground. On 29 January 2007, Joe's death was published in the Walford Gazette, which revealed the verdict was accidental death.
In April 2007 he had an argument with Dot after she took in an illegal immigrant, Anya, whose baby, Tomas, they had found at a church. He went to a club in search of her and found out that she was in fact a prostitute (thus sparking the argument with Dot). He later reported Anya to immigration. When the immigration officers came to collect Anya he ended up helping Dot get her to the church for sanctuary and after a heart to heart with Jim in the church Anya gave herself up to the officers. Before she came out into the open, Anya made Jim promise he and Dot would look after Tomas, which he agreed to.
Tanya later became hostile toward Jim after learning that he and several of his friends had locked Max in a coffin on his 13th birthday for associating with a black friend and left him in a Undertaker's establishment overnight as punishment. (Ironically, Tanya would do the same thing to Max several months later as revenge for cheating on her with Stacey).
On August 9, 2007, Dot revealed Jim had gone to stay with Carol after she had taken ill (This was written to cover John Bardon's absence due to his real-life illness).
On October 25, 2007, Tanya took a call from Carol, who informed her that Jim had suffered a stroke. In January 2008, Dot asked Jim's family and friends to record messages for him on tape, and in her own message, she told him she could not take care of him and he would be admitted to a nursing home.
On August 11, 2008, Jim came to visit his family and friends in Walford in his first on-screen appearance in 14 months. He had an emotional moment with Dot. Jim couldn't speak very well at all, and could only just about say 'Yes' and 'No'. Jim was delighted to see Suzy, granddaughter Bianca and great grandson Liam again, as well as meeting Tiffany, Morgan and Whitney, and seeing old friends, Peggy, Pat and Patrick. Jim left to go back to the Nursing home at the end of the day, after Max confronted him ripping up a photo of Jack and telling him he would give Jack a special hello from him. Dot said she will have him back home when he's well enough.
On December 4, 2008, Jack went to visit Jim in the nursing home where he discovered that Jim had learnt to draw after his stroke as well as slowly regaining his speech. Jack then blamed Jim for the way his life had turned out, leaving Jim upset.
Jim returned again on December 25, 2008, as a Christmas present for Dot and he spent the evening having Christmas dinner with her and had a drink with Patrick. Dot then suggested that Jim returned home so she could look after him properly. It has since been mentioned that he will be returning home for definite soon.
In January 2009, Jim was due to visit to meet his step-granddaughter, Dotty. However, he unexpectedly had an accident at the nursing home, but despite this Dotty had an idea that her, Dot and Bradley should visit him instead, much to Dot's anxiousness as she was worried how Jim might react. But after visiting him, Dot stated that he took to Dotty very well and she began clearing out the middle room in preparation for his permanent move home.
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