Mark Fowler
Encyclopedia
Mark Albert Fowler is a fictional character
from the popular British
BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
. Mark was an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro
was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made brief returns to the role in 1986 and 1987. Scarboro committed suicide in April 1988. The role was recast in 1990, with Todd Carty
taking the role. From this point the character was a permanent fixture in the series and Carty remained in the role until the character was written out of the series in early 2003. started out as a delinquent teenager, but returned to Walford a changed man when he was 22. Contracting HIV forced him to grow up fast and accept his responsibilities. He frequently found it difficult to accept the restrictions of the illness, which finally claimed his life in April 2004.
(Bill Treacher
) and Pauline Fowler
(Wendy Richard
). Initially, Mark was a brooding and rebellious teenager. He got involved in drugs with Nick Cotton
(John Altman), attempted to join a racist organisation known as The New Movement, was a suspect in Reg Cox's murder, and generally clashed with his parents. With no solution to these problems in sight, he abruptly left home in April 1985 without informing his parents. He left Walford
without telling anyone where he was going, and wasn't seen again until eight months later. After Mark contacted his parents through a runaways' agency, an extremely worried Pauline and Arthur tracked him down to Southend-on-Sea
in December 1985. Mark had settled there. He had found work as a mechanic at a go-cart track and was living with an older, Swedish
woman named Ingrid and her children, who knew Mark as Daddy. He and Ingrid split up soon afterwards and Mark moved on to do farmwork in Wales
and then Gloucester
and finally Newcastle
. Mark returned to Walford several times in 1986 for brief visits. In July 1986, he came with his Welsh friend Owen Hughes (Philip Brock). The duo caused problems after the school-girl Cassie Carpenter (Delanie Forbes
) stole their cannabis
and was caught smoking it by her parents, Tony
(Oscar James
) and Hannah Carpenter (Sally Sagoe
). The entire Carpenter family refused to speak to the Fowlers for a while after. In November, Pauline got news that Mark was being held in Borstal
detention centre for drug offences, burglary and assaulting a policeman. Pauline went to visit him in February 1987. She found him unrepentant but due to be released in a few weeks. After his release, he briefly returned to Walford, but despite Pauline's pleas, he refused to return home permanently.
Mark wasn't seen until Christmas day 1987, when he showed up unexpectedly to spend the day with his family. Here Mark astutely guessed that Den Watts
was his niece's father, although he kept this to himself. This was the last time Mark was seen for several years. He spent his time drifting and travelling the country on his motorbike. Mark returned to Albert Square
in September 1990, a changed man. He was more caring and sedate, having left his rebellious stage behind. His gained maturity was due to the fact that he had contracted HIV
while living away from the Square, which forced him to become more responsible. Mark struck up a close friendship with Diane Butcher
(Sophie Lawrence
) and initially kept his secret hidden from everyone. However, as he and Diane grew closer, he finally decided to tell her the truth about his HIV status in January 1991. He believed that he had come into contact with the virus through Gill Fowler (Susanna Dawson), his girlfriend in Newcastle, who turned up briefly in the middle of the year but disappeared when she saw him kissing Diane. Mark initially told Gill that he wasn't infected with HIV but later told the truth. Mark's relationship with Diane never became serious, not for her at least. She was a useful confidante however, and managed to persuade Mark to face facts and go for counselling at the Terrence Higgins Trust. Mark initially turned on his male counsellor, relaying all his bitterness at being a potential AIDS victim, but eventually felt the benefits of discussing his status. Diane kept Mark's secret. He loved her for it and asked her to marry him. However, she gently turned him down and shortly afterwards, left Walford to live in France
.
Towards the end of the year, following the example of his friend Joe Wallace (Jason Rush) who finally came clean to his parents about being gay and HIV-positive, Mark decided to tell his parents. By this time, he was involved with Rachel Kominski (Jacquetta May
), who advised him against it, but Mark tiring of pretence, went ahead and on Boxing Day
told Pauline and Arthur that he was HIV-positive. They sat in stunned silence while he scattered helpful leaflets around the house and then fled to the countryside. When he returned, he faced his mother's irrational terror and hostility from his father. Arthur's ignorance was apparent initially, as he was often scared that he would catch HIV from Mark. He went to painstaking attempts to bleach
all the cutlery that Mark had used to avoid infection. Mark's mother and sister Michelle Fowler
(Susan Tully
) were understandably distraught, but were instrumental in helping Arthur understand Mark's illness, and were a huge support to Mark during this time. Mark's relationship with Rachel never really got off the ground and ended in 1992. The animosity at home thrust Mark back into the arms of his girlfriend Gill, who moved to London and became seriously ill. Gill's HIV had already progressed into AIDS and her deterioration was rapid. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was placed in a hospice. Mark realised that he was truly in love with her and asked her to marry him. Mark and Gill married in June 1992, and their honeymoon was one night in a hotel, before Gill was readmitted to the hospice where she died. A devastated Mark spent the rest of the year in shock and began drinking heavily.
During 1993, Mark took over running the family fruit and veg stall in the market after his uncle, Pete Beale
(Peter Dean), departed. He also began an on/off relationship with his sister's house-mate Shelley Lewis (Nicole Arumugam
), however Mark was hesitant to tell her about his HIV status. During November 1993, whilst on a trip to Amsterdam
, Shelley made it clear to Mark that she wanted to sleep with him. Mark was finally forced to divulge that the reason he couldn't sleep with her was because he was HIV positive. Shelley was furious with him for not trusting her enough to tell her in the first place and told him she never wanted to see him again. Mark took the rejection badly and he began neglecting his health by not taking his HIV medication. During Christmas that year, he was rushed to hospital after collapsing. When Shelley found out that Mark was ill, she rushed to him and confessed that she really cared for him and so they reignited their relationship. Shelley was desperate for Mark to meet her family and go on holiday with her parents. She became slightly infatuated with him and tried to spend as much time with him as she could. Mark felt that the relationship was moving too quickly and he soon tired of Shelley. By March 1994, Mark had decided to finish the relationship, but when he tried to break it off, Shelley resorted to emotional blackmail, saying that she risked her own health being with him, so he owed her. When this didn't work, she threatened to tell the rest of Walford about his HIV status, but when Mark called her bluff she didn't have the guts to go through with her threat and decided to leave Walford instead.
woman named Ruth Fowler
(Caroline Paterson
), who was also visiting her friend in the hospice. After a brief conversation the two decided to go to a pub to drown their sorrows. They began a relationship and for once Mark seemed to have found a woman who could deal with his HIV status without getting hysterical. Ruth was the daughter of a strict Presbyterian minister, who refused to give his blessing to her union with Mark and disowned her when she announced in 1995 that she was planning to marry him. They married anyway - in Scotland - soon after. However, problems in their marriage began to surface. Ruth had persuaded Mark - and herself - that she was happy about not having any children, but it soon became apparent that she was fooling herself.
In 1996, Mark was forced to confront the Square's prejudices, when the residents discovered his HIV status. The depth of ignorance concerning the illness didn't help matters and, led by Peggy Mitchell
(Barbara Windsor
), the residents began boycotting Mark's fruit and veg stall, fearing they would catch the virus from his produce. Pauline sprang to her son's defence and she and Peggy were involved in a vicious slap fight, but even Pauline couldn't diffuse the prejudice, and Mark returned home one day to find the words "AIDS scum" graffitied on his wall. This was too much for him and he decided to present his neighbours with a few facts about his illness in The Queen Vic; forcing them to acknowledge their bigotry. Peggy remained uncertain, but was forced to realise that Mark might appreciate a bit of support when, at the end of the year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
.
In 1997, Mark and Ruth began fostering a six year old girl named Jessie Moore (Chelsey Paden), but having to return her to her mother proved too heart-breaking and by this time rot had set in on their marriage. When Mark's cousin Conor Flaherty
(Seán Gleeson
) showed an interest in Ruth, Mark became jealous and the relationship fell apart. After they split, Ruth succumbed to Conor's charm and ended up pregnant with his child. She left Walford in 1999 with Conor, leaving Mark heart-broken.
In 2000, Mark's feud with Nick Cotton
resurfaced after he discovered that Nick had given his brother, Martin Fowler
(James Alexandrou
), dodgy ecstasy. Mark snapped and after spiking Nick's drink, led him up to the Walford viaduct and watched in delight as an intoxicated Nick plunged to the ground, severely crippling himself. Nick was vengeful and enlisted his son Ashley
to take revenge on Mark. Ashley stole Mark's motorbike and attempted to run Mark over with it but Nick had drained the brake fluid from the bike the night before. Ashley crashed into the launderette and was killed. Nick left the Square shortly afterwards and never saw Mark again. Mark held a soft spot for Lisa Shaw
(Lucy Benjamin
), who was in a rocky relationship with his enemy, Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
). When she left Phil, she turned to Mark. Mark took her in and they began a relationship, much to Pauline's despair. Together, they concocted a plan to pretend that the child she was carrying was Mark's, even though the real father was Phil. Mark offered to raise the baby so Phil could be completely erased from Lisa's life. To facilitate their lie, Mark insisted that he'd taken all the relevant precautions in relation to his HIV, stating that he had undergone sperm washing
, and they had everyone fooled for a while. Mark loved Lisa so much that he stayed with her after she shot Phil
(who survived), and Mark proposed to her in 2001 shortly after baby Louise's birth. However Phil discovered the truth about the child's parentage from Louise's god mother Sharon Rickman
(Letitia Dean
), and vowed to take an active role in his daughter's upbringing. Mark and Lisa married in March 2002, but their happiness was short-lived. Lisa was still very much in love with Phil and Phil knew this so he seduced her in order to have more access to Louise. After Sharon discovered Phil's intentions, she talked Phil out of his plan and he ended the affair with Lisa but Mark still found out and left the square. After just five months of marriage, Lisa left Mark after resuming her affair with Phil.
In January 2003, Mark's doctor told him that his body was rejecting the medication he was using to prolong his life and put off the onset of AIDS. He soon accepted that he was going to die, and decided to leave Walford rather than let his family see him endure a slow and painful death. He made a tearful farewell to his family and friends and rode off out of Albert Square
in February 2003. News of his death reached Walford in April 2004, and he was given a heart-felt send-off by the residents of Walford.
On 19 February 2010 a young Mark, played by David Scarboro, was seen in video footage watched by Ian and Dot to celebrate the shows 25th anniversary.
and Julia Smith
. Mark was a member of the first family of EastEnders, the Beales and Fowlers
, and Holland took the inspiration for some of the series' earliest characters from his own London family and background. Mark's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, EastEnders: The Inside Story
.
Several young actors were seen and read for the part of Mark (including Gary Hailes
, who would later play the gay barrow boy, Barry Clark). On paper, David Scarboro
was the least likely to get the job as he was relatively inexperienced, having previously only appeared in a little-known made-for-television film and Grange Hill
. His reading was not a huge success as he mumbled most of his lines. However, Holland and Smith were taken with his appearance, particularly his "piercing eyes", which reminded them of James Dean
. They felt that he would be "dynamite on-screen", and his likeness to their vision of the character was uncanny, so they offered him the role.
Mark was originally scripted to be a wayward delinquent and was due to feature heavily within the first year of the series. However, as soon as the regular gruelling schedule of EastEnders production established itself, it became clear that Scarboro was not happy in the role. The stress of the heavy workload and the sudden fame that came to all the actors became difficult for him to cope with. He became unhappy with the schedule and his scripts and refused to play Mark as a racist as was intended. Holland and Smith decided to write the character out of the show to allow the actor to come to terms with the situation better. On-screen, Mark was being implicated in the murder of Reg Cox and was being tempted into heroin by Nick Cotton
. Fearing Nick and the police, Mark ran away from home in April 1985. As this had not been the original plan for the character, it meant a hectic period of re-writing early in 1985. The first fifty-odd scripts were reworked to accommodate this major change. Many of the stories intended for Mark were subsequently given to Kelvin Carpenter
, Ian Beale
and Mark's sister Michelle
- which partially explains why her character became so prominent in the first year. It still left a gap though, because several of Mark's functions in the serial, as slightly the eldest of the youngsters, could not have been taken over by the others. A new character needed to be introduced to restore the balance to its original shape, which is why the character of Simon Wicks
was introduced. This meant introducing the audience to a character and a story approximately a year before it had been originally intended.
Scarboro returned to the show briefly in December 1985 in a storyline that saw Mark's parents, Pauline
and Arthur
search for him in Southend. The storyline's intention was to help highlight the problems some parents face when their teenage children disappear from home. He returned again for brief stints in 1986 and 1987. His final appearance as Mark was on Christmas Day 1987. However, the actor was never to make a full-time return and Scarboro committed suicide
in 1988.
Subsequently, the role was recast in 1990 to the actor Todd Carty
, renowned for his role as Tucker Jenkins
in Grange Hill
. At this time, Mark returned to the series as a permanent character. The most notable storyline involving Mark was the revelation that he had contracted HIV
. Mark discovered he was HIV positive in 1991, and informed his family of this on Christmas Day that year. There then followed a traumatic journey as he struggled first to come to terms with the news, then track down his previous partners to inform them that he was infected with the virus. The problems didn't end there, however, as Mark then had to battle with the fear and ignorance of those living around him including his parents. Many of Albert Square's residents initially rejected him when they found out that he was HIV positive. Mark married one of his ex-partners Gill, who had also been infected with the virus but in her case it had progressed to AIDS
, and she subsequently died the day after the wedding. The episode in which Gill died (written by Debbie Cook and directed by Leonard Lewis
) has been chosen by writer Colin Brake
as one of the most memorable episodes of 1992. In his book, EastEnders: The First Ten Years Blake comments, "Although in many ways the episode was sad and downbeat it was not without its positive aspects, as Mark talked to his sister about his own mortality." Susanna Dawson, the actress who played Gill, found the experience of playing a person living with, and dying from, AIDS so intense that she co-produced an educational video based on the subject for use in schools and wrote a book, The Gill and Mark Story, to accompany it.
Mark became the first mainstream soap character to be diagnosed as HIV-positive. The storyline came after a government request to "spread the word". Mark's story also helped dispel the myth that HIV is an automatic death sentence. He lived with the condition for 13 years before dying of an AIDS related illness. The Terrence Higgins Trust
worked with the production team for the duration of Mark's story. Despite all the public health campaigns concerning HIV transmission, the biggest peak in requests for testing in Britain was seen in January 1991 when Mark Fowler was diagnosed HIV-positive. Carty has commented: "I feel that the storyline educated people at a time when there were lots of misconceptions about HIV and Aids…My main concern was that they'd get it right and, overall, I think they did - because it showed someone living with HIV, as opposed to dying of it."
The storyline was widely applauded for the way it handled the plot and the following issues that the scriptwriters explored, from antiretroviral drugs, safe sex and prejudice. The storyline was so successful in raising awareness that a 1999 survey by the National Aids Trust found teenagers got most of their information about HIV from the soap.
The character of Mark remained in the show for a further 13 years after his reintroduction, and featured in an array of storylines including two failed marriages, which were scripted to highlight the difficulties that can occur in a relationship when one partner has HIV and the other does not. Ultimately Mark overcame the stigma and he enjoyed several years of happy, healthy living before finally succumbing to an AIDS-related illness and dying in April 2004 off-screen. EastEnders executive producer Louise Berridge
said Carty had made a "fantastic contribution" to the soap and Mark has been a "pivotal figure" on Albert Square, but the character had finally run its course.
Campaigners have since suggested that Mark's HIV storyline could have been handled better in the latter years. Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said "in some ways the storyline was not reflective of what was happening at the time as the condition was more common among the gay community". She also said "he was perhaps killed off too early as advancements in drugs are helping people live for much longer... Saying that, one decent soap episode is worth a thousand leaflets in schools. That is why we would always go out of our way to help scriptwriters. TV and films can be very powerful."
was like a mother to him. "When I was filming my goodbye scenes, those tears were real. Seeing Wendy break down was one of the most poignant moments. The whole day was so emotional - I had to hold it together and stay strong for Wendy". Carty had also told The Mirror that the pair had struck up a 20-year friendship after they were cast.
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 popular 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...
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...
. Mark was an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro
David Scarboro
David Timothy Scarboro was a British actor who was best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the popular British soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made brief returns to the role in 1986 and 1987. Scarboro committed suicide in April 1988. The role was recast in 1990, with Todd Carty
Todd Carty
Todd Carty is an Irish actor and director, who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage work has varied from pantomime to serious drama, as well as radio plays, voiceovers, commercials, narrations, and films...
taking the role. From this point the character was a permanent fixture in the series and Carty remained in the role until the character was written out of the series in early 2003. started out as a delinquent teenager, but returned to Walford a changed man when he was 22. Contracting HIV forced him to grow up fast and accept his responsibilities. He frequently found it difficult to accept the restrictions of the illness, which finally claimed his life in April 2004.
1985–1993
Mark was the son of Albert Square residents Arthur FowlerArthur Fowler
Arthur George Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Bill Treacher.The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man, but he made some foolish choices and he always ended up paying dearly for them, also being bossed to the brink of insanity by...
(Bill Treacher
Bill Treacher
Bill Treacher is an English actor. Most famous for playing Arthur Fowler on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, for 11 years, from 1985-1996.-Early life:Treacher grew up in the East End of London...
) and Pauline Fowler
Pauline Fowler
Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional London borough of Walford. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between 1985 and 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland and producer...
(Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
). Initially, Mark was a brooding and rebellious teenager. He got involved in drugs with Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders played by John Altman on a recurring basis from the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance to date in 2009. Nick is the son of characters Charlie and Dot Cotton, and the father of Ashley and...
(John Altman), attempted to join a racist organisation known as The New Movement, was a suspect in Reg Cox's murder, and generally clashed with his parents. With no solution to these problems in sight, he abruptly left home in April 1985 without informing his parents. He left Walford
Walford
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...
without telling anyone where he was going, and wasn't seen again until eight months later. After Mark contacted his parents through a runaways' agency, an extremely worried Pauline and Arthur tracked him down to Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in December 1985. Mark had settled there. He had found work as a mechanic at a go-cart track and was living with an older, Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
woman named Ingrid and her children, who knew Mark as Daddy. He and Ingrid split up soon afterwards and Mark moved on to do farmwork in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and then Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and finally Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Mark returned to Walford several times in 1986 for brief visits. In July 1986, he came with his Welsh friend Owen Hughes (Philip Brock). The duo caused problems after the school-girl Cassie Carpenter (Delanie Forbes
Delanie Forbes
Delanie Forbes is an English actress. She is best known for her childhood role of Cassie Carpenter in BBC's EastEnders....
) stole their cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and was caught smoking it by her parents, Tony
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Oscar James.Happy go lucky Tony tried to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, but nothing he did was ever good enough for his nagging wife.-Storylines:Trinidadian born Tony, married...
(Oscar James
Oscar James
Oscar James is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where he played original character, Tony Carpenter, for over two years...
) and Hannah Carpenter (Sally Sagoe
Sally Sagoe
Sally Sagoe is a former English actress.She first entered showbusiness on a cruise liner in the Pacific, later working extensively as a singer with her Sally Sagoe Band....
). The entire Carpenter family refused to speak to the Fowlers for a while after. In November, Pauline got news that Mark was being held in Borstal
Borstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
detention centre for drug offences, burglary and assaulting a policeman. Pauline went to visit him in February 1987. She found him unrepentant but due to be released in a few weeks. After his release, he briefly returned to Walford, but despite Pauline's pleas, he refused to return home permanently.
Mark wasn't seen until Christmas day 1987, when he showed up unexpectedly to spend the day with his family. Here Mark astutely guessed that Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
was his niece's father, although he kept this to himself. This was the last time Mark was seen for several years. He spent his time drifting and travelling the country on his motorbike. Mark returned to Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
in September 1990, a changed man. He was more caring and sedate, having left his rebellious stage behind. His gained maturity was due to the fact that he had contracted HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
while living away from the Square, which forced him to become more responsible. Mark struck up a close friendship with Diane Butcher
Diane Butcher
Diane Maureen Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997...
(Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders....
) and initially kept his secret hidden from everyone. However, as he and Diane grew closer, he finally decided to tell her the truth about his HIV status in January 1991. He believed that he had come into contact with the virus through Gill Fowler (Susanna Dawson), his girlfriend in Newcastle, who turned up briefly in the middle of the year but disappeared when she saw him kissing Diane. Mark initially told Gill that he wasn't infected with HIV but later told the truth. Mark's relationship with Diane never became serious, not for her at least. She was a useful confidante however, and managed to persuade Mark to face facts and go for counselling at the Terrence Higgins Trust. Mark initially turned on his male counsellor, relaying all his bitterness at being a potential AIDS victim, but eventually felt the benefits of discussing his status. Diane kept Mark's secret. He loved her for it and asked her to marry him. However, she gently turned him down and shortly afterwards, left Walford to live in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Towards the end of the year, following the example of his friend Joe Wallace (Jason Rush) who finally came clean to his parents about being gay and HIV-positive, Mark decided to tell his parents. By this time, he was involved with Rachel Kominski (Jacquetta May
Jacquetta May
Jacquetta May is a British actress, writer and theatre director.The Kent born actress worked in theatre for ten years after leaving Bristol University, with one short television role as a vengeful wife in the ITV police drama The Bill...
), who advised him against it, but Mark tiring of pretence, went ahead and on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
told Pauline and Arthur that he was HIV-positive. They sat in stunned silence while he scattered helpful leaflets around the house and then fled to the countryside. When he returned, he faced his mother's irrational terror and hostility from his father. Arthur's ignorance was apparent initially, as he was often scared that he would catch HIV from Mark. He went to painstaking attempts to bleach
Bleach
Bleach refers to a number of chemicals that remove color, whiten, or disinfect, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household chlorine bleach , lye, oxygen bleach , and bleaching powder...
all the cutlery that Mark had used to avoid infection. Mark's mother and sister Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actress Susan Tully.Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square...
(Susan Tully
Susan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
) were understandably distraught, but were instrumental in helping Arthur understand Mark's illness, and were a huge support to Mark during this time. Mark's relationship with Rachel never really got off the ground and ended in 1992. The animosity at home thrust Mark back into the arms of his girlfriend Gill, who moved to London and became seriously ill. Gill's HIV had already progressed into AIDS and her deterioration was rapid. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was placed in a hospice. Mark realised that he was truly in love with her and asked her to marry him. Mark and Gill married in June 1992, and their honeymoon was one night in a hotel, before Gill was readmitted to the hospice where she died. A devastated Mark spent the rest of the year in shock and began drinking heavily.
During 1993, Mark took over running the family fruit and veg stall in the market after his uncle, Pete Beale
Pete Beale
Peter "Pete" Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Peter Dean. He made his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was created by Tony Holland, one of the creators of EasEnders; he was based on a member of...
(Peter Dean), departed. He also began an on/off relationship with his sister's house-mate Shelley Lewis (Nicole Arumugam
Nicole Arumugam
Nicole Arumugam is a British actress. She is half Irish half Malaysian.She is best known for appearing on British television, most notably the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where she played Shelley Lewis from 1992-1994....
), however Mark was hesitant to tell her about his HIV status. During November 1993, whilst on a trip to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Shelley made it clear to Mark that she wanted to sleep with him. Mark was finally forced to divulge that the reason he couldn't sleep with her was because he was HIV positive. Shelley was furious with him for not trusting her enough to tell her in the first place and told him she never wanted to see him again. Mark took the rejection badly and he began neglecting his health by not taking his HIV medication. During Christmas that year, he was rushed to hospital after collapsing. When Shelley found out that Mark was ill, she rushed to him and confessed that she really cared for him and so they reignited their relationship. Shelley was desperate for Mark to meet her family and go on holiday with her parents. She became slightly infatuated with him and tried to spend as much time with him as she could. Mark felt that the relationship was moving too quickly and he soon tired of Shelley. By March 1994, Mark had decided to finish the relationship, but when he tried to break it off, Shelley resorted to emotional blackmail, saying that she risked her own health being with him, so he owed her. When this didn't work, she threatened to tell the rest of Walford about his HIV status, but when Mark called her bluff she didn't have the guts to go through with her threat and decided to leave Walford instead.
1994–2003
Later in 1994, Mark's friend Joe Wallace died of an AIDS related illness, and after a trip to the hospice to see him, he ran into a ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
woman named Ruth Fowler
Ruth Fowler
Ruth Fowler is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Caroline Paterson from 1994 to 1999. Ruth was Mark Fowler's second wife and she was far more comfortable with his HIV status than many of his other girlfriends. However their marriage eventually...
(Caroline Paterson
Caroline Paterson
Caroline Paterson is a Scottish actress who has appeared in many Scottish television shows such as one-off STV drama, The Steamie and the BBC's Rab C. Nesbitt. However, she is most recognized for her role in EastEnders as Mark Fowler's wife, Ruth...
), who was also visiting her friend in the hospice. After a brief conversation the two decided to go to a pub to drown their sorrows. They began a relationship and for once Mark seemed to have found a woman who could deal with his HIV status without getting hysterical. Ruth was the daughter of a strict Presbyterian minister, who refused to give his blessing to her union with Mark and disowned her when she announced in 1995 that she was planning to marry him. They married anyway - in Scotland - soon after. However, problems in their marriage began to surface. Ruth had persuaded Mark - and herself - that she was happy about not having any children, but it soon became apparent that she was fooling herself.
In 1996, Mark was forced to confront the Square's prejudices, when the residents discovered his HIV status. The depth of ignorance concerning the illness didn't help matters and, led by Peggy Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
(Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
), the residents began boycotting Mark's fruit and veg stall, fearing they would catch the virus from his produce. Pauline sprang to her son's defence and she and Peggy were involved in a vicious slap fight, but even Pauline couldn't diffuse the prejudice, and Mark returned home one day to find the words "AIDS scum" graffitied on his wall. This was too much for him and he decided to present his neighbours with a few facts about his illness in The Queen Vic; forcing them to acknowledge their bigotry. Peggy remained uncertain, but was forced to realise that Mark might appreciate a bit of support when, at the end of the year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.
In 1997, Mark and Ruth began fostering a six year old girl named Jessie Moore (Chelsey Paden), but having to return her to her mother proved too heart-breaking and by this time rot had set in on their marriage. When Mark's cousin Conor Flaherty
Conor Flaherty
Conor Flaherty is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Seán Gleeson.He first appeared in 1997 when his aunt Pauline Fowler tracked him and his mother Maggie Flaherty down in Ireland after she discovered Maggie was the sister she had never known about...
(Seán Gleeson
Seán Gleeson
Seán Gleeson is an English actor and director, best known for playing the roles of Conor Flaherty in EastEnders and lawyer Ronnie Woodson in the day time soap opera, Doctors, for which he has also directed a number of episodes...
) showed an interest in Ruth, Mark became jealous and the relationship fell apart. After they split, Ruth succumbed to Conor's charm and ended up pregnant with his child. She left Walford in 1999 with Conor, leaving Mark heart-broken.
In 2000, Mark's feud with Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders played by John Altman on a recurring basis from the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance to date in 2009. Nick is the son of characters Charlie and Dot Cotton, and the father of Ashley and...
resurfaced after he discovered that Nick had given his brother, Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler (EastEnders)
Martin Albert Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by James Alexandrou from 1996 to 2007.The role was previously played by Jon Peyton Price from early life as a baby in 1985 to 1996, just before Martin's teenage years began.-Storylines:Martin is the younger son...
(James Alexandrou
James Alexandrou
James Alekos Alexandrou is an English actor of Greek Cypriot descent, best known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
), dodgy ecstasy. Mark snapped and after spiking Nick's drink, led him up to the Walford viaduct and watched in delight as an intoxicated Nick plunged to the ground, severely crippling himself. Nick was vengeful and enlisted his son Ashley
Ashley Cotton
Ashley Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, the son of Zoe and Nick Cotton and the grandson of Charlie and Dot Cotton, played by Ryan Devonshire in 1993 and then by Frankie Fitzgerald in 2000.-Storylines:...
to take revenge on Mark. Ashley stole Mark's motorbike and attempted to run Mark over with it but Nick had drained the brake fluid from the bike the night before. Ashley crashed into the launderette and was killed. Nick left the Square shortly afterwards and never saw Mark again. Mark held a soft spot for Lisa Shaw
Lisa Fowler
Lisa Deborah Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Benjamin from 1998 to 2003 and in 2010. Lisa was instrumental in one of EastEnders most highly publicised and anticipated storylines, dubbed Who Shot Phil? in 2001, where she gunned down her former...
(Lucy Benjamin
Lucy Benjamin
-Career:Born Lucy Jane Baker in Reading, Berkshire, England, she took the stage name of Benjamin after her brother. Benjamin trained at the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead. Her first acting role was as a child actor in Doctor Who in 1983 playing a young version of the character Nyssa...
), who was in a rocky relationship with his enemy, Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
). When she left Phil, she turned to Mark. Mark took her in and they began a relationship, much to Pauline's despair. Together, they concocted a plan to pretend that the child she was carrying was Mark's, even though the real father was Phil. Mark offered to raise the baby so Phil could be completely erased from Lisa's life. To facilitate their lie, Mark insisted that he'd taken all the relevant precautions in relation to his HIV, stating that he had undergone sperm washing
Sperm washing
Sperm washing is a term used to describe the process in which individual sperms are separated from the seminal fluid. The sperms are then used in intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization ....
, and they had everyone fooled for a while. Mark loved Lisa so much that he stayed with her after she shot Phil
Who Shot Phil?
"Who Shot Phil?" was a storyline of the BBC soap opera EastEnders which evolved during 2001.-Background:The storyline centred around one of EastEnders longest running characters, Phil Mitchell . The build up to the storyline occurred throughout 2000-2001. The character became darker and a more...
(who survived), and Mark proposed to her in 2001 shortly after baby Louise's birth. However Phil discovered the truth about the child's parentage from Louise's god mother Sharon Rickman
Sharon Rickman
Sharon Anne Rickman is a fictional character from the popular BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean, who was a regular cast member for the first 10 years after the programme began on 19 February 1985. She returned in May 2001, and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in...
(Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995...
), and vowed to take an active role in his daughter's upbringing. Mark and Lisa married in March 2002, but their happiness was short-lived. Lisa was still very much in love with Phil and Phil knew this so he seduced her in order to have more access to Louise. After Sharon discovered Phil's intentions, she talked Phil out of his plan and he ended the affair with Lisa but Mark still found out and left the square. After just five months of marriage, Lisa left Mark after resuming her affair with Phil.
In January 2003, Mark's doctor told him that his body was rejecting the medication he was using to prolong his life and put off the onset of AIDS. He soon accepted that he was going to die, and decided to leave Walford rather than let his family see him endure a slow and painful death. He made a tearful farewell to his family and friends and rode off out of Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
in February 2003. News of his death reached Walford in April 2004, and he was given a heart-felt send-off by the residents of Walford.
On 19 February 2010 a young Mark, played by David Scarboro, was seen in video footage watched by Ian and Dot to celebrate the shows 25th anniversary.
Character creation and development
Mark Fowler was one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of EastEnders, Tony HollandTony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
and Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
. Mark was a member of the first family of EastEnders, the Beales and Fowlers
The Beale/Fowler family
The Beale/Fowler family is a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.For many years before the show began, the Beale family consisted of head of the family, Albert, his wife, Lou Beale, and their three children, Kenny and twins Pauline and Pete...
, and Holland took the inspiration for some of the series' earliest characters from his own London family and background. Mark's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, EastEnders: The Inside Story
EastEnders books
This is a list of books about or relating to the British soap opera EastEnders.-Non-fiction books:* EastEnders: The Inside Story* Public Secrets: EastEnders and its Audience* EastEnders Special...
.
Several young actors were seen and read for the part of Mark (including Gary Hailes
Gary Hailes
Gary Hailes is an English actor.During the 1980s he starred in several successful television series, including Woodentop, Grange Hill and the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where he played Barry Clark from 1986 - 1989...
, who would later play the gay barrow boy, Barry Clark). On paper, David Scarboro
David Scarboro
David Timothy Scarboro was a British actor who was best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the popular British soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
was the least likely to get the job as he was relatively inexperienced, having previously only appeared in a little-known made-for-television film and Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
. His reading was not a huge success as he mumbled most of his lines. However, Holland and Smith were taken with his appearance, particularly his "piercing eyes", which reminded them of James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
. They felt that he would be "dynamite on-screen", and his likeness to their vision of the character was uncanny, so they offered him the role.
Mark was originally scripted to be a wayward delinquent and was due to feature heavily within the first year of the series. However, as soon as the regular gruelling schedule of EastEnders production established itself, it became clear that Scarboro was not happy in the role. The stress of the heavy workload and the sudden fame that came to all the actors became difficult for him to cope with. He became unhappy with the schedule and his scripts and refused to play Mark as a racist as was intended. Holland and Smith decided to write the character out of the show to allow the actor to come to terms with the situation better. On-screen, Mark was being implicated in the murder of Reg Cox and was being tempted into heroin by Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders played by John Altman on a recurring basis from the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance to date in 2009. Nick is the son of characters Charlie and Dot Cotton, and the father of Ashley and...
. Fearing Nick and the police, Mark ran away from home in April 1985. As this had not been the original plan for the character, it meant a hectic period of re-writing early in 1985. The first fifty-odd scripts were reworked to accommodate this major change. Many of the stories intended for Mark were subsequently given to Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul J. Medford.Kelvin was a bright spark and full of initiative. He opened several businesses in Albert Square and even formed a band. He was a bit of a heartbreaker in EastEnders early years, but he ended up...
, Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
and Mark's sister Michelle
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actress Susan Tully.Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square...
- which partially explains why her character became so prominent in the first year. It still left a gap though, because several of Mark's functions in the serial, as slightly the eldest of the youngsters, could not have been taken over by the others. A new character needed to be introduced to restore the balance to its original shape, which is why the character of Simon Wicks
Simon Wicks
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler; Mark's actor David Scarboro had left...
was introduced. This meant introducing the audience to a character and a story approximately a year before it had been originally intended.
Scarboro returned to the show briefly in December 1985 in a storyline that saw Mark's parents, Pauline
Pauline Fowler
Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional London borough of Walford. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between 1985 and 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland and producer...
and Arthur
Arthur Fowler
Arthur George Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Bill Treacher.The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man, but he made some foolish choices and he always ended up paying dearly for them, also being bossed to the brink of insanity by...
search for him in Southend. The storyline's intention was to help highlight the problems some parents face when their teenage children disappear from home. He returned again for brief stints in 1986 and 1987. His final appearance as Mark was on Christmas Day 1987. However, the actor was never to make a full-time return and Scarboro committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1988.
Subsequently, the role was recast in 1990 to the actor Todd Carty
Todd Carty
Todd Carty is an Irish actor and director, who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage work has varied from pantomime to serious drama, as well as radio plays, voiceovers, commercials, narrations, and films...
, renowned for his role as Tucker Jenkins
Tucker Jenkins
Peter "Tucker" Jenkins is a fictional character in Grange Hill, who appeared from the first episode in 1978 to 1982, and with cameo appearances in 2003 and the last ever episode in 2008. Tucker was played by British actor Todd Carty.-Series 1:...
in Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
. At this time, Mark returned to the series as a permanent character. The most notable storyline involving Mark was the revelation that he had contracted HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. Mark discovered he was HIV positive in 1991, and informed his family of this on Christmas Day that year. There then followed a traumatic journey as he struggled first to come to terms with the news, then track down his previous partners to inform them that he was infected with the virus. The problems didn't end there, however, as Mark then had to battle with the fear and ignorance of those living around him including his parents. Many of Albert Square's residents initially rejected him when they found out that he was HIV positive. Mark married one of his ex-partners Gill, who had also been infected with the virus but in her case it had progressed to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, and she subsequently died the day after the wedding. The episode in which Gill died (written by Debbie Cook and directed by Leonard Lewis
Leonard Lewis
Leonard Jack Lewis was a British producer and director. He was most active in television. He was the Executive/Series Producer for BBC's EastEnders during the early 1990s, though he had success with many other television programmes for both the BBC and ITV...
) has been chosen by writer Colin Brake
Colin Brake
Colin Brake is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programs such as Bugs and EastEnders. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series Doctor Who...
as one of the most memorable episodes of 1992. In his book, EastEnders: The First Ten Years Blake comments, "Although in many ways the episode was sad and downbeat it was not without its positive aspects, as Mark talked to his sister about his own mortality." Susanna Dawson, the actress who played Gill, found the experience of playing a person living with, and dying from, AIDS so intense that she co-produced an educational video based on the subject for use in schools and wrote a book, The Gill and Mark Story, to accompany it.
Mark became the first mainstream soap character to be diagnosed as HIV-positive. The storyline came after a government request to "spread the word". Mark's story also helped dispel the myth that HIV is an automatic death sentence. He lived with the condition for 13 years before dying of an AIDS related illness. The Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity that campaigns on various issues related to AIDS and HIV. In particular, the charity aims to reduce the spread of HIV and promote good sexual health ; to provide services on a national and local level to people with, affected by, or at risk of...
worked with the production team for the duration of Mark's story. Despite all the public health campaigns concerning HIV transmission, the biggest peak in requests for testing in Britain was seen in January 1991 when Mark Fowler was diagnosed HIV-positive. Carty has commented: "I feel that the storyline educated people at a time when there were lots of misconceptions about HIV and Aids…My main concern was that they'd get it right and, overall, I think they did - because it showed someone living with HIV, as opposed to dying of it."
The storyline was widely applauded for the way it handled the plot and the following issues that the scriptwriters explored, from antiretroviral drugs, safe sex and prejudice. The storyline was so successful in raising awareness that a 1999 survey by the National Aids Trust found teenagers got most of their information about HIV from the soap.
The character of Mark remained in the show for a further 13 years after his reintroduction, and featured in an array of storylines including two failed marriages, which were scripted to highlight the difficulties that can occur in a relationship when one partner has HIV and the other does not. Ultimately Mark overcame the stigma and he enjoyed several years of happy, healthy living before finally succumbing to an AIDS-related illness and dying in April 2004 off-screen. EastEnders executive producer Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
said Carty had made a "fantastic contribution" to the soap and Mark has been a "pivotal figure" on Albert Square, but the character had finally run its course.
Campaigners have since suggested that Mark's HIV storyline could have been handled better in the latter years. Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said "in some ways the storyline was not reflective of what was happening at the time as the condition was more common among the gay community". She also said "he was perhaps killed off too early as advancements in drugs are helping people live for much longer... Saying that, one decent soap episode is worth a thousand leaflets in schools. That is why we would always go out of our way to help scriptwriters. TV and films can be very powerful."
Reception
Carty had said that the late EastEnders star Wendy RichardWendy Richard
Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
was like a mother to him. "When I was filming my goodbye scenes, those tears were real. Seeing Wendy break down was one of the most poignant moments. The whole day was so emotional - I had to hold it together and stay strong for Wendy". Carty had also told The Mirror that the pair had struck up a 20-year friendship after they were cast.