Coordinates	30°19′10″N81°39′36″N
name	BBC One
logosize	250px
logofile	BBC One logo.svg
logoalt	In large rounded sans-serif font, the lower-case word "one" is written in white on a red background. To the left in smaller letters, the letters "BBC" in solid white squares is written; the tops of the two words are aligned
logocaption	The BBC One logo since 2006
launch	2 November 1936
picture format	576i (PAL)576i 16:9 (SDTV)1080i (HDTV)
share	21.0%
share as of	June 2011
share source	BARB
owner	BBC
country	United Kingdom
former names	BBC Television Service(2 November 1936 – 8 October 1960) BBC tv(8 October 1960 – 20 April 1964) BBC1(20 April 1964 – 3 October 1997)
web
sister names	BBC TwoBBC ThreeBBC FourBBC NewsBBC ParliamentBBC HD
terr serv 1	Analogue
terr chan 1	''Normally tuned to 1 (To be phased out nationwide by 2012)''
terr serv 2	Freeview
terr chan 2	Channel 1Channel 50 (HD)(Currently being rolled out)
sat serv 1	Freesat
sat chan 1	Channel 101Channel 108 (HD)Channels 950–967 (regional variations)
sat serv 2	Sky
sat chan 2	Channel 101Channel 143 (HD)Channels 971–988 (regional variations)
sat serv 3	Sky (IRL)
sat chan 3	Channel 141
sat serv 4	Astra 2D
sat chan 4	10773H 22000 5/610847V 23000 8/9 (HD)
cable serv 1	Virgin Media
cable chan 1	Channel 101Channel 108 (HD)
cable serv 2	UPC Ireland
cable chan 2	Channel 108Channel 140 (HD)
cable serv 3	UPC Netherlands
cable chan 3	Channel 50
cable serv 4	Ziggo (Netherlands)
cable chan 4	Channel 50
cable serv 5	Numericable (Belgium)
cable serv 6	Naxoo (Switzerland)
cable chan 6	Channel 213
cable serv 7	Cablecom (Switzerland)
cable chan 7	Channel 155
adsl serv 1	TalkTalk TV
adsl chan 1	Channel 1
adsl serv 2	Belgacom TV(Brussels)
adsl chan 2	Channel 67
adsl serv 3	Belgacom TV(Flanders)
adsl chan 3	Channel 23
adsl serv 4	Belgacom TV(Wallonia)
adsl chan 4	Channel 213
adsl serv 5	Bluewin TV(Switzerland)
online serv 1	BBC Online
online chan 1	Watch live (UK only)
online serv 2	BBC iPlayer
online chan 2	Watch live (UK only) }}

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution. It was later renamed BBC tv until the launch of sister channel BBC Two in 1964, whereupon it was known as BBC1, with the current spelling adopted in 1997. The channel has an annual budget of £1.2 billion. Along with the BBC's other domestic television stations, and many European broadcasters (and some in Asia), it is funded principally by the television licence fee, and therefore shows uninterrupted programming with no commercial advertising at any time. It is currently the most watched television channel in the United Kingdom, ahead of its traditional rival for ratings leadership, ITV1.

The channel was named ''Channel of the Year'' at the 2007 Broadcast Awards.

The Current Channel Controller for BBC One is Danny Cohen, formerly controller of BBC Three. Cohen replaced Jay Hunt following her departure from the BBC in late 2010 to join Channel 4, taking up her new position in January 2011. BBC Vision chief Jana Bennett took temporary control of BBC One between Hunt's departure and Cohen's appointment. Cohen briefly held controller positions of both BBC One and BBC Three until former ITV digital channels head Zai Bennett was confirmed as new BBC Three controller; Bennett, in turn, was replaced at ITV by Angela Jain, who, like Danny Cohen, is a former channel controller of E4.

History

The early years

Baird Television made Britain's first television broadcast, on 30 September 1929 from its studio in Long Acre, London via the BBC's London transmitter, using the electromechanical system pioneered by John Logie Baird. This system used a vertically-scanned image of 30 lines — just enough resolution for a close-up of one person, and with a bandwidth low enough to use existing radio transmitters. Simultaneous transmission of sound and picture was achieved on 30 March 1930, by using the BBC's new twin transmitter at Brookmans Park. By late 1930, 30 minutes of morning programmes were broadcast Monday to Friday, and 30 minutes at midnight on Tuesdays and Fridays, after BBC radio went off the air. Baird broadcasts via the BBC continued until June 1932.

The BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, London on 22 August 1932. The studio moved to expanded quarters at 16 Portland Place, London in February 1934, and continued broadcasting the 30-line images, carried by telephone line to the medium wave transmitter at Brookmans Park, until 11 September 1935, by which time advances in all-electronic television systems made the electromechanical broadcasts obsolete.

After a series of test transmissions and special broadcasts that began in August, regular BBC television broadcasts officially resumed on 1 October 1936, from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London, housing two studios, various scenery stores, make-up areas, dressing rooms, offices, and even the transmitter itself, now broadcasting on the VHF band. BBC television initially used two systems, on alternate weeks: the 240-line Baird intermediate film system and the 405-line Marconi-EMI system, each making the BBC the world's first regular high-definition television service, broadcasting Monday to Saturday from 15:00 to 16:00 and 21:00 to 22:00. The two systems were to run on a trial basis for six months; early television sets supported both resolutions. However, the Baird system, which used a mechanical camera for filmed programming and Farnsworth image dissector cameras for live programming, proved too cumbersome and visually inferior, and was dropped in February 1937.

Initially, the station's range was officially a 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Alexandra Palace transmitter—in practice, however, transmissions could be picked up a good deal further away, and on one occasion in 1938 were picked up by engineers at RCA in New York, who were experimenting with a British television set.

Wartime closure

On 1 September 1939, two days before Britain declared war on Germany, the station was unceremoniously taken off air with little warning. It was feared by the government that the VHF transmissions would act as a beacon to enemy aircraft homing in on London. Also, many of the television service's technical staff and engineers would be needed for the war effort, in particular on the RADAR programme. The last programme aired was a Mickey Mouse cartoon, ''Mickey's Gala Premiere'' (1933), which was followed by test transmissions and an announcement of the afternoon schedule, which did not air.

According to figures from Britain's Radio Manufacturers Association, 18,999 television sets had been manufactured from 1936 to September 1939, when production was halted by the war.

Postwar

BBC Television returned on 7 June 1946 at 15:00. Jasmine Bligh, one of the original announcers, made the first announcement, saying, 'Good afternoon everybody. How are you? Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh?'. The Mickey Mouse cartoon of 1939 was repeated 20 minutes later.

Postwar broadcast coverage was extended to Birmingham in 1949 with the opening of the Sutton Coldfield transmitting station, and by the mid 1950s most of the country was covered.

Alexandra Palace was the home base of the channel until the early 1950s when the majority of production moved into Lime Grove Studios (closed 1991), then in 1960 to the purpose-built BBC Television Centre at White City, also in London, where the channel is still based.

Television News continued to use Alexandra Palace as its base — by early 1968 it had even converted one of its studios to colour — before moving to purpose-built colour facilities at Television Centre on 20 September 1969.

The BBC held a monopoly on television broadcasting in the United Kingdom until the first ITV station was launched in 1955. The competition quickly forced the channel to change its identity and priorities following a large reduction in its audience figures.

The station was renamed BBC1 when BBC2 was launched in April 1964. At midnight on 15 November 1969, simultaneously with ITV and two years after BBC2, the channel officially began 625-line PAL colour programming with a broadcast of a concert by Petula Clark. In the weeks leading up to 15 November, BBC1 had unofficially transmitted the occasional programme in colour to test its system. Stereo audio transmissions, using the NICAM digital stereo sound format began on BBC1 at some point in 1986, as with BBC2, and were gradually phased in across BBC TV output, although it took until August 31 1991 for the service to begin officially. During this time, both commercial analogue broadcasters, ITV and Channel 4 had officially begun stereo transmissions using the BBC-developed NICAM system.

Wide-screen programming was introduced on digital platforms in 1998.

In terms of audience share, the most successful period for BBC1 was under Bryan Cowgill between 1973–1977, when the channel achieved an average audience share of 45 per cent. This period is still regarded by many as a golden age of the BBC's output, with the BBC achieving a very high standard across its entire range of series, serials, plays, light entertainment and documentaries.

Since the launch of multichannel television, BBC One's share of the viewers has declined, although not as fast as ITV's, leading the channel to once again become the most watched in the last decade.

By the 1980s, the channel had launched the first breakfast television programmes and returned to its previous form under the controller of the channel at the time, Michael Grade.

2000s

Joining the channel as Controller in 2005, Peter Fincham oversaw the commissioning of several successful BBC One programmes including ''Robin Hood'' (2006–2009), ''Jane Eyre'' (2006) and ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'', which was followed by similar shows ''Any Dream Will Do'' and ''I'd Do Anything'' because of its success. His first full year in charge of the channel saw a year-on-year growth in the audience share, with a rise from 22.2% in August 2005 to 23.6% in August 2006.

Fincham also directly initiated the creation of both early evening current affairs and lifestyle programme ''The One Show'' (2006–present), now to run all but two weeks of the year, and the prime time chat show ''Davina'' (2006), the latter being designed as a vehicle for ''Big Brother'' presenter Davina McCall. However, ''Davina'' was a critical and ratings disaster, which Fincham subsequently admitted was personally his fault, although he defended the strategy of experimenting with the BBC One schedule. He continued with this experimentation in January 2007, when he moved the current affairs series ''Panorama'' from its Sunday night slot back to the prime time Monday evening slot from which it had been removed in 2000, most likely in response to a demand from the Board of Governors of the BBC for the channel to show more current affairs programming in prime time.

Fincham's judgement was again called into question, this time by ''The Telegraph'', for his decision to spend £1.2 million replacing the BBC 'Rhythm & Movement' idents, which had been introduced by his predecessor Lorraine Heggessey several years earlier, with the BBC One 'Circle' idents, a set of eight ten-second films, some of which were shot abroad in locations such as Mexico and Croatia. Fincham later found himself having to publicly defend the £18 million salary that the BBC paid presenter Jonathan Ross in 2006, although Ross's BBC One work — primarily consisting of ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' — formed only part of his overall BBC commitment.

In May 2007, Fincham took the decision to drop the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' from BBC One after 21 years on the channel, when its producers significantly raised the price they wanted the BBC to pay for it in a bidding war. Fincham commented that it was 'a big loss', but that BBC One would not pay 'the best part of £300 m'. ''Neighbours'' left the channel in spring 2008 to move to Channel 5.

Fincham was involved in a further controversy in July 2007, when he was accused of misleading BBC One viewers. The incident involved a clip from forthcoming documentary ''A Year with the Queen'' which was shown to journalists during a press conference. It apparently showed the Queen storming out of a session with American photographer Annie Leibovitz over a disagreement about what she should wear, but the BBC subsequently admitted that the scenes used in the trailer had been edited out of their correct order, meaning that a false impression was given. Fincham admitted the error, but rejected calls that he should resign from his position as a result. His future was deemed uncertain following critical comments from BBC Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons and he resigned on 5 October 2007.

Programming

In 2010, the top five watched programmes, at their peaks, according to BARB were as follows: #''Eastenders'' 16,410,000 #''World Cup 2010 England Vs Germany '' 15,810,000 #''Strictly Come Dancing'' 14,280,000 #''Come Fly With Me'' 12,470,000 #''Doctor Who'' 12,110,000

_{¹ temporarily replaced by Martin J. O'Connor 1979–1980 ² had not worked for the BBC before appointment}

8.9% of peak programming (30.8% overall) is repeats, with a peak target of 5% in 2008/2009. Programming on this channel costs an average of £162,900 per hour.

With a mission to provide big programmes for all licence-fee payers, it has the main sport, news, current affairs and documentaries. It has historically broadcast children's programmes (now taken from CBBC and CBeebies). The channel remains one of the principal television channels in the United Kingdom and provides 2,508 annual hours of news and weather, 1,880 hours of factual and learning, 1,036 hours of drama, 672 hours of children's, 670 hours of sport, 654 hours of film, 433 hours of entertainment, 159 hours of current affairs, 92 hours of religion and 82 hours of music and arts.

News and current affairs

2,508 annual hours of news and weather (293 in peak, 1,049 of BBC News simulcasts) are provided by regular news programmes ''Breakfast'', the ''News at One'', ''news at Six'' and the ''News at Ten'' (the most-watched UK news programme), each including BBC regional news programmes. All of the three main news bulletins have a lead over their rival programmes on ITV and other terrestrial or cable channels. During the weekend period, three separate bulletins around these three time periods are broadcast and vary in length from 10–25 minutes and are known simply as BBC News. BBC One has also taken overnight simulcasts from the BBC News channel since 1997; the latter in turn simulcasts virtually all of the regular BBC One bulletins.

Each year 159 hours of current affairs programmes are broadcast on BBC One, including ''Panorama'' and ''Watchdog''. Politics is also covered, with programmes such as ''Question Time'' and ''This Week''. ''Crimewatch'', a programme appealing for help in unsolved crimes, is broadcast monthly.

Factual and learning

Whilst nature documentaries such as ''Planet Earth'' are the most familiar part of the 1,880 annual BBC One hours of factual and learning, this also includes lifestyle-format daytime programmes and a number of ''reality television'' formats and the ''One Life'' strand.

Drama

BBC One is the BBC's home of drama, with 1,036 hours each year. There are four half-hour episodes of ''EastEnders'' each week(not shown on Wednesdays), with an omnibus episode at the weekend, plus hospital dramas ''Casualty'' and ''Holby City''. In recent years the BBC's innovative dramas such as ''Doctor Who'', ''Spooks'', ''Luther'', ''Hustle'', ''Waterloo Road'', ''Robin Hood'', ''Torchwood'', ''Life on Mars'', ''Ashes to Ashes'', and ''Merlin'' have defeated ITV in the ratings. In May 2009, BBC One broadcast a mini-series called ''Moving On''. Other popular dramas on BBC One include crime dramas such as ''New Tricks (TV series)'', a programme of which even episode repeats have beaten ITV ratings on numerous occasions.

Children's

BBC One has traditionally been the home to children's television, as children's programming such as ''Blue Peter'' had been broadcast on the channel prior to the Children's BBC strand, and sections such as Watch with Mother airing previously on the channel. This became more pronounced with the launch of Children's BBC, later to be renamed CBBC. This new strand broadcast primarily on BBC One in the late afternoons with Saturday and Sunday mornings also proving a notable time slot for children's programmes with Saturday morning programming, such as ''Going Live!'' and ''Live & Kicking'', each lasting two to three hours being most notable. The launch in 2002 of dedicated digital channels for this content — CBBC and CBeebies — did not affect this provision. The channel broadcasts 672 hours of children's programmes each year, over two hours each day, mostly in the late afternoon on weekdays, as Saturday morning programming was switched to BBC Two in 2006 following a three month trial.

Sport

BBC One broadcasts 765 hours of sport each year. This includes Premier League football highlights on ''Match of the Day'', tennis from Wimbledon, horse racing such as the Grand National, the London Marathon plus other international athletics and swimming events, the Olympic Games, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker tournaments, and more. The BBC shows The Football League Show for Football League highlights and League Cup coverage. Formula 1 motor racing is also shown, Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's main race.

On 18 January 2010, the BBC introduced a local Football League highlight show called ''Late Kick Off''. The BBC also shows the ''League Cup'' final, and show 10 Football League matches live from the 2009/10 season. The BBC showed the 2010 World Cup. The group stage matches were split with ''ITV'', and the BBC got first pick of matches from the second round.

Film

British and international films are broadcast for 654 hours each year on BBC One. This is mainly late-night fillers with some box office hits at Christmas and holiday periods. Films are sometimes used to fill the Saturday evening slot when no sport or entertainment programmes are due to be aired.

Entertainment

433 hours of entertainment are broadcast by BBC One each year. This includes game shows like ''National Lottery'', ''Total Wipeout'', quiz shows like ''Have I Got News for You'', several events and talent shows such as ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and the ''Eurovision Song Contest'', and chat shows such as ''The Graham Norton Show''. Often each year, there are programmes trying to find a star for, usually, an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. The latest of these shows ended 22 May 2010 and was ''Over the Rainbow''.

Religion

The annual 92 hours of religious programming comprise weekly editions of recorded ''Songs of Praise'', Christian services and other shows from independent production companies. Mentorn Oxford produces ''Heart and Soul'', described as “a new multifaith programme featuring a panel and a studio audience”, followed by ''Life from the Loft'' which is made by the Leeds-based company True North. In 2005 BBC One was criticised for reducing the amount of religious programming, previously 101 hours per year.

Comedy

BBC One broadcasts many comedy programmes, often on Friday nights. These include the highly successful ''Little Britain'', no longer in production (though ''Little Britain USA'' is syndicated from American network HBO), as well as multi-award winning ''Gavin and Stacey'', which were both transferred from BBC Three. One of the most popular BBC comedy shows was ''Only Fools and Horses''. Current comedies showing on the channel are stand-up comedy show ''Live at the Apollo'', sitcom ''Outnumbered'', and satirical quiz show ''Have I Got News For You''. Saturday evening is also a popular slot for a comedy show such as ''Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow'' and ''The Armstrong and Miller Show''.

Music and arts

As the weekly popular music chart programme ''Top of the Pops'' was axed (except for the Christmas Day edition), BBC One now broadcasts only 82 hours of music and arts each year. The majority of this is the Alan Yentob fronted ''Imagine'' and classical music concerts such as the BBC Proms.

Daytime

BBC One's daytime line-up was a major factor in it overtaking ITV as the most popular channel in 2000, a position it has held ever since. The morning daytime line-up consists of lifestyle shows, such as ''Homes Under the Hammer'' and ''Bargain Hunt'', the afternoons contain drama with daily soap ''Doctors'' and classic US drama, such as ''Diagnosis: Murder''. Sometimes a drama such as ''Land Girls'' is shown in the afternoons. From 15:05 until 17:05 is the CBeebies/CBBC broadcasting strand, with its own visual identity. Historically, BBC One's most popular daytime programme was ''Neighbours'', with audience figures approaching five million. From 11 February 2008 BBC One dropped ''Neighbours'' and the programme is now broadcast on Channel 5. In its place the quiz show ''The Weakest Link'', moved from BBC Two.

Quotas

28% of "qualifying hours" are made by independent production companies (statutory target is 25%). 99% of peak hours programmes are original productions (target 90%), as are 82% of all hours (target 70%).

Some of the channel's most popular programmes, such as ''Match of the Day'', ''Have I Got News for You'', ''QI'', ''The Apprentice'', ''Gavin and Stacey'', ''Torchwood'' and ''Little Britain'' originally started off on other BBC channels, and moved to BBC One because of their popularity.

Productions

For the first fifty years of its existence, with the exception of films and imported programmes from countries such as the United States and Australia, almost all the channel's output was produced by the BBC's in-house production departments. This changed following the Broadcasting Act 1990, which required that 25% of the BBC's television output be out-sourced to independent production companies. By 2004 many popular BBC One shows were made for the channel by independents, but the in-house production departments continue to contribute heavily to the schedule.

Presentation

BBC One's identity has been symbolised by a globe shown on its idents for most of its existence. In 1962 this was represented as a map of the UK shown between programmes, but in 1963 the globe appeared, changing in style and appearance over the next 39 years.

From 15 November 1969 it became a 'mirror-globe' in several colours and sizes (a globe in front of a curved mirror which reflected a distorted view of the reverse)

On 18 February 1985 the COW (Computer Originated World) debuted. This was a computer-animated globe with the land coloured gold and the sea a transparent blue, giving the impression of a glass globe

On 16 February 1991, the day that BBC2 re-branded, an ethereal crystal-ball-type globe appeared, played out on air from laserdisc

On 4 October 1997 the globe became a red, orange and yellow hot-air balloon, coloured to resemble a globe, flying around various places in the UK

On 29 March 2002 the globe was replaced by a series of idents consisting of people dancing in various styles

On 7 October 2006 a new set of idents based on circles was launched. According to the BBC, the circle symbol both represents togetherness and acts as a nod to the former globe idents

Regional variations

BBC One has individual continuity and opt-outs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each variant maintains the BBC One logo with the addition of the country name beneath it.

In England, each region has an individual regional news and current affairs programme opt-out as well as a limited amount of continuity. During these opt-outs, the region name is displayed as with the national variations, beneath the main channel logo. ''UK Today'', a news programme, was shown nationally to digital viewers in place of regional programmes when they were unavailable to broadcast on analogue television. The programme was discontinued in 2002 and replaced by a transmission of ''BBC London News'' until all BBC regions were made available digitally.

BBC One Scotland has the greatest level of variation from the generic network, owing to BBC Scotland scheduling Scottish programming on the main BBC Scotland channel, rather than on BBC Two. BBC One Scotland variations include the soap opera ''River City'' and the football programme ''Sportscene'', the inclusion of which causes network programming to be displaced or replaced.

BBC One Wales was considered a separate channel by the BBC as early as its launch in the mid-1960s, appearing as BBC Wales.

Subtitles service

The BBC announced in May 2008 that it had achieved its aim for all programming to have subtitles for viewers with hearing difficulties. The BBC also offers audio description on some popular BBC One programmes for visually impaired-viewers. The percentage of the BBC's total television output with audio description available is 10%, having been increased from 8% in 2008.

High-definition

BBC One HD, a simulcast of BBC One in high-definition (HD), launched on 3 November 2010 at 19:00. The channel simulcasts a network version of BBC One in High Definition, but with no regional news programmes. The channel carries HD versions of programmes including ''Holby City'', ''The One Show'', ''Strictly Come Dancing'', ''The Apprentice'', ''The Weakest Link'', ''Doctor Who'' and ''QI''. ''EastEnders'' was also made available in HD as from Christmas Day 2010. All programmes still made in standard-definition are upscaled on the channel and it is intended that by 2012 the vast majority of the channel's output will be in high-definition.

BBC One HD is available on all digital television platforms offering HD channels – Freesat, Freeview HD, Sky (excluding the ROI), UPC Ireland and Virgin Media. It is available in addition to the existing BBC HD channel, which continues to broadcast HD programmes from the BBC's other television channels. The BBC Trust admitted that technical and financial constraints prevent regional variations, which forces the channel off-air during regional news programmes and other regional broadcasts.

The BBC announced on 6 June 2011, that the national variations of BBC One Northern Ireland, BBC One Scotland and BBC One Wales, would launch in 2012.

See also

Oldest television station

List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC

Notes and references

External links

BBC One Service Licence BBC Trust, July 2009

Category:1936 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:BBC television channels in the United Kingdom Category:English-language television stations Category:Television channels and stations established in 1936 Category:Television channels in the United Kingdom

ar:بي بي سي وان ca:BBC One cs:BBC One cy:BBC One da:BBC One de:BBC One es:BBC One fr:BBC One gd:BBC a h-aon gl:BBC One ko:BBC One hi:बीबीसी वन id:BBC One is:BBC One it:BBC One ms:BBC One nl:BBC One ja:BBC One no:BBC One nn:BBC One pl:BBC One pt:BBC One ru:BBC One simple:BBC One sh:BBC One fi:BBC One sv:BBC One zh:英國廣播公司第一台

Coordinates	30°19′10″N81°39′36″N
{{infobox soap character 2 | series	EastEnders
Name	Phil Mitchell
Portrayer	Steve McFadden
Years	1990–2003, 2005—
First	20 February 1990
Spinoffs	''Dimensions in Time (1993) EastEnders – The Mitchells – Naked Truths'' (1998) ''EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford'' (2010)''EastEnders: E20'' (2011)
Classification	Present; regular
Born	19 January 1961
Introducer
Family	Mitchell
Occupation
Home	55 Victoria Road
Mother	Peggy Mitchell
Father	Eric Mitchell
Wife
Brothers	Grant Mitchell
Sisters	Sam Mitchell
Daughters	Louise Mitchell
Sons	Ben Mitchell
Uncles	Clive MitchellArchie Mitchell
Aunts	Sal Martin
Nephews	Mark Fowler, Jr.Richard Mitchell
Nieces	Courtney Mitchell
Cousins	Ronnie MitchellRoxy Mitchell
Relatives	Billy Mitchell Jamie 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. He has become one of the soap's most popular characters and is the second longest-running male protagonist to appear in the serial. He was first introduced as the lesser of two thugs, but became a darker character after Grant left. More recent storylines, such as the return of his son Ben, have shown a softer side to the character. In 2010, McFadden was given six weeks off EastEnders, so he could appear in pantomime.

He has, at various times, owned many businesses in the Square. He has been married three times and featured in numerous high profile storylines, including the much-hyped whodunnit, dubbed "Who Shot Phil?"—when the character was gunned down outside his home – and an affair with his brother's wife, dubbed "Sharongate".

Character creation

Background

In late 1989 ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer, Michael Ferguson, who took over from Mike Gibbon. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's ''The Bill'' which seemed to be challenging ''EastEnders'' in providing a realistic vision of modern life in London. Due to his success on ''The Bill'', Peter Creegan, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of ''EastEnders''.

Casting

For the roles of Phil and Grant Mitchell many actors were screen-tested together. This was done to assure the chosen actors – who would work together – had a strong rapport and physical resemblance. Producer Corinne Hollingworth commented: "There were some good actors we had to turn down because we couldn't find the 'right' brother." Steve McFadden, an actor who had worked extensively in television, was cast as Phil. His shape, skills in stage fighting and a variety of sports including boxing, football and karate made him an ideal choice to play one of Walford's latest "tough-men." Ross Kemp got the role of Grant. Both actors worked well together and shared similar physical characteristics, such as short cropped hair and a "round, open face" – facial characteristics also shared by Danniella Westbrook, who was chosen to play their sister Samantha because of this.

Personality

Of the two brothers Phil was initially calmer, but both had a sense of physical danger about them, displayed stereotypical masculinity, thuggish behaviour and a tendency to resolve problems through violence. Phil was originally depicted as the thinker and the most streetwise of the pair, often bailing his more spontaneous brother out of trouble, although later plotlines drove the character down a darker, more destructive route. Phil can be violent, but unlike Grant, he occasionally showed restraint when dealing with various enemies encountered – exacting revenge over time, using mind games or getting others to do his dirty work.

Phil has occasionally shown sadistic traits. His bullying of Ian Beale is often done as a means of deriving pleasure. Equally the ceaseless degradation of Lisa showed a particularly malicious side to the character. While Phil has shown compassion to the women in his life, he frequently finds he is unable to give them the emotional security needed to sustain the relationship. Several women have left him due to this and his inability to put their needs before his family's.

Character development and impact

The Mitchell brothers quickly became two of the soap's most popular characters and storylines involving them began to dominate the programme. Their arrival heralded a new era for the soap, which aptly coincided with the beginning of a new decade – ''EastEnders'' during the 1980s having been very much dominated by the hugely popular Watts family.

Sharongate

One of the most notable and popular early storylines involving Phil was a love triangle between him, his brother and his brother's wife Sharon (played by Letitia Dean). Despite the fact that Sharon was married to Grant, ''EastEnders'' writer Tony Jordan revealed in ''The Mitchells - The Full Story'' that the love-triangle storyline had been planned since Phil and Grant's introduction, after the writers decided Sharon was perfect for them both. This storyline was slow burning and spread over several years, providing a plethora of dramatic tension along the way. The episode in which Phil betrayed his brother with Sharon occurred in September 1992 in one of the soap's notorious three-handers. Things finally came to a head in 1994 with some of ''EastEnders'' most popular and renowned episodes, which were dubbed "Sharongate" – centred around Grant's discovery of the affair and his reaction. The repercussions of Phil's betrayal contributed to many subsequent storylines involving the Mitchell brothers during the 1990s. Sharongate has also proven a popular storyline with viewers and it was voted the sixth top soap opera moment of the decade in a poll of 17,000 people for ''What's On TV'' magazine.

Alcoholism

Among the many issues Phil has been used to cover is alcoholism and the consequences the condition has upon the sufferer's life. The relationship between alcohol abuse and domestic violence was explored between Phil and his wife Kathy (played by Gillian Taylforth) culminating in the slow deterioration of their marriage, which gripped viewers throughout 1997. Of particular note is an episode where Phil attends Alcoholics Anonymous (February 1997), an "alien and uncomfortable arena" where he was forced to talk about his condition, expose his vulnerability and reveal the basis of his problem – the physical abuse he'd received from his father and his fear that he will do the same. Writer Jacquetta May, who once played Rachel Kominski in the show, evaluated the episode in an article about social realism, education and the moral messages within ''EastEnders'' storylines, commenting: "The episode blames his destructiveness on the 'male' response to self-hate: violence. It says that unless problems are worked through (the female method), they will be repeated generation after generation". This particular episode has also been used in a study by the Stirling Media Research Institute, where men were asked questions about the violence contained within a spectrum of broadcast television material. The study reported that much group discussion centred on the Alcoholics Anonymous group scene, which was, for the most part, seen as an accurate depiction of an AA group therapy session. In addition, Phil's portrayal of a suffering alcoholic was also seen as realistic and a "typical portrayal of bottled-up masculinity".

The Mitchell car crash

Phil's disposition altered during the early 2000s when a darker more menacing side to his personality began to surface. This change was perhaps a consequence of Grant's departure, who up until this point had always been depicted as the more selfish, thuggish and nastier of the two. The storyline signifying the departure of Ross Kemp played heavily on the Mitchell brothers' fragile and damaged relationship. After discovering that Grant had vengefully slept with Kathy, Phil went ballistic with a handgun causing the hijacked Vauxhall Astra they were driving to career at high speed into the River Thames, in an episode that was watched by 19.5 million viewers. Shot in London's Docklands, the scenes required stunt doubles, divers and crash test dummies and it has been hailed as "one of the soap's most dramatic storylines ever".

Who Shot Phil?

Phil's behaviour earned him a number of sworn enemies in Albert Square and by 2001 the character had become one of the soap's nastiest villains. In an interview with ''The Guardian'' McFadden commented on his alter ego's descent into villainy "Phil's been had over by a lot of people, so now he feels like he can do it back. It's his history". However the character finally received his comeuppance in one of ''EastEnders'' most highly anticipated storylines, dubbed "Who Shot Phil?". Phil was gunned down outside his home in March 2001 in a "''Dallas''-style" whodunnit mystery. Various key characters were in the frame for the deed and viewers were left guessing for weeks as to which of them was the real culprit. Several outcomes were allegedly filmed and it was reported that only a few TV executives knew the identity of the would-be assassin – even the actors were kept in the dark. A spokesman commented "The cast are only getting their own scripts. They are not being told anyone else's storylines. Not even Phil knows who shot him. It's top secret." Script writers were reportedly given private security after a writer's laptop was stolen in what was believed to be an attempt to gain the identity of the assailant. The storyline captivated the public's imagination leading to thousands of bets being placed at the bookies across the UK – bookmaker William Hill said there was about 50,000 bets on who was responsible.

An estimated 22 million viewers watched ''EastEnders'' on 5 April 2001 to find out that Lisa Shaw – Phil's ex-girlfriend – was the culprit. The episode caused the third-largest power surge on record, and the Liverpool and Barcelona UEFA Cup semi-final was postponed for 10 minutes to accommodate a special 40 minute edition of the soap.

Drug addiction

In June 2010, it was reported that Phil would develop an addiction to crack cocaine after his troubled personal life leads to depression. The report followed the news that Lucy Benjamin was to return for a single episode, reprising her role as Lisa, the mother of Phil's daughter Louise (Brittany Papple). In the storyline, Phil gains custody of Louise after she is dropped off in Walford by an unseen person, however, Peggy eventually returns Louise to Lisa after Phil punches his mother in the face. A spokesperson for the show said "Lisa Fowler was a major part of Phil's life – she knows him as well as anyone, so she won't be happy about him looking after his daughter. With their history, you know that this storyline is going to be an explosive episode in the Mitchells' history." Subsequently, Phil becomes addicted to crack cocaine. Producers worked closely with drug and alcohol charities, including Addaction and DrugScope. Viewers never see Phil take drugs to make sure the episodes are suitable for all audiences. Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope, commented: "If ''EastEnders'' sensitively reflect the impact that drug use has on Phil, it could help." The storyline also sees Phil become more violent. McFadden explained:

}}

McFadden decided to lose weight for the storyline by going on a crash diet, saying that food would not be one of Phil's priorities.

Other storylines

The character continues to be featured heavily in high-profile storylines which have included various feuds, police enquiries, armed robbery, kidnapping, numerous affairs and relationship problems and an ongoing plot concentrating on the character's struggles to bond with his children. 2005 saw the highly anticipated screen return of both of the Mitchell brothers – six years since they last appeared together. 13 million viewers tuned in to see their return giving the BBC a 52.9% audience share, a massive coup for the show which had come under heavy criticism in the British media after it drew its lowest audience in more than five years (6.6 million viewers tuning in to one episode in September 2005).

Storylines

Backstory

Phil, named after his paternal grandfather Philip who died when he was young, is the eldest child of Peggy and Eric Mitchell. He endured an unhappy childhood due to his abusive father, whose violence continued until Phil was old enough to fight back. Phil and his younger brother Grant were close, and had a reputation for their thuggish behaviour.

1990–2000

Phil and Grant arrive in Walford, buying the garage on Turpin Way, known as The Arches. Phil goes into partnership at The Queen Victoria public house with Grant and his fiancée Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), and moves in with them. Following a failed romance with Anne Howes (Cassie Stuart), Phil grows close to Sharon, who turns to him for comfort during Grant's violent outbursts. Sharon and Phil sleep together but she chooses to stay with Grant, who remains unaware of the betrayal. Sharon and Grant's reconciliation is brief, and amidst more rowing and physical violence, Grant is arrested and imprisoned. In his absence, Phil and Sharon continue their affair, and when Grant is released a reformed man, Sharon reconciles with him, leaving Phil heartbroken. On the rebound, Phil enters into a marriage of convenience with Nadia Borovac (Anna Barkan), a Romanian refugee, enabling her to stay legally in the UK, with Nadia departing after the wedding. Phil begins a romance with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), but Nadia returns, needing Phil to play her husband in more realistic ways to prevent deportation. She moves in with him while she is investigated. Nadia seduces and sleeps with a drunken Phil, and he regrets it, denying it to Kathy after Nadia informs her. Nadia disappears after Grant threatens to kill her, though Phil later bribes her into agreeing to a divorce.

When Kathy discovers that Phil is responsible for torching Frank Butcher's (Mike Reid) car lot in an insurance scam, killing a homeless boy, she leaves him. He wins her back by proposing marriage, leaving Sharon jealous. Intent on winning him back, Sharon kisses Phil, but he stops himself from kissing her back. During Phil and Kathy's engagement party, Grant listens to a cassette of Sharon confessing to the affair and plays it at the party. Kathy is incensed, and Grant beats Phil so badly that he is hospitalised with a ruptured spleen and a blood clot to the brain. Phil undergoes surgery, which stirs remorse in Grant. He pressures Phil into blaming Sharon for their affair and Grant chases her out of Walford. Phil and Grant make peace, but things between them are not the same. Kathy and Phil eventually sort out their differences and get married. Kathy falls pregnant and gives birth to Ben (Matthew Silver). Phil feels neglected and depressed so turns to alcohol, developing an addiction. He becomes abusive and neglectful of Ben, so Kathy leaves him. Realising what he has lost, Phil gives up drinking to rebuild his marriage. He attends Alcoholics Anonymous, which helps reveal the basis of his problem—the physical abuse he received from his father and his fear he will do the same to Ben. Kathy takes him back but when he attends counselling, he begins an affair with a fellow alcoholic named Lorna Cartwright (Janet Dibley), who later starts stalking him. With their relationship in jeopardy, Phil takes Kathy to Paris, hoping that it can bring them closer, but it has the opposite effect when Phil confesses to the affair and Kathy throws her wedding ring into the river. Phil begins sleeping rough, gambling, and blaming Kathy for his decline. Kathy decides to leave Walford to live in South Africa, letting it be known that an offer of reconciliation from Phil would make her reconsider. Phil waits until the last minute but is stalled by Lorna, who locks herself in his bathroom and attempts suicide. Kathy leaves for the airport and Phil follows but is accosted by Kathy's son Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), who persuades him that Kathy is better off without him. Phil agonises over the loss of his son.

To take his mind of things, Phil gets involved in a protection racket with Annie Palmer (Nadia Sawalha), who he is also having casual sex with, but he grows tired of being bossed around by her and quits. He starts seeing Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin), but the relationship stalls when Kathy returns briefly, continuing an affair with Grant. However, before she is due to return to South Africa, she asks Phil to leave with her. Phil cannot go as Grant has planned an armed robbery and Phil will not let his brother do the job alone. Infuriated with Phil's loyalty to Grant, Kathy reveals their recent tryst, leading to Phil confronting Grant after the heist and Grant confessing that he slept with Kathy to get revenge on Phil for sleeping with Sharon. While trying to escape the police in a getaway car, Phil pulls out a handgun and shoots at the dashboard, which causes Grant to crash into the River Thames. Phil is rescued, but Grant's body is not recovered, though he survives and flees to Brazil. When Grant sends Phil his half of The Queen Victoria, he sells it to Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass) for £5 to spite Peggy due to her favouritism towards Grant.

2000–06

Phil and Dan's allegiance ends after Dan tells the police about a motor scam Phil has been involved in, and Phil cons Dan into giving control of the pub back to Peggy. Phil is unsupportive when Lisa has a miscarriage and she becomes unstable. He turns his attention to her best friend Melanie Healy (Tamzin Outhwaite) and they sleep together. Phil grows jealous when Melanie reunites with Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) and becomes abusive to Lisa. Thinking a baby will improve things, Lisa stops taking her contraceptive pills. However, Melanie overhears Phil stating he does not want another baby, so she encourages Lisa to end the relationship, confessing to their affair. Lisa leaves Phil, and unknown to him, she is pregnant with his baby. Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) persuades her to pretend the baby is his. Phil gains many enemies: Lisa; Steve, who has discovered Melanie slept with Phil; Ian, who wants revenge for Phil's bullying; Mark, who wants to avenge Lisa; and Dan. On Steve and Melanie's wedding night, Phil is shot in the back by someone hiding in the bushes, collapsing in a pool of blood, and is hospitalised. Steve is prime suspect and is arrested. However, it was not Steve and after being discharged from hospital a month later, Phil confronts the real culprit, Lisa. She had stolen Steve's gun in a moment of madness. Realising he drove Lisa to it, Phil decides to let her off and frames Dan for the deed with the help of Ritchie Stringer (Gareth Hunt), who supplies Dan with the gun. Not realising he is being set up, Dan holds Phil at gunpoint, demanding money. However, the police arrive, arresting Dan for attempted murder. Steve is called as a witness at Dan's trial, and Phil persuades him to give a false testimony, further implicating Dan, but to everyone's astonishment he is found not guilty. Dan seeks revenge, so he kidnaps Melanie, the only common link between Phil and Steve, threatening to kill her unless they each give him £100,000. They work together to rescue Melanie but Dan escapes with the money.

Phil begins a second relationship with Sharon, who has returned, and they run The Queen Victoria together. Phil wants children, but Sharon reveals she is infertile and tells him Lisa's baby, Louise (Rachel Cox), is really his daughter. Phil ends their relationship and confronts Lisa, demanding to be part of his child's life. Steve offers to take Lisa to California, but when she is unable to leave, Steve absconds with Louise. Phil is informed and chases after Steve in his car. Steve crashes into a wall and Phil rescues Louise but cannot save Steve, who dies when the car explodes. Phil knows he must win Lisa back to gain custody of Louise, and Lisa is easily swayed. Phil slowly begins excluding Lisa from Louise's life, so in desperation, Lisa flees to Portugal with Louise. Phil's nephew Jamie (Jack Ryder) helps her escape, earning him a beating from Phil. Phil goes to Portugal and returns a month later with Louise. Some of Phil's neighbours suspect he has murdered Lisa.

Phil falls for Kate Morton (Jill Halfpenny), not knowing she is an undercover police officer, investigating Lisa's disappearance. After gaining a confession from Phil that he manipulated Lisa into handing over Louise, Kate reveals her true identity, and says she loves him and will quit her job, but Phil threatens to kill her. Kate disappears, but several months later, Phil finds her while she is working undercover for gangster Jack Dalton (Hywel Bennett). Phil saves Kate's life when Jack orders her dead, with Jack calling off the hit but telling Phil he owes him. Kate then moves in with Phil. Jack orders Phil to kill Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), so Phil corners Dennis at gunpoint, but Dennis tells Phil he will kill Jack so they can both be free of him, which he does. Phil and Dennis vow to keep their involvement in Dalton's murder to themselves, but Phil later tells Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs), Dalton's second-in-command. Dennis is enraged by Phil's betrayal and demands that they settle the score with a fight. Phil hires a group of men to deal with Dennis instead.

Phil and Kate go on to marry, but Lisa arrives, demanding access to Louise. She plans to shoot Phil again but fails. She breaks down until Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) vows to get revenge on Phil for her and for having his son Dennis beaten up. Den plans an armed robbery and coaxes Phil into joining him, but Den, with Dennis' assistance, sets Phil up and he is arrested. Kate is forced to give Louise back to Lisa and they leave Walford together. Phil cannot forgive Kate and their marriage ends. Phil escapes from prison and attacks Den and Dennis, and Den gives Phil money to survive on while on the run. Phil returns in need of money and attacks Ian, who leads him to believe he will help him escape, but calls the police and Phil is arrested again. However, the case falls through after Grant pays a witness to change his testimony and Phil is released. Johnny Allen (Billy Murray) makes an enemy of Phil after threatening to harm his family. Dennis gets involved the feud, not realising his wife Sharon has been threatened by Johnny and that he will be killed if he does not leave Walford. Phil informs Dennis, who beats Johnny, but then has Dennis murdered, leaving Phil feeling responsible and vowing to make Johnny pay. Phil and Grant confront Johnny, but he escapes and a car chase ensues. The brothers' squabbling allows Johnny to capture them, and Johnny orders Danny Moon (Jake Maskall) to kill them. However, Danny's brother Jake (Joel Beckett) shoots Danny, killing him, and Johnny surrenders.

2006—

Following Kathy's death, Phil's son Ben (now Charlie Jones) returns to live with his half brother Ian. Phil tries to build a relationship with Ben and they slowly begin to bond, eventually leading to Ben asking to live with his father. Phil meets Stella Crawford (Sophie Thompson) and they begin a relationship. She moves in but Ben is unwilling to accept her. She uses underhand tactics to make him more obedient and they become rivals for Phil's affections. She starts psychologically and physically abusing Ben, and manipulates him into persuading Phil to propose to her. The abuse is revealed by Ben during the wedding, and Stella flees to an abandoned warehouse with Phil in pursuit, where she jumps from the roof to her death. Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) uses his police contacts to trace Louise (now Danni Bennatar) for Phil, but Phil is incensed to discover that she calls another man "daddy" and that Jack has not warned him. Jack tries to blackmail Phil regarding his involvement in a motor scam with Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels), which inadvertently kills Kevin. Phil teams up with Jack's brother Max (Jake Wood) to remove Jack from Walford.

Phil proposes to his girlfriend Suzy Branning (Maggie O'Neill) when she tells him she is pregnant, but his friend and employee Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) tells him there is no pregnancy and Suzy is trying to con him. However, Phil stays with Suzy until he discovers she has schemed with his uncle Archie (Larry Lamb). Peggy and Archie marry, but Archie's manipulation of his entire family is revealed, so Peggy asks Phil to kill him. However, Phil just forces him to leave Walford. Phil starts drinking again and starts an on-off relationship with Shirley but it soon ends. Archie returns to win Peggy back, and Phil's sister Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook) returns from Brazil after being on the run for her part in the murder of Den Watts. Sam is arrested so Phil sells the garage to Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) to raise the bail money to have her released. However, Archie convinces Sam to flee, leading to the Mitchells struggling financially. Phil takes a loan from Ian on the condition that Ian gets The Queen Victoria if the money is paid back in two weeks, which Phil accepts. Ian sells the loan to Archie, but does not tell Phil, saying there is no need to pay him back yet. Archie ejects the Mitchells from the pub and Phil turns to alcohol again. Archie is murdered on Chistmas Day. Phil asks his now-girlfriend Shirley for an alibi, who tells police Phil was with her all day. However, she finds a blood-stained shirt, which she hides. Phil confesses that he found Archie dead and lost his balance, falling into the blood, but did not call the police because he panicked. They then burn the shirt and replace it with a brand new one. Eventually, Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) becomes the prime suspect in the murder but falls to his death while being chased by police, although the real killer turns out to be Stacey Branning. Phil and Shirley resume their romantic relationship.

Phil's cousin Ronnie (Samantha Womack) tells Phil that Louise (now Brittany Papple) came looking for him but she sent her away because Phil was in a fight at the time. Phil smashes up the bar and shouts in Ronnie's face, just as Louise walks in to witness his rage. Louise spends the night under the secret care of Peggy and Phil, and pleads to stay permanently, to which Phil initially agrees. However, Shirley finds out that Louise is hiding in the pub, and persuades Phil to do the right thing, so he then sends Louise back into care. He takes a DNA test to prove he is Louise's biological father, and custody is granted after Phil moves in with Shirley. Phil discovers that Ben has been burning Louise's arms and punches his son. The next day Ben explains that he is being bullied by Jordan Johnson (Michael-Joel David Stuart), so Phil tells him to stand up for himself, leading to Ben attacking Jordan and leaving him in a coma. Ben decides to confess to the police and is charged and bailed. Phil is told Ben could spend six weeks in custody, so plans to move to Portugal with Grant, but Peggy stops them as they are about to leave. Phil is outraged to hear Ben must spend five months in custody. He learns that Lisa has made an application to see Louise so he asks his solicitor Ritchie Scott (Sian Webber) to find a way to prevent her getting access. After Phil visits Ben, he discovers that Ben is being bullied by another prisoner, Cal Childs (Danny Barnham). Ben tells his family never to visit him again, but Phil attempts to, and while he is there, Peggy tells Louise that Lisa wants to see her, but insults Lisa, leading to Louise running away. Phil finds Louise and confronts Peggy, slapping her and leaving her bruised. Phil attempts to keep Louise locked in the house, but Peggy sneaks her out and takes her to Lisa, finally allowing her to stay there. Phil throws Shirley out of the house, accusing her of helping Peggy. He goes to Lisa's house to retrieve Louise but finds it empty and abandoned.

Phil starts drinking again after two months of sobriety, blaming Peggy for the loss of his two children, so Peggy orders him to be ejected from the pub. At an all-time low, he approaches Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks), a drug addict, and is tempted to try some of her crack cocaine after she says she needs it to block things out, as he wants to forget his children. Phil and Rainie get high on drugs at Phil's home, and when Shirley comes in to check on him, she finds them naked together on the floor. Phil takes money from The Queen Victoria to get more drugs, but Rainie is mugged when she tries to buy some, so Phil tries to take money from The Arches. Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) refuse to hand over the keys, locking him in. They get Shirley, who calms Phil down and offers to help him get clean, throwing Rainie out when they return home. She tells Phil to choose either her or the drugs, and he walks away, having chosen the drugs. When Peggy decides to make up with Phil, she finds him in a drugged-up state on the floor so leaves in disgust. She visits him again to say she will get him some help but slaps him when he insults her for her nagging. She regrets this but he throws her out and tells her to go away. When Shirley visits later, Phil is gone. Phil's relative Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) finds Phil a few weeks later and takes Peggy to see him in an estate. Peggy wakes him and tells him he is coming home and that Sam has had a baby. Phil says he does not care and that Peggy has made him this way. She leaves in tears after telling him if she had a gun, she would give it to him and tell him to shoot himself as he would be better off dead. However, Peggy realises she needs to get Phil off the drugs, so she enlists Minty and Billy to help get him back to The Queen Victoria and lock him in the upstairs living room, where the windows and door are boarded up so he cannot escape. He begs to be let out as he is suffering withdrawal symptoms and says he needs a doctor. Worried he will die, he convinces Billy to open the door to bring him some water, promising he will not try to leave. When Billy enters, Phil grabs the crowbar from him and Billy runs out and boards him back in. Phil uses the crowbar to escape. He confronts Peggy, and after a huge argument, throws a match on the floor and sets the entire room on fire. Within minutes the entire pub catches fire, causing mass panic. Phil tries to grab boxes of alcohol from the cellar, but cannot carry it out. When he tries to steal money from the till, the roof collapses on him. Peggy and Billy manage to save him and get him out of the pub. Peggy departs Walford the next day when she realises that Phil is better off without her.

When police come to the house, Phil runs and goes to Shirley's. Shirley is angry until Phil admits he needs her help to change, but soon realises that Phil started the fire and says she cannot trust him as he did not tell her. However, she later tells Phil to lie to the police and do everything she tells him to from now on, and moves in with him. Billy shouts at Phil that he needs to get himself sorted, and Phil does not get angry. Shirley tells Phil she will find something for him to do and eventually finds an investor and buys back the garage from Pat. A few weeks later Phil leases The Queen Victoria over to Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) and they begin to refurbish it. He also employs Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) and Connor Stanley (Arinze Kene) to steal cars and handle stolen jewellery. Phil and Shirley steal a large amount of money from Roxy. With Roxy not realising who stole the cash, Phil uses it to buy a house on the Square. Roxy's mother Glenda Mitchell (Glynis Barber) finds out that Phil is the thief, but instead of telling her daughter, Glenda tells Phil she knows and propositions him. The pair have sex and then embark on an affair. Phil grows fond of Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick). Eager to impress him, Jay goes to retrieve some money owed to Phil from Connor, however Connor under-pays him. Shirley admits this to Phil and says she has sent him to get the cash back. A worried Phil goes to support Jay, but sees him beat up Connor for the money, which impresses Phil. Jay then asks Phil if he can change his surname to Mitchell which he agrees to.

When Ben (now Joshua Pascoe) returns from prison, he greets Phil by punching him, which pleases Phil. He then overhears Glenda and Ian's son Peter Beale (Thomas Law) arguing and learns that Glenda has been having an affair with Ian. Glenda is pushed down her stairs by Ben and tells the police, so Phil blackmails Ian into giving Ben a false alibi and coerces Glenda into retracting her statement. He buys Jack's share of local nightclub R&R; and resumes his affair with Glenda. When he is unable to pay his bills, he blackmails Ian into giving him £5000, but Ian subsequently blackmails Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) who goes to Phil for a loan. Realising that Ian is trying to get the money from Masood, he orders Ian to find the cash by the next morning. The next day, Phil suffers a heart attack during an encounter with Glenda, and when Ian comes in, Phil begs for his help. Glenda phones the ambulance but Ian lies to the paramedics and sends them away while Phil is in the club office. Ian forces Phil to beg as revenge for years of torment, and then leaves, refusing to help, but when he hears Ben asking where Phil is, he changes his mind and calls the ambulance. In hospital, Phil proposes to Shirley and she accepts. Later, Shirley discovers his affair with Glenda, which results in a strain in their relationship, after Glenda leaves Watford, Shirley gets back together with Phil, but refuses to marry him. As Phil continues to treat Jay more like a son, he and Ben grow further apart and eventually Ben goes to live with Peggy. He begins to take complete control of R&R;, ignoring his business partner Roxy, and banning her from looking through the accounts, she becomes more unhappy with him as her partner and he offers to buy her share of the club, however she sells her share of the club to Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), another one of Phil's many enemies.

Reception

Popularity

The character of Phil is arguably one of the soap's most popular, particularly with female viewers, making him one of the soap's unlikeliest sex symbols. He has featured in some of the show's most memorable and highly viewed storylines and he is the second longest running male character to appear in the soap, surpassed only by Ian Beale. Phil along with Grant was voted as the second most popular ''King Of Soaps'' in a Channel 4 poll in 2002.

During a period of heavy media criticism aimed at ''EastEnders'' throughout 2004 and 2005, the character—who was on a hiatus from the show—was reintroduced twice in what was branded by the press as a bid to "boost flagging ''Enders''" and "revive the soap's ailing ratings". His first return in April 2005 was generally well-received, with media comments such as "the excellent, bug-eyed Steve McFadden proves nobody does psychotic thug better than him" and "McFadden's blistering performance on Tuesday defies that old cliché of a soap being bigger than its stars". Of the Mitchell brothers' highly publicised return in October 2005, one reporter commented "Soapville must confess that we did get goosebumps and feel properly excited when we first saw the Mitchell Brothers back on the Square...After all, you associate them with the golden days of ''Enders''".

In addition the character has been praised for being good value, realistic, consistent within his character and convincing. In 2009, Phil Mitchell came second in a poll by British men's magazine ''Loaded'' for 'Top Soap Bloke'.

In 2011 McFadden was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the British Soap Awards 2011 for playing Phil. aswell as be nominated at the Inside Soap Awards for 'Best Actor' in 2011.

Criticism

Although popular with many, the character has also garnered much criticism over the years. In November 2005 the character was blamed for turning children into playground bullies by Dr. Sally Henry, who claimed that impressionable children look to male soap characters as role models and subsequently copy their violent behaviour. Indeed the character's violent behaviour evoked concern from viewers in October 2002. A scene in which Phil beat his godson Jamie was criticised for being too realistic by TV watchdogs. The Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld 31 complaints from viewers, saying that the scenes were too strong for a programme shown before the 9 pm watershed.

A certain level of criticism was aimed at the character due to the stark personality change he underwent circa 2000. One reporter commented "Formerly the milder-mannered sibling, Phil has gone from Abel to Cain without an intervening period of plausibility. And it doesn't suit him". His violent tendencies have also been spoofed by the television series ''2DTV''. There were mixed reviews for the highly publicised storyline (dubbed Get Johnny Week) involving the Mitchell brothers reunion in 2006. It was criticised as "patchy" and "awkwardly written...unveiling a common weakness in the EastEnders camp, that character continuity can often fall by the wayside when you are dealing with larger characters". Additionally, the show was criticised for turning the brothers into a comical farce by incorporating uncharacteristic humour into their dialect, which was described as "cringeworthy".

In August 2010, scenes showing Phil and Rainie taking the drug crack cocaine prompted over 200 complaints from viewers who felt the scenes were inappropriate. The BBC responded by saying "''EastEnders'' in no way – and at no point – glamorises or condones the use of drugs, and furthermore we took great care to avoid any demonstration on how to prepare or take drugs. We feel that Phil's decline will highlight the destructive nature of drugs, and rather than encourage drug use, will act as a deterrent." A former cocaine addict, Sarah Graham, agreed with the BBC, saying "I think it's really important that a mainstream character like Phil Mitchell is doing this storyline. [...] I'm not surprised that there have been so many complaints about seeing this on one of our favourite soaps. The episode showed the brutal reality of addiction. [...] I can see that many people will be worried about children watching these scenes. [...] With that in mind, I think they should put the Frank drugs helpline number on after the programme."

A proportion of viewers possibly feel the criticism is justifiable as the character came second in a Channel 4 poll of ''The Five TV Characters We Most Love To Hate'' in 2001—beaten only by Mr. Blobby.

See also

List of soap opera villains

References

External links

Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1990 Category:EastEnders characters Category:Fictional bartenders Category:Fictional mechanics Category:Fictional businesspeople Category:Fictional criminals

nl:Phil Mitchell

Coordinates	30°19′10″N81°39′36″N
Name	Jocelyn Brown
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jocelyn Lorette Brown
Birth date	November 25, 1950
Origin	Kinston, North Carolina, U.S.
Genre	R&B;PopSoul acid jazznujazzDanceHouse
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1984–present
Instrument	Vocals, Piano
Label	U.L.M., 4th & Broadway, Vinyl Dreams, Salsoul Records, Malaco, Warner Bros., Arista}}

Jocelyn Lorette Brown (born November 25, 1950, Kinston, North Carolina, sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw) is an American R&B; and dance music singer. Although she has only one Billboard Hot 100 chart entry in her name, she has an extensive background in the music industry and is well known in the world of dance music.

Career

Brown started out in the late 1970s singing on records by studio created bands like Musique, Inner Life, Disco Tex and The Sex-O-Lettes, Cerrone, Bad Girls, Chic, and Change. Salsoul Orchestra, Soiree

In 1980, she appeared in Bette Midler's concert movie ''Divine Madness'' singing backup as a "Harlette" along with Ula Hedwig and Diva Gray. In 1984, Brown released a number of singles in her own name, including "Somebody Else's Guy" (later rerecorded in 1997 by CeCe Peniston), which made it #2 on the Billboard R&B; Singles chart (#75 on the Hot 100) and became the title track of her first album (a compilation of tracks from her career to date), released that same year. Although she scored another big Dance (and minor R&B;) hit two years later with "Love's Gonna Get You," her solo career never really took off and she continued to sing on other people's records.

She has more than twenty hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, four of which have hit number one (not including two #1 dance hits she had in the late 1970s as a guest vocalist with Patrick Adams' studio band, Musique). She continues to record house music and have chart hits in the 21st century. She toured with Boy George, as a backing vocalist, worldwide with Culture Club in 1985 and appeared on their 1986 album, ''From Luxury to Heartache''. In 1987, she co-wrote with Boy George his top 30 UK hit, "Keep Me In Mind".

Since 1990, she has lived in London. In 1990, the line "I've got the power" was sampled from her 1986 dance hit, ''Love's Gonna Get You'' by electronica group Snap! for their worldwide hit, The Power as well as hip hop group Boogie Down Productions on their single "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)".

Brown appeared on both seasons of BBC One's celebrity singing talent show ''Just the Two of Us''; first with TV presenter Matt Allwright (placing sixth), then with actor John Bardon from ''EastEnders'' (placing fourth). In 2006, Brown released a CD entitled ''Unreleased''. Her cousin, Shaun Gaskins, says "she took it back to what she knows best, real singing. A lot people should take note and watch how a real diva gets down".

In 2007, Brown collaborated with The AllStars both live, at a series of music festivals in the UK, and in the studio recording of their new album, ''All About the Music''. She also sang the United States national anthem, ''The Star-Spangled Banner'', at Wembley Stadium, for the first ever regular season American football game played on foreign soil. The game was between the New York Giants and the winless Miami Dolphins.

In 2011, she returned to British reality television, appearing in the second series of Pop star to Opera star, but was voted out in week two of the show in the second of two heats after being sent home by the judging panel after being in the bottom two of the public phone vote. Jocelyn sang a 'gypsy song' from the musical 'Carmen', well known for its accomplished arias and performances.

Discography

Solo Albums

1984: ''Somebody Else's Guy''

1987: ''One from the Heart''

1995: ''Jocelyn's Classic R&B; Mastercuts'' (Japan only)

1995: ''Jocelyn's Classic Reggae Mastercuts'' (Japan only)

2006: ''Unreleased''

2006: ''Circles'' (Japan only)

Below are songs with Jocelyn Brown as featured vocalist (including her solo hits). {|class="wikitable" !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|Year !align="left" valign="top"|Song !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|U.S. HOT 100 !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|U.S. Dance !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|U.S. R&B; !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|UK !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|SWIT !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|SWED |- |align="center" valign="top"|1978 |align="left" valign="top"|"Keep On Jumpin'" (guest vocalist for Musique (Patrick Adams)) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1978 |align="left" valign="top"|"In the Bush" (guest vocalist for Musique (Patrick Adams)) |align="center" valign="top"|58 |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|81 |align="center" valign="top"|16 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1979 |align="left" valign="top"|"I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair" (guest vocalist for Inner Life) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|7 |align="center" valign="top"|22 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"You Are the One" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"My Look" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Letter to My Mother" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Someone to Love" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Hooked on You" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Cherry Tree" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Took Me So Long" (guest vocalist for Cerrone) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"It's a Girl's Affair" (vocalist for Change) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1981 |align="left" valign="top"|"Ain't No Mountain High Enough'" (guest vocalist for Inner Life) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|20 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1984 |align="left" valign="top"|"Somebody Else's Guy" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|75 |align="center" valign="top"|13 |align="center" valign="top"|2 |align="center" valign="top"|13 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1984 |align="left" valign="top"|"I Wish You Would" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|49 |align="center" valign="top"|51 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1986 |align="left" valign="top"|"Love's Gonna Get You" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|38 |align="center" valign="top"|70 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1987 |align="left" valign="top"|"Ego Maniac" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|82 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1990 |align="left" valign="top"|"Freedom" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|83 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1991 |align="left" valign="top"|"Always There" (Incognito) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|33 |align="center" valign="top"|6 |align="center" valign="top"|8 |align="center" valign="top"|19 |- |align="center" valign="top"|1991 |align="left" valign="top"|"Don't Talk Just Kiss" (Right Said Fred) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|3 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|3 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1991 |align="left" valign="top"|"She Got Soul" (Jamestown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1993 |align="left" valign="top"|"Take Me Up" (Sonic Surfers) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|61 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1994 |align="left" valign="top"|"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (with Kym Mazelle) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|13 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1994 |align="left" valign="top"|"Gimme All Your Lovin'" (with Kym Mazelle) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|22 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1996 |align="left" valign="top"|"Keep On Jumpin'" (Todd Terry feat. Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|8 |align="center" valign="top"|17 |align="center" valign="top"|56 |- |align="center" valign="top"|1997 |align="left" valign="top"|"Somethin' Going On" (Todd Terry feat. Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|5 |align="center" valign="top"|28 |align="center" valign="top"|43 |- |align="center" valign="top"|1997 |align="left" valign="top"|"I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" (Nuyorican Soul feat. Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1997 |align="left" valign="top"|"It's Alright, I Feel It!" (Nuyorican Soul feat. Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1997 |align="left" valign="top"|"Special Love" (Jestofunk feat. Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1998 |align="left" valign="top"|"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|35 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1998 |align="left" valign="top"|"Fun" (Da Mob) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|33 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1998 |align="left" valign="top"|"Show You Love" (A.K. Soul) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|21 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1999 |align="left" valign="top"|"I Believe" (Jamestown feat. Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|62 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1999 |align="left" valign="top"|"It's All Good" (Da Mob feat.Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|54 |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|1999 |align="left" valign="top"|"Nights Over Egypt" (Incognito feat. Maysa Leak & Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|2002 |align="left" valign="top"|"I'm a Woman" (Cassius and Jocelyn Brown) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|63 |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|2002 |align="left" valign="top"|"Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser"(2005 remix of Dalida song by Cerrone, samples Jocelyn Brown vocal from 1981 track "Took Me So Long") |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|2007 |align="left" valign="top"|"All About the Music" song by The AllStars Collective |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|2010 |align="left" valign="top"|"Set Me Free" (guest vocalist for Blame) |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |align="center" valign="top"|- |}

See also

List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

List of disco artists

List of house music artists

One-hit wonders in the UK

References

External links

Artist page at Digisoul Records

MySpace page

Allmusic [ entry]

Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:People from Lenoir County, North Carolina Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American house musicians Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Prelude Records artists Category:Salsoul Records artists Category:Popstar to Operastar contestants

de:Jocelyn Brown fr:Jocelyn Brown nl:Jocelyn Brown pt:Jocelyn Brown tr:Jocelyn Brown