Debbie McGrath is a fictional character in the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
soap opera ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to:
Geography Canada
* Brookside, Edmonton
* Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Brookside, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
* Brookside, Berkshire, England
* Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England
United States
* Br ...
'', played by teenager
, from 1986 to 1989. The character was Kearney's first television role, and featured in a plot line which launched both actress and character into the national consciousness.
["Tv's top five YOOFS". ''The Daily Telegraph'' (London); 20 Jan 2007; p. 013]["The 800 ; A birthday celebration of 800 people who put Liverpool on the map". ''Liverpool Echo'' (Liverpool); 28 Aug 2007; Catherine Jones, David Prentice; p. 1]
Debbie McGrath was introduced into the soap as
Damon Grant
Damon Grant is a fictional character in the defunct British soap opera '' Brookside'', played by Simon O'Brien. The character was part of the initial cast, appearing from episode one in 1982 until 1987. At the time of the soap's inception, Dam ...
's (
Simon O'Brien) girlfriend. She was both younger than Damon and under the
age of consent, two facts which caused friction between the parents of both characters, a plot-line which saw one critic refer to it as like "
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
in trackies".
When their parents objected to them dating, the couple decided to elope in a story shown in the first UK 'soap bubble', ''
Damon and Debbie
''Damon and Debbie'' is a three-part spin-off from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'' first broadcast in November 1987. A Mersey Television production, it was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, directed by Bob Carlton, and produced by Colin M ...
''. According to Annie Leask of ''
The Sunday Mirror
The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...
'', the spin-off was a result of the characters' popularity with the viewing public.
["Interview Gillian Kearney: Mum's desperate for me to find a good man; She was famous at 14 as Damon's Debbie in Brookside. She won critical acclaim in Sex Chips And Rock 'n' Roll. But when will Gillian Kearney play happy families?" ''The Sunday Mirror'' (London); 22 Apr 2001; Annie Leask; p. 10] The events of the spin-off show saw Damon murdered, and Debbie returning briefly to the show, where it was revealed she was carrying Grant's baby. After the birth of her son, Simon, she made a brief return to the Close to introduce her child to his grandmother,
Sheila
Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...
(
Sue Johnston), before departing for university.
References
McGrath, Debbie
McGrath, Debbie
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