Geoff Barnes

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Geoff Barnes is a fictional character from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', played by David Roper. Geoff made his first appearance on 9 May 1994 and is introduced as a love interest for

Michelle Fowler Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Susan Tully from the show's first episode on 19 February 1985 up until the character's departure on 26 October 1995. She returned on 24 De ...

(

Susan Tully Susan Tully (born 20 October 1967) is an English actress, television producer, and television director. Her most prominent television acting roles were those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''Grange Hill'' and single mother Michelle Fowl ...

). Roper was written out of the serial in 1995 and Geoff departed in April 1995. He was then reintroduced for a guest stint between September 1995 and October 1995 to aid Michelle's departure, making his final appearance on 24 October 1995.

Storylines

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

born Geoff is Michelle Fowler's personal tutor at university. When Michelle begins performing badly during her final year, Geoff helps her get back on track. They become friends, which soon develops into a romance. Geoff is nearly 30 years older than Michelle. The age difference is initially a concern for Geoff, but Michelle is not perturbed. She continues seeing him despite objections from her father,

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

(

Bill Treacher William Charles Treacher (4 June 1930 – 5 November 2022) was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of Arthur Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for t ...

), who grows increasingly antagonized by Geoff's presence. Arthur feels that his paternal role towards Michelle and her daughter

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

is being superseded by Geoff, and he resents him because of this. Geoff is divorced and has three grown children, including a daughter named Felicity (

Tara Moran Kathleen Tara Moran (born 1 June 1971 in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an actress. Moran's television debut was in Yorkshire Television's educational history series for schools, '' How We Used to Live''. During the mid-1980s she played Al ...

). Felicity turns out to be an obnoxious

snob ''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...

and there is a clear class divide between her and Michelle. Felicity frequently goads Michelle about her past and for dating a middle-aged man. There is an underlying hostility every time they met. Later in the year, Geoff supports

Pat Butcher Pat Evans (also Beale, Harris, Wicks and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by Pam St Clement from 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired, until her departure on 1 January ...

(

Pam St. Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a guest appe ...

) through a troublesome period, and subsequently becomes the object of her affections. Out of sympathy, Geoff takes an interest in Pat's affairs, and even persuades her to take an evening course in business studies. Pat soon begins to think that Geoff is interested in her sexually, but Geoff seems oblivious to her advances. Gossip begins to spread about the nature of their relationship and at this time Geoff decides to let Pat down gently. However, he is beaten to it by Pat who senses the on-coming rejection and announces − to Geoff's surprise − that they should no longer see each other socially. In 1995, Geoff is offered a new job in Scotland. He asks Michelle to marry him, hoping that she and Vicki will join him there. Michelle is hesitant and Arthur reacts with fury − denouncing their relationship as “unnatural”. However, Arthur's extreme opposition only encourages Michelle to go against his wishes. Although Michelle claims to love Geoff, she worries that their relationship lacks passion. After weeks of contemplation, she is finally persuaded to accept by her nemesis Grant Mitchell (

Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...

), who goads her about her boring life in Walford. Geoff − who has already prepared himself for rejection − is stunned and thrilled when she agrees to marry him. In April, Geoff and Michelle travel to Scotland to view their new home. Michelle does not seem particularly happy, which Geoff picks upon. Michelle's mother, Pauline (

Wendy Richard Wendy Richard (born Wendy Emerton; 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress, known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the soap ...

), unwittingly makes the situation worse when she praises Geoff for being safe and secure, unlike Michelle's other boyfriends. He begins to realize that Michelle finds him dull and boring. After a bout of heavy contemplation, he tells Michelle that getting married would be a mistake because she does not love him enough. Michelle argues that affection and respect are more important than passionate love, but Geoff refuses to allow her to waste her life on a loveless marriage. They part company and Geoff remains in Scotland. He returns to Walford unexpectedly in September, to see if Michelle is interested in taking a job as a research assistant in America with one of his colleagues. Geoff admits that he still loves Michelle. They spend the night together and talk about reconciling. Michelle remains unsure and tells him that she needs time to think it over. She eventually opts against a reconciliation with Geoff and takes the job in America instead. Geoff leaves Walford with a broken heart in October 1995; Michelle leaves Walford shortly after becoming pregnant with Grant Mitchell's child.

Character creation and development

1994 was a "historic" year for ''EastEnders'', as in April a third weekly episode was introduced. Due to the program's increased frequency, a number of new characters were introduced to the regular cast. Among them was Geoff Barnes, a middle-aged lecturer at the University Michelle attended. The character was introduced in May 1994 under executive and series producers

Leonard Lewis Leonard Jack Lewis (29 November 1927 – 2 December 2005) 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 ...

and

Barbara Emile Barbara Emile is a British television producer. Emile contributed to the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for several years. She first started working on the serial as script editor underneath producer Leonard Lewis, and she began producing the pro ...

born actor, David Roper, was cast in the role. Unlike the majority of the other regular characters, Geoff did not live in

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

, but in

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nort ...

. Geoff formed a friendship with Michelle while assisting her with her University work and this later developed into a romance—a plotline that has been compared to the 1983 film ''

Educating Rita ''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The Wa ...

''. Michelle was a character who had a history of falling for older men and writer

Colin Brake Colin Brake (born 1962) is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programmes such as '' Bugs'' and '' EastEnders''. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series '' Doctor Who''. He lives and w ...

has commented on her relationship with Geoff in the book, '' EastEnders: The First Ten Years'' (published in 1994): “For the first time since Den atts Michelle found herself attracted to a much older man. After years of disastrous relationships with men, who can say if she has made the right choice this time?” Michelle's relationship with Geoff proved to be one of her most enduring. They remained an on-screen couple for roughly 12 months. Storylines mainly focused on the characters class and age differences. Geoff's age was 53 at the time of his introduction, several years older than Michelle's father,

. Geoff deviated considerably from all of Michelle's former partners. He was portrayed as mature, dependable and secure. In an episode that aired in April 1995, Michelle's mother Pauline comments that Geoff is “safe and secure” and a “steadying influence” on Michelle. She adds that Michelle “needs someone like him” as she has had “the most unsuitable boyfriends all her life” and she ought to settle down. Ultimately however, these traits in Geoff were the reason for the destruction of the relationship. Michelle frequently commented that the relationship lacked “passion” and although they planned to marry, Geoff realized that Michelle did not love him and “nobly” finished with her. Geoff remained a regular character for a year, and was eventually written out in April 1995, following his split from Michelle. The character returned for brief stints in September and October 1995, to aid the departure of

, who left ''EastEnders'' after nearly eleven years playing Michelle.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Geoff Male characters in television EastEnders characters Television characters introduced in 1994 Fictional people from Yorkshire Fictional university and college personnel

Storylines

Character creation and development

See also

References