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Paul Collins is a fictional character from the British
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
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 ...
''
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 Jim Wiggins. One of the show's original characters, Paul debuted during the episode broadcast on 2 November 1982. Wiggins was cast by ''Brookside'' creator
Phil Redmond Sir Philip Redmond (born 10 June 1949) is an English television producer and screenwriter from Huyton, England. He is known for creating the television series ''Grange Hill'', '' Brookside'' and ''Hollyoaks''. Early life Redmond took the 11- ...
and Janet Goddard. Paul is introduced as the husband of Annabelle Collins (
Doreen Sloane Doreen Sloane (24 February 1934, in Birkenhead – 8 April 1990, in Liverpool) was an English actress, best known for playing Annabelle Collins, one of the original characters in the soap opera ''Brookside'' on Channel 4 between 1982 and 1990. S ...
) and father to Gordon Collins (Nigel Crowley) and
Lucy Collins This is a comprehensive list of characters from the Channel 4 soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemb ...
(
Katrin Cartlidge Katrin Juliet Cartlidge (15 May 1961 – 7 September 2002) was an English actress. She first appeared on screen as Lucy Collins in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' (1982–1983), before going on to win the 1997 Evening Standard Fil ...
). Paul is characterised as an unlucky character who has been made redundant from a lucrative management role. He is forced to move to a small house on Brookside Close and change his lifestyle. Writers made him appear as a product of a different generation and an ex-army officer who had a sense of discipline instilled in him. Wiggins has described Paul as "aloof" and "conservative", which made viewers unsympathetic to his plight. Paul's stories include dealing with unemployment, depression and his son's homosexuality. He also contends with Lucy's wayward behaviour and a feud with Annabelle's mother, Mona Harvey (Margaret Clifton). Writers portrayed the Collins marriage as a troubled one resulting in Annabelle having an affair with Brian Lawrence (Vincent Maguire). Paul forgives Annabelle and they get along better in the final stories. Producers decided to write out the entire Collins family following the death of Sloane in 1990. Paul's final storyline featured him and Annabelle moving to Lake District and opening a guest house. Paul last appeared during the episode broadcast on 25 June 1990.


Development


Characterisation

As one of the original characters of ''Brookside'', Wiggins was cast by
Phil Redmond Sir Philip Redmond (born 10 June 1949) is an English television producer and screenwriter from Huyton, England. He is known for creating the television series ''Grange Hill'', '' Brookside'' and ''Hollyoaks''. Early life Redmond took the 11- ...
and Janet Goddard. Kibble-White 2002, p.14. In the book ''20 years of Brookside'', author Graham Kibble-White revealed that they intentionally cast "relative unknown" actors to create "an added element of freshness" for the show. Paul is characterised as a proud man who has his pride dented by unemployment. He believes that he is superior to jobseekers. Paul is an ex-army officer and the training he received in the role had instilled a "sense of discipline" in him. Redmond 1987, p.54. In a character profile published in ''
TVTimes ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, whic ...
'', Paul is described as "just been made redundant, and has been warned about heart strain and heavy drinking. His future looks bleak." It was also revealed that Paul is fifteen years older than his wife, Annabelle Collins (
Doreen Sloane Doreen Sloane (24 February 1934, in Birkenhead – 8 April 1990, in Liverpool) was an English actress, best known for playing Annabelle Collins, one of the original characters in the soap opera ''Brookside'' on Channel 4 between 1982 and 1990. S ...
). In 1985, Wiggins told Eleanor Levy from the ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' that Paul "means well - however misguided" he may seem. Writers portrayed Paul as a product of a different generation. He wore
British Home Stores British Home Stores, commonly abbreviated to BHS and latterly legally styled BHS Ltd, was a British department store chain, primarily selling clothing and household items. In its later years, the company began to expand into furniture, electro ...
clothing, failed to understand modern popular music and fashion trends. Tibballs 1994, p.50. This left him unable to really have a rapport with his own children, let alone anyone else. Paul believed that the younger generation should still have the disciplines instilled in them that he had during his army training. Wiggins believed that Paul's characterisation made viewers unsympathetic to his plight. He branded Paul's job loss as an "emotional" story, but viewers did not care about his down luck. Wiggins told Nick Fisher from ''TV Guide'' that "I suppose it's because he's rather aloof and conservative, with a small c." Geoff Tibballs, author of ''Brookside - Life in the Close'' likened him to an "early
Victor Meldrew Victor Meldrew is a fictional character in the BBC One sitcom ''One Foot in the Grave'', created by David Renwick and portrayed by Richard Wilson. The character epitomised the archetypal grumpy old man. Meldrew is a foil for the bothersome aspec ...
" because he was likely to write a letter of complaint if he sensed any trouble.


Family issues

Paul and his family were forced to leave their large Wirral home and down sizing to the smaller house, number eight Brookside Close. Upon their arrival they find their new home vandalised and the toilets are stolen. They immediately accuse
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 ...
( Simon O'Brien) and this starts a feud with the Grant family. The Collinses had been used to "the good life" due to Paul's job as a production manager at Petrochem. Paul was made redundant when the company decided to remove management roles. Paul knew that living on Brookside Close would not be easy due to the small room sizes. Writers portrayed Paul and his wife Annabelle having to "grin and bear" their newfound predicament. Redmond 1987, p.53. Paul is forced to attend his local job centre and sign up for financial support. In the book ''Brookside: The Official Companion'', it described Paul becoming "depressed" and finding unemployment "unbearable". Additionally, "signing on was a weekly humiliation. It hurt his pride to stand queuing at the dole office with men and women he had once regarded as inferiors." Annabelle was more cheery about the situation and tried to help her husband, but he almost stopped talking. The Collins children provided Paul with many of his storylines. Writers also used the Collins family to explore the issue of sexuality. Paul and Annabelle's son Gordon (Nigel Crowley, later Mark Burgess) comes out as gay and they find it difficult to accept him. The worried parents yet again "wonder where they've gone wrong" and blame themselves. When Gordon goes on holiday to France, Paul and Annabelle "pray" that the experience will change his sexuality. They incorrectly presume their son is no longer gay after a holiday. Gordon faces homophobia from the house cleaner, Carol Thompson (Geraldine Griffiths), when she assumes she will develop AIDS after cleaning the family toilet. Writers portrayed Paul unexpectedly defending Gordon and informs him that he is a victim of prejudice. Redmond 1987, p.56. Writers portrayed Paul being supportive of his daughter
Lucy Collins This is a comprehensive list of characters from the Channel 4 soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemb ...
(
Katrin Cartlidge Katrin Juliet Cartlidge (15 May 1961 – 7 September 2002) was an English actress. She first appeared on screen as Lucy Collins in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' (1982–1983), before going on to win the 1997 Evening Standard Fil ...
), who begins a relationship with a married man James. Paul tries to intervene and which results in James ending their affair. When Lucy begins dating
Barry Grant Barry Grant is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'', played by Paul Usher. The character debuted on-screen during the first episode of ''Brookside'', broadcast on 2 November 1982. Barry is one of the show's ...
(
Paul Usher Paul Usher (born 20 April 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Barry Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' and Des Taviner in the ITV drama ''The Bill''. In 2019, he began appearing in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnd ...
) he is less supportive and the parents once again blame themselves. In another storyline, producers introduced Annabelle's mother Mona Harvey (Margaret Clifton) into the series. Annabelle allows Mona to live at the Collinses while she recovers from an illness. Tibballs 1994, p.54. Writers pitted Paul and Mona against one-another, showcasing their difficult relationship. Her dislike of Paul causes problems for Annabelle, as Mona begins to make false accusations against Paul. She accuses him of being a spy and is convinced he has tried to poison her, even disposing of meals Paul had cooked. Another story for Paul was dealing with Annabelle's affair with fellow JP Brian Lawrence (Vincent Maguire). Tibballs 1995, p.150. Annabelle goes on a training course in Shrewsbury to escape her mother, Mona's antics. Tibballs assessed that this was the "perfect setting" for their affair, which quickly developed soon after. Tibballs 1994, p.55. Paul had tried to contact Annabelle but she was unavailable. He did not suspect an affair and Annabelle decides to pursue Brian and deceive Paul. He becomes suspicious when the pair arrange more secret meetings to have sex. In another episode, Annabelle books a hotel to meet Brian in and Paul finds the booking. Paul assumes it is a gift from Annabelle, which leaves her disappointed. Paul's neighbour,
Sheila Grant Sheila Corkhill (also Grant) is a fictional character from British soap opera, ''Brookside (television programme), Brookside'' played by Sue Johnston. Sheila appeared in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 until the character's departure i ...
( Sue Johnston) discovers Annabelle's affair but decides to keep it a secret. Tibballs 1994, p.56. Writers also involved Gordon in the storyline after he catches Annabelle kissing Brian. Like Sheila, Gordon decides to keep his mother's secret. The story comes to a conclusion when Paul finds a ring that Brian gifts to Annabelle. Paul invites Brian over for Christmas, confronts them and they confess to their affair. Tibballs stated that the affair left "Paul a broken man" and "dejected". Gordon decides to avenge his father by sabotaging Brian's car sales business, selling off his cars at low prices. Annabelle realises that Brian is no longer interested in her and after two months she reconciles with Paul. Writers continued to use the affair as a catalyst to friction in their marriage. Paul tries to end their relationship again when he discovers that Sheila knew about Annabelle's affair. They eventually call a truce and decide to do voluntary work together. Tibballs 1994, p.57. Wiggins believed the storyline was a good opportunity for himself to showcase his acting. He told ''TV Guide's'' Nick Fisher that "the story of the infidelity of my wife and the effect it had on me enabled me to really put something into my character as an actor." Sloane thought it was her character's best story because "suddenly Annabelle came alive". Sloane added that fans informed her that Annabelle mistreated Paul but they understood why she had an affair.


Departure

On 8 April 1990, Sloane died after she had been diagnosed with cancer. Sloane continued to work despite her diagnosis and at the time of her death, Sloane had filmed up to five weeks of additional episodes as Annabelle. Sloane did not publicise her illness and only told those in production who needed to know. Production and stories were not compromised because of this and an exit storyline could be worked on. Sloane's final episode she filmed was broadcast on 9 May 1990. Their final episode and story together featured Paul and Annabelle's plans to adopt Louise Mitchell (Jenny Hesketh). They wanted to adopt her despite her bad behaviour breaking plates and reminding Paul about Annabelle's affair. After which, producers then decided to write out the remainder of the Collins family. The family's exit story from the series featured Paul deciding to move to the Lake District and his departure was broadcast in June 1990. Wiggins later discussed his time on ''Brookside'' and his upset over Sloane's death. He revealed a memorable moment with her had been filming camping scenes in the Collinses garden. The rainy weather caused them to slip on-set and the tent collapsed with Sloane inside. In 1994, it was revealed that Annabelle, Paul and Mona were still living in the Lake District and were running a small guest house.


Reception

James Moore and Clare Goldwin from the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
'' described Paul's best storyline as him being a "former military man constantly at loggerheads with his neighbours." Author Kibble-White stated "the Collins family had reflected an affluence at the start of the decade, albeit affluence on the decline." In his book ''The Who's Who of Soap Operas'', author Anthony Hayward described the character as "the redundant middle management man forced to leave his large house on the Wirral." Matt Wolf from '' The Sacramento Bee'' branded Paul and Annabelle "right-wing social climbers" and opined that characters such as these represent the British working class and their problems. Summing up Paul's time in the show, an '' Inside Soap'' columnist wrote "Downwardly mobile ex-headmaster. Road-safety campaigns, heart attack, gay son, mother-in-law trouble, Paul did it all." Johann Hari from ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' branded Paul and Annabelle as "Thatcherites down on their luck". In 1985, the ''Record Mirror's'' Eleanor Levy branded Paul and Annabelle the show's "upper middle class slummers". In 1989, Johnny Dee from the publication wrote that Paul and Annabelle are "the snobs of the close who look down on everyone else, but they had problems of their own." He also believed that their inclusion was
tokenism Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or gender equality wit ...
. Dee opined that Paul's "memorable moments" were being hit with a trowel by Mona and being arrested at the road safety demonstration.


References

;Bibliography * * * * * {{Brookside Collins Paul Collins Paul Collins, Paul