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The Banned is a fictional band in 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. ...
...
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 ...
''. The storyline first aired in 1986 and although it was considered to be a failure on-screen, it nevertheless became a successful part of the serial's extensive merchandising industry that year, as it spawned two
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
singles in the UK Music Charts.


Storyline development and impact

In 1986, the creators of ''EastEnders'', scriptwriter
Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter, best known as a writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Early life Holland was the oldest of three children born to ...
and producer Julia Smith, decided to tackle "an important and complicated story about the ups and downs of a pop group." The idea was considered to be an "interesting and major undertaking" in the serial. It featured the majority of teenage characters in the soap at the time. Prominent characters such as
Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...
(
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...
),
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
(
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...
),
Simon Wicks Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another charac ...
(
Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart sing ...
) and
Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...
( Paul J. Medford), were joined by several new characters, introduced especially for the storyline, including "lefty-student stereotype" Harry Reynolds (Gareth Potter). Actors such as Paul Medford, Letitia Dean and Nick Berry were musically trained, having attended London stage schools. They were chosen as the group's singers, and renamed themselves "The Banned" after their first gig got them kicked out of
The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
. The storyline proved to be a successful merchandising tool for the serial, as it spawned two hit
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
s in the "real world". Actor Nick Berry released a ballad entitled "
Every Loser Wins "Every Loser Wins" is a 1986 song performed by English actor and singer Nick Berry. Written and produced by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, the song was heavily featured in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' throughout the summer of ...
" in October 1986, having previously sung the song in character on-screen (accompanied by a piano). The song was written and produced by Stewart and Bradley James, along with
Simon May Simon May (born 15 August 1944) is a British composer. He has composed many British television theme tunes, including ''EastEnders'' and ''Howards' Way'', and the music for the 1988 film ''The Dawning''. Biography Born in Devizes and a pupi ...
who famously composed the ''EastEnders'' theme tune. "Every Loser Wins" was a smash hit, reaching number 1 in the
UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, where it stayed for three weeks, knocking
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's " True Blue" off the top spot. It was the second biggest-selling single in the UK that year after "
Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Internat ...
" by
The Communards The Communards were a British synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985. The duo consisted of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles. They are most famous for their cover versions of " Don't Leave Me This Way", originally by Harold Melvin & the Bl ...
, and held the record as the highest climbing chart single ever until 2001, when it was eclipsed by "
It's the Way You Make Me Feel "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as their 12th single on 1 January 2001. It is the second track to be released from their third album, ''Buzz'', and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Cha ...
" by Steps (which climbed from 72–2). "Every Loser Wins" sold over a million copies and earned composer Simon May an
Ivor Novello award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
. The song "also provided levity" on-screen, when it was used as
Lofty Holloway George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's near-original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, which was first broadcast on 2 ...
's ( Tom Watt) break-up song after
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 ...
) had jilted him at the altar. One critic has commented " oftyplayed it to death. He played it so much it caused
Dirty Den Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house ...
(
Leslie Grantham Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germ ...
) to ask whether he had any other records". The second song "
Something Outa Nothing "Something Outa Nothing" is a song written by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, for the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It featured in an ''EastEnders'' storyline in 1986 and was recorded by actors Letitia Dean and Paul J. Medford. It w ...
" (also performed in the on-screen serial) was released by Letitia Dean and Paul Medford. The song was a modest success, making number 12 in the UK singles chart in November 1986. Although the plot produced two hit singles in the real world, the actual storyline was not a great success with viewers. ''EastEnders'' creators Julia Smith and
Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter, best known as a writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Early life Holland was the oldest of three children born to ...
both felt it lacked credibility and branded it an experiment that failed. The plot has since been described as "an horrific scenario where fact and soap merged in messy fashion to give the fictional band a real-life hit with the appalling Something Out Of Nothing." The songs, which "were recorded when the show was riding high on huge ratings success", have not aged well in critical opinion. A critic for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' newspaper has commented that "The Banned" was ''EastEnders "Eighties bid to add a pop angle to their socially conscious template", which "went down like the proverbial ton of bricks". The critic goes on to say: "Worse was the record; an acne-scarred 'song' of no merit whatsoever, called 'Something Out of Nothing'. You said it, kid." In 2004, "Something Outa Nothing" was voted the 9th worst single ever released by a soap star. Though extremely popular at the time, "Every Loser Wins" has since been branded "a tuneless ode".


Plot

The band started life off-screen, where
Simon Wicks Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another charac ...
(
Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart sing ...
) and
Eddie Hunter Eddie Hunter may refer to: * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1928) (1928–2002), Scottish footballer (Falkirk FC) * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1943), Scottish footballer and manager (Queen's Park) * Eddie Hunter (baseball) (1905–1967), Major ...
(Simon Henderson) were bandmates. Before Simon came to
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 ...
, he had borrowed money from
loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
s for their band's musical equipment and was left owing them huge amounts of money that he couldn't pay back. Eddie was happy to leave Simon with the debt and disappeared to work at Suttons Holiday Camp in Clacton so the band dissolved. With the debts finally repaid, and needing an ally to support him in the new band, Simon contacts Eddie and asks him to join. The reformed group consist of Simon, Eddie,
Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...
( Paul J. Medford),
Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...
(
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...
),
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
(
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...
) and band manager Harry Reynolds. They initially call themselves Dog Market, after dismissing Sharon's "So So Reverso" and Simon's "Bottled Up", "Left Of Arthur" (a reference to
Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born 11 January 1938) is a British trade unionist who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1982 to 2002. He is best known for leading the UK miners' strike (1984–85), a major event in the history of ...
), "Conjugal Rights" and Lofty's ( Tom Watt) "The Harry Reynolds Quartet". Eddie is the lead guitarist. Kelvin's girlfriend,
Tessa Parker The Banned is a fictional band in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The storyline first aired in 1986 and although it was considered to be a failure on-screen, it nevertheless became a successful part of the serial's extensive merchandising in ...
(
Josephine Melville Josephine Crawford Melville (12 April 1961 – 20 October 2022) was a British actress, director and writer who was best known for starring in the television soap opera '' EastEnders''. Life and career Melville was born in West Ham, Essex on ...
), also wants to join, but she has no musical talent and is refused membership. They are due to have their debut in
The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
in August 1986, but after their enormous
amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...
fuses the electricity in the pub during a performance of "
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
", publican
Den Watts Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house ...
(
Leslie Grantham Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germ ...
) throws them out, shouting after them "You're banned!", after which the group change their name to The Banned. Simon and Harry constantly disagree with the direction the band is taking. Harry loses his argument to make the band a vehicle for
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
and blames Wicksy for the band taking a more practical attitude. They all decide to enter a competition for young musicians, and both Harry and Simon vow to outdo each other by writing the best song to perform. The rest of the band all prefer Simon's song, "
Something Outa Nothing "Something Outa Nothing" is a song written by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, for the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It featured in an ''EastEnders'' storyline in 1986 and was recorded by actors Letitia Dean and Paul J. Medford. It w ...
", which infuriates Harry and he starts bad-mouthing him to the rest of the band, saying he is superfluous and a closet
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
listener. Simon then declares that the band has to choose between him and Harry, but as Harry owns all the
instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
and equipment, they side with him and Simon quits. Simon writes his own solo song called "
Every Loser Wins "Every Loser Wins" is a 1986 song performed by English actor and singer Nick Berry. Written and produced by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, the song was heavily featured in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' throughout the summer of ...
". He doesn't get very far however, and by the end of the year he gives up his dream of becoming a musician. Simon allows the band to continue using his song, "Something Outa Nothing", for the competition. The day of the competition comes and for some reason Harry, who is a political activist, decides to sabotage their performance by switching the cartridge in the synthesizer, wrecking any hopes the group have of getting anywhere. They are humiliated, and the rest of the band are furious when Harry confesses that he sabotaged their performance to show them up.


Specially introduced characters

As well as the regular characters featured in the storyline (Sharon, Simon, Ian and Kelvin), a number of new characters were introduced specifically for the duration of the storyline.


Harry Reynolds

Harry Reynolds, played by Gareth Potter, is a college friend of
Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...
( Paul J. Medford) who first appears along with
Tessa Parker The Banned is a fictional band in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The storyline first aired in 1986 and although it was considered to be a failure on-screen, it nevertheless became a successful part of the serial's extensive merchandising in ...
(
Josephine Melville Josephine Crawford Melville (12 April 1961 – 20 October 2022) was a British actress, director and writer who was best known for starring in the television soap opera '' EastEnders''. Life and career Melville was born in West Ham, Essex on ...
) in June 1986. Both Harry and Tessa have radical
Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
beliefs and it isn't long before they manage to recruit Kelvin to the same way of thinking. Soon after his arrival, Harry, Kelvin and several other
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 ...
youths decide to form a
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
. Harry is the manager,
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
(
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...
) plays drums,
Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...
(
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...
) and Kelvin provide vocals,
Simon Wicks Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another charac ...
(
Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart sing ...
) plays the keyboards and
Eddie Hunter Eddie Hunter may refer to: * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1928) (1928–2002), Scottish footballer (Falkirk FC) * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1943), Scottish footballer and manager (Queen's Park) * Eddie Hunter (baseball) (1905–1967), Major ...
(Simon Henderson) is the lead guitarist. Harry and Kelvin decide that the band's music should demonstrate "decay in the capitalistic society" and have a strong political message. Simon and Harry begin to disagree with the direction the band is taking. Harry loses his argument to make the band a vehicle for
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
, and blames Wicksy for the band taking a more practical attitude. They all decide to enter a competition for young musicians, and both Harry and Simon vow to outdo each other by writing the best song to perform. The rest of the band all prefer Simon's song, which infuriates Harry and he starts bad-mouthing him to the rest of the band, saying he is superfluous and a closet
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
listener. Simon then declares that the band has to choose between him and Harry, but as Harry owns all the
instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
and equipment, they side with him and Simon quits. On the day of the competition, Harry decides to sabotage the band's performance by switching the cartridge in the synthesizer, wrecking any hopes the group have of getting anywhere. The rest of the band are furious, particularly when Harry confesses that he did it to show them up. Harry is shunned after this and is not seen in Walford again. His last appearance is in October 1986.


Tessa Parker

Tessa Parker, played by
Josephine Melville Josephine Crawford Melville (12 April 1961 – 20 October 2022) was a British actress, director and writer who was best known for starring in the television soap opera '' EastEnders''. Life and career Melville was born in West Ham, Essex on ...
, is a college friend of
Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...
( Paul J. Medford) and
Harry Reynolds Harry Reynolds may refer to: * Harry Reynolds (''EastEnders''), fictional character * Harry Reynolds (''Home and Away''), fictional character * Butch Reynolds (born 1964), American 400 meters sprinter * Harry Reynolds (cyclist) (1874–1940), I ...
(Gareth Potter) who first appears in June 1986. Both Harry and Tessa have radical
Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
beliefs and it isn't long before they manage to recruit Kelvin to the same way of thinking. Tessa soon discovers that she and Kelvin have more in common than their beliefs. She finds him attractive and they start
dating Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the categor ...
. Their romance quickly fades when Kelvin becomes more interested in
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
than overthrowing the Thatcher
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
. He sings with a group known as Dog Market and its successor, The Banned. Tessa secretly wants to be in the group but she has no musical talent and is refused membership. She quietly leaves
Albert Square 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 ...
when Kelvin tells her it is time for them to "pack it in". Her last appearance is in July 1986.


Eddie Hunter

Eddie Hunter, played by Simon Henderson, is a flamboyantly dressed friend of
Simon Wicks Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another charac ...
(
Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart sing ...
) and he is first seen in
Albert Square 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 ...
in June 1986. Eddie and Simon were part of a
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
, and before Simon came to
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 ...
, he had borrowed money from
loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
s and was left owing them huge amounts of money that he couldn't pay back. Eddie was happy to leave Simon with the debt and disappeared to work as a redcoat in Clacton, so the band dissolved. However, when the debts are finally repaid, Simon decides to regroup and he contacts Eddie to rejoin the band. The reformed group, known as "The Banned", consist of Simon, Eddie,
Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...
( Paul J. Medford),
Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...
(
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...
),
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
(
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...
) and
Harry Reynolds Harry Reynolds may refer to: * Harry Reynolds (''EastEnders''), fictional character * Harry Reynolds (''Home and Away''), fictional character * Butch Reynolds (born 1964), American 400 meters sprinter * Harry Reynolds (cyclist) (1874–1940), I ...
(Gareth Potter). Eddie is the lead guitarist. The Banned take part in a competition for a music contract, but Harry, who is a political activist, sabotages their performance and they end up being booed off stage. The Banned split up after this and Eddie disappears. Months later, Eddie attends Kelvin's eighteenth birthday party and tells Simon and Ian that Harry is managing a band in Twickenham.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banned, The EastEnders storylines Fictional musical groups 1986 in British television