Liam Butcher
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| EastEnders character | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| James Forde as Liam in 2009. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liam Butcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Jack Godolphin (1998–2000) Tom Godolphin (1998–2000) Gavin Vaughan (2002) Mitchell Vaughan (2002) Nathaniel Gleed (2002–04) James Forde (2008–) |
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| Duration | 1998–99, 2000, 2002–04, 2008— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 25 December 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 December 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | 31 Albert Square | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nathaniel Gleed as Liam. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| One of the Vaughan twins as Liam in the 2002 special EastEnders: Ricky & Bianca. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by twins Jack and Tom Godolphin in 1998 and 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and by Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to 2004. Since 1 April 2008 he has been played by James Forde.
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[edit] Creation and development
Liam is a character that was born in the serial; the first son of Bianca (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) who was conceived following the forced abortion of their first daughter in 1997 after she was diagnosed with spina bifida. Bianca's pregnancy with Liam was used by the programme makers to spread a public message in 1998; the scriptwriters included scenes of a practitioner advising Bianca to take folic acid, which protects against spina bifida.[1] The Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) issued a public plea to EastEnders, urging them to allow Bianca's second baby to be born with spina bifida, in order to show parents that having a baby with spina bifida is "not the end of the world".[2] This did not occur, however, and Bianca was shown to give birth to a premature but healthy baby Liam in an episode that aired on Christmas Day 1998.
After three separate stints in EastEnders played by different child/baby actors - most substantially from 2002-2004, when Liam returned to Albert Square as part of his father Ricky's introduction - Liam returned in a more prominent role in 2008, played by James Forde. His return was confirmed on 29 October 2007 following the announcement that Patsy Palmer and Sid owen were reprising their roles as Bianca and Ricky; he reappeared on-screen in April 2008. Upon his return, it was said that Liam had "taken to being the man of the house", and was described as "not very academic, but [...] always willing to try new things – a trait which sees him quite often in trouble. His laddish demeanour, however, is softened by the affection he is not afraid to show his mum."[3] As part of the reintroduction of Bianca, four children, including Liam, were scripted into the character's narrative, including Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), the sixteen-year-old daughter of Bianca's deceased partner; Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith), Bianca's five-year-old daughter; and Morgan Jackson-King (Devon Higgs), Bianca's two-year-old son, "the most [spoilt] out of all of the kids".[4]
To promote the family's introduction, the BBC began airing trailers across the BBC network in March 2008. One trailer saw Bianca singing The Jackson 5 hit "I Want You Back" and performing a dance routine along with her four children. The promo uses the tag line "Introducing The Jackson 5".[5] Within three days of being posted on the video sharing website YouTube, the promo had been viewed 52,000 times.[6]
[edit] Storylines
The son of Ricky and Bianca Butcher, Liam is born prematurely on Christmas Day 1998, on the floor of The Queen Victoria public house. In September 1999, Liam's parents separate and Bianca takes him to Manchester. Despite returning to Walford briefly in April 2000 to visit his father, Liam rarely sees Ricky. In May 2002, Ricky turns up in Manchester with his fiancée Cassie to discuss custody of Liam. After a series of events, Bianca gives Liam to Ricky. Shortly afterwards, Ricky and Liam return to Walford, but depart again in 2004. Off-screen, Liam is returned to Bianca in 2006, following Ricky's engagement to Melinda, who does not want children.
Liam returns to Walford with his mother and siblings in April 2008 after they are thrown out of their house by their landlord. After spending a week in care due to the police finding them homeless, Liam settles back in Walford, living with Bianca, Ricky and his great-grandmother Pat Evans. Later in the year, Liam begins skipping school, feigning fake illness, and it is subsequently revealed that he is dyslexic, explaining his inferior grades and avoidance of school. Ricky takes an active role in Liam's schooling, helping to improve his grades.
[edit] References
- ^ "Not long for the real world". The Guardian. 1999-03-20. http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1610345,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ "Let Bianca baby have spina bifida, EastEnders urged.". Sunday Mercury. 1998-09-27. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60746923.html. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ "In pictures: Meet Enders' Jackson Five". Digital Spy. 2008-03-18. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a91777/in-pictures-meet-enders-jackson-five.html. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ^ "Bianca Jackson and her kids move back to EastEnders". The Mirror. 2008-03-18. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/latest/2008/03/18/bianca-jackson-and-her-four-kids-move-back-to-eastenders-89520-20354690/. Retrieved 2002-03-18.
- ^ "OMG! The Jackson 5 hit Albert Square". whatsontv.co.uk. 2008-03-28. http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/eastenders/news/3041. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ "Ricky and Bianca return to EastEnders". The Times. 2008-04-01. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3659824.ece. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
[edit] External links
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