(Co-written by Sandra Hudson)
Over the years, TV has introduced a number of characters that has
made an impression on the viewing public; so much so, some of them have been
unable to distinguish between fact and fiction, causing the line between the
two to blur.
Some examples from over the years include the TV shows, Coronation
Street, EastEnders and Torchwood.
Starting with EastEnders, during the storyline when Michelle
Fowler was pregnant with Vicky, the actress, Susan Tully, had mentioned that
some fans had given her pregnancy advice. Another example from EastEnders, Pam
st Clement, who played Pat Butcher, during the storyline when Frank Butcher,
played by Mike Read, disappeared. Pam was given tour dates telling her where,
effectively, Frank was.
In 2012, during the lead up to the London Olympics, the Olympic
Flame travelled all around the country, reaching as many places as possible:
Towns, cities alike, including the fictional borough of Walford, Albert Square.
It was announced by the EastEnders team that Billy Mitchell, played by Perry
Fenwick, would be an official torch bearer of the Olympic Flame, carrying it
around the square. Aired after the regular scheduled programme, it changed from
being pre-recorded to being live.
In 1993, Coronation Street was airing a storyline that featured
the character Deirdre Barlow who was having an affair with Mike behind Ken’s
back. The storyline gathered a lot of attention and viewers, and during one
episode in 1983, she ended the affair and reconciles with Ken. That episode was
the highest rated episode during that particular storyline. When the show was
being aired, at the same time a Football match between Manchester United and
Arsenal was being played at Old Trafford. When it was confirmed that Deirdre
and Ken were back together, it was announced on the scoreboard, “Ken and
Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 – Mike 0”, resulting in cheers from the crowds.
Breaking away from TV soaps and moving into science fiction, the
popular Spin-off from Doctor Who, Torchwood also had a moment when the line
between fact and fiction blurred. Ianto Jones, whose main role was to help out
around the base, but making the teas and coffees, tidy the base, and help with
research for certain missions. He was instantly universally acclaimed by
critics and fans alike. As the series progressed, his role amongst the team
slowly developed into a much larger role, and soon he was helping the Torchwood
team outside the base as well. Also as the series progressed, Ianto and Captain
Jack Harkness started to express their feelings towards one another, and by the
time series 3 came round, they were in a fully committed relationship. Series
3, Children of Earth, when an alien who previously visited the Earth, comes
back to claim what he believes is his, which is one-tenth the population of the
children of planet Earth. As well as that alien threat, the Police and other
government forces were hunting them, which resulted in the Torchwood Hub being
blown up. They go on the run. But, that doesn’t stop them from attempting to
save the world, and Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones walk into the place
where the alien is living for the time being, in an attempt to talk and discuss
things, trying to negotiate a bargain of some sort, which quickly backfires and
the alien release a toxic gas into the room. Captain Jake Harkness is known for
his immortality. He can survive anything, including being blown up in the
Torchwood Hub. Ianto, however, is mortal, and he unfortunately doesn’t survive.
Immediately, fans were angry that Ianto had been killed off. He was, to them,
the best character. I understand why Russell T Davis did kill off Ianto,
because it would allow for further character development and storyline
building, but that didn’t stop the fans from reacting negatively to his death.
Fans created a memorial for Ianto. The memorial became an instant landmark in
Cardiff. You can view it on Google Maps. Six years on, it’s still going strong
and you can visit to today.
Fiction and fact doesn’t just include TV. An example of the line
being blurred in film is in the film Titanic. The two main characters, Jack
Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Rose Dewitt Bukater, played by Kate
Winslet met on the ship. Jack was in the third class, and Rose was in first
class. Their relationship was immediately criticized by members of both
families, which resulted pushed them closer together, and when the ship had hit
the iceberg and started to sink, rose’s family forced her to leave on one of
the lifeboats, but she jumped back on board to be with Jack. And when the ship
fully went under, Rose and Jack was left floating in the middle of the ocean
along with many hundreds of other stranded passengers. They both attempted to
climb aboard a wooden door, but it struggled to stay upright when they were
climbing board (even though everyone knows that the door would have held both
of them). Jack became another victim to the below freezing waters of the
pacific ocean, and he passed away. It was only after the film had been
completed that the director, James Cameron, discovered that there were actually
a J Dawson on board the Titanic. Fans erected a shrine on his grave, believing
that he was who was being portrayed in the film.
The real J Dawson was Joseph Dawson, who shovelled coal in the
bowls of the ship.
There have been many more examples of fans getting involved with
certain characters, whether they are on film or TV. Sometimes, even, you feel
invested in their development that it is a hard hitting experience when they
leave the show, either by walking off screen for the final time, or by being
killed off. Sometimes, even, games blur the line. The Last of Us, the most
universally acclaimed game of all time, tells the story of Joel and Ellie travel
across the apocalyptic nightmare due to a virus that had infected the majority
of the population of the world. From the very beginning, the games doesn’t hold
back any punches, and hits you with an incredibly emotional story that only
gets better and much more emotional as the game progresses. When you are first
introduced to the character Ellie, not many people liked her, but as the game
continued, she gradually became one of the most like characters in gaming that
year.
From this point onwards, there will be spoilers for the game.
At the end, when Joel has just rescued Ellie from the Fireflies
who were going to experiment on her to try and find a cure, lied to her about
there being many people who were immune to the virus, but all attempts to try
and find the cure had failed. Just before the credits, Ellie reveals that she
actually was waiting her turn so that she could reunite with the person she
loves as they were taken by the virus. She makes Joel swear that he is telling
the truth, but it is unknown whether she believes him or not.
The level of character development throughout the game is
phenomenal, and it is that impact that blurred the line between fact and
fiction, especially when Ellie reveals her secret.
The line between fact and fiction will always be blurred. It shows
the level of genius the actors and the writers have to create a storyline that
makes such an impact.
Thanks for reading
Antony Hudson
(TonyHadNouns)
My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:
Amazon:
eBay:
SkyCat Publications:
Ask me anything at:
ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk
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