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Danny Moon | |||||||||||
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EastEnders character | |||||||||||
Portrayed by | Jake Maskall | ||||||||||
Duration | 2004–2006 | ||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 2863 30 December 2004 | ||||||||||
Last appearance | Episode 3127 31 March 2006 | ||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||
Introduced by | Kathleen Hutchison (2004) Kate Harwood (2006) | ||||||||||
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Danny Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Jake Maskall. [1] He made his first appearance on 30 December 2004 and was initially supposed to last appear in July 2005, [2] but reappeared on 24 March 2006 before the character was killed off on 31 March 2006.
The character debuted alongside his older brother Jake (Joel Beckett) and is established as a cousin of the established character Alfie Moon (Shane Richie). During his time on the show, Danny is involved in several plot lines that contribute to his strained relationship with both Jake and their boss Johnny Allen (Billy Murray). This involves Danny sparking a feud with mob boss Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs), entering a relationship with Andy's ex-wife Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), and killing local hardman Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) on Johnny's request.
In March 2006, Danny's character arc ended during the Get Johnny Week storyline, when he attempts to kill Sam's brothers Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant (Ross Kemp) on Johnny's orders - only to be accidentally killed by Jake after the latter discovered the truth about Dennis' murder. As such, Jake also comes to realize through Danny's "bond" with Johnny's daughter Ruby (Louisa Lytton) of just how their involvement in Johnny's criminal reign has rendered Danny mentally unstable beyond repair — thus destroying their brotherly interaction in the process.
Danny Moon first arrives in Albert Square - the community of Walford, a fictionalized borough in East London - in late December 2004, along with his older brother Jake (Joel Beckett). Their second cousin, Alfie (Shane Richie) is not happy to see them since, they are always in trouble - as evident when it quickly turns out that Alfie had previously taken the blame for their crimes and went to prison for three years for credit card fraud. He nevertheless allows Jake and Danny to stay at his house in exchange for helping him and his younger brother Spencer (Christopher Parker) look after their grandmother, Nana (Hilda Braid).
It soon transpires that Danny and Jake are henchmen who work for their crime boss Johnny Allen (Billy Murray), who recently ordered them to deliver a package on his behalf; this was unsuccessful due to Danny's incompetence and Jake later uncovering drugs in the package. Johnny soon arrives in Walford to confront the brothers over the situation, and they are forced to explain the drugs in the package. After ordering them to remain in Walford for further examination of their progress, Johnny arranges for Jake and Danny to work for the square's gangland kingpin - Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs).
Their efforts to impress Johnny by working for Andy grow difficult when the latter sparks a feud with the brothers, with Danny particularly clashing with Andy on several occasions. This continues when it is publicly alleged that Andy has organized the death of his employee Paul Trueman (Gary Beadle), to which Danny tauntingly probes Andy regarding his inability to cover up his tracks. Andy later plans to get revenge on Danny by roping him in his scheme to defraud Johnny out of his £750,000 and deceiving him into believing that both Jake and Johnny view him as weak, further asserting that Danny's contribution would change Johnny's viewpoint on him instead of Jake. He reluctantly agrees and helps Andy in his scheme, after which Andy betrays Danny by leaving him behind. However, Andy's scheme fails when Johnny intercepts his plan and kills Andy by throwing him off a motorway bridge. The next day, Danny learns about Andy's death and - deducing that Johnny killed him - becomes paranoid that Johnny will kill him next. His attempts to calm down over the situation lead to Danny having a brief relationship with Andy's estranged wife, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf). Later on, Danny is enraged when Johnny fires him for incompetence and steals his business idea to expand his nightclub - Scarlet. In retaliation, he sets fire to Johnny's house and uses the incident to try and prove to Johnny how he should be taken more seriously.
Danny and Jake later plan on leaving Walford before Johnny finds out, but are caught out when Johnny finds Danny and forces him into his car. Jake then gets into the car to stay with his brother. Johnny drives them to a forest and locks Jake in the car as he prepares to shoot Danny; however, Jake kicks the car window out and escapes into the woods to find them. He tries to persuade Johnny not to kill Danny. The episode ends with Johnny raising the gun at both of them, however, their fate is not revealed until a few months later when Jake turns up, where it turns out that Johnny let them go: under the agreement that they were not seen again. Johnny allows Jake to stay in Walford but refuses for Danny to ever return. Jake reveals that Danny has gone abroad.
Off-screen, Danny begins working for Johnny to make amends for his actions. On New Year's Eve 2005, Johnny contacts Danny and orders him to murder Andy's best friend, Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) - who had severely beaten Johnny in retribution for killing Andy and threatening to harm Dennis' wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean). Returning to the Square that same night, Danny stabs Dennis in the chest and slips away unseen; Dennis ends up dying in Sharon's arms. He later reveals this to Jake, by showing him a video of the murder, on his mobile phone. [3] Jake is later summoned to Scarlet, only to be greeted by Danny - who is there to look after things for Johnny during the latter's absence; Johnny has moved to Essex. Danny reveals his working relationship with Johnny. After hearing that his grandmother Nana (Hilda Braid) has died, he leaves again.
Towards the end of March 2006, Sam's two older brothers Phil (Steve McFadden) and his brother Grant (Ross Kemp) - dubbed the "Mitchell Brothers" in Walford - arrive in Essex with the intention of bringing Johnny to justice for Dennis' murder on behalf of Sharon, who had previously married Grant until she had an affair with Phil. It soon emerges at this point that Danny has been staying with Johnny in Essex. When Johnny gets ambushed by the Mitchell Brothers, he asks Danny to look after his daughter Ruby (Louisa Lytton) while he deals with Phil and Grant alone. Danny's behavior then shows signs of mental illness when he refers to Johnny as "dad" when asks Ruby if he ever talks about him. He also tells Ruby to get undressed but promises not to look. He then drugs Ruby with sleeping pills and lies on her bed, watching her sleep. Jake eventually tracks Danny down and tries to persuade him to return to Walford. Danny doesn't want to go because he thinks Johnny needs him and Johnny's home is his home as well. This causes Jake to realize that Danny has become mentally unstable and that Johnny is merely using him to settle down a new life away from Walford.
Johnny returns and is intent on killing the Mitchells with Danny's help. Danny is again confronted by his brother. During the conversation, Danny produces a mobile phone with video evidence that it was he who had killed Dennis on New Year's Eve. After a short struggle, Danny knocks Jake unconscious with a baseball bat and - under Johnny's orders - marches the Mitchells into the nearby woods armed with the shotgun and a spade with the intent to kill and bury them. Just as Danny prepares to execute Grant, he is suddenly killed when Jake appears with a pistol - which Danny had dropped in the earlier struggle between the brothers - and shoots him, albeit unintentionally killing him in the process; Jake had only meant to shoot Danny in the arm or leg to save the Mitchell Brothers. [4]
After confessing that Danny was the one who stabbed Dennis on Johnny's orders, Jake buries his brother in the woods - using the spade to mark his grave - whilst Phil and Grant rush out to confront Johnny, only to find that Ruby has already forced her dad to turn himself in for the murders of Andy and Dennis. The only people who are aware that Jake killed Danny are the Mitchell Brothers, Ruby, and her boyfriend Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky); a guilt-ridden Jake insists that he never intended for Danny to die.
William Albert Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, and Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's central protagonists from 1 May 2003 up until his last appearance in the episode broadcast on 30 December 2005, when the character was fatally stabbed at the start of the New Year Fireworks.
Sharon Watts is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of EastEnders' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. She first appeared in the first episode broadcast on 19 February 1985 as the teenage adopted daughter of pub landlords Den and Angie Watts. Dean originally quit the role in 1995 after ten years, with Sharon departing following the breakdown of her marriage. In May 2001, Sharon was reintroduced by producer John Yorke, before departing in January 2006. Dean's return was announced in February 2012, and she later made her on-screen return on 13 August 2012 in a special week of episodes. Dean took a temporary break from the show and departed on 9 January 2024, and Sharon returned on 1 April 2024.
Chrissie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared on 29 April 2004 and transpired to be the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts - thus ended up becoming a prominent regular for the next 18 months. In 2005, Chrissie was the focus of one of "the programme's biggest and most high-profile narratives" when she murdered her husband in self-defence at the end of the special 20th anniversary episode. The broadcast, airing on 18 February, was watched by 14.34 million people - with "almost 60% of possible viewers" tuning in to see Chrissie killing Den. The character was credited by former head of BBC Drama Serials, Mal Young, as "anchoring the success of the anniversary storyline", and was described on the news programme BBC Breakfast as the "centrepiece" of the show, with the on-screen drama playing out over the course of the year and culminating in Chrissie's departure on 9 December 2005.
Andy Hunter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael Higgs. He first appeared in the episode broadcast in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2003 and, following the murder of his gangland boss Jack Dalton, became the show's main antagonist up until the character was axed and killed off in the series' 20th Anniversary episode, shown on 18 February 2005.
Kathleen "Kat" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the second eldest Slater family sister and first appeared on 18 September 2000. Kat's usual dress is very short skirts and leopard-print tops, with much make-up and heavy fake tan. Her initial stint saw her involved in many storylines, most significantly in a plot twist that sees her supposedly sister Zoe Slater, revealed to be her daughter after she was raped by her uncle Harry Slater as a child. Kat and Zoe's relationship is tested several times, and a feud forms when they compete against each other for the affection of Anthony Trueman. Another key aspect to the character's storylines is her marriage to Alfie Moon, prior to which she became briefly engaged to Andy Hunter ; after Kat jilted Andy on their wedding day, he blackmailed her into sleeping with him in his revenge bid against Alfie and Kat. Kat was absent between November 2004 and May 2005 following Wallace's maternity leave, but returned early to tie in with Zoe’s exit storyline. Kat later left the soap on 25 December 2005.
The Queen Victoria is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.
Jake Moon is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Joel Beckett. Jake appears in the show in episodes originally broadcast in the United Kingdom between 30 December 2004 and 20 October 2006. His casting was announced by executive producer Kathleen Hutchison on 20 October 2004. Jake is introduced alongside his younger brother Danny Moon and upon his arrival was described as "the sensitive brother who had an eye for the ladies", while Beckett expressed his happiness at joining the show. In March 2005, Beckett and Maskall were axed but Jake was reintroduced to the show later in the year.
Sam Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to appear on the soap, Sam was introduced as a 15-year-old schoolgirl in July 1990, originally played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but Sam reappeared from 1995 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2000. In both stints, Sam was written out earlier than the producers intended due to off-screen controversies surrounding Westbrook. In January 2002, Sam was introduced for a fourth time, but the role was recast to Kim Medcalf, who stayed in the role until November 2005. Diederick Santer later decided to reintroduce Sam for a brief stint in 2009 and opted to bring Westbrook back. Westbrook briefly reprised the role once again in 2016 for the funeral of Sam's mother Peggy Mitchell. In January 2022, it was announced that Sam would be returning to the show, this time played by Medcalf again. Medcalf’s return scenes aired on 18 April 2022. Medcalf took an extended break from the show in 2023, with Sam departing on 13 April 2023 and returning seven months later on 21 November 2023. On 18 January 2024, Sam made an unannounced departure from the show following Medcalf's decision to leave indefinitely.
Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy. Phil was one of the major characters introduced by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho male leads. Phil and his brother Grant became popularly known as the Mitchell brothers in the British media, with Phil initially portrayed as the more level-headed of the two thugs. Storylines featuring the Mitchell family dominated the soap opera throughout the 1990s, with Phil serving as one of the show's central characters and protagonists since the 1990s. McFadden temporarily left the series in late 2003, then returned in April 2005 for a brief appearance before making a permanent return in October 2005, and has now overtaken Dot Cotton as the second-longest-serving character in EastEnders, surpassed only by original character Ian Beale. A teenage version of Phil, played by Daniel Delaney, appeared in a flashback episode broadcast on 5 September 2022, which focuses on the Mitchell family in the 1970s.
Grant Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. He was introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show, and originally served as one of the show's leading protagonists throughout the 1990s; with the character first appearing in 22 February 1990 and then departing on 25 October 1999 after Kemp had opted to leave the show. He then returned to the show on 24 October 2005 for a few weeks and returned again between March and June 2006. Kemp was persuaded to return to the role for brief stints during a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders. The return proved to be a ratings success. Kemp reprised the role of Grant for various guest stints in 2016, appearing in twelve episodes between 13 May and 9 September. An archived recording of his voice was heard on 25 January 2022. On 26 July 2022, it was announced that Grant would feature in a flashback episode focusing on the Mitchell family in 1979. Teddy Jay played the role of Grant for this special episode, which aired on 5 September 2022.
Johnny Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Billy Murray. He first appeared on 4 January 2005 and became the show's primary antagonist until the character was killed off on 20 October 2006.
Ruby Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louisa Lytton from 18 March 2005 to 23 November 2006, and then again from 18 September 2018 to 17 September 2021. The character and casting were announced in February 2005, and Ruby was introduced in March that year by producer Kathleen Hutchison. She was featured in storylines surrounding her gangland father Johnny Allen, with whom she shared a problematic relationship with due to his criminal lifestyle. Other storylines included a close friendship with Stacey Slater, and an engagement to Stacey's brother Sean - which affected their friendship. In July 2006, Lytton was axed from the show due to limited possibilities for the character following the death of her on-screen father, and Ruby departed on 23 November 2006. In July 2018, it was confirmed Lytton would return after a twelve-year absence. Ruby returned on 18 September 2018 and departed once again on 17 September 2021.
Spencer Moon is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Christopher Parker between 2002 and 2005. Spencer is the brother of Alfie Moon.
"Get Johnny Week" is a week-long storyline in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which was first screened at the end of March 2006. The storyline refers to the character of Johnny Allen, the show's main antagonist, and also features the characters of his daughter Ruby Allen ; enemies Grant and Phil Mitchell ; and former henchmen Jake and Danny Moon.
The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the UK soap opera EastEnders. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil and Grant Mitchell bought the local garage, the Arches. Their sister Sam was introduced later in 1990, and their mother Peggy shortly after in 1991, before being reintroduced as a regular character in 1994, with the role recast to Barbara Windsor. Since then, the family has been significantly expanded to include both the immediate and extended families. Phil has been the longest running Mitchell on the show, and the family has expanded significantly in the years since, remaining a large presence on the square.