Jules Tavernier | |||||||||||||||
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EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Tommy Eytle | ||||||||||||||
Duration | 1990–1997 | ||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 565 5 July 1990 | ||||||||||||||
Last appearance | Episode 1549 23 December 1997 | ||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Michael Ferguson | ||||||||||||||
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Jules Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by Tommy Eytle between 5 July 1990 and 23 December 1997. Jules is depicted as a flirtatious older gentleman. He is introduced in 1990 and remains in the show after the departures of all of his on-screen family. He is largely semi-regular during the latter part of his stint, and is not featured again after December 1997. Jules Tavernier appeared in more than 150 episodes over his seven-year tenure. [1]
Jules is from Trinidad but lived in Jamaica until he came to England on holiday in 1968. He stayed to help look after his son's newborn child, so that his daughter-in-law could do teacher training and work part-time. Jules' wife had died young and he had never settled in Jamaica, so when his other grandchildren came along, he had a full-time job helping the family and stayed in England.
Jules arrives in Albert Square in July 1990 with the rest of the Tavernier family. He is an instant hit with the older ladies of Walford, and he regularly flirts with Walford stalwarts Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) and Dot Cotton (June Brown). Jules is a gambling man, and could often be seen playing cards with John Royle (Paddy Joyce) when he was visiting from Ireland. Jules is an easy-going, jovial person and his main purpose in his early years is to give support to his family and offer advice. Jules is so at home in Walford that he decides to stay when his son and daughter-in-law move to Norwich in 1992; his grandchildren, Clyde (Steven Woodcock) and Hattie (Michelle Gayle), remain with him. Jules is an independent person, despite his age, however this changes for a period in August 1992, after he is mugged by a couple of girls (one of the muggers was played by the singer Emma Bunton). After stealing his money, one of the girls beats him over the head with a plank of wood. Jules is left shaken and ashamed by the ordeal. He eventually recovers and regains his confidence with the help of his friend, Dot, who nurses him better.
In 1993, Jules received an unannounced visit from Gidea Thompson (Sian Martin), who is his granddaughter from an affair he had in his 20s. He soon bonds with her but is horrified when he finds out that she and his grandson, Clyde, are dating. Clyde ignores his grandfather's protests and eventually moves to Trinidad to be with Gidea. Both Nellie Ellis (Elizabeth Kelly) and Blossom Jackson (Mona Hammond) live with Jules at different stages, but although they flirt with him, their relationships remain strictly platonic. In later years, he sparks up a friendship with local barber Felix Kawalski (Harry Landis) and the two are often seen playing chess in The Queen Vic. Although he does not exit on-screen, it is believed that Jules is residing in sheltered accommodation away from Albert Square. His last appearance on-screen was in December 1997.
In the latter part of 1989 EastEnders acquired a new executive producer named Michael Ferguson, who took over from Mike Gibbon. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's The Bill – a hard-hitting, gritty and successful police drama, which seemed to be challenging EastEnders in providing a realistic vision of modern life in London. Due to his success on The Bill, Peter Cregeen, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of EastEnders. [2]
Following a relatively unsuccessful inclination towards comic storylines throughout 1989, Ferguson decided to take the soap in a new direction in 1990. Big changes were implemented both off-screen and on-screen. [2] Ferguson altered the way the episodes were produced, changed the way the storylines were conceptualised and introduced a far greater amount of location work than had previously been seen. EastEnders scriptwriter Colin Brake said that it was a challenging period, but "the results on-screen were a programme with a new sense of vitality, and a programme more in touch with the real world than it had been for a while". [2]
As a consequence of these changes, a large number of characters were axed in early 1990 as the new production machine cleared way for a new direction and new characters. [2] Among the new characters were the Jamaican Tavernier family, who collectively arrived on-screen in July 1990, composed of grandfather Jules (Tommy Eytle), his son and daughter-in-law Celestine (Leroy Golding) and Etta (Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence), their eldest son Clyde (Steven Woodcock), and their twins Lloyd (Garey Bridges) and Hattie, played by Michelle Gayle. Colin Brake described the Taverniers as the major new additions that year, and it heralded the first time that an entire family had joined the serial all at once. Their introduction was also described as a well-intentioned attempt to portray a wider range of black characters than had previously been achieved on the soap. [2]
Author Hilary Kingsley described Jules as a character who "enjoys turning on the charm [...] and raising his hat to all the ladies with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He's not a moaner and his old-world flirting makes a pleasant change." [3] Stephen Bourne in The Independent stated that Jules "found himself recognised everywhere as the wise senior citizen, always ready to offer sensible advice and often recalling his involvement in the 1937 oilfield strikes back home in Trinidad." [4] Author Kate Lock suggested that Jules "revelled in his mildly eccentric reputation. He loved to talk about the old days in Trinidad and had always been a bit of a ladykiller [...] Even in his 70s, Jules was still chasing women." [5] Tommy Eytle, who played Jules was a musician, and his part in EastEnders occasionally gave him an opportunity to sing, usually in the soap's public house the Queen Vic. [4]
Jules appeared less frequently during the latter part of his time in EastEnders because of Eytle's ill health. [6] He was never officially written out of the serial, but was not featured again after December 1997. [6] Eytle died in 2007. [6]
Michael Ferguson was a British television director and producer. His early career included directing four serials of the BBC's science fiction series Doctor Who (1966–1971). He later directed ITV's police drama series The Bill and was promoted to become its producer (1988–1989), and as executive producer of the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1989–1991) he was responsible for the introduction of two of its most popular and long-running characters, Phil and Grant Mitchell. He then produced the BBC medical drama series Casualty (1993–1994).
Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daughter of Michelle Fowler and Den Watts. The character is born in the serial, conceived in a controversial storyline about teenage pregnancy. Exploiting a whodunnit angle, at the time of the first showing, viewers were not initially told who was the father, and press interest in the fledgling show escalated as journalists attempted to guess. The audience finally discovered his identity in October 1985 in episode 66. Written by series co-creator and script editor Tony Holland, and directed by co-creator and producer Julia Smith, it was considered a landmark episode in the show's history. Early suspects were Ian Beale and Kelvin Carpenter, but then four possible suspects are seen leaving Albert Square early in the episode: Tony Carpenter, Ali Osman, Andy O'Brien, and Den Watts. As Michelle waits by their rendezvous point, a car pulls up and the fluffy white legs of the soap landlord's poodle Roly leap out of a car to give it all away: Den Watts is the father of Michelle's baby. After this storyline the programme started to appear in newspaper cartoons as it moved more and more into the public mainstream. Vicki's character was written out in October 1995, after Susan Tully, who played Vicki's mother Michelle, decided to leave the soap.
Hattie Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Gayle between 5 July 1990 and 21 December 1993. Hattie and her family were introduced in July 1990 by producer Michael Ferguson. The Taverniers were the first collective black family to join the soap at the same time. Portrayed as an intelligent, independent young woman, Hattie remained in the serial after the departures of many of her screen family, covering issues such as miscarriage and sexual harassment.
Blossom Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mona Hammond. The character originally appeared from 16 May 1994 to 29 May 1997. Hammond was installed as a matriarchal figure of the Jackson clan but quit the role in 1997, reportedly because she was suffering from nervous exhaustion. She reprised the role on 25 October 2010 for two episodes.
Diane Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997. In 2008, she returned for her father Frank Butcher's funeral, and on 20 June 2012 she returned for her sister Janine Butcher's wedding, departing on 29 June 2012.
Clyde Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steven Woodcock. Introduced on 5 July 1990, Clyde featured in prominent storylines including an inter-racial relationship with Michelle Fowler and being framed for the murder of publican Eddie Royle. The character was written out in 1993 and was given a happy ending, leaving on 22 July 1993.
Richard Cole is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ian Reddington between 23 July 1992 and 21 July 1994.
Steve Elliot is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mark Monero between 8 October 1991 and 12 February 1996.
Marge Green is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Pat Coombs. from 9 May 1989 to 8 February 1990. Introduced in 1989, elderly Marge is scripted as comical and timid. The character was one of many to be axed in 1990 when Michael Ferguson took over the role as executive producer from her introducer Mike Gibbon.
Steven Woodcock is an English actor, best known for his role as Clyde Tavernier in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role that he played from July 1990 to July 1993.
Nellie Ellis is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Elizabeth Kelly. Nellie is introduced as the interfering relative of Pauline Fowler in 1993 and appears regularly until 1998. She makes a further appearance in 2000 for the funeral of Ethel Skinner. She moves in with the Fowlers in early 1994, and appears to be extremely annoying and interfering. However, she proves useful in getting Michelle Fowler's money back from Frank Butcher, who had unwittingly sold Michelle a stolen Austin Metro, which was subsequently apprehended by the police.
Mo Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edna Doré between 1988 and 1990. She is introduced as the matriarch figure of the Butcher family, Frank Butcher's elderly mother. She is portrayed as a battle-axe, tough and interfering. Her most notable storyline first aired in 1990, when the character is used to portray descent into Alzheimer's disease. Doré opted to leave the serial that same year; Mo was written out of the soap making her last appearance in November. Mo was killed off in 1992, but her death was off-screen.
Thomas Daniel Hicks Eytle was a Guyanese calypso musician and actor. Although born in Guyana, Eytle's career was based in the United Kingdom, where he lived after emigrating in 1951.
Garey Bridges is a British actor, best known for playing the role of Lloyd Tavernier in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Julie Cooper is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louise Plowright from 1989 to 1990. The character was one of Mike Gibbon's introductions, but she was axed in 1990 at the start of Michael Ferguson's reign as executive producer. Julie is portrayed as a bubbly, big haired Salford girl, who has a hungry appetite for men.
Celestine and Etta Tavernier are fictional characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Leroy Golding and Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence respectively. Both appear primarily in the serial as a married couple between 1990 and 1992. Celestine makes a further guest appearance in 1993, while Etta makes a guest appearance in 1994, both visiting remaining members of the Tavernier family. Celestine is portrayed as a strict disciplinarian and a devout Christian who expects everyone in his family to show similar dedication to the church and abide by his rules. His unwavering demand for respect often alienates his children and almost causes the breakdown of his marriage. Also religious, Etta is portrayed as a career woman; her most prominent storylines concern marital problems and crises of faith.