Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long hiatus from EastEnders in 1994 and Frank remained off-screen for over a year and a half. Frank made his return as a recurring character from December 1995 to January 1998. Frank eventually becomes a regular once again from May 1998 to November 2000, when Reid quit the show. Frank makes three brief reappearances after that, the final one in December 2005. Following Reid's death in July 2007, Frank died off-screen and the character was celebrated with a special week of episodes in April 2008.
Frank is a wheeler-dealer who likes to think of himself as a "big player" in the business world, but in reality, he is little more than a wily conman. He is a smooth-talker and full of charm, but his actions are often thoughtless and he tends to run instead of facing up to his responsibilities, leaving his loved ones to pick up the pieces. His love affair with Pat Harris (Pam St Clement) stems back to his teens, and he can never quite let her go, always breaking her heart, disappearing, and returning to break it all over again.
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Character creation and development
The character of Frank was introduced to the series in September 1987, when he met up with former girlfriend Pat Wicks (Pam St. Clement). Although it could not have been predicted at the time, Frank was perhaps the most important introduction to the series that year, as the popularity of his appearance led to him playing a far greater role the following year. Frank was played by Mike Reid, who was already an established comedian and well known to British audiences. The casting of a comedian in a dramatic role was highly controversial at the time, but over the years, the wisdom of that decision was proved correct, as Frank became one of the show's most popular and iconic characters. His successful casting set a precedent in British soap, and subsequently, many established comedians and comic actors have gone on to play substantial roles in several notable soap operas, including Barbara Windsor, Bradley Walsh, Shane Richie, Bobby Davro and Les Dennis, among others.
Following Anita Dobson's (Angie) and Leslie Grantham's (Den) decisions to quit the show in 1988, Frank was reintroduced as a full-time character and installed as the new Landlord of The Queen Vic, which he ran with his future wife, Pat, before opening a used car-lot on the Square. Although extremely different from their predecessors, Frank and Pat were also a live-wire couple, whose relationship proved popular with the audience. Their wedding in 1989 was seen as one of the year's highlights. Penned by new EastEnders writer Tony Jordan, Frank and Pat celebrated their big day in true East End style with a street party organised by Frank's mother, Mo (Edna Doré). Although planned for a summer's day, the lot material filmed on Albert Square was recorded in the middle of gale-force winds. The episode was scripted to portray a strong sense of community spirit and a feel-good theme, as until that year, EastEnders had come under attack from critics who suggested the show had become too depressing. Some 11.9 million viewers tuned in to see Frank and Pat finally tie the knot.
However, as is customary in EastEnders, their marriage did not remain happy for long, and after an array of family and monetary problems, Frank began to sink into deep depression. Playing a depressed character took its toll on Mike Reid, and he also began to suffer with depression, so, in 1994, he took a long hiatus from EastEnders. On-screen, his character attempted an insurance scam by having his car-lot torched and was unable to cope with the resulting guilt after the fire claimed the life of a homeless man. Frank disappeared from the show under a cloud of mystery in April 1994, and for a while he was presumed dead, as none of his family had heard anything from him. Pat eventually moved on, and moved in with another man, only for Frank to make a shocking return. Almost 17 million viewers tuned in to see Frank reunited with Pat on Christmas Day 1995. His stay was brief, lasting only a few months, but it drew a line under his relationship with Pat, and after failing to win her back, Frank was forced to move on too. Frank made several brief appearances in the show after this time, but in May 1998, he made a full-time return, this time as a love interest to landlady Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor). However, Frank's affinity with Pat remained an underlying theme for both characters, and despite being separated, viewers were regularly reminded of their lustful connection. Pat's fourth husband Roy Evans (Tony Caunter) was deliberately made impotent in the series, so Pat would not be sexually unfaithful to Frank. In an interview, Pam St. Clement has suggested that Pat and Frank are the biggest "love story" in EastEnders, commenting: "the trouble is, they're a classic example of a couple who can't live with each other and yet don't want to live without each other."
Storylines
Backstory
Frank started out as a used-car salesman. He met Pat Harris (Pam St Clement) at Butlins in Clacton in 1958 and, despite being on holiday with his girlfriend June Simmonds, he was attracted to Pat. They had a passionate affair but June became pregnant, so he married her and broke Pat's heart. Frank and Pat met up from time to time and on each occasion the affair was rekindled, but Frank would not leave June; Pat eventually married and had two children of her own. Frank and June had four children: Clare (Lucy Foxell/Caroline O'Neill) in 1959, Ricky (Sid Owen) in 1973, Diane (Sophie Lawrence) in 1974, and Janine (Rebecca Michael, Alexia Demetriou, Charlie Brooks) in 1983. June died of cancer in 1987 (although upon Frank's introduction, he says she died of a heart attack following the strain of Janine’s birth), leaving Frank widowed and their children motherless.
1987–2000
In September 1987, Frank contacts Pat and they meet in Greenwich. Frank wants to reignite their romance and asks her to be the mother of his children but she refuses. Frank propositions Pat again in January 1988. Pat is still resistant but when Frank reappears in March, he finally convinces her to reunite. They take over the tenancy of The Queen Victoria public house soon afterwards, and the following year Frank also opens a car lot on the square. Frank and Pat marry in June 1989 in true cockney style, with Pat becoming stepmother to Ricky, Diane, and 5-year-old Janine (Rebecca Michael), who hates her.
Troubled by family upsets, Frank is devastated in 1990 when his mother Mo (Edna Doré) develops dementia. Her deterioration is rapid. In a lucid moment, she writes Frank a letter asking him not to let her end up like her grandmother, who had gone senile, saying she would rather die than suffer the same fate. Frank is torn, but attempts to adhere to his mother's wish by almost smothering her with a pillow while she sleeps. However, he cannot go through with it and instead sends Mo to live with his sister Joan Garwood (Mary Miller) in Colchester. In 1992, Frank was involved and helped Pete Beale (Peter Dean), Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and Big Ron (Ron Tarr) to intimidate rapist James Willmott-Brown (William Boyde) into leaving the area. Later that year, Frank receives a huge tax demand, swiftly followed by a large VAT bill. This forces him to sell his B&B and the adjoining house and move his family into a small flat.
Pat establishes her own cab firm, PatCabs, which starts making them some money. However, on Christmas Eve that year, Pat runs over and kills a teenage girl and is later sentenced to six months in prison. Frank struggles alone and the Butchers end 1993 in financial ruin. In desperation, Frank coerces Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to set fire to his car lot in March 1994, so he can claim on the insurance. The car lot catches fire, as agreed, but unbeknown to Phil and Frank, a homeless man is sleeping in one of the cars and burns to death. Frank is arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, but is later released due to lack of evidence. However, doubts remain as to whether he conspired to defraud his insurance company and an investigation takes place. Frank tries covering his tracks by claiming his accounts have burnt but Pat gives the business's books to the investigating agent. The pressure becomes too much for Frank, who is suffering severe guilt over the death of the homeless man. He becomes so depressed and despondent, no one can get through to him. Unable to cope, Frank leaves Walford and his family without warning in April 1994, and does not contact them to say where he is.
2002
In January 2002, Peggy receives news that Frank has died in a car crash in Spain, and travels there for his funeral, where she is stunned to see him in attendance. Several irate conversations reveal that Frank has faked his death to con expatriates in a property scam with his new girlfriend, Krystle (Rula Lenska). Krystle in turn cons Frank, running off with his money. Despite his past actions, Peggy takes pity on him, and gives Frank money, but turns down the opportunity of resuming a relationship with him.
"Perfectly Frank"
In the special 2003 episode "Perfectly Frank", he returns to England, where he has set up a seedy nightclub and a car valeting service in Somerset. Problems arise when Frank receives a visit from council officer, Douglas Payne (Steve Elder), telling him that they have rejected his license to open a lap dancing club. Later, Frank's assistant, Kevin (Marc Jordan), is sent a car to valet by the local gangster, named Reg Priest (Gilbert Martin), and finds the body of Payne in the boot. Frank and his club staff try to find a way to avoid the police asking questions, and fall foul of Reg, so they throw the body into the water over the side of the pier. However, it later emerges that Reg only knocked Payne out, when he turns up alive, having survived the pier fall. Terrified of another attack, Payne agrees to approve Frank's license.
2005
In December 2005, when Pat is due to give evidence at the trial of Janine (now played by Charlie Brooks), who has been wrongly accused of murdering Laura Beale (Hannah Waterman), Frank tries to get Pat to change her testimony. Pat and Frank have sex, but she is angry when she realises Frank is using their relationship to manipulate her. Nevertheless, after some contemplation, Pat changes her testimony. She and Frank say an emotional farewell, with Frank commenting that he will always love her. Frank tries to reunite with Janine outside the court but is saddened to discover she had already left without him, and was only using him to secure her release.
On 31 March 2008, Diane and Ricky reveal that Frank has died at Diane's home in France of throat cancer. His body is brought to Walford to be cremated. Following the funeral, Frank's ashes are scattered in Albert Square's flowerbeds. A heartbroken Pat orders a commemorative plaque dedicated to Frank, and has it mounted in Albert Square: it reads "Frank Butcher 1940-2008, Husband, Father, Pilchard, Taken 68 years young".
In popular culture
In the 1990s, Mike Reid starred in an advert for the then new soft drink Oasis, whose slogan at the time was "Open, pour, be yourself once more". In the advert, Reid was dressed as Frank and initially roamed around with an uncharacteristically sunny disposition, until he drank the beverage and trod in a cow pat. After this, he took on a miserable expression, and exclaimed "Pat... Oh Pat, what have you done to me Pat?" in a blatant reference to his EastEnders alter ego.
Frank Butcher is also the partial inspiration for the character Cockney Wanker in the British adult comic Viz. The cockney character of Billy Butcher from The Boys was also reportedly named after the EastEnders Butchers.
Reception
Frank remains one of EastEnders best-loved characters and many associate him with a 'golden era of the square'. Following Mike Reid's death in 2007, BBC series controller, John Yorke, commented "Frank Butcher was one of a select group of truly great EastEnders' characters and the skill with which Mike Reid played him made him one of the most popular and well-loved of all."
In a Radio Times poll of over 5,000 people in 2004, 13 per cent chose Frank Butcher as the soap character they were most happy to see return. He came third in the poll, behind EastEnders' Den Watts (32 per cent) and Sharon Watts (21 per cent). Twelve per cent of viewers disagreed, as Frank also polled fourth place when viewers were asked "which soap character was it a bad idea to bring back?", coming behind Coronation Street's Bet Lynch (28 per cent), EastEnders Den Watts (28 per cent), and Coronation Street's Liz McDonald (14 per cent).
A comic scene that saw the character seduce Pat by arriving on her doorstep in nothing but a revolving bow-tie has been voted the fifth Top Soap Moment in a five poll in 2004, and he was also voted the seventh most popular King of Soaps in a Channel 4 poll in 2002. In addition, Frank is fondly remembered for his unique style of cockney slang. A term "dry slap" that Reid introduced into the character's dialogue has transitioned, and is now utilised in British culture as a noun to describe a punch.
In 2021, Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap called Frank "Walford's original diamond geezer" and wrote that it was "sad" that Frank had never met fellow character Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), predicting that they would have had a "right old bubble together.