Early Doors - Regular Characters

Regular Characters

• Ken Dixon (John Henshaw) - Landlord of The Grapes, son of Jean, and the father of Melanie. Ken is usually sarcastic and has been shown at times to be slightly crooked (i.e. once looking at the results for the football cards, taking forged money from his police friends, and putting a very small amount of charity money into his till.) but despite these attributes he is consistently shown to be kind hearted and sensitive. He lives above The Grapes with his mother and daughter (who is not biologically related to him).
• Joe (Craig Cash) and Duffy (Phil Mealey, real name Nigel) - "The Boys" of the pub. Best mates Joe and Duffy's friendship goes back to their childhood. Duffy has children, and has been in trouble with his wife for sleeping with other women.
• Janice (Maxine Peake) (Series 1 only) - Janice is the single mother of a newborn baby, who she brings into the pub in the first episode and asks Joe and Duffy to mind while she goes to Melanie's aerobics class upstairs. It is suggested that the baby is the result of a one night stand with Duffy in Ladbrokes doorway. Joe often teases Duffy about this but Duffy says he took precautions - "I told her I'd had the snip".
• Eddie and Joan Bell (Mark Benton and Lorraine Cheshire) - A boring, simple minded - but well-meaning - couple. Eddie's conversations with Ken are usually one-sided and often revolve around temporary traffic lights nearby - a topic that he is obsessed with, but no one else takes any interest in. Joan's mother is very old owns several pets including 6 cats, a Dog named Dopey and a Tortoise. Joan and Eddie are both quite intellectually slow and they often make pointless conversation. They still seem to be madly in love 19 years after marriage.
• Tommy (Rodney Litchfield) - A character that is often seen drinking on his own. He is reluctant to accept free drinks or buy rounds as he is too miserly to part with his money. Tommy is a stereotypical old widower: he doesn't like socialising, is often miserable and has no problem expressing his complaints (of which he has many). In series 2, he starts a new job which he tells the other regulars he hates because of the "buggers he works with". As he finishes his drink and prepares to leave, it is revealed he is a lollipop man.
• Tanya (Susan Cookson) - Part-time barmaid and love interest of Ken. She is best friends with Debbie. She is good hearted and down to earth and is known for being attractive, which is why it may be surprising that she clearly has feelings for Ken. Halfway through series 2 she informs Ken that she is leaving the pub but in the last episode he asks her to stay and she accepts his offer.
• Jean Dixon (Rita May) - Jean is Ken's mother, and is often seen as imposing and manipulative. She seldom leaves her chair, and is usually eating something. She usually complains about the greed and laziness of others, despite not being able to work her own kettle. Although she imposes on Ken's life and sometimes twists his words around to make people feel sorry for her, she really does care about her son. She shows disapproval about the mutual attraction that Ken and Tanya share, thinking Tanya isn't good enough for her son. She often chats to Winnie. It is stated on the DVD commentary for series 1 that Jean is the first name of Craig Cash's mother.
• Winnie Cooper (Joan Kempson) - Cleaner of The Grapes and the upstairs flat, friends with Jean, and well liked by the regulars. She often makes comments that she knows will irritate Jean and shares all sorts of gossip with her. She has a son called Darren who has been in trouble several times with the law usually for theft. On the DVD commentary for series 1 it's stated that Winnie is the first name of Phil Mealey's mother.
• Melanie Dixon (Christine Bottomley) - Ken's stepdaughter and only child. Melanie is doted on by Ken who hopes she won't leave him for her real dad Keith Braithwaite, who she searched for after learning Ken wasn't her real father. Melanie sees Ken as her real dad, although she does sometimes exploit his "soft" attitude towards her working hours and free drinks. Her biological father Keith starts a fight with Eddie at her 21st birthday. She has had two boyfriends in the series
• Liam (James McAvoy) - a student, Mel's boyfriend in Series 1.Liam is Scottish and is often seen smoking. Several jokes are made about the size of his genitals.
• Dean (Lee Ingleby) - Mel's boyfriend in Series 2. Dean seems to be liked by Ken and is a typical jack the lad type character who gets on well with most if not all of the regulars. It is loosely implied on some occasions that Joan may have feelings for Dean.
• Debbie (Lisa Millett) - Pub regular and good friend to Tanya. She often leaves her kids in the car while she goes in for half a cider. She has cheated on her husband, and has "gone with" Duffy rather than walk home. Debbie is possibly not the best mother, behaving neglectfully yet strictly towards her children. She seems to take a liking to Melanie's biological father Keith Braithwate (at least after a few drinks).
• Phil and Nige (James Quinn and Peter Wight) - Local crooked policemen who Ken is friendly with. They often come knocking on the back door for a bitter and Coke, though they are partial to the odd cigar or brandy chaser. Phil and Nige often break the law themselves, having stolen from an electrical store that was being robbed and are shown to be recreational drug users. In the second series they lose any faith they had in their work after bungling a raid by falling asleep, so turn to drug dealing, while doing the odd bit of police work on the side. Best known for their parting expression; 'Crime won't crack itself'.
• Keith Braithwaite (Eamon Boland) - Melanie's biological father. He is discussed several times in both series but does not appear until the final episode of series 2 when it is Melanie's 21st birthday party. Keith has a very brash personality and regularly uses the catch-phrase "Tick, Tock". Jean sings 'Angels' on the karaoke after dedicating it to Ken, "who has been there all Melanie's life, not just one night". He becomes upset by this comment and tries to pick a fight with Eddie in the toilets but Ken intervenes and punches him, knocking him unconscious.