MY NIGHT ON-AIR FOR EASTENDERS

EastEnders fans in the U.K. have to pay their TV tax to be able to watch
their favorite show. In the U.S., fans have had to pay the Public
Broadcasting System during pledge breaks. To read more about PBS refer back
to my very first article for AAS.

There have been many EastEnders actors who have traveled over the pond to
pitch their product on PBS pledge breaks. Over the years, Deepak Verma
“Sanjay”, Leonard Felton “Dr. Legg” and Anita Dobson “Angie” and Bill
Treacher “Arthur” have all traveled to East Coast stations.

This year Russell Floyd “Market Inspector Matthew Rose” left his wife Lucie
and baby Gabriel at home to fly in for WLIW’s pledge breaks in New York. He,
unfortunately, found himself competing with the much-watched Monica Lewinsky
interview with Barbara Walters. But the more than 400 new members who phoned
in found him funny and insightful. One woman gushed that he had “tons of
personality and major sex appeal.”

Wendy Richards had been scheduled to fly to Minnesota for the KTCA pledge
drive. Why would such a star travel anywhere past the Adirondacks? You'll
have to read on to get that answer . No matter, her appearance fell through.
That’s when the station came crawling to me...begging me to appear in her
place.

OK, truth is: I called the station when I heard she couldn’t make it, but
I’m the one compiling this history, and it sounds better when I say that they
call me.

I had a couple weeks to prepare. My first stop was Jane Pook's UK Summaries
http://www.walford.net/EastEnders/arc_nf.htm .
This British wit has been writing down what she sees each week with verve
and style. You might not always agree with how she dishes out her
compliments and contempt, but she is always interesting and often
laugh-out-loud funny. It was Jane Pook who gave Frankie the nickname “Little
Miss Bowling Ball Head” and is was Jane Pook who would be able to tell me
what was going to happen on the shows I was to talk about.

I was in luck. The four episodes to be screened were some of the best ever
seen on EastEnders; Christmas Eve 1996 through New Year’s of 1997 (when Grant
finds out that Tiffany’s baby might not be his). The Christmas dinner at The
Queen Vic with the Mitchells was even named “Best Soap Scene” from that year
by the British Television Opera Awards.

Notes in hand, I kissed my hubby and kids good-bye (it was his first time
putting both to bed, God bless him) and headed over the Mississippi River to
the State Capitol of St. Paul. Out of the parking ramp and into the
elevator, whom should I see but The President. No, not Bill Clinton (I
wouldn’t want to be alone in an elevator with him). I’m talking about Robin
Fluin, the President of the Albert Square Fan Club.

Robin has often been called the biggest EastEnders fan in the U.S. She isn’t sure about that, but does agree that, “I’m definitely the most involved.”

At first glance, Robin, 44, seems an unlikely mover and shaker with her
quiet ways. She worked as a manager in a trucking firm for 13 years, until she quit to become a mom and homemaker. Nothing seemed to be pointing to world-wide fame and rubbing elbows with the stars.

It was her husband who changed all that in 1987. Alan, originally from
Palmer’s Green in North London, turned on the TV that night and said, “This is a big show in England. We better watch this.”

The show was EastEnders, of course, and Robin grew more involved the longer she watched. In the dozens of trips back to England to revisit in-laws, she amassed quite a collection of books, magazines, newspaper clippings, video tapes, and CDs about the shows and the actors. The clippings alone take up 30 notebooks.
“I definitely have the biggest collection,” she will attest to, after having
to buy a new bookcase to house everything.

Through the internet, Robin has met many other fans from all over the
country. Her husband works for an airlines, so she been able to fly out for EastEnders luncheons. She brings with her as much of her collection as she can. The luncheons have become annual events for New York in the Spring, Philadelphia in the Fall, and Washington, DC the weekend before Memorial Day (the last Monday in May). Usually 20 to 50 people attend. Although, when visiting Colorado, furthest behind in the EastEnders storyline (Arthur finally died there), there were only five fans.

But it’s not only EastEnders fans who Robin meets on her travels. She has
also been lucky enough to have met many EastEnders actors.

The WETA station, in Washington DC has flown several actors over for their
pledge drives. Robin flew out to meet Steve McFadden, but “Phil Mitchell”
was not to make an appearance due to bad weather. His manager had made it on
an earlier flight and Robin’s kindness endeared her to him. The station’s
replacement celebrity that night was a call-in from John Altman of “Nick
Cotton” infamy. Robin was able to chat on the phone with him once the
station was rolling the tape.

The manager also said to let him know the next time she was in London and
he’d arrange for her to meet Steve McFadden for a drink. She did and they
did. Steve and Robin both have sons the same age so they could easily relate
to each other.

“Steve struck me as an intense person. He really listened to what others had
to say,” Robin remembers.

It was another WETA pledge drive, in 1996, that Robin flew out and met Bill
Treacher “Arthur”. They chatted at the station. “He was very personable and
so astounded that people in the U.S. paid attention to EastEnders.”

Robin met Bill’s onscreen wife under completely different circumstances. Many years ago, she walked into an English pub wearing an EastEnders T-shirt, saw Wendy Richard and introduced herself. They only talked for a short time. When Robin would head back to England, she would return to the same pub and over many meetings, the fan and the actress became friends. It was through Robin that Wendy had agreed to fly to Minnesota.

Robin is a little reluctant to talk about this friendship, but when pressed, has nothing but glowing remarks for the real life counterpart of “Pauline Fowler”. She mentions Wendy’s interest in charitable causes, such
as her efforts to pair trained dogs with the disabled.

“She’s a down to earth person who’d rather play cribbage with her friends
than attend a ritzy affair.”

It was at the same pub (wouldn’t you like to know the name?) that Robin met
Letitia Dean while she was there visiting with Wendy. Robin says that
Letitia looked every bit as glamorous as “Sharon” did when she left the
Square. One interesting note: Letitia was giving Wendy a trinket frog, as
Wendy has a collection.

The last story of Robin’s might cause heart palpitations, so stop here if you are easily excited. Through the internet, she contacted Executive Producer Matthew Robinson and because of who she is and what she does, he invited her for a tour of the Elstree set. Isn’t that what we’d all love to do?
Somehow, I don’t think it would work for you or me.
August of l998, Robin Fluin was admitted onto the Elstree Studio set. She got to visit a world the rest of us have only seen through flickers on a 25” screen. Her first stop was the office Matthew Robinson. They had tea and biscuits while he picked her brain about what American fans think.

And what does she think of “The Axe-Man of Albert Square”?

“Matthew Robinson is a really brilliant man. He remembers all these
details,” Robin remarked with me.

She was then treated to a behind the scenes tour. She got to meet producers, directors (including Susan Tully “Michelle” who was there editing
her first three episodes filmed), editors, scriptwriters, costumers, make-up artists, you name it. She got to walk around the Square and even enter into the buildings, like the Cafe. She got to see filming inside Ian’s flat and The Vic.

She had Mike Reid “Frank Butcher” saddling up to her, between takes, trying
out his best John Wayne drawl with, “Hi, Darlin.”
“Frank Butcher”http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stadium/1123/

What a fun time she's had! And it seems natural that such a well-connected,
knowledgeable, dedicated fan should become The President of The Albert Square
Fan Club. To read more go to the club's web site.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/1302/

 From Catherine: I have a sad epilogue to add to this article, which
showcased my friend Robin Fluin. While she was busy doing so many things,
she was also struggling with ovarian cancer for the last two years. She
never liked to have people talk about her health, so according to her wishes
I never reported on it. The cancer and the chemo treatment had been hard on
her and on the morning of May 20 she did die at the age of 44. I do find
happiness in having known her. I am also glad that this article appeared
during her lifetime, so that she could see it and enjoy it. Please think
over the fun that Robin experienced during her life: being with her family,
meeting people and going places, focusing on what she truly enjoyed.
Remember that you have the ability to live your life to the fullest and an
imperative to do so.

NEXT MONTH: Part Two of MY NIGHT ON-AIR WITH EASTENDERS