Rob Minter
| Rob Minter | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||
 Rob Minter as portrayed by Stuart Laing | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Stuart Laing | ||||||||
| Duration | 2006–07 | ||||||||
| First appearance | 21 June 2006 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | 25 June 2007 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Created by | Kate Harwood | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Robert "Rob" Minter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stuart Laing.[1] He made his first appearance on 21 June 2006. Of his new role, Stuart said: "I am really excited about joining EastEnders and am thrilled to be working with the cast – I can’t wait to get stuck in."[1] It was announced on 15 June 2007 he would leave the show at the end of his current storyline.[2] Laing's contract was initially for a few episodes but was soon extended to six months and stayed on for a year in total and departed on 25 June 2007. He is the former husband of May Wright (Amanda Drew) and father of Dawn Swann's (Kara Tointon) daughter, Summer Swann.
Rob's most notable storyline is kidnapping Dawn and handcuffing her to a bed so that his wife, May, could perform a home Caesarian in an attempt to steal her unborn baby. This prompted over 200 complaints to the BBC as well as achieving 9.3 million viewers. Police were still searching for Madeline McCann, and the BBC had to re-write the storyline to avoid causing distress to the viewers.
Storylines
Rob first appeared on 21 June 2006, when Victor Brown (Jimmy Yuill) introduced Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) to him at a Walford Community Charitable Trust meeting. He also attended a charity auction where he tried to out-bid Ian, who was bidding for a bracelet for Dawn Swann. She was posing as Ian's wife while his real wife, Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), was running the cafe she and Ian owned. When Rob had raised the price, he let Ian buy the bracelet. Rob and Dawn started dating. He discovered "Jane" was actually Dawn but they continued to date. On 13 November 2006, it was revealed that Dr May Wright, the new GP for Walford, was Rob's wife. May and Dawn had struck up a friendship but that didn't last. Dawn becomes pregnant with Rob's baby and strikes up a deal with May and Rob to sell it to them when it is born.
When Dawn saw Rob and May acting like the perfect couple and discovering that they had been buying things for "their" baby, Dawn made another appointment for a termination. Again, she didn't go through with it, thinking Rob would leave May for her. It was later revealed that May had suggested he reconcile with Dawn - desperate for a baby - she insisted Rob keep Dawn sweet until she was over 24 weeks and no longer able to have a termination. Dawn, however, was unhappy that Rob intended to stay with May until she had the baby. He promised Dawn that they would be a family after the birth but she didn't believe him and tried aborting the baby herself and ended up in hospital. Rob tried talking her round but Dawn rebuffed him so he returned to May.
May later told Dawn not to stalk Rob so Rob told May that he was leaving her for Dawn and moved out. In revenge, May reported Rob for fraudulently obtaining a credit card for Jane Beale, (the name Dawn was using when they met). His boss suspended him and later sacked him. May left but later invited Rob round to apologise and tried to seduce him. Trying to leave, Rob found the nursery May had decorated, complete with calendar set to July. "My baby is born" was written on 5th. Realising May's obsession, Rob tried to leave but May wouldn't let him and a struggle ensued. Rob left, disturbed and telling Dawn they had to leave as soon as possible. The next day, May had a black eye and people assumed Rob was responsible. He insisted he wasn't but after Dawn saw him attack Keith, he admitted that he did hit May.
Rob told Dawn that he had a new job away from the Square and proposed again. She accepted and they went to his parents' house but was shocked to find May there - the new job didn't exist, being part of Rob and May's plan to take Dawn prisoner. They handcuffed her to a bed and May injected Dawn with a sedative. When Dawn tells May that she would rather the baby die than give it to her, May decides to deliver the baby herself by caesarean, intentionally putting Dawn's life at risk. When May leaves to get her surgical tools, Dawn tells Rob of May's plans and begs him to let her go. She manages to free herself and knock Rob out. She stabs May with a scalpal before escaping in their car. Dawn returned to her family where she made plans to go and visit her mother, but Rob returned and revealed to her family what had happened, telling them that May had been committed to a psychiactric hospital. Keith, Mickey and Gary do not believe him and hold him hostage in their home, torturing him by pouring gravy all over him and letting the family dog lick him clean. They then discover that Dawn has gone into labour and rush to the hospital. Later at hospital she gave birth to daughter Summer. Rob tried to get in to see the baby, but was escorted out by security and was shocked to discover that May has also come to see the baby. He tried to convince her to forget about the baby, but May insisted on apologising to Dawn. After sneaking past security, May tries to steal baby Summer, but Dawn wakes up and takes her back. After failing to get the baby, a distraught May storms out and tried to run over Rob in their car.
Rob went to the police, who were unsympathetic of the fact that he helped May kidnap Dawn, so he told them that Dawn had promised to sell the baby to him and May. After Dawn returned home from hospital, he went to see her one last time. While Carly and Keith stand by and make him uncomfortable, he apologised to Dawn, told her that she was the one he really loved and proposed for a third time. This time, however, a furious Dawn punched Rob, angry that he told the police about their agreement and threatened to press charges against him if she ever saw him again.
In 2008, when May returned to try and steal Summer again, she revealed that Rob had left her and was living with another woman and that they were expecting a baby.
Creation and development
Casting
The character of Rob was originally a minor part. Laing said of his casting: "I originally came up for a smaller part - for four or five episodes - and then they called me back and said there was this possibility of a character they were looking to develop, which would be in it for a longer time. I don't think they knew quite where the storylines are going, but they had a faint idea of relationships that they could establish. Laing's character, Rob, was initially six months long and his character was not very involved in the programme in his first two months. He added: "I'd come in and do a day every couple of weeks and the story was very slow-burning, really. The writers got their teeth into the story and started to develop more and more ideas for it and that's where it started to take off."[3]
Storyline development
"We would not wish to add to the family’s anguish at this terrible time and we are currently reviewing our storyline including episodes which have already been filmed."
Although the kidnapping of Dawn prompted 200 complaints, the BBC had already re-written the storyline. The original storyline was for Rob and May to kidnap Dawn's baby but because of the Madeline McCann abduction, it was re-written. A spokeswoman for the BBC said "The storyline involving child abduction would be "inappropriate" and could cause distress for viewers". Dawn is caught in a love triangle involving her lover Rob, and his character's wife Dr May Wright. "Rob is currently living with Dawn and has left his wife after she attempted to buy Dawn's unborn baby, which is fathered by Rob."[4][5]
Executive producer Diederick Santer commented on Laing's and Wright's skills for the kidnap storyline. The producer told the news website Digital Spy: "Dr May and Rob - Amanda Drew and Stuart Laing - have led Dawn and the audience a merry dance this year. They have both given fantastic, gripping performances and we have loved having them. We wish them both all the best for the future."[2]
Reception
The episode showing Dawn Swann handcuffed to the bed grabbed 9.3 million viewers in total. In the episode, Rob lures Dawn out into the country so that May can handcuff her to the bed in order to give Dawn a home Caesarian. This screening prompted over 200 complaints to the BBC. Laing commented: "I was shocked when I read the script and my girlfriend Ali has been a bit disturbed by what I've been up to. She's enjoyed it but she's been a bit horrified at the same time! I didn't have any idea how bonkers it was going to get. [...] Rob and May were going through real problems with IVF then made some bad choices which got them spiralling into this very dark place. It's good drama and a difficult thing to pull off when it's going out at 8pm. Although we received a lot of complaints last week nobody was trying to offend people." Dawn falls in love with Rob, and he uses this to get a child for May and himself. Laing admitted it was an "intense" period, and commented: "As an actor, you've got to find a way to get your head around it. I never thought about Rob as a villain, he's just someone who makes bad choices and digs holes he can't get out of. The very last turn, when it got so extreme, I put it down to him falling out of love with Dawn and his wife having this spell on him. [...] He justifies it to himself by thinking Dawn wants to give the baby up anyway and she was going to take money for it. I think deep down he has a conscience and there is probably a part of him which is horrified but there's no going back."[6]
The kidnapping of Dawn sparked further complaints, as police were still searching for Madeline McCann, who was abducted on a holiday to Portugal. An spokeswoman for the show confirmed: "In the current circumstances it was felt any storyline that included child abduction would be inappropriate and could cause distress to our viewers. It was felt any storyline that included a child abduction was inappropriate and could cause distress. Police are still searching for 4-year-old Madeline, who vanished 18 days ago in Praia da Luz, Portugal. [...] There were some quite disturbing similarities to the situation in Portugal and we didn't want to add to the torment of Madeleine's parents."[7]
References
- ^ a b Green, Kris. "Stuart Laing joins 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
- ^ a b Green, Kris. "Exclusive: Surgery door slams on Enders' Dr. May". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
- ^ Green, Kris. "Stuart Laing". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ a b "EastEnders To Re-Write Kidnap Storyline". ContactMusic. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Green, Kris. "'EastEnders' axe baby abduction plot". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Hendry, Steve. "Who's the baddy? EXCLUSIVE EASTENDERS STAR INSISTS TOT PLOT ROB'S A GOOD GUY". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ "EastEnders kidnap plot scrapped over Madeleine abduction". London: Daily Mail. 23 May 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2011.