Willy (EastEnders)

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EastEnders character

Willy
Portrayed by	Willy
Duration	1985–1992
Date of birth	1982
Date of death	May 14, 1992
Occupation	Pet
Owner(s)	Ethel

Willy was a fictional dog in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Willy was a Pug, who appeared in the first episode of the programme and remained in the show until 1992.

1 Casting
2 Storylines
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Casting

Willy was cast less than a week before the filming of EastEnders began. From the beginning it was decided that the pensioner Ethel Skinner was to have a Yorkshire Terrier named Willy (after her dead husband). However, finding a suitable Yorkie proved to be difficult. The company Janimals, who specialised in providing and training animals for television and films, contacted EastEnders co-creator/producer Julia Smith, and informed her that they could provide a experienced Pug for the part (he had previously starred in Swallows and Amazons). The dog was brought to the studio to meet Gretchen Franklin, the actress who played Ethel. She took a shine to him straight away and so the pug was cast as Willy. Willy and Roly the poodle shared a dressing room at Elstree Studios.^[1]

[edit] Storylines

Willy was Ethel Skinner's constant companion. She rarely appeared on-screen without him tucked under her arm. He was named after her late husband, William Skinner. A lot of rather puerile humour was derived from Willy's name. Ethel's famous lines being either, "Where's my Willy?" or, in a double entendre, "Has anyone seen my Willy"

Willy could often be quite mischievous. When Ethel was preparing the food in The Queen Vic one day, Willy ate all the expensive steak for the steak and kidney pies when her back was turned. Ethel replaced the meat with a less costly cut and everyone commented that the pies were not up to standard. At Christmas 1990, he sneaked into the Fowlers' and began eating the turkey.^[2]

Willy was kidnapped in 1986 by an old man. He was eventually found by Detective Roy Quick in a pet shop and returned to his concerned owner. When Ethel fell and broke her hip, Willy went to stay with Dot Cotton, and they found each other a strain. Dot wasn't the only one who wouldn't tolerate Willy. Ernie Mears and Benny Bloom wanted to marry Ethel, but only if she got rid of Willy. Ethel couldn't part with her beloved dog so she turned them both down.^[2]

When Ethel and her friends went on a holiday to Clacton, Willy had to go too, in a holdall. He was discovered by the owner of the bed and breakfast, but fortunately for Ethel he was a dog-lover too and allowed Willy to stay.^[2]

Willy was a touch sensitive, and when Dr. Harold Legg made several remarks about "dog mess" in the Square, Ethel feared it upset him to the extent that he couldn't perform at all. Luckily, Willy's constipation was eventually resolved.

After succumbing to old-age, Willy fell ill in 1992 and Ethel had to make the heart-breaking decision to put him down. Ethel was devastated to lose her dog, so the residents of Albert Square all clubbed together to buy her a new dog. However, Ethel wouldn't accept it, saying Willy was irreplacable.^[3]

Two weeks and two days after being written out of EastEnders, the dog who played Willy died.^[4]