David Samuels (EastEnders)
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| EastEnders character | ||||||||||||||||
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| David Samuels | ||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Christopher Reich | |||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1988–1989 | |||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 28 April 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 7 September 1989 | |||||||||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | circa 1952 | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Married | |||||||||||||||
| Home | Israel | |||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Doctor | |||||||||||||||
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Doctor David Samuels was a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Christopher Reich.
[edit] History
David first appeared in April 1988 as Dr. Legg's nephew who was visiting from Israel. David had fallen on hard times in Israel. He was being shunned by the locals because he had treated a wounded terrorist, who was guilty of bombing a bus that had killed his best friend. He had also split from his fiancée Ruth, and wanted a new start. When his mother came to visit Harold she asked him if it would be possible for David to join him in England for a while. Harold thought it was a great idea, and David came over the following month. He helped his uncle out with the practice and lived in the flat above the surgery.
Despite being extremely fond of each other, the new partners argued about almost everything. David wanted to modernise the surgery and bring in computers, but Harold was set in his ways and was opposed to any obvious changes. Harold also disagreed with David's friendship with their secretary, Michelle Fowler. Particularly when the two got drunk one night at a Christmas party, left together and ended up in the same bed. David awoke the next day not remembering a thing, but was reassured when Michelle informed him that they he had been too drunk to do anything untoward anyway. Harold was not convinced however, and berated David for the degradation he'd brought upon himself and the surgery.
Later David and Harold fell out over Harold's treatment of patients. David was appalled that Harold had decided to lie to Colin Russell and withhold vital information from him about his depleting health. He was also angry over Harold's lack of persistence concerning Donna Ludlow's drug problem, and later blamed himself for not providing sufficient help following her suicide in May 1989. Soon after David had stern words for Harold when he failed to diagnose Vicki Fowler with meningitis. Their altercation led to Harold retiring and leaving the running of the surgery to David. However, David's contemporary methods alienated the older residents of Walford and after much protesting Harold eventually decided to rethink his retirement. David initially tried to fight this, but in August 1989, his old Israeli girlfriend, Ruth, arrived in the Square to reconcile with David, and she made David and Harold realise how petty their arguing had become. The two doctors managed to patch up their differences, whilst David and Ruth put their past behind them and got back together. The following month they decided to marry and return to Israel together.
David's last appearance was in September 1989.
