| Bobby Grant | |||||||||||||||||
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| Brookside character | |||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Ricky Tomlinson | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1982–1988 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 2 November 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 16 May 1988 | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Phil Redmond | ||||||||||||||||
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Robert "Bobby" Grant is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Ricky Tomlinson. One of the show's original characters, Bobby debuted on-screen during the show's first episode broadcast on 2 November 1982. Tomlinson attended a series of auditions in Liverpool after being invited by his friend Tony Scoggo. Various actors were invited back and auditioned in different groups to observe who worked well together. Bobby was cast by show creator and executive producer Phil Redmond and production team member Janet Goddard. The latter expressed her interest in Redmond meeting Tomlinson, as she believed him best suited to the role aesthetically. Tomlinson performed an improvised monologue in front of them to secure the role.
Bobby is portrayed as a staunch socialist and trade unionist. He is the patriarch of the Grant family, which originally consisted of Bobby, his wife Sheila Grant (Sue Johnston) and their children Barry Grant (Paul Usher), Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien) and Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara). His characterisation is etched into his working-class background. When the series starts, the Grants have moved from a council housing estate to Brookside Close, where they own their own home. This was a contradiction to Bobby's socialist characterisation and he feels remorse for betraying his working-class background.
Much of Bobby's dialogue and political storylines were written by Jimmy McGovern. He enjoyed writing for Bobby and often expressed his own leftist views via the character. Bobby featured in Brookside during the early 1980s, a time British politics were right-leaning and feminist groups were popularised. McGovern stated that this challenged Bobby's stories and made the character feel under attack from different institutions. His early stories revolved around his career at Fairbanks Engineering and involvement in a trade union. Bobby attempts to save jobs by leading an industrial strike. He is later promoted to a foreman role but the company is closed down regardless. Writer's used Bobby's leadership characteristics to propel him forward in the series, following a bout of unemployment and his subsequent appointment to district secretary. Other storylines for the character include exploring Sheila's geriatric pregnancy and later in life fatherhood to Claire Grant. He also has a vasectomy in a privatised hospital, which writers used to play him at odds with his Catholic religion and support for the welfare state.
Tomlinson left Brookside abruptly in 1988 following disillusionment regarding Bobby's changing characterisation. A series of disagreements regarding contracts and writers' changing attitude towards Bobby culminated in Tomlinson walking off set. The dispute was widely publicised. Tomlinson and McGovern claimed that management were already planning to terminate his contract. Three-months of storylines originally intended to feature Bobby were rewritten. Production were puzzled by his departure and decided to convey their own feelings via writing Bobby's departure. He disappears midway through an episode, leaving Sheila feeling the same about her husband's sudden departure. Redmond later recalled his regret had not acted differently to change Tomlinson's mind. He noted that failings to consult Tomlinson on changing Bobby's characterisation during the aftermath of Sheila's rape played into his decision to leave.
Bobby is one of Brookside's most iconic characters and his trade unionism has generated numerous positive reviews from television critics and authors. Tomlinson's portrayal and McGovern's writing has also garnered positive comment. The on-screen partnership between Bobby and Sheila proved favourable with critics and viewers alike. Bobby's later characterisation found criticism from journalists who believed Bobby abused alcohol and behaved like a bully.