Syed Masood
Syed Masood | |||||||
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EastEnders character | |||||||
Portrayed by | Marc Elliott | ||||||
Duration | 2009–2012 | ||||||
First appearance | Episode 3775 21 April 2009 | ||||||
Last appearance | Episode 4532 15 November 2012 | ||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||
Introduced by | Diederick Santer | ||||||
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Syed Masood is a fictional character from the
In 2009, it was announced actor Marc Elliott would be joining the EastEnders cast. In an interview with Digital Spy, Elliott described his arrival: "It is so exciting to join the cast of EastEnders and to be working with actors such as Nina Wadia [Zainab] and Nitin Ganatra [Masood] who I have admired for many years. The Masood family have really made a name for themselves in the Square and it will be interesting see how Syed plans to stir things up!"[3]
In September 2012, it was announced that Elliott would be leaving EastEnders alongside John Partridge.[4] He departed on 15 November 2012.[5]
Storylines
Backstory
Syed is a
2009–2012
Syed resumes contact with his family when he experiences financial difficulties. Although Masood reveals his previous theft, Zainab forgives her son, and invites him to move into the family home when he is evicted for failing to pay his rent. Syed introduces his family to his girlfriend,
Despite his intentions, Syed resumes his relationship with Christian. Amira becomes pregnant but it was her misunderstanding and not real (but finally she will at the time she leaves, although she will not tell it to Syed). Syed intends to continue the affair, to Christian's displeasure. Syed accidentally ends up revealing to Amira that he is gay. Amira's father
Syed becomes Christian's personal assistant and finds a new mosque. His parents help him escape from
Syed decides to find Amira so he can get a divorce, but has trouble finding her and Christian worries about Qadim getting involved in their lives again. It is revealed Amira is practically being held hostage by her father and that she had Syed's baby, a girl called
Syed's business ventures fail and he is in debt to a supplier. When Zainab puts Syed in charge of Tamwar's restaurant, he forges Tamwar's signature on a cheque to pay off his debt, but leaves the restaurant in debt with the mortgage unpaid. Syed meets
Creation
Syed had been mentioned regularly since the Masoods arrived in Walford in 2007, but was not introduced on-screen until April 2009. Elliott was cast in the role after a successful reading with Ganatra and Wadia. Eliott was told he had been successfully cast just before Christmas 2008.[6]
In an interview with entertainment and media website
Characterisation
Elliott's character is apparently a smooth-talking natural charmer who knows how to get ahead in business. He is also described as "handsome, suave and sophisticated". Executive Producer Diederick Santer described Syed as "Entrepreneurial, reckless, dashing and complicated, [he's] set to bring surprises and chaos to the Masood family."[2] Elliott revealed that the character is driven by money: "It's all about the cash. His drive is to be successful and there's nothing really Machiavellian about him – well, there potentially is – but he just wants the money because he believes he can use it to make more. [Syed]'s very cocksure and confident about himself but the absurd thing is that he hasn't learned from his past mistakes."[8] He also says that "Syed manipulates people to his own ends. He's charming, confident and reckless."[9] Wadia described the character as a "dark horse", saying, "What I like about the way they've introduced him is that you get to see the gentle side of him first – the repentant side. Then you see what he's really like over the subsequent weeks."[10]
Development
Shortly after his arrival, Syed's girlfriend,
In June 2009, Syed begins an affair with gay character
When asked in a BBC interview in September 2009 if Syed is gay or bisexual, Elliott answered: "I think at this stage there's confusion about his sexuality. He knows he likes Christian but it hasn't really been stipulated. He wants to settle down and have children with Amira because that's what's expected of him, but he finds himself unavoidably attracted to Christian so that's what's going on in his head."
In December 2009, Santer was asked what his favourite story line of the year had been. He replied "I'm really pleased with the Christian/Syed story line. It's bold and we thought long and hard before we did it to make sure we got it right and I'm really proud with what we've done. Marc [Elliott] and John [Partridge] have absolutely stepped up to the plate and like all good EastEnders stories, we're not even half done with it yet. There's miles to go."[16]
Syed and Amira's wedding takes place on screen on 1 January 2010. They have a traditional Pakistani wedding featuring horses, drummers and dancers. Scriptwriters researched by watching videos of a real British Pakistani wedding. BBC Asian Network reporter Shabnam Mahmood also advised on the wedding. The wedding and its build-up were filmed over a two-week period and Elliott required three two-hour riding lessons before he could film the horseback scenes. He revealed: "I was quite proud of myself, though, as I managed to canter although I don't do that around the Square as it's not that big. During rehearsals the horse, Storm, was really well behaved and it all went fairly smoothly. But as soon as it came to the actual filming and all the drums and banners came out, it wasn't so easy. I think she walks sideways for quite a bit of the time. But I'm just pleased that I didn't end up impaled on the railings in Albert Square. I think avoiding that was quite an achievement."[17] John Partridge choreographed the dance scenes and Elliott took six weeks to learn the dance, saying: "I couldn't have done it without him [Partridge]. He had me practising in every spare moment, even in the hallways by myself as he wanted to see a marked improvement on my routine. Preeya kept getting occasional glimpses of me practising in the hallways and she didn't look too impressed with what she saw. Johnny did a great job with that routine, although I added in the back flip myself! By the end of it, I ate, slept and dreamt that dance."[17]
Before the wedding, Syed's affair with Christian is revealed to his mother Zainab and he admits to her that he is gay.[18] She urges him to go ahead with the wedding and only a small number of people know about Syed and Christian. Elliot said he was pleased that the affair came out this way, as "it's far more realistic this way".[19] He added that the writers would have "done the story a disservice" if Syed and Christian had ended up with their 'happily ever after', saying "they need to show the life after the wedding and show how Syed will cope living with a wife who he loves, but not in the way he loves Christian. He has to live with the fact that he's not being true to himself over his sexuality."[19] Elliott noted a change in Syed's personality, saying "Syed's starting to show signs of being quite a cruel character but it's only through his own bitterness and resentment that he starts acting the way he does – it's the way he deals with it. Poor Amira's none the wiser, so Syed's not acting right and she has no idea why."[19]
In 2011, a
A scene showing Syed and Christian naked in bed together prompted over 100 complaints to the BBC. EastEnders executive producer Bryan Kirkwood was forced to defend the scenes. The mixed response from viewers to the scenes confirms the findings of a BBC survey last year, which showed that gay relationships are still a divisive issue. On the other hand, some other viewers praised the BBC for showing "the fabulous portrait of the relationship between Syed and Christian". The viewer said the gay bed scene was a "big step towards equality". The BBC stated in response The BBC's statement said: "EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities".[22]
Civil partnership
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It was confirmed that newcomer
Departure
On 7 September 2012, it was announced that Syed and Christian would be departing in November 2012 in an explosive storyline that bosses did not reveal at the time. Executive producer Lorraine Newman said: "Marc and John have been a fantastic part of the show and their characters have been a huge success. Their storylines have broken boundaries that have not been seen in a soap before and the love for them by the viewers can be seen in their 'Chryed' fans. When Marc announced he had decided to move on, we had a tough decision to make. After numerous conversations, which included John, it was decided that there is only one outcome for Syed and Christian. We wish them both all the best for the future."[25]
Reception
Critically, both Syed's gay storyline and Marc Elliott's acting were well received, with Elliott winning Best Newcomer at
Diederick Santer responded to the criticisms of Muslim viewers by saying "It's really important that [...] we give the Masoods big stories. Sometimes there's a danger of being too careful with black or Asian characters that we might go into territories that might offend. But it seems to me if we steer away from any controversy, they don't stand a chance of being a great EastEnders family – they'll just be in their kitchen unit making curries for years and years and that's not going to be very interesting." Yusuf Wehebi from LGBT Muslim advocacy group Imaan said: "It is high time that the invisible minority became a visible minority. It is entirely possible to be Muslim and gay and there [are] many of us in Britain today. It is great that the BBC have had the courage to raise such an important social issue in our society today."[14] The kiss between Syed and Christian was watched by 7.9 million viewers.[27] Elliott told Soaplife magazine that he has received no negative feedback from the show's fans for the storyline.[28]
The 1 January 2010 episode in which Syed marries Amira in a
In July 2010, viewers complained after Syed was seen dropping his Qu'ran in frustration. The BBC responded by saying "It was not intended to be a disrespectful act, rather a totally spontaneous one, symbolic of Syed's utter confusion and frustration at what feels like an impossible situation. It wasn't our intention to cause any offence." Additionally, Ofcom received 23 complaints from viewers who said the gay Muslim storyline was offensive to their faith.[32] In the same month, the Syed-Christian storyline was commented on in Stonewall research, which found that positive and realistic gay characters appear in just 0.6% of broadcast television.[33] Stonewall noted the romance storyline was a predominantly violent and unhappy one.[34] Among readers of Inside Soap, Syed and Christian came second in a poll of characters favoured to marry on-screen in 2011.[35]
In January 2011, Elliott was nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the 2011 National Television Awards for his portrayal of Syed.[36] Inside Soap readers voted Syed their favourite member of the Masood family.[37] Kate White from Inside Soap ran a feature on what Christmas presents she would give to soap characters. White said she would buy Syed a backbone in the hope he would stand up for himself, as his "lack of will power" drove Christian away.[38] Following the storyline where Syed causes his family to lose their restaurant, Heat called him "clinically stupid".[39]
Response from previous cast members
Syed, along with the rest of the Masood family, was criticised by actor Deepak Verma, who played Sanjay Kapoor between 1993 and 1998. He said that EastEnders had failed to portray Asian families in a realistic manner, branding the family "two-dimensional and ill-conceived". A BBC spokesperson responded by saying "It's a shame Deepak feels that way but that's clearly his personal opinion. The Masood family have proved to be hugely popular with EastEnders viewers."[40] During Syed's gay storyline, actor Jimi Mistry, who played gay Asian character Fred Fonseca in EastEnders between 1998 and 2000, expressed surprise in October 2009 at another gay Asian storyline in the programme. Mistry said "It's amazing, isn't it? It was ten years ago when we did it and they're still going down that path. I can't really comment though. I did my stint and I did see they were going along that road again but it's their choice. They must think that people have forgotten the last time they did it, so maybe they're just redoing it in a different way."[41]
See also
- List of EastEnders characters (2009)
- List of LGBT characters in television and radio
- List of soap operas with LGBT characters
- List of soap opera villains
References
- ^ "Amira Returns!". Inside Soap (39): 95. 1–7 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Masoods welcome new family member". BBC Online. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- ^ Fletcher, Alex (20 February 2009). "Marc Elliott cast as 'Enders Syed Masood". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "EastEnders' gay couple Syed and Christian to leave show". BBC News. 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Soapland's joiners, movers and leavers - Soaps Information - Digital Spy". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ a b c Green, Kris (14 April 2009). "Marc Elliott (Syed Masood, 'EastEnders')". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Marc Elliott 17.09.2009". BBC Online. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
- ^ Green, Kris (14 April 2009). "Elliott: 'Syed hasn't learned from his mistakes'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ "EastEnders: Syed Masood arrives!". What's on TV. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ Green, Kris (15 April 2009). "Wadia: 'Syed's a dark horse'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Green, Kris (14 April 2009). "Syed Masood on Nina, Preeya and 'The Apprentice'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Green, Kris (28 May 2009). "'Enders Syed for gay love plot". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
- ^ a b c Moussly, Mona (1 June 2009). "EastEnders to show gay Muslim kissing homosexual character". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ a b c Mahmood, Shabnam (28 May 2009). "Gay Muslim story for EastEnders". BBC News Online. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
- Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
- ^ Green, Kris (17 December 2009). "Producer's Perspective 2009: Diederick Santer". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b Neil, Beth (1 January 2010). "EastEnders Asian wedding – we go behind the scenes". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Green, Kris (1 January 2010). "Zainab confronts Syed over Christian's claims". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Green, Kris (1 January 2010). "Reaction: Marc Elliott on the wedding and Syed's future". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- The Advocate. 3 January 2011. Archived from the originalon 6 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel (9 March 2011). "Exclusive: Roof collapse to rock 'Enders family". Digital Spy. London. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ "125 complaints over EastEnders gay bed scene". 14 June 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (25 September 2012). "Syed Masood kisses Danny Pennant: Unseen Pictures". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel (22 October 2012). "EastEnders': Danny's revenge revealed - spoiler pictures". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Explosive EastEnders exit: Gay lovers Syed and Christian leaving Albert Square in massive shake-up". Daily Mirror. 6 September 2012.
- Five.tv. 31 December 2010. Archived from the originalon 28 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (22 June 2009). "TV ratings: Gay kiss lifts EastEnders to nearly 8m". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- Pink News. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
- ^ Green, Kris (2 January 2010). "'Enders tops New Year's Day soap ratings". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ "Come on BBC...at least get the Eastenders wedding right!". Asian Image. 2 January 2010. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- Five.tv. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Broadcast Bulletin Issue number 164 - Ofcom" (PDF).
- ^ "Gay people 'invisible' on TV, study reveals". What's on TV. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- Pink News. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ Rainey, Naomi (29 December 2010). "Corrie fans want Sophie, Sian wedding". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (12 January 2011). "In Full: NTA'S 2011 nominations". Digital Spy. London. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ "Your verdict". Inside Soap: 97. 12 April 2011.
- ^ White, Kate (17–30 December 2011). "Perfect presents". Inside Soap (50/51): 130.
- ^ "Amazing soap moments of the week". Heat (704): 111. 3–9 November 2012.
- ^ Martin, Lara (20 July 2009). "Former 'Enders star slams Asian portrayal". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
- Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2009.