Babe Smith
Babe Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Annette Badland. She first appeared in episode 4796 of the show, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2014, and was introduced as the maternal aunt of established characters Shirley Carter and Tina Carter. She was introduced as part of a set of new characters that expanded the Carter family across 2013 and 2014, headed by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. Babe and Badland's casting were announced on 12 December 2013.
Babe's storylines have mostly revolved around her relationship with the Carter family, most notably the delicate relationship with her sister Sylvie Carter and the unrequited love for her brother-in-law Stan Carter. Babe's other storylines have included her past baby farming, encouraging Abi Branning to fake a pregnancy, blackmailing Les Coker, leading to her subsequent feud with Claudette Hubbard, and being attacked by an unknown assailant, who was later revealed to be Abi. The decision not to renew Badland's contract was announced on 18 September 2016, with Babe scheduled to depart from the series in 2017, three years after her debut. Badland made her final appearance in episode 5438, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2017.
Creation and development
Casting and introduction
Babe was introduced as the maternal aunt of established characters Shirley, Tina, and Mick Carter, although Mick was later revealed to be Babe's great-nephew. The casting of Annette Badland was announced on 12 December 2013, when Badland commented, "I'm thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders as I've always admired the show and everyone involved in it seems so warm-hearted. Aunt Babe is a fabulous and complex woman and I can't wait to get stuck into the role."Executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, introduced Babe as part of his plan to reinvigorate the show's older generation and teased Babe would "start to fill in some holes in the dark Carter family history." Treadwell-Collins later revealed that the billed personalities of Babe and Stan Carter were actually swapped, with Babe actually being "manipulative". Laura Morgan of Digital Spy liked the swap in personalities, although found it surprising. She commented, "we've got to hand it to EastEnders for adopting this clever tactic."
Speaking of how she received the role, Badland recalled that she had previously worked with Treadwell-Collins on an independent film so she was requested for a "chat" with him, before they read through scenes from the show. She was subsequently offered the role of Babe, with Badland describing the process as "terrifying". When discussing plotlines for 2014, Treadwell-Collins said he wanted to see younger characters through the eyes of their parents and not the other way around and that was part of the reason behind Babe's introduction.
Badland was filming episodes for Wizards vs Aliens and Outlander during 2014 and so, Babe was slowly introduced to the show. She appeared in eleven episodes between February and July 2014, before eventually appearing permanently from 8 September 2014. Babe left the series again on 22 January 2015 when Mick exiled her from the family, but she since made various guest appearances until 5 May 2015. Radio Times then confirmed that Babe would return "later year" and that the Carter family should "keep looking over their shoulders". Babe returned for the indefinite future on 3 September 2015, in a storyline which saw Shirley, Tina and Mick track her down to retrieve and scatter Stan's ashes, which she had previously stolen.
Characterisation
Babe was billed as "a no-nonsense, bustling busybody with a big heart", who is also both shrewd and tough under her bubbly personality. Badland described Babe as "quite a private person" that would "protect her family", who she was "proud" to be in contact with again. She said she that Babe enjoys keeping "control in a social way" and that despite having a "front of being jolly", Babe could also get "very angry" and be "ruthless". She said that Babe is the kind of person who, when someone crosses her, just does and says the things that other people would not think of doing or saying until it is too late, and though she had tried to find trigger points that influence Babe's vengefulness, had realised that Babe was "wicked" just "for the joy of it". Rebecca Scroggs, who plays Tosh Mackintosh, described Babe as "a lovely woman" with a darker side that could make her the "most fearsome Carter of all". Badland also revealed that she never wanted Babe to be "modified into a more ordinary person" because she "relished" the character.David Brown, writing for the Radio Times, called Babe "devious", a reporter from Inside Soap branded Babe "vindictive", and Adam Miller of The Daily Express described Babe as "twisted", "elusive" and "villainous". Additionally, Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy labelled Babe "spiteful", while Duncan Lindsay of the Metro said she was "scheming", a "deliciously wicked villain", and "the villain we all love to hate". Claire Murphy of The Daily Mirror described Babe as "evil" and a "villain", and her colleague, Natalie Corner, named Babe "one of the most hated characters". Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap called Babe "wicked", while Sarah Deen of the Metro said that Babe is "that troublemaking, sinister little voice in people's ear that makes bad things happen" and branded her "Halloween personified". Johnathon Hughes of Digital Spy described Babe as a "sinister spinster" and "bitter". A Soaplife reporter labelled Babe as "ruthless", a "twisted witch" and a "devious little woman", while Morgan thought Babe is "rotten to the core" and not "a cuddly old dear".
Relationships
Carter family
Babe was introduced on-screen on 31 January 2014 when she visits the Carter family, having been called by Tina. She joins the family to assist them in preparation for their karaoke night at their pub, The Queen Victoria. More of the Carters' backstory was explored through Babe's introduction and at the end of episode, Babe was shown to have clear contact with her sister, Sylvie Carter, despite telling the rest of the Carters otherwise. Babe was said to be "thrilled" to be back amongst her family, having felt "guilty" for how Sylvie left the family. Babe has a large amount of interaction with her family because she lives and works at the family's pub, The Queen Victoria. Babe is close with her niece Tina Carter, portrayed by Luisa Bradshaw-White, and Badland said that Babe has a "soft spot" for Tina and would always try to help her. Babe is wary of Tina's partner Tosh Mackintosh, portrayed by Rebecca Scroggs, so when Tina is attacked by Tosh, Babe becomes protective of Tina. Babe has a tense relationship with Tina's older sister Shirley Carter, portrayed by Linda Henry, as they share an emotional history. Badland believed Babe loves Shirley, but would protect herself over Shirley. Hughes described Babe as "the bad apple" of the Carter family.Shirley and Tina's "brother" Mick Carter, portrayed by Danny Dyer, was revealed to the audience as Shirley's son. Badland explained that Babe and Shirley's mother, Sylvie Carter, portrayed by Linda Marlowe, knew this because they covered up Shirley's pregnancy and helped her give birth, which estranged Shirley from Babe. Babe threatens Shirley with her knowledge and promises to tell Mick if Shirley crosses her. Babe is unmarried and has no children so Shirley, Tina and Mick are the "closest thing she ever had" to children and her backstory states she was devastated when Tina and Mick were taken into care.
File:Timothy West in 2010.JPG|200px|thumb|Babe had unreciprocated romantic feelings for her brother-in-law Stan Carter.
In her earlier episodes, producers set up a rivalry between Babe and her brother-in-law Stan Carter, portrayed by Timothy West. The reason for their shared hatred was not explained until Sylvie arrived, when it was revealed that Babe was in love with Stan and believed Sylvie stole Stan when they were younger. Vicky Prior of the Metro described that there is "no love lost" between Babe and Stan, and speculated that Babe and Stan may have had an affair. Katy Brent-Stacey of the Daily Mirror said Babe's life was "wasted" because she spent it "hoping that Stan would notice her". Miller described Babe as being "madly in love" with Stan. All About Soap said that "all those years of unrequited love made Babe pretty bitter". When Stan is diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, Babe is devastated at the prospect of losing him. Stan becomes engaged to Cora Cross and when his health deteriorates, they decide to marry quickly. Babe attempts to ruin it by bringing Sylvie to see Stan, but they decide to marry nevertheless. Babe is delighted when Stan is physically unable to say his vows, but is devastated when he dies. Gary Gillatt of Inside Soap expressed his approval of Babe's rivalry with Cora and said, "there's a hot new rivalry in Walford – and we can't get enough if it!"
Babe dislikes Shirley's son Dean Wicks, portrayed by Matt Di Angelo, and Badland explained that Babe thinks Dean is "hot headed" and a "slippery fish". Babe falls out with Mick's son Johnny Carter when he tries to stop her plans for a night at The Queen Vic, sparking tension between them. Badland revealed that off-screen she gets along well with the actors playing her on-screen family, describing them as "generous, kind and fun".
Sylvie Carter
Following Babe's arrival, it was speculated that she could be in contact with her sister, Sylvie. In her first episode, Babe was shown to be frequently in contact with her, despite telling Shirley she had not spoken to her. In a later episode, Babe claims to the Carter family that she lives alone and feels "lonely" without Sylvie, having not been in contact with her. Babe also claims that she misses having someone "to share half a beer with at the end of a long day." However, later scenes in the episodes depict Babe talking to an unknown person off-screen as she opens a bottle of beer for them to share.On 1 August 2014, it was announced that Sylvie would be introduced to the show, but no character details or casting news were announced. Marlowe's casting was announced on 23 September 2014 and Treadwell-Collins promised that Sylvie's appearance would "open old wounds in the Carter family". He added that "watching Linda Marlowe, Annette Badland, Ann Mitchell and Timothy West going for it on screen is going to be electric." Marlowe explained that Babe had hidden Sylvie away because of her Alzheimer's disease and the behaviour that accompanies the illness. She noted that Babe and Sylvie were close because they were fond of each other, but opined that Sylvie is "a little bit intimidated" by Babe because she can be "very scary" and "a bit conniving". Hughes disapproved of Babe's treatment of Sylvie and noted that Babe struggled to overcome Stan choosing Sylvie instead of her, making her "a woman with issues."