Billie Jackson

For the American football player of the same name, see Billy Jackson (American football).

Billie Jackson
EastEnders character
File:Billie jackson ee.jpg Devon Anderson as Billie (2010).
Portrayed by	Devon Anderson (1993–97, 2010—) Bluey Robinson (2004)
Duration	1993–97, 2004, 2010—
First appearance	21 December 1993
Classification	Present; regular
Created by	Tony McHale
Introduced by	Leonard Lewis (1993) Louise Berridge (2004) Diederick Santer (2010)
File:Jackson, Billy (2).JPG Bluey Robinson as Billie Jackson, 2004.
In-universe information Occupation Unemployed Family Branning family Father Alan Jackson Mother Carol Jackson Half-brothers Robbie Jackson Half-sisters Bianca Jackson Sonia Fowler Grandfathers Jim Branning Grandmothers Reenie Branning Uncles Derek Branning Max Branning Jack Branning Aunts April Branning Suzy Branning Nephews Liam Butcher Morgan Jackson-King Nieces Natasha Butcher Rebecca Miller Tiffany Dean Whitney Dean (adoptive) First cousins Bradley Branning Lauren Branning Abi Branning Penny Branning Oscar Branning Amy Mitchell

Will "Billie" Jackson (known as Billy until 2009) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Devon Anderson from 1993 to 1997, and by Bluey Robinson for a brief return in 2004. The character returned in 2010, along with other members of the Jackson family. It was confirmed in November 2009 that Anderson would reprise the role, 13 years after he was last seen on the soap. He made his return on 4 February 2010.

Creation and development

File:Billy Jackson-ee.jpg

Devon Anderson as Billie

1994 was an "historic" year for EastEnders, as in April, a third weekly episode was introduced. Due to the programme's increased frequency, a number of new characters were introduced to the regular cast in the latter part of 1993 and early 1994. Among them were the Jackson family: mother Carol (Lindsey Coulson), her four children, Bianca (Patsy Palmer), Robbie (Dean Gaffney), Sonia (Natalie Cassidy), and Billie (Devon Anderson), as well as Carol's partner Alan Jackson (Howard Antony). Though Carol and Alan were not initially married in the serial, and though Alan was only the biological father of Billie, the whole family took on Alan's surname. The family was created by writer Tony McHale. None of the actors cast as the Jackson family were matched for appearance or screen compatibility. Cassidy has commented, "it was all decided without doing that. I don't think it particularly mattered that none of us Jackson kids looked like each other because all our characters had different dads!"

Various members of the family began to appear sporadically from November 1993 onwards, but in episodes that aired early in 1994, the Jacksons moved from Walford Towers, a block of flats, to the soap's focal setting of Albert Square. Their slow introduction was a deliberate attempt by the programme makers to introduce the whole family over a long period. The Jacksons have been described by EastEnders scriptwriter Colin Brake as a "classic problem family". Anderson was 6 years old when he first appeared on-screen as Billie.

In a 2000 book, author Kate Lock described Billie as "angelic" and a "cheeky, curly-haired cherub whose princial dramatic function seemed to be to generate angst in the bosom of his family". His most notable storyline in his initial stint was also his exit storyline. Following Lyndsey Coulson's decision to quit her role as Carol, the Jackson family were written out of the soap in 1997. In the storyline, Billie was kidnapped after witnessing an armed robbery and the whole family was relocated under a witness protection prgramme until Billie testified in court.

While the majority of the Jackson family returned to the serial, Billie Jackson was not seen again until 2004. It was announced in April that year that the character would be returning briefly to attend the wedding of his sister Sonia. Producers decided not to bring back the original actor, and Billie was played by Bluey Robinson for several episodes in June 2004.

It was announced in October 2009 that Billie would be rejoining the soap along with the rest of the Jackson clan, excluding Alan and Blossom, for a storyline to mark the 25th anniversay of EastEnders in February 2010. At the time the casting for the character had not been finalised; however, it was confirmed in November 2009 that the original actor, Devon Anderson, would be reprising the role 13 years after he had last been seen in the soap. Anderson has commented, "I'm really happy to be back at EastEnders playing the role of Billie Jackson again. It was my first acting role and I can't wait to get started again. It is also very exciting that all of the Jackson family will be reunited and I'm sure that will be eventful for the viewers." Executive producer Diederick Santer added, "Viewers will remember Devon as the original Billie Jackson, the cute kid with the big hair. Devon, like Billie, is all grown up, and 12 years on, I'm delighted to welcome this talented young actor back to the show." He later described the character as "interesting", saying "He's a troubled soul, torn between being a good son to his mother and trying to have an exciting London life. And when your mother's Carol Jackson, that's quite a feat." A source told the media website Digital Spy, "Billie's become a young man since the last time we saw him - he might even [be] referred to by his proper name Will. He's still the apple of his mother's eye but is he the angelic family man she wants him to be?"

Talking about the show's 25th anniversary week, Santer explained that he wanted great stories to get people talking, saying "That's [...] why we're doing the soap wedding of the year [...] with Ricky and Bianca. [...] The wedding is the perfect opportunity for us to bring back the much-loved Jackson characters — Carol, Sonia, Robbie and Billie."

Storylines

1993–2004

Billie is the only son of Carol and Alan Jackson and he arrives in Walford in 1993 along with his half brother Robbie and his half sisters Bianca and Sonia. He is very close to his father and when Alan has an affair with the malicious Frankie Pierre and moves out of the family home, Billie takes the separation badly. On Christmas Day 1996, he becomes so upset that Alan is not there for the festivities that he runs away from home, prompting most of the Square's residents to abandon their Christmas dinners to search for him. He is found by Nigel and Clare Bates, hiding in a derelict building. They return him to his worried parents and the Jacksons eventually have a happy Christmas together, including Alan.

In February 1997, Billie accompanies his great grandmother Blossom on a trip to a local building society. Whilst there, the building society is held up at gunpoint and robbed by a gang of masked thieves. Billie and Blossom are unharmed, but another man is shot and killed and Billie, the only witness, gets a glimpse of the thieves without their masks on. Billie is asked to provide testimony and help identify the thieves in a police line-up, which leads to several arrests. Carol remains apprehensive about Billie's involvement throughout the ordeal.

In September 1997, the Jacksons hear news that the court case to try the suspected robbers is soon to take place. Soon after, Carol's paranoid fears are realised when two large men walk up to her, offer to walk her home and threaten that something will happen to her unless she stops Billie from testifying. Carol is petrified and wants to pull Billie out of testifying, but the police manage to reassure her that it is just an idle threat and install a panic button in their house just in case. However, things take a turn for the worse when Carol receives an envelope stuffed with pictures of Billie and her house and she realises that she and her family are under surveillance. Carol then decides to pull Billie from testifying, but the police caution her that they could get a court order and offer her protection in a safe-house, which she refuses. Carol proceeds to watch Billie like a hawk, accompanying him everywhere he goes. After picking him up from school the following day, a woman claiming to be a supply teacher approaches Carol and asks if she can talk about Billie's behaviour. Whilst she is distracted, some men jump out of a van, bundle Billie inside and are then joined by the fake supply teacher. Carol watches horrified as they drive off with Billie.

After several days of intense worrying and a fruitless investigation by the police, Carol is finally contacted by the woman, who says she was forced to go along with the abduction and now wants to do a deal with the police. The police are then able to trace Billie and he is soon reunited with his family. After this, the Jackson family, apart from Bianca, are placed in a witness protection program and rehoused away from the Square for their own safety. They depart on 16 October 1997. Following the trial, Robbie and, later, Sonia return to Walford and Carol also returns in 1999 when she splits up with Alan for a second time. Billie remains living with his father and grandmother in Balham and Carol later returns to live with them.

Billie returns to the Square briefly in June 2004 to attend Sonia's wedding to Martin Fowler, and flirts with Martin's niece, Vicki, at the reception and gets drunk.

2010—

He returns again on 4 February 2010, calling at Bianca's home, and later attends her wedding. After his cousin Bradley dies, Carol and Billie move back to Albert Square and Billie starts seeing Bianca's adopted daughter Whitney Dean. It is revealed that Billie is hiding a handgun in Bianca's home. He tells his former gang mates, Kylie, Connor and Mitch that he has disposed of it, but after they arrive in Walford and find the gun, they plan to hold up The Queen Victoria. However, Billie is unmasked during the raid and it is revealed he used a water pistol. He then chooses Whitney over his former gang members, so Kylie takes revenge by attempting to shoot Billie with his gun, but accdentally shoots his uncle Jack instead, who is left critically ill in hospital. Blaming himself, Billie announces his plan to join the army, but Carol is opposed to the idea until she discovers the gun came from Billie and tells him the army is the best place for him.

In April 2010, Billie prepares for his army interview. Whitney attempts to stop him by persuading him to visit his uncle Jack Branning. He does so but is called pathetic and a coward by Jack, who is angry that Billie took weeks to visit him. Billie leaves in tears, and states to Whitney that he made it for his interview and was going to join the army to make his uncle proud.