Doreen Corkhill

Fitzgerald secured the role in 1985. John McArdle was hired to play Doreen's husband Billy Corkhill. Justine Kerrigan and Jason Hope were then cast as their children, Tracy and Rod Corkhill. In an interview about his casting, Hope recalled that he had to meet with Fitzgerald and McArdle "to make sure we could pass of as family members." Kerrigan branded Fitzgerald a "brilliant actor" and praised the casting dynamic of the Corkhills. She added "I bonded with Kate straight away and she spoke to me like I was an adult, which I really appreciated. I had never or since – met anyone like her." ==Development==

Characterisation and debts Doreen works as a receptionist at a dentists. She is characterised as "hard-working woman" who has had to "scrimped and saved" to get where she is. She also has a "atmosphere-sensitive sixth sense". In the book Brookside: The Official Companion, Doreen is described as being aware that good houses need tenants with good finances, but "she can't stop dreaming". Billy loves her enough to risk financial ruin by buying her dream house on Brookside Close. Doreen is a "shopaholic", she strives to keep up with the Collins family and her social aspirations ultimately are her downfall. She is aware that the Corkhills have a "shady" side but tries to present a "good image" to her neighbours. Writers used Doreen to portray the issues that arise from debts. The Corkhills face financial difficulties after Doreen free spending without thinking of the implications. Billy loses his job and their utilities are cut off and their television gets repossessed. Billy tries to help his family out of debt by tampering with the electricity supply. This causes issues with their son Rod, who is training to be a police officer. The Corkhills struggle with Billy's unemployment and then he becomes angry with his neighbours for driving over his lawn to avoid a hole in the road. Billy retaliates by going on a rampage in his car, driving all over the other front gardens on Brookside Close. McArdle told Graham Kibble-White, the author of 20 Years of Brookside, that his character was reacted badly because his "family were falling down" and he suspected Doreen of having an affair with her dentist. The director of the episode, Ken Horn added that it was a well-remembered Brookside moment and credited its success to Fitzgerald and McArdle's "terrific" acting. Billy helps drive the getaway vehicle but the supermarket manager is injured. Doreen later decides to leave Billy, but keeps his involvement a secret from Rod. She leaves in November 1987 and in February 1988, Billy travels to Bristol to find Doreen. Fitzgerald chose to leave Brookside because she was exhausted and unhappy with the role. She cited working long hours and issues with Doreen's characterisation in her decision to leave. Doreen and Billy "had been going through fairly painful emotions". Their dramas won Fitzgerald and McArdle praise on a weekly basis from television critics. The negative impact of the emotional drama caused Fitzgerald to swear that she would not portray such "pain and angst" again. Doreen appears with a new look complete with a peroxide-blonde cropped hairstyle, which Fitzgerald had done during her time away. Fitzgerald stated that she found the dialogue the two females exchange "rather shocking". Johnston added that Doreen is "very uncompromising" in the way she speaks to Sheila. In the book, "Phil Redmond's Brookside - Life in the Close" it details the lives of former Brookside characters away from the main series. In Doreen's story it is revealed that she is still living in Bristol and works in a shoe factory. She still regrets losing Billy and never found anyone to replace him. ==Reception==

Critics from The Guardian have commented on the stark realism of Doreen's characterisation and stories. Gareth McLean opined that Doreen and Billy were a true reflection of "the aspiring lower-middle-class" living in Liverpool. Shyama Perera wrote that Doreen's debt problems were a common problem faced by many in society. In the book British Television Drama in the 1980s, writers analysed an argument between Doreen and Sheila and compared it with an argument between the Dynasty characters Alexis Colby (Joan Collins) and Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans). Their conclusion was that ''Brookside's'' portrayal of women was more realistic than those featured in American soap operas. Hilary Kingsley, writing for Sunday Mirror believed that the Corkhills were a "semi-comic, semi-tragic" clan with believable characters. She added "don't you just know a nutter like Billy and a silly cow like Doreen?" Matt Wolf from The Sacramento Bee stated that ''Brookside's'' characters, such as the Corkhills, represent the British working class and their problems. They added "a typical episode shows the Corkhills behind in their rent. Tracy's job is in the balance, Billy is unemployed and Doreen bets on horses to make ends meet." The Corkhills' house was depicted as the most rundown household on Brookside Close. Author Geoff Tibbals quipped "the natural starting point for any tour of the Close is the Corkhills' house, which, in the days of Doreen and Billy, was the only residence a brick through the window qualified as a home improvement." Lynne St Claire from the Nottingham Post branded Doreen a "wily" character. In the book, To Be Continued... Soap Operas Around the World, Christine Geraghty wrote that Doreen was an example of one of ''Brookside's early authentic female characters. Geraghty branded Doreen a "strong mother" and assessed that she was someone "who controlled and negotiated family life within the home." She added that the show lacked such female roles during the 1990s. A Liverpool Echo'' writer branded Doreen a "wonderful woman" who put up with Billy's whining. They added, "I really think it's time she pushed the miserable little berk under a bus." ==References==