Henry Wilks

Henry is one of the eight original main characters conceived by the creator of Emmerdale, Kevin Laffan. The serial centred around the Sugdens, a farming family who owned Emmerdale Farm on the outskirts of Beckindale village. Laffan explained that he was interested by the notion that farming was "a way of life" and not just a way to earn a living, as well as "the mental attitude" that set them apart. This is why he introduced Henry, "an industrialist from the outside world" who comes into the farming community. ==Development==

Henry's original character outline appeared in Anthony Hayward's book The Emmerdale Companion: "Henry Wilks is a widower used to having his own way. A retired factory owner, he has always given the orders carried out by others. Now, however, he must adjust his personal relationships, as he discovers on his first contact with the Sugdens." Characters that talk nonsense can expect to witness Henry's "blunt" mannerisms. He moves to Beckindale after the death of his wife. In another story, Henry proposes marriage to Annie. Mercier told a reporter from TVTimes that Annie declined his offer because she thought it would ruin their good friendship. Aside from Annie, the only other woman that Henry cares for is his daughter. Marian was the first member of the original cast to leave the show in 1973. She moves to Italy, where she marries and gives birth to Henry's first grandchild, Niccolo. When Marian reveals her marriage is in trouble, Henry comes close to leaving the village to set up home with her and his grandson. Anthony Hayward, author of ''The Who's Who of Soap Operas'' noted that there was "constant sparring" between the two but it always remained "friendly". Producers initially considered sending Henry to visit Marian in Italy or die while he was on holiday, but instead he suffered a fatal heart attack at the harvest festival off-screen. Script editor Ann Tobin explained "It was a rite of passage and we wanted to allow viewers to mourn by relating the plot to real life." ==Reception==

Hilary Kingsley, author of Soap Box opined that the character was "beautifully underplayed" by Pentelow. She also called Henry "the wise elder statesman of Beckindale." Like Magill, Pentelow was often stopped in the streets by fans. He recalled that his favourite interaction was with an old man, who told him that he had given him "an hour or two of real pleasure." Reflecting on the first few episodes of Emmerdale in 2012, Kelly's colleague Lewis Panther described Henry as a "bully boy businessman". Anthony Hayward, author of ''The Who's Who of Soap Operas branded Henry a "reflective, pipe-smoking" businessman. In a 2021 Radio Times poll, Amos and Henry were voted as the joint tenth "best soap pub landlord of all time", receiving 3% of the votes. Henry was named as one of "the 30 greatest Emmerdale residents" by a writer for Inside Soap''. They assessed that "gentlemanly Henry made an unforgettable double act" with Amos, adding "often likened to an old married couple due to their bickering." ==References==