Jack Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bill Tarmey. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 28 November 1979. Jack was introduced by executive producer Bill Podmore. Tarmey had previously appeared as a background character in many episodes featuring scenes in the Rovers Return, including some occasional speaking lines.
More than twenty years after first appearing, Tarmey eventually cut down filming due to problems with his health and often contemplated leaving the series. In April 2010, it was announced that Tarmey would leave the series for good later that year. His last appearance was broadcast on 8 November 2010, with ITV also airing a tribute documentary for him. Having been in the show for 31 years, he was one of the longest-serving characters.
Jack's storylines have focused on his long-standing marriage to his wife Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) which has been complex and at times been described as "rocky". Other storylines include coping with his wayward son Terry (Nigel Pivaro) and his hobby for pigeon keeping. In his final storyline, he was portrayed as having incurable non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Jack has been characterized through his "joyless and gloomy" life in which he has a string of dead-end jobs and his wife's death, but continued to pass witty remarks on life. Television critics have described Jack as a loveable rogue type character and have favoured his relationship with Vera. His exit storyline was fairly documented in the media, receiving positive reactions and many state he is fondly remembered for his love of pigeons.
Creation
Casting and introduction Unlike the creation process with many other roles, no auditions were held for the part of Jack. Actor William Tarmey had previously been an extra in the serial, and in 1978 he played the small credited part of "Jack Rowe". He was offered the guest role of Jack Duckworth for two episodes in November 1979. Of his previous credits, Tarmey states: "I'd worked on Coronation Street for about ten years throwing darts in the background and whilst doing that I was doing little cameo parts, on other programmes." Tarmey was later asked back for a handful of episodes in 1981 and was eventually asked to become a regular cast member a year later. Tarmey had prepared for this with the help of fellow cast members and of this he adds: "I've had so many helping hands through the years from Jean [Alexander] and Liz [Dawn] and Julie [Goodyear] and Bill [Roache] [who played Hilda Ogden, Vera Duckworth, Bet Lynch and Ken Barlow respectively], from them all".
Characterisation ITV publicity describe him as being fond of pigeons and betting whilst disliking household chores. Stuart Heritage of newspaper The Guardian describes Jack as having "a constant downbeat aura of a person who knows that his entire life has been a joyless procession of gloomy disappointments." Another reporter of the newspaper, Mark Lawson, described Jack as "A pigeon-fancying, flat-cap-wearing, wise-cracking, philandering, Sinatra-loving Lancashire lad, Jack epitomised the vivid character comedy in which the serial specialises."
In 1991 Tarmey spoke of Jack's changes in attitude over his early years in the book Life on the Street. "Jack has settled down and matured a bit, he has accepted things with a kind of middle-aged resignation", Tarmey stated. He also branded Jack's days of chasing "birds" as over and some of his greatest loves as being "booze and barmaids". Jack has a "strange moral code" when it comes to his marriage. Tarmey brands one of Jack's good qualities as being the fact he is not a thief, but did add "He regards stealing Alec Gilroy's (Roy Barraclough) beer as one of the perks of his job".
Development
"Jack and Vera" Jack's relationship with Vera Burton (Liz Dawn) was always up and down, they had a rocky marriage and sometimes Jack appeared to show little care for her. Tarmey describes the first few decades in the following manner: "He would never knowingly hurt people and he loves Vera, although he doesn't always like her. He will defend her to the death, unless the chap slagging her off is bigger than he is! Jack is not a thief either!" In their "hey-day" they were dubbed as the modern day Stan (Bernard Youens) and Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) In their early days, Jack and Vera both had their fair share of dalliances. In 1982, whilst Vera was entertaining her own boyfriend, Jack had developed an attraction towards Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear). Tarmey recalls the scenes in which Jack and Bet flirt, stating he was nervous and had to have Goodyear's help. They believed the storyline was a turning point for the two and was written with wit. Dawn opines: "It was very cleverly written, because Vera knew that Jack had a girlfriend on the side but she didn't know the other woman was Bet. So she chose Bet as someone to confide in, and she really opened her heart. It was quite moving as well as funny." This led to a classic showdown in the Rovers.
In another storyline Jack's son Terry sells his baby Tommy Duckworth (Darryl Edwards), leaving Jack and Vera devastated. When Jack and Vera realise what he has done, Jack punches Terry. The scenes made viewers happy to see Terry getting what hurt. Tarmey himself felt sadness because he knew how Jack felt: "When I first saw the script I was very sad [...] I worked out the punch with Nigel and I missed him by a whisker. Since then I've had letters saying "Well done for cracking him one" from little old ladies, young women, kids, guys."
On 8 November 2010 Tarmey made his final appearance, with Jack dying in his armchair at his old Coronation Street house, following a birthday party at the Rovers. In Jack's final death scene he sees visions of Vera, which Dawn returned to film. Producer Phil Collinson explained why they decided to include her: "It's something I've heard a lot. People say, 'When my mother was dying she saw my father' [...] It's a story I've heard a few people say. We're storytellers at the end of the day. Yes it's Coronation Street and yes it reflects real life, but we're storytellers." Whilst Executive producer Kieran Roberts opined that he would be surprised if anyone thought it was the wrong decision.
Departure In 1997, executive producer Brian Park axed a number of characters; Tarmey has stated he was so tired of seeing his fellow cast members worrying about their jobs that he asked to be written out, but Park decided to keep him on. In 2001, the serial imposed a series of cuts on salaries as part of cost-cutting efforts. This resulted in Tarmey considering leaving, but producers decided against lowering his salary and convinced him to stay. In 2004, Tarmey extended his contract further along with his on-screen wife Dawn. In June 2008, he spoke of his desire to continue in the role.
From September 2009 onwards, Tarmey filmed on an episodic basis. In a storyline, Jack moved away from Coronation Street but continued to make occasional appearances at the Rovers and in the cafe. The reason for this was due to Tarmey's increasing health problems. On 9 April 2010, it was announced that Bill Tarmey had quit his role of Jack in the show's fiftieth anniversary year. Speaking of his decision to quit, Tarmey stated: "I've had the most amazing 30 years playing Jack. Because of him I've made fantastic friends and travelled all over the world. I'll be sorry to say goodbye." Filming Jack's final scenes upset Tarmey, of this he stated: "It was delightful. And very moving. It was a case of 'Pass the hand towel' [...] you know, filming those scenes was difficult. I'm leaving my other family. I've worked with all these people for 30-odd years and it was impossible for me to act or watch the death scene and cut that off."
Storylines Whilst Jack is working a fairground ride, the waltzer, he meets Vera Burton (Liz Dawn), and they soon begin a relationship. When Vera announces that she is pregnant with his baby, Jack agrees to marry her. Even after discovering this is a false alarm, Jack still takes her hand in marriage. During a trip to the United States, Jack confesses to being two years younger than Vera is aware, as he had lied at their wedding, making out that he was older than he really was in an attempt to impress a young Vera. Since they had not been legally married, they make their marriage official by tying the knot in the famous Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. A pregnant Vera gives birth to a son, whom they named Terry (Nigel Pivaro).
Jack makes his first appearance on 28 November 1979 when Vera forces him to attend the wedding of her friend and colleague Ivy Tilsley's (Lynne Perrie) son Brian (Christopher Quinten) to Gail Potter (Helen Worth). He returns in 1981 and for almost two years, appears on a recurring basis. Jack and Vera move into the street in 1983, much to the dismay of many of Weatherfield's residents. Prior to Jack's 1979 debut, Bill Tarmey often appeared as an extra in The Rovers Return Inn, playing darts. Jack later has an affair with Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), which he later regrets. Jack enrols with a video dating agency in 1983, referring to himself as "Vince St. Clair" and obtains a white suit, gold medallion and phoney trans-Atlantic accent. Vera also takes part in this. She refers to herself as "Carole Munroe", and is shocked when she sees Jack's video. She arranges to meet him in The Rovers Return, wearing a ginger wig, claiming to be a rich widow. When she turns around, Jack is shocked to see his wife staring back at him and she chases him out of the pub much to the amusement of the other customers.
Vera is almost tempted into having an affair with Lestor Fontaine, but is soon to realise that she cannot leave Jack. In 2000, Vera worries that she may die in an operation, and confesses to Jack that she had an affair during the early years of their marriage, meaning there is a possibility that Terry is not really Jack's son. Jack confesses to his friend Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy) that unbeknownst to Vera, he had knowledge of the affair, and had beaten her lover up; though he claims that he believes Terry to be his own son as he reminds him too much of himself.
Terry causes trouble for Jack and Vera through his various relationships with women. He dates neighbour Andrea Clayton (Caroline O'Neill) in 1985 and she becomes pregnant, sparking a feud between the Claytons and the Duckworths. At Ivy's engagement party to George Wardle in The Rovers, Jack asks Andrea's father Harry Clayton (Johnny Leeze) if they are sure Terry is the father and Harry punches him. The Claytons later move away. In 1992, Terry is released from prison to marry his pregnant girlfriend Lisa Horton (Caroline Milmoe) and uses the ceremony to escape. Lisa moves to Weatherfield from her home town of Blackpool and begins a relationship with local bookie Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss) and moves in with him, a decision which infuriates Vera. While Jack is more sympathetic towards Lisa, knowing Terry will never stand by his wife and child, he nonetheless feels he has to side with his wife. Lisa gives birth to a baby boy whom she names Tommy and five months later, Lisa is killed after being run over by a car, and Jack and Vera are delighted when Tommy comes to live with them. Jack and Vera find it hard to cope financially, but Terry takes Tommy off of them and sells him to Lisa's parents Jeff and Doreen Horton and he goes to live with them in Blackpool. Jack and Vera are devastated and a furious argument with Terry follows, resulting in Jack punching Terry and disowning him. Jack and Vera had another grandson, Brad, after Terry's fling with Tricia Armstrong (Tracy Brabin). Jack also develops a paternal relationship with Tricia's son from her first marriage, Jamie (Joseph Gilgun).