EastEnders' John Bardon dies: Jim Branning's best scenes – in clips

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/sep/12/eastenders-john-bardon-dies-jim-brannings-best-scenes-in-clips

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Jim takes his budgie back for a refund (2002)

Though his later scenes, which were filmed following his stroke, were known for their poignancy, Bardon made the most of his comedic skills. Here, he attempts to trade on his age in order to get a discount on a budgie to replace one that had recently expired.

Jim proposes to Dot on the London Eye (2001)

Bardon played off June Brown as his on-screen love interest Dot Cotton so well that their relationship became one of the soap’s canonical pairings. Here, they discuss Dot’s faith, as Jim prepares to pop the question.

Dot and Jim get married (2002)

The Guardian’s then TV critic Nancy Banks-Smith wrote that the pair’s nuptials were “uniquely uneventful” for a soap opera. “For Dot and Jim, ‘In sickness and health … till death do us part’ seemed to carry more resonance than for most,” she noted.

Dot struggles with Jim’s care (2011)

In 2007, Bardon suffered a stroke and left the soap for a while, before returning to film the occasional scene, most notably with Brown. His illness was written into the story and resulted in near-unbearably emotional scenes such as this, in which Dot realises she can no longer cope with being his full-time carer.

Jim leaves Walford (2011)

Eventually, it all became too much, and Dot made the difficult decision to place Jim into care. “I’ll still be ’ere, Jim,” says Dot, as the ambulance pulls away. It was Bardon’s final scene for the soap.