Al Haskey


Dr. Alistair "Al" Haskey is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Ian Midlane. He first appeared during the episode broadcast on 13 November 2012. His storylines in the programme have included stalking Jas Khella, his friendship with colleague Jimmi Clay and dealing with his mother's dementia.

Development

Characterisation

Al was introduced into the series as a "cynical" general practitioner. Writers partnered him with Jimmi Clay, who is "uptight" and initially struggles to get along with Al. He is immediately given a dramatic story in which a patient is stabbed and Jimmi leaves Al to tend to his injuries. A writer from BBC Online described Al as not being a typical GP because he is "lazy, sarcastic and a bit of a glutton." Al is happy to accept accusations of hypocrisy and dislikes "time wasters and anything that’s too saccharine". Writers also gave the character a side hobby as an inventor, with Al having become interested in making gadgets as a child. In 2013, Midlane opined that the character was conflicted over science and religion in his mind. He added that finding love is the "greatest mystery of all for Al."

Stalker mystery

When writers created Al they devised a stalker mystery story that featured him and fellow doctor Jas Khella. The latter becomes to victim of a stalking campaign which leads her colleagues to believe that Al is the culprit. The story was devised by storyliner Loretta Preece and it was inspired after she heard a chance conversation. Preece thought about how people are affected by intrusion and thought it was be an interesting topic to explore on the show. Midlane was informed about the story when he auditioned for the role. When Al and Jas shared their first scenes, he was portrayed as having an instant attraction to her. Midlane claimed that this was a deliberate "seed" planted by writers to make him a suspect.
The story received a slow buildup on-screen and Midlane found it "really satisfying" and "rewarding to take Al to the brink". He told Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy that he did not think Al was a stalker but did think he harassed Jas. In one incident Al is found outside Jas' home, a plot device which makes him a strong suspect.
Midlane explained that Jas makes Al feel good and a number of personal grievances make him vulnerable. Al was "broke" and had no one to support him and "he started this peculiar behaviour Jas became a comfort to him, a hope of better things. In looking after her, he could heal himself. Then circumstance made things really, really bad." Writers played Al becoming disliked at work, with Zara Carmichael and Kevin Tyler being the first colleagues to turn against him. Midlane said that "Al doesn't feel loved at work, so if he feels humiliated and disappointed by the way they react to him, he isn't surprised by it." Jas' stalker is later revealed to be a patient named Gus Harper. The story culminates in Gus taking Al hostage in his cellar and tying him up. He then uses Al's mobile phone to lure Jas to his home and she discovers the truth.

Relationships

In 2014, Midlane signed a new contract to remain in Doctors due to the range of stories writers conjured up for him. His first romance story soon followed and they paired him with Niamh Donoghue. The story begins with Niamh developing feelings for Al, which he does not respond well to. Midlane explained that Al is still reminded of what happened with Jas and struggles to trust Niamh. He added "when someone seems to come to Al with warmth and real affection, he presses the alarm button."
Al and Niamh are both looking for someone to spend their lives with. They both want to settle down and commit, but Midlane noted "I think it'll be a question of whether one of them is really suitable for doing that." Another issue is that Al lacks "emotional intelligence" and it is a "real struggle for him to open up his heart". The actor enjoyed filming the story and believed that viewers would enjoy watching Al and Niamh's "blossoming romance."
Writers have developed a double-act between Al and Jimmi. The pair were played as friends from Al's debut, with Midlane and Morgan later being nominated for a "Best On-Screen Partnership" award in recognition of their work together. In 2019, writers created a new business venture story for the pair as they open a new bar called The Icon. The story adds comic relief as their opening night is marred by their house beer going missing during transit.

Flashback episode

Producers decided to create an episode centric to Al's backstory via the use of flashbacks scenes. The scenes portray a young Al at school where he is bullied by fellow students. The episode also explains how the character became obsessed with science fiction and explores his relationship with his aunt Sheila Mills. In the scenes Al is played by Xandi Steele.

Storylines

Al started to stalk doctor Jas Khella and, when he gets the blame for a much bigger stalk, he gets arrested - although he was not involved. Al is often seen as the clown of the practice, with a penchant for fast food, cigarettes and real ale. He had disliked receptionist Valerie Pitman until she developed cancer. The pair performed a magic act together and became friends. Al often refers to doctor Jimmi Clay as his best friend. Al attempted to walk to Lichfield and had different adventures along the way including a Bollywood Quiz and staying with a stranger. He ended up giving up.
Following the death of her mother and her inability to come to terms with it, Al befriends and takes in practice nurse Ayesha Lee. She is instrumental in encouraging Al to make attempts to reconcile with his mother. Al had a relationship with fellow practice young doctor, Niamh. They split up when Al suggested that she should not be a doctor.
In 2017, the character was developed further, with the introduction of Al's mother Eve, played by Rachel Bell, following the death of Al's father. Al had a difficult relationship with his parents but he tried to mend the rift following his father's death. When Eve begins a relationship with Ray Hopkins, Al is suspicious of Ray's intentions. Al discovers that Ray has several other girlfriends, fiancées and wives, but forgets them due to having dementia.
In November 2019, Al becomes inspired to start a business with Jimmi. When he hears that The Icon, the local restaurant, has shut down, he persuades Jimmi into buying it with him. Al hires Gareth Regan to be the manager of The Icon, but when Gareth is arrested for the attempted rape of Zara, it is revealed that Gareth stole from the business.

Reception

For his portrayal of Al, Midlane won the "Best Comedy Performance" accolade at the 2018 British Soap Awards. At the 2019 ceremony he and Adrian Lewis Morgan received a "Best On-Screen Partnership" and was solely nominated for "Best Male Dramatic Performance". He was nominated for "Best Daytime Star" at the 2019 Inside Soap Awards.
In 2013, Midlane revealed that he did not like to read about negative opinions about Al posted by viewers on social media because they left him with "hurt feelings". During his second month on-screen, an Inside Soap reporter opined that Al has a "lamentable lack of bedside manner" and he behaved with a lack of "appropriate sensitivity".