Sammy Rogers

Sammy Rogers

Samantha 'Sammy' Rogers (also Daniels) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Rachael Lindsay. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 7 December 1987. Sammy was introduced as part of the Rogers family consisting of parents Frank (Peter Christian) and Chrissy Rogers (Eithne Brown) and their three children Sammy, Katie Rogers (Debbie Reynolds/Diane Burke) and Geoff Rogers (Kevin Carson). Lindsay secured the role in 1987 after she learned that Brookside was auditioning for a new family. Lindsay knew someone already working on the show and they introduced her to his agent who helped secure the role. Sammy is originally characterised as a rebellious and headstrong teenager and animal rights enthusiast. Sammy is Brookside's wild child character who never accepts responsibility for her actions. Producers created a long-running relationship story with Owen Daniels (Danny McCall). They begin a romance while at school and writers developed them into a married couple with a child. The character was used to portray the issue of alcoholism. Sammy becomes an addict after she is involved in a car crash which leaves Owen paralysed. Writers depicted Sammy as an alcoholic throughout her entire duration. They also used Sammy and Owen's daughter, Louise, to provide Sammy with more dramatic stories such as child abandonment and depression. In 1996, producers chose to further explore the issue of child abandonment. Sammy leaves Louise home alone while she goes on holiday abroad and is arrested for neglecting her. The story outraged viewers and the show received numerous complaints. Sammy also has a relationship with an older man Tim Derby (Christopher Blake) and develops an obsession with Max Farnham (Steven Pinder), after they have a one-night stand. Lindsay decided to leave the role in 1993, but returned in 1996 and again in 2001 and remained until the series was cancelled by Channel 4. Sammy has received a mixed response from critics of the genre. Andy Medhurst from The Observer described Sammy as a "deceitful" and "neglectful slattern" for her parental skills. The Guardian's Stuart Jeffries branded her "the mother from hell" and criticised her characterisation, while other critics have praised her headstrong persona.

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