The Beales and the Fowlers are a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. They were the main family for storylines in early episodes of EastEnders, and remained as such ever since. With at least one member of the family having been a member of the cast from the first episode in February 1985, they are the show's longest serving family. The original Beale/Fowler family consisted of matriarch Lou Beale (Anna Wing) and her children Pete (Peter Dean) and Pauline (Wendy Richard), alongside their families including their children Ian (Adam Woodyatt), Mark (David Scarboro/Todd Carty), Michelle (Susan Tully/Jenna Russell) and their spouses Kathy Hills (Gillian Taylforth) and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher). Additionally, several members of the family have been introduced at a later point,