List of EastEnders characters introduced in 1990

The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1990, by order of first appearance.

In January 1990, a mysterious old man (John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square. He is initially reluctant to divulge his identity, but it is apparent that he knows some of the residents, in particular the Beale family. Café worker Rod Norman (Christopher McHallem) and his girlfriend Hazel take an interest in the man, whose name is later revealed to be Harry Osborne. They discover that he had travelled the world before his recent return to Walford. Hazel – spurred on by Harry's tales – leaves Rod to do some travelling of her own.

Harry is seen regularly over the following weeks, mysteriously enquiring about old faces on the Square and cryptically turning up at the christening of Steven Beale, much to everyone's bemusement. Rod learns that he was once the boyfriend of Lou Beale's (Anna Wing) sister, Doris. Lou died in 1988 but Harry is persuaded to pay her daughter, Pauline (Wendy Richard), a visit to find out about Doris. He knocks on her door but fearfully flees before she answers. It soon becomes clear that Harry's past isn't the only thing troubling him, he is also suffering from ill health and is seen clutching his chest in obvious pain. One cold, rainy afternoon, Harry sits in pain on a bench in Albert Square gardens, where he dies. His body is found by Willy, Ethel Skinner's (Gretchen Franklin) dog. Ethel recognises Harry and seems to know a lot about his history. She reveals that Harry grew up at number 29 Albert Square and when he was 15, he fell in love with Doris and vowed to marry her. However, when the Second World War broke out, he was conscripted into the army and sent to war. Doris promised to wait until Harry returned but he was later reported missing in action and presumed dead. Doris subsequently married Morris Miller. When Harry returned, he managed to find employment working on the docks, where he occasionally got his hands on scarce food items, which he smuggled out and shared with his neighbours. On one occasion, he gave some meat to a nine-year-old girl. However, the meat turned out to be unsanitary and it accidentally poisoned her. She died and Harry fled the country in shame, amidst accusations of murder. He spent over 40 years in self-imposed exile and it seemed that Harry had come back to his childhood home to die. Harry's death upsets Rod and he leaves Walford soon after to travel the world.

Phil Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden, first arrives in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and is soon joined by his brother, Grant (Ross Kemp), sister Sam (Danniella Westbrook) and mother Peggy (Jo Warne/Barbara Windsor). He has become one of the soap's most popular characters and is the second longest-running male protagonist to appear in the serial. He is first introduced as the lesser of two thugs, but becomes a darker character after Grant leaves. More recent storylines, such as the return of his son Ben, have shown a softer side to the character. In 2010, McFadden was given six weeks off EastEnders, so he could appear in pantomime. He has, at various times, owned many businesses in the Square. He has been married three times and featured in numerous high-profile storylines, including the much-hyped whodunnit, dubbed "Who Shot Phil?"—when the character is gunned down outside his home – and an affair with his brother's wife, dubbed "Sharongate".

Grant Mitchell, played by Ross Kemp, first appears in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave. In 2005 and 2006, Kemp was persuaded to return to the role for brief stints during a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders. The return proved to be a ratings success, though Kemp has since been sceptical about the possibility of another return. A popular character, prominent in the series, Grant is portrayed as a tough persona, known for his fiery temper and his tendency to resort to violence. Family is important to him, particularly his relationship with his brother, Phil (Steve McFadden). Grant and Phil known as the "Mitchell brothers" have become household names in the United Kingdom. They have been parodied even in adverts where their gruff, tough talking, cockney accents have been impersonated. One of EastEnders most popular and highly rated storylines was Sharongate, where Grant discovers that his wife Sharon (Letitia Dean) has been having an affair with his brother. In the latter part of 1989 EastEnders acquired a new executive producer named Michael Ferguson, who took over from Mike Gibbon. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's The Bill – a hard-hitting, gritty and successful police drama, which seemed to be challenging EastEnders in providing a realistic vision of modern life in London. Due to his success on The Bill, Peter Cregeen, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of EastEnders.

Jackie Stone, played by Richard Beale, is a market trader who is elected as the Chairman of the Bridge Street Market Traders Association. He is asked to liaise with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), who have purchased land that has been used by traders previously. However, Jackie finds himself in an awkward position when he realises that he has been a friend of the Phil and Grant's late father, Eric; they boxed together and some traders believe that Jackie was showing favouritism to the Mitchell brothers.

When the council attempts to close part of the market for a possible development, Jackie, along with the other traders, petitions and protests against it. Fruit and veg trader Pete Beale (Peter Dean) is not impressed with his efforts and usurps his post as chairman. The councilman in charge of the development, Stuart Kendle (Mark Sproston), attempts to bribe Pete and Jackie to drop their opposition. Impressed by Pete's determination, Phil and Grant break into Kendle's office and find evidence that proves he is corrupt. The market is saved.

In March 1991, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) decides that he wants to take over the lease of the burned-out Dagmar winebar, where Jackie is squatting. He plants a computer that Phil and Grant stole from the council in the wine bar so that Jackie will be evicted.