Not that Channel 4 are making too much noise abou their 25th anniversary, with most archive stuff hidden away on More4, but I did catch the first ever episode of Brookside.
Now, Brookside was a show I was in love with for about 15 years. It was fantastic from when I started properly watching it in 1985 (the seige, where the nurses were held hostage by Robert Pugh), to when it went shit, shortly after the body of Trevor Jordache was dug up.
In an old job I'd travel up there all the time, and I loved being on the Close and meeting the cast, who were by and large all really friendly. No prima donnas in Liverpool, except for Phil Redmon of course, but that's another story.
Needless to say, I was really sad when Brookie took a turn for the worse. All those sensational storylines about explosions and diseases and lesbians, etc took their toll. It went off quite fast. When the time came to put it out of its misery, they did the right thing. Too much Dean Sullivan pontificating. Now there's a twat.
Anyhoo, the first episode was bleak beyond belief. Overcast, dank empty gardens, a treeless new estate of boxy houses with zero character. They don't build them like that anymore, thank God. So what was it about? People downsizing, people on the rob, talk of redundancy and trade unions, digital alarm clocks, bare walls, no money, washday, 2CVs, early mornings - real life! It was great.
What struck me was the first half had so little dialogue, there must only have been about seven lines spoken. Imagine this programme launching today. People would have switched off after about five minutes, what with their being so little action. I'm not sure what type of reviews it got at the time, but it was certainly very different. There was no soap machine in operation in those days, churning out hundreds of substandard episodes a year. Twice a week was your lot, and all the better for it.
It was a scene-setting episode, in which we met the Collins family, the Huntingdons and the Grants (no sign of Karen Grant though, my student pin-up). Weren't the early Eighties bleak, decor wise? Thin duvets, magnolia, wicker-effect kitchen cabinets - ugh.
I really wanted to see more of it though, shame they're not repeating it all. Remember top storylines like Heather's heroin-addicted husband, Doreen Corkhill and the dentist, Annabelle's affair, Sheila Grant's rape, anything to do with Tracy Corkhill, Shiela getting together with Billy Corkhil? Really brilliant characters and writing.
But only up until 1996.
9 comments:
I thought it was great, although now you can see the dramatic shorthand - Roger Huntingdon is a bit of a fusspot, because he puts the car alarm on. And he and Heather are a bit trendy, because they drive a 2CV. Meanwhile, Bobby Grant discusses unemployment at the breakfast table.
I was always slightly bemused by the Nicholas Black heroin addiction storyline, because I kept thinking 'it's Alan Rothwell from Picture Box'.
And Karen Grant, god yeah.
Brookside will alway be My Soap - but how things have changed! I missed the re-run last night, as I was watching Noel Coward at the theatre; how we all move on.
Before it went all shit, I always felt Brooky came from the heart - say what you like about Phil Redmond, but he created a wonderful team. Watching EastEnders now is like a parade of ugly people shouting for no apparent reason.
And when Damon died, well. I've never been the same since.
I cried when Billy and Sheila got together. Do you remember the 'spin off' one with Damon with a guest appearance by Morrisey.
I gave up watching soaps in 2001 and am really pleased I did, they are such a waste of time.
Was bloody Collins on that as well? Good god.
There was nothing to touch it at its best. When Billy and Sheila got together, I was squashed on a sofa with five of my friends, all of us screaming. Imagine giving that much of a toss about soap characters now.
For me it all went tits up when 'the virus' wiped out half the population of the Close (presumably a job=lot of actors whose contracts were coming up for renewal).
I remember watching the first episode in 1982. I think the thing was that it was so exciting to watch a brand-spanking new channel you would have watched anything. I see Branson's new channel launched this week to very little fanfare. How times change.
I loved Brookside, Heather Huntingdon's first husband was a complete joy - he reminded me a little of myself. One of my greatest TV moments was when Heather found out he'd been having an affair and kicked him out the front door, she then opened the front door again and threw his briefcase out after him. His briefcase was his life, see?
Karen Grant? The term 'face like a slapped arse' could have been invented for her. Give me Annabelle Collins any day.
Did you see the first episode of Countdown repeated on More4? A more over-staffed quiz show I've yet to see: Whiteley, Ted Moult, a dictionary woman, Kathy Hytner, a woman called Beverley who just picked out the numbers and placed them on the board and, last but not least, Vorderman in horrid trousers.
By the way, what have Ted Moult and Everest double glazing got in common? They both have a wooden surround.
Billy Corkhill was my favourite Brookie character - two of my of my most favourite episodes feature him.
The 500th episode sticks in my mind - hard-up Billy, desperate to get some money reaches the end of his tether and takes on the role of getaway driver in a robbery. They plan to steal a supermarket's takings from the store manager as he takes them to the bank, only he has the brief case containing the money chained to his wrist. The gang bundle him in the car and threaten to cut his hand off. It wasn't meant to be like this. Things spiral out of control as the car eventually crashes and the manager is stabbed as he falls onto a knife. Billy is left to pick up the pieces as the gang flee the scene. Edge-of-the-seat stuff - really, really gripping.
The other one is where Billy loses it big style and drives round and round the Close, tearing through everybody's front lawn. Nobody did desparation and losing-the-plot like John McArdle as Billy.
Does anybody remember Tommy McArdle - the cigar-chewing hardman of the area? Barry and Terry got mixed up with him big style; tried to rip him off and ended up in serious condition in hospital as a result.
It was good to see Damon's mates, Ducksie and Gizmo again. I remember one good scene where Gizmo stuck a pair of wellies in a huge pile of sand/stones to make it look as though someone had fallen in head first and couldn't get out. Watching from a safe distance, our "heroes" laughed and laughed as Paul Collins came belting out of his house to rescue this unfortunate person. Haha.
Gizmo puts me in mind of Bobby Gillespie. He and Ducksie just kind of disappeared, although I remember Gizmo returning for Damon's funeral in 1987.
Didn't Malcolm Tierney play Tommy McArdle? He was a proper scary villain.
The Gizmo/Bobby Gillespie connection is wonderful.
He turned up to Damon's wake, and put one of his poems in the coffin.
Bobby Gillespie, I mean.
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