UK Soap Press Clippings Thread

[Carrie Fairchild]

Two months in and Family Affairs wasn’t setting ratings alight, so Channel 5’s promotion department went to work with this article enticing new viewers to watch the show. Take note of producer Mal Young’s comment about basing the show around the family rather than around a single place.

 

[Spells & Karma]

Two months in and Family Affairs wasn’t setting ratings alight, so Channel 5’s promotion department went to work with this article enticing new viewers to watch the show. Take note of producer Mal Young’s comment about basing the show around the family rather than around a single place.

There are a few comments that caught my eye in this article.

Like the observation that young Ken Barlow's shame over his working class roots was "the best soap story ever". I thought what I saw of that storyline was fantastic character stuff that tapped into the heart of what made Corrie... Corrie so I wouldn't argue against it being a contender. But it seems a little bizarre that it's said by Mal Young: the producer I associate with taking Brookside in a more sensationalist, plot driven direction.

Likewise, the casting director invoking Jimmy McGovern's name, saying they're aiming to find their own such writer, sets an almost impossibly high bar (for a few bewildering moments I thought she was saying that Jimmy actually wrote for the series).

I've seen next to nothing of Family Affairs. From the little I saw I remember finding it quite dull and shallow, but that was only a few scenes here and there (and many years ago). Also, about the only actor I could place was Pat from Brookside, which doesn't exactly make it a thrilling prospect.

Did it actually lean into nuanced character stuff like sauce bottles on the table, and was there powerfully naturalistic dialogue? The blurb in the article makes me feel I'm missing something. At the same time I suspect it's all just big talk that wasn't followed through.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

I've seen next to nothing of Family Affairs. From the little I saw I remember finding it quite dull and shallow, but that was only a few scenes here and there (and many years ago).

Did it actually lean into nuanced character stuff like sauce bottles on the table, and was there powerfully naturalistic dialogue?

It is so long since I’ve watched it (it started in September 1998 in Ireland) and because there’s so little of it online, my recollections of the earlier episodes are vague enough. I think initially, it may have had aspirations of being a more middle class version of early Brookside. Because it was fixed on the family interactions so much, I recall a lot of scenes in people’s houses and on Charnham Common, rather than down the local pub or shop (although they did frequent a wine bar but that didn’t really lend itself to the same dramatic possibilities that the Roman Colosseum-like Queen Vic did). And while Brookside managed that type of thing well in the early years, I think Family Affairs may have felt a bit restricted or sluggish as a result (possibly in the same way that Castles was described earlier in this thread).

I don’t really recall them getting into the nuanced stuff as they were constantly reinventing the show to try and keep it alive (more on that tomorrow). Before 1997 was out, Maria’s ex husband Pete Callan (David Easter) had been brought in as the villain while within 12 months of premiering, the show was becoming more like the other UK soaps of the time, with a shop setting being introduced and the aforementioned wine bar (The Lock) becoming a more prominent setting after Pete bought it. So for all of the talk of being different and focusing on the family, they were following the standard UK soap template within a year.

Also, about the only actor I could place was Pat from Brookside, which doesn't exactly make it a thrilling prospect.

Quite a few familiar-ish soap faces popped up in it over the years. Annie Miles who played Sue (she of the controversial scaffolding murder) in Brookside was part of the original cast as was Ken Farrington (Corrie’s Billy Walker and later Emmerdale’s Tom King). Howards’ Way couple Jan Harvey & Stephen Yardley both appeared in it (although I don’t think their stints overlapped). Nicola Duffett (who played Nigel’s wife Debbie in EE) had a lengthy run on the show. Margi Clarke appeared as Pete’s mother while Brookside & Corrie star Gabrielle Glaister appeared in the final year. It was actually a starting point in a lot of actors careers who’d go on to appear in more high profile roles in other soaps (Tanya Franks, Richard Hawley, Rupert Hill to name a few). And of course, it was one of Idris Elba’s early TV roles.

 

[Spells & Karma]

they were constantly reinventing the show to try and keep it alive (more on that tomorrow).

That sounds very intriguing.

I don’t really recall them getting into the nuanced stuff as they were constantly reinventing the show to try and keep it alive (more on that tomorrow). Before 1997 was out, Maria’s ex husband Pete Callan (David Easter) had been brought in as the villain while within 12 months of premiering, the show was becoming more like the other UK soaps of the time, with a shop setting being introduced and the aforementioned wine bar (The Lock) becoming a more prominent setting after Pete bought it. So for all of the talk of being different and focusing on the family, they were following the standard UK soap template within a year.

That probably explains why it never made much of an impression whenever I came across it (though admittedly usually mid-episode and briefly, so I didn't exactly give it a good go).

Annie Miles who played Sue (she of the controversial scaffolding murder) in Brookside was part of the original cast

I remember her being associated with the original cast (another that didn't exactly thrill me).

as was Ken Farrington (Corrie’s Billy Walker and later Emmerdale’s Tom King).

This I hadn't realised. I didn't remember him well from Corrie at the time, and this would have been way before I got stuck into the Network boxsets. In fact this was one of the pieces of information that made me start to rethink things as I read the article you posted.

Howards’ Way couple Jan Harvey & Stephen Yardley both appeared in it (although I don’t think their stints overlapped).

Ah yes. That rings bells, so I'm sure I must have read or heard about this but forgot which series it related to.

I must confess I confuse Hollyoaks and Family Affairs... probably because they both began in the same era. I've caught a few titbits about each of them from various teasers, trailers and discussions here, but can never remember which titbit belongs to which series.

And of course, it was one of Idris Elba’s early TV roles.

Ooh - I hadn't known this either.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

This I hadn't realised. I didn't remember him well from Corrie at the time, and this would have been way before I got stuck into the Network boxsets. In fact this was one of the pieces of information that made me start to rethink things as I read the article you posted.

He was in it for the first 18 months and was probably the most prominently featured of the older contingent (based on my recollections anyway). He was a bit of rogue but then underwent a complete personality transplant in his final months and turned into an absolute bastard.

I must confess I confuse Hollyoaks and Family Affairs... probably because they both began in the same era. I've caught a few titbits about each of them from various teasers, trailers and discussions here, but can never remember which titbit belongs to which series.

I understand the confusion. Both shows had similar setups in their early years with a cohort of pretty young cast members being heavily promoted and a smattering of parents in the mix. Even though Hollyoaks was always a teen soap, the parents did get storylines in those early years but would gradually be pushed to the sidelines with the teens / younger cast taking prominence.

Ooh - I hadn't known this either.

He featured heavily in the pre-launch promos of the younger cast but he was gone within a few months. He was a friend of Duncan Hart (eldest son of the principal family) but I don’t recall much else about his character.

 

[AndyB2008]

It is so long since I’ve watched it (it started in September 1998 in Ireland) and because there’s so little of it online, my recollections of the earlier episodes are vague enough. I think initially, it may have had aspirations of being a more middle class version of early Brookside. Because it was fixed on the family interactions so much, I recall a lot of scenes in people’s houses and on Charnham Common, rather than down the local pub or shop (although they did frequent a wine bar but that didn’t really lend itself to the same dramatic possibilities that the Roman Colosseum-like Queen Vic did). And while Brookside managed that type of thing well in the early years, I think Family Affairs may have felt a bit restricted or sluggish as a result (possibly in the same way that Castles was described earlier in this thread).

I don’t really recall them getting into the nuanced stuff as they were constantly reinventing the show to try and keep it alive (more on that tomorrow). Before 1997 was out, Maria’s ex husband Pete Callan (David Easter) had been brought in as the villain while within 12 months of premiering, the show was becoming more like the other UK soaps of the time, with a shop setting being introduced and the aforementioned wine bar (The Lock) becoming a more prominent setting after Pete bought it. So for all of the talk of being different and focusing on the family, they were following the standard UK soap template within a year.

Quite a few familiar-ish soap faces popped up in it over the years. Annie Miles who played Sue (she of the controversial scaffolding murder) in Brookside was part of the original cast as was Ken Farrington (Corrie’s Billy Walker and later Emmerdale’s Tom King). Howards’ Way couple Jan Harvey & Stephen Yardley both appeared in it (although I don’t think their stints overlapped). Nicola Duffett (who played Nigel’s wife Debbie in EE) had a lengthy run on the show. Margi Clarke appeared as Pete’s mother while Brookside & Corrie star Gabrielle Glaister appeared in the final year. It was actually a starting point in a lot of actors careers who’d go on to appear in more high profile roles in other soaps (Tanya Franks, Richard Hawley, Rupert Hill to name a few). And of course, it was one of Idris Elba’s early TV roles.

One of Brian Park's reasons for jettisoning the Hart and Gates families in a Inside Soap interview he did was he felt it put a stranglehold on storylines and limited, rather than expanded the show.

 

[AndyB2008]

It is so long since I’ve watched it (it started in September 1998 in Ireland) and because there’s so little of it online, my recollections of the earlier episodes are vague enough. I think initially, it may have had aspirations of being a more middle class version of early Brookside. Because it was fixed on the family interactions so much, I recall a lot of scenes in people’s houses and on Charnham Common, rather than down the local pub or shop (although they did frequent a wine bar but that didn’t really lend itself to the same dramatic possibilities that the Roman Colosseum-like Queen Vic did). And while Brookside managed that type of thing well in the early years, I think Family Affairs may have felt a bit restricted or sluggish as a result (possibly in the same way that Castles was described earlier in this thread).

I don’t really recall them getting into the nuanced stuff as they were constantly reinventing the show to try and keep it alive (more on that tomorrow). Before 1997 was out, Maria’s ex husband Pete Callan (David Easter) had been brought in as the villain while within 12 months of premiering, the show was becoming more like the other UK soaps of the time, with a shop setting being introduced and the aforementioned wine bar (The Lock) becoming a more prominent setting after Pete bought it. So for all of the talk of being different and focusing on the family, they were following the standard UK soap template within a year.

Quite a few familiar-ish soap faces popped up in it over the years. Annie Miles who played Sue (she of the controversial scaffolding murder) in Brookside was part of the original cast as was Ken Farrington (Corrie’s Billy Walker and later Emmerdale’s Tom King). Howards’ Way couple Jan Harvey & Stephen Yardley both appeared in it (although I don’t think their stints overlapped). Nicola Duffett (who played Nigel’s wife Debbie in EE) had a lengthy run on the show. Margi Clarke appeared as Pete’s mother while Brookside & Corrie star Gabrielle Glaister appeared in the final year. It was actually a starting point in a lot of actors careers who’d go on to appear in more high profile roles in other soaps (Tanya Franks, Richard Hawley, Rupert Hill to name a few). And of course, it was one of Idris Elba’s early TV roles.

Beth Cordingly also appeared in Family Affairs before switching to The Bill, which was also made by Thames.

By this point, Family Affairs had moved production to the same Merton, South London studios where The Bill was filmed. (The Stanley Street exterior set was built at Merton and was sometimes used for episodes of The Bill.).

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

One of Brian Park's reasons for jettisoning the Hart and Gates families in an Inside Soap interview he did was he felt it put a stranglehold on storylines and limited, rather than expanded the show.

It’s a shame because they could’ve just expanded the show, with the Harts being one of a number of families, akin to Sons and Daughters for example. I think because Park had the “axeman” reputation from his stint on Coronation Street and it was probably felt that they needed to do something flashy to attract new viewers, the Harts were disposed of in the way they were.

 

[Spells & Karma]

He was in it for the first 18 months and was probably the most prominently featured of the older contingent (based on my recollections anyway).

The article posted you mentioned gives that impression. I think he's the only person mentioned in the body of the text itself, and the family tree sets him up as the head of the family.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

A short clipping about one of the many revamps that Family Affairs underwent. I think it had 4/5 major shakeups during its relatively short run, the most famous being its first revamp, when the remaining members of the Hart clan were killed off in a wedding day canal boat explosion (seven of them were killed off in the blast with another two being killed off in a murder & suicide before that). The above clipping is also notable, as it signalled the move to the specific Stanley Street setting, something that the original producers said they were trying to avoid when the show began (see previous post). Charnham, originally an outer London suburb, was suddenly relocated to the fictional West London postcode W15, where all characters and businesses were based on the one street. Curiously, Sadie’s suburban house was also transported unchanged in the mysterious move, with it now being located off Stanley Street. After this move, the show would be revamped two more times - in 2003, there was a cast clear out that saw the last remaining original cast member killed off and only a handful of characters that predated 2002 left on the show and then one final (rather pointless) revamp in the show’s final months in 2005.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

By 2005, the little soap that could had been revamped to death and Family Affairs was axed, after nearly nine years on the air. The show had struggled in the ratings from the outset, with its renewal status being a constant cliffhanger over the years. Numerous revamps and the arrival of Home & Away as its lead in, gave it much needed lifelines but it never sustained them and the show’s cancellation was announced in August 2005. Ironically, new producer Sean O’Connor (EastEnders, Footballers Wives) had just been drafted in to take over the show when the axe fell. He’d apparently planned to rename the show (it’s assumed it would’ve been retitled Stanley Street) and focus on younger, more glamorous characters but only part of his plans could come into play before the show went off the air. He killed off the show’s leading bad boy Pete Callan (David Easter) and axed a number of long running characters including Sadie (Barbara Young) and Dave (Richard Hawley), bringing in a host of new faces to replace them. The final months were an odd affair, as viewers watched storylines play out among characters that they barely knew and would never really get to know, as the show drifted towards its December 30th finale. The bulk of the characters mentioned in the final fortnight synopsis above (Damian, Eve, Jason, George, Hector, Meredith) had only been on the show for a couple of months, in some cases, only weeks.

I watched the show quite a lot when it aired and while I look back and realise that those early years were quite ropey, the later years were actually really good soap. Villainous Pete Callan, unlucky in love Yasmin, gossipy Sadie, brassy Cat, the Costellos, the Ellis surrogacy triangle and Eileen Callan (who was thrown into the Thames by hubby Pete, to mark the show’s 2000th episode) were among my favourites. The show was also probably the most diverse out of any of the soaps at the time too. To my knowledge, it’s never been repeated since on UK TV and unfortunately at this stage, I doubt that it ever will be. The very first episode from 1997 and the last seven episodes from 2005 are available on You Know Where for anyone that wants to see how it all began and how it drew to a close.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Back in the 90’s, before the schedules became completely consumed with soaps, Brookside was my Friday night favourite (I didn’t bother much with Corrie back then and EastEnders & Emmerdale had yet to be extended to Friday nights). There was always some sort of high drama, leaving you hanging until the show returned the following Tuesday, in this case, the climax of the Jordache trial.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

TV Times cover from 1989 featuring the return of Doreen Corkhill to Brookside. If you can find the episodes, there’s some great confrontational scenes between her and Sheila.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

And he meant it too! Crossroads would go through a series of changes in 1987, all aimed at shaking off its old reputation and bringing in a new, more desirable demographic of viewers. Characters were axed, the motel became Kings Oak Country Hotel, the theme tune was changed completely and the show was retitled Crossroads Kings Oak, with a view to it eventually just being titled Kings Oak, with the Crossroads aspect being assigned to the dustbin. Despite a positive viewer response to the changes and plans to give the show a Sunday omnibus, the show was axed anyway in late 1987, with the final episodes airing on Easter Monday 1988.

 

[James from London]

View attachment 54175
TV Times cover from 1989 featuring the return of Doreen Corkhill to Brookside. If you can find the episodes, there’s some great confrontational scenes between her and Sheila.

At the risk of being disrespectful to everyone else who’s ever appeared on the cover of the TV Times, I can’t help feeling this is a little beneath Sheila and Billy.

View attachment 54179
And he meant it too! Crossroads would go through a series of changes in 1987, all aimed at shaking off its old reputation and bringing in a new, more desirable demographic of viewers. Characters were axed, the motel became Kings Oak Country Hotel, the theme tune was changed completely and the show was retitled Crossroads Kings Oak, with a view to it eventually just being titled Kings Oak, with the Crossroads aspect being assigned to the dustbin. Despite a positive viewer response to the changes and plans to give the show a Sunday omnibus, the show was axed anyway in late 1987, with the final episodes airing on Easter Monday 1988.

I’d completely forgotten about him! It would be fascinating to watch that era again, once I’ve (re-)watched everything leading up to it of course.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

At the risk of being disrespectful to everyone else who’s ever appeared on the cover of the TV Times, I can’t help feeling this is a little beneath Sheila and Billy.

I’d completely forgotten about him! It would be fascinating to watch that era again, once I’ve (re-)watched everything leading up to it of course.

There’s bits and pieces of that final stretch online. I haven’t watched them in order, so I’m not sure of the chronology but after Tommy takes over the hotel, Nicola Freeman returns, with talk of her managing the hotel again (I’m unsure how long she stuck around but I don’t think it was for long). Another, rather surprising, returnee was Amy Turtle, who popped up in an odd cameo and appeared to ad lib her way through the whole thing much to the bewilderment of the other cast members appearing alongside her.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Caught a bit of EastEnders this past week and I see that Footballers’ Wives queen Laila Rouass is currently appearing as a woman from Suki’s past. Here she is, in her first soap role, as Dr. Tanya Ayuba in Family Affairs.