Heartbeat

So Heartbeat is to leave us after so many years of memorable moments. Some will say it should have gone years ago but for millions it is as much of the furniture as the Sunday roast.

Sure the story lines are a little far-fetched and the cast is barely recognisable from those group of people who we first welcomed into our homes in 1992 but the spirit of the show remains the same and the mix between drama and comedy is as alive as it was when Nick Berry first donned the motorbike and uniform.

We need these type of shows on TV but sadly for the network bosses it's all about ratings and keeping things fresh for the young people and Heartbeat it seems does not meet this criteria.

I have enjoyed Heartbeat since it was first screened 13 years ago, and it is still set in the 60's !! Most of the outdoor scenes are filmed in the small village of Goatland which is renamed Aidensfield. I Have been in the pub, the shops, the garage and on the train on a day trip!! The main police station is set in the nearest small town, the name of which slips my mind at the moment. Some scenes are set in the real seaside town of Whitby. Almost all of the cast have changed. I used to like Greengrass but is successors have been a bit too pushy for my liking. One strange thing is that when Alf Ventress was in uniform , he had no medals on his jackets even though one episode was all about his war service in the marines.

I've been watching Heartbeat for the past 7 years and have to say that it's a very gentle show. The show did suffer after losing the character of Greengrass but I like the way that things have picked up after a brief boring period. The character of Peggy is a bit tiresome but you can cope with her if you ignore the fact that she's supposed to be their latest replacement for Greengrass. I don't know how long this show can still continue to be set in the 60s for though when you consider the fact that soon the cast will begin to look much older than they were ten years ago. Overall it combines some great sounds of the sixties with some entertaining stories about crime.

"Heartbeat" is a brilliant nostalgic feel-good drama set in the 1960's. It mixes gentle story lines, beautiful scenery and hit music from the period to create a madly watchable program. Sure it is not ground breaking and certainly would not win any awards for creativity but it provides the perfect form of entertainment for a Sunday night. The light and easy to digest stories are just what anyone would want the night before an early morning start for work. What makes "Heartbeat" so good is the likeable characters and combination of humour and action. It doesn't take itself too seriously and never fails to have at least one scene were you couldn't fail to laugh or raise a smile. Even though it is on 24 times a year it hasn't deteriorated into just another soap like "The Bill" or "Where the heart is" with episodes made up of mainly stand-alone parts. It is deservedly the #1 drama on UK TV with 10 million viewers and even had a spin-off made in 2003 called "The Royle".

"Heartbeat" is often criticized for its highly formulaic presentation and the fact that the makers no longer work to the realistic 1960s time-line. I can understand those concerns with the show, rolling my eyes at the fact that the show was first set in 1964 and has now been going about 14 years.

However, I think the type of program "Heartbeat" is should be taken into account before giving this show the thumbs down and negative reviews. Basically, it is meant to be that warm, enjoyable, pleasant, family-friendly, predictable and lovable show that it has become over the last 13 years. With a mixed bag of some reality, some comedy, some drama and nothing is taken too seriously.

I personally am glad they carry on making the show and did not stop after 6 years. And I look forward to when 15 and 16 are shown in Australia! :-) Ohhh and I must say - I'm not much into cars, but I quite like seeing the '60s cars on screen, hearing the '60s music and the scenery that have all been significant aspects of the show's success.