Brookside

I started watching Brookside in 1982. I last watched it at the end of 2001. I don't know what is has been like in 2002 but I can tell you how I felt about it from 1982-2001.

My favourite soap was always Emmerdale Farm (now Emmerdale). I liked it because it didn't need fancy gimmicks to gain temporary ratings increases. Emmerdale had good characters which made the soap what it was.

Brookside was a different kettle of fish. To be fair, some of the characters were good but Brookside preferred gimmicks such as explosions and shootings.

In it's favour, there were some good stories for Brookside. Two of my favourite ever characters were Sinbad (real name Thomas Sweeney) and Mick Johnson. Sinbad left the show a couple of years ago. His last storyline had him accused of child abuse and it was powerful stuff. Mick Johnson also had some great stories, particularly one where he was in court for euthanasia.

Jimmy Corkhill was also a good character but by the time I stopped watching Brookside, he had lost all credibility. He had been a drug addict, a schizophrenic, a crook and a fake teacher-there was nowhere else for him to go really.

A couple of things I didn't like about Brookside were it's long drawn out stories and gimmicks. Some storylines lasted for an eternity, especially the one where Nikki Shadwick was raped by a mystery suspect. It lasted just over a year. As I stated earlier, Brookside seemed at times to rely on gimmicks such as explosions, plagues and the like. I feel it could have done more to develop characters because in a lot of cases, some characters became caricatures after awhile.

As I write this, Brookside may be axed in 2003. I know the show has a lot of fans and I thank Brookside for providing some entertainment and addressing a lot of taboo issues but maybe it has run it's course and 2003 will be the right time to lay it to rest.

Like so many people I eagerly waited for the 1st episode on the new TV channel 4. Quickly I became a fan of the great story-lines and strong characters. "Brookside" boasted a number of fantastic soap characters (Barry Grant was my favourite). It even had a "Hollyoakes" like ability to attract some good-looking female actresses. But what I really liked was the realistic stories and the way "Brookside" was so different to the much more camper offerings like "Eldorado" offered by other channels. It pushed boundaries and broke new ground. However by the late 90's the soap was a pale shadow of its former self. Gone were the interesting, likable characters and compelling stories and in were boring irritating families with completely stupid plots. I no longer watch "Brookside" and will not miss it when it ends this year.

Yes I know I'm bias because I am British myself but truly this is a superb show!! Yes its slightly far fetched, yes its very depressing at times (no one can be happy for more than one episode I think that the quota) but who cares when you have excitement and good acting?? I mean Sunset Beach is ridiculous and how many of you watch it (me included and I'm not ashamed!!). For those in America comprehension of what the characters are saying may be impossible as they speak in a 'scouse' accent (think the Beatles multiplied by one hundred)so for viewing subtitles may be needed (ho-hum!!). May I also add that Liverpool is not in the North of England but the North West of England, there is a huge difference between the North and North West of England, I just want to add this because I am a Northern lass myself.. erm sorry. Watch out for excellent performance by Alexander Fletcher who plays Jacqui Dixon.

Brookside was a classic soap opera that was brilliant at character building however things started to go wrong in the late 1990s. Whilst the real rot didn't set in until about 2001 onwards things were starting to go wrong for a period of time before then. The final straw for me was when they had the lesbian storyline involving Jackie Corkhill and Lindsey Corkhill. Jackie Corkhill was one of the most believable characters ever to grace a soap before that plot line. Her and Jimmy were so believable with their fighting and arguing however the character of Jimmy was eventually exhausted as well. It's a shame really but the show just fell foul to sensationalism, gone were the nitty, gritty dramatic days that were good drama yet true to the characters. There was a great friendship going on between the delightful Jacqui Dixon, Rachel Jordache and Katie Rogers for instance that focused on character building over the years. I loved Brookside in it's heyday but it should have been axed before the rot really had a chance to set in. I blame Phil Redmond and Channel 4 for letting the show go down the pan though, Phil Redmond just had to be in charge of his show, nobody else could have touched Brookside. Channel 4 showed no support whatsoever for what was once the most popular programme airing on the channel. I stuck with Brookside up until the end out of loyalty and it still had some great characters like the wonderful Bev however all the time shifting before it's demise was disgusting, you just didn't know when the programme was on half the time.

Up until early 2001 I was prepared to give this show the benefit of the doubt. I defended it to my friends who said it was past its best and tried to convince me to watch EastEnders instead. But no more; this show is utter drivel now compared to the relevant and dramatic storylines that were being effortlessly pumped out in its late 80s/early 90s heyday. Now it's all about sex, sensationalism and whiny Scouse angst. What a shame. Channel 4 should cancel it now and leave the show with some shred of dignity.