2002 featured Anthony Murray accidentally killing his bully and the siege/helicopter crash to mark the 20th Anniversary. I can't remember any other big storylines from that time and by the end of the year it had been moved to weekend omnibus only.
2002 featured Anthony Murray accidentally killing his bully and the siege/helicopter crash to mark the 20th Anniversary. I can't remember any other big storylines from that time and by the end of the year it had been moved to weekend omnibus only.
Most of that year had been relatively calm but it ended as you say with the siege on the close followed by the police helicopter crash.
The reason the series went into terminal decline was because of the numerous explosions, fires and shootings as well as gangster storylines. Most viewers thought the plots were becoming increasingly ridiculous and unbelievable and abandoned the show in droves.
I shad stopped watching Brookside by this point (stories became stupider by the week), but do remember the titles and theme were messed around with.
Shame, there was a good soap.
I stuck with it until around 1999. I remember the death of Greg Shadwick in 1999 but don't recall much about the rape of Nikki Shadwick the following year, so I must have stopped watching by then. It's a shame how they ran the show into the ground : up until 1995 or 1996, it was stunning.
Other soaps could learn a lot by looking at Brookside's demise and how repeated sensationalism actually served to alienate viewers rather than draw them in...
Was only really them two big story that happened, the Anthony Murray story was done really well, and if the siege/helicopter crash would have been good if they didn't put all that music paying in the background, and it went on for ever because of channel 4 putting it on 2 then 3 times a week was all over the place and was on at the same time as EE not the best move from channel 4 lol
The siege/helicopter crash was for the 20th and it was call over the top but it's only what CS did With a train for there 50th and ED had already done. Think maybe people forget about that when they say brookside was ott but what you could say is again it was ahead of the other soaps even in it's dying days lol
I still maintain that Brookside could and should have been saved. People always downplay the 1998 to 2002 period but it was still very watchable. For once Paul Marquess did actually do a good job.
What was unfortunate was that Susanna, Sinbad, Mick and Lindsey & Jackie Cockhill all left around the same period. The Murrays were actually a good family but more new additions were needed. Characters like Mike and Rachel had reached the end of the road but the show seemed reluctant to part with them. Fresh blood was needed and it did come in the shape of the Gordon family but they were awful and just sealed the final nail in the coffin. To make matters worse, in 2002 Barb changed the way they measured ratings so suddenly all programmes dropped in figures so it made it seem as though they had lost viewers when they hadn't. This didn't just effect Brookside. It sent EE into a tailspin which resulted in them bringing back Den Watts and Corrie launched the Hillman storyline in an attempt to up its own viewership.
Its a big shame we lost Brookside but Channel Four had Big Brother holding up prime time and Brookside just became surplus to requirements. Four had no idea which slot they wanted to broadcast the soap in so it was moved around the schedule weekly. In the end viewers gave up trying to find it. They didn't turn off because the show was crap. They turned off because they never knew when it was on.
Other soaps could learn a lot by looking at Brookside's demise and how repeated sensationalism actually served to alienate viewers rather than draw them in...
I still maintain that Brookside could and should have been saved. People always downplay the 1998 to 2002 period but it was still very watchable. For once Paul Marquess did actually do a good job.
What was unfortunate was that Susanna, Sinbad, Mick and Lindsey & Jackie Cockhill all left around the same period. The Murrays were actually a good family but more new additions were needed. Characters like Mike and Rachel had reached the end of the road but the show seemed reluctant to part with them. Fresh blood was needed and it did come in the shape of the Gordon family but they were awful and just sealed the final nail in the coffin.
Its a big shame we lost Brookside but Channel Four had Big Brother holding up prime time and Brookside just became surplus to requirements. Four had no idea which slot they wanted to broadcast the soap in so it was moved around the schedule weekly. In the end viewers gave up trying to find it. They didn't turn off because the show was crap. They turned off because they never knew when it was on.
Totally agree, with most of that for sure, channel 4 put flash in the pan shows before it and brookside was the show that made it the channel 4
What I would have done, is put it on at 8pm on Tuesday & Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30, three good solid prime time slots, and not on at the same time as any other soap
Ask Mr Redmen to step away full stop yes he made and gave it a great name but it's was his baby and he never step away and tried to save it but that was the problem he cared to much and even tho they had EP he was always there.
New blood and got back to hard hitting down to earth story's and keep with that for a good 5 years bring right back to it's roots don't need big fires and big bangs lol not to say you can have one but brookie did so much of them it didn't need any more
Them 3 simple things would have save it but again channel 4 didn't want to help it but that's all it needed, it's a shame coz if they help it I think it would still be here today.
The Anthony/Imelda story was the highlight of the year. The rest, was just nonsense but the thing was, the ingriedents where there, but not utulised.
CH4 moving around it was the death knoll. Saturday afternoon at 5.15 is not the time to sit down and watch a soap. Then the times got ridicilous e.g 12am on a Tuesday night.
Going bk to 2000 and the who killed Susanna was a really good storyline and was done very well the first of it kind to again brookie paved the way for the rest of the soaps
It did, but the decline was more slow than rapid in my mind. Around 2000 with the year long "Who raped Nikki Shadwick?" storyline was the main contributor.
"Brookside" serves as a warning to the other soaps.....can see "Eastenders" on a critical list soon with all the negative feedback with ratings and about the lack of storylines.
It did, but the decline was more slow than rapid in my mind. Around 2000 with the year long "Who raped Nikki Shadwick?" storyline was the main contributor.
"Brookside" serves as a warning to the other soaps.....can see "Eastenders" on a critical list soon with all the negative feedback with ratings and about the lack of storylines.
The nikki rape story wasn't good and just remember it go on and on and on lol
I think EE is been the way it is for so long now but it's is bbc flagship show and I think the bbc will do what channel 4 Failed not to do with brookie and save it's best show
The Nikki rape was certainly a major turn off for the soap because it was dragged out forever but also involved another flop family in the shape of the Morgan's. Who thankfully did only last a year.
The Nikki rape was certainly a major turn off for the soap because it was dragged out forever but also involved another flop family in the shape of the Morgan's. Who thankfully did only last a year.
God forgot about the Morgans lol they where so bad, just couldn't get them family right at the end, family like the carter's would have gone well with it lol good cockney family on the close
There was also the awful Gordon family, introduced in 2002. They were promoted as the new Grants and lived in the same house, but were a total flop. Within a few months the father had to be written out (killed off-screen in the helicopter crash) then the mother was also killed off.
There was also the awful Gordon family, introduced in 2002. They were promoted as the new Grants and lived in the same house, but were a total flop. Within a few months the father had to be written out (killed off-screen in the helicopter crash) then the mother was also killed off.
Oh God. So many bad memories there. Because of the chopping and changing on CH4 - I managed to catch a glimpse of it in 2003, they were just dire.
Comments
Haha, very funny ^_^
:D:D:D
Most of that year had been relatively calm but it ended as you say with the siege on the close followed by the police helicopter crash.
The reason the series went into terminal decline was because of the numerous explosions, fires and shootings as well as gangster storylines. Most viewers thought the plots were becoming increasingly ridiculous and unbelievable and abandoned the show in droves.
Shame, there was a good soap.
I'd agree with this, I remember the Anthony Murray story but gave up on the show soon after
I stuck with it until around 1999. I remember the death of Greg Shadwick in 1999 but don't recall much about the rape of Nikki Shadwick the following year, so I must have stopped watching by then. It's a shame how they ran the show into the ground : up until 1995 or 1996, it was stunning.
The siege/helicopter crash was for the 20th and it was call over the top but it's only what CS did With a train for there 50th and ED had already done. Think maybe people forget about that when they say brookside was ott but what you could say is again it was ahead of the other soaps even in it's dying days lol
What was unfortunate was that Susanna, Sinbad, Mick and Lindsey & Jackie Cockhill all left around the same period. The Murrays were actually a good family but more new additions were needed. Characters like Mike and Rachel had reached the end of the road but the show seemed reluctant to part with them. Fresh blood was needed and it did come in the shape of the Gordon family but they were awful and just sealed the final nail in the coffin. To make matters worse, in 2002 Barb changed the way they measured ratings so suddenly all programmes dropped in figures so it made it seem as though they had lost viewers when they hadn't. This didn't just effect Brookside. It sent EE into a tailspin which resulted in them bringing back Den Watts and Corrie launched the Hillman storyline in an attempt to up its own viewership.
Its a big shame we lost Brookside but Channel Four had Big Brother holding up prime time and Brookside just became surplus to requirements. Four had no idea which slot they wanted to broadcast the soap in so it was moved around the schedule weekly. In the end viewers gave up trying to find it. They didn't turn off because the show was crap. They turned off because they never knew when it was on.
i.e. Hollyoaks?
Totally agree, with most of that for sure, channel 4 put flash in the pan shows before it and brookside was the show that made it the channel 4
What I would have done, is put it on at 8pm on Tuesday & Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30, three good solid prime time slots, and not on at the same time as any other soap
Ask Mr Redmen to step away full stop yes he made and gave it a great name but it's was his baby and he never step away and tried to save it but that was the problem he cared to much and even tho they had EP he was always there.
New blood and got back to hard hitting down to earth story's and keep with that for a good 5 years bring right back to it's roots don't need big fires and big bangs lol not to say you can have one but brookie did so much of them it didn't need any more
Them 3 simple things would have save it but again channel 4 didn't want to help it but that's all it needed, it's a shame coz if they help it I think it would still be here today.
CH4 moving around it was the death knoll. Saturday afternoon at 5.15 is not the time to sit down and watch a soap. Then the times got ridicilous e.g 12am on a Tuesday night.
Give me Brookie over Prettyboyoaks anyday.
It did, but the decline was more slow than rapid in my mind. Around 2000 with the year long "Who raped Nikki Shadwick?" storyline was the main contributor.
"Brookside" serves as a warning to the other soaps.....can see "Eastenders" on a critical list soon with all the negative feedback with ratings and about the lack of storylines.
The nikki rape story wasn't good and just remember it go on and on and on lol
I think EE is been the way it is for so long now but it's is bbc flagship show and I think the bbc will do what channel 4 Failed not to do with brookie and save it's best show
God forgot about the Morgans lol they where so bad, just couldn't get them family right at the end, family like the carter's would have gone well with it lol good cockney family on the close
Oh God. So many bad memories there. Because of the chopping and changing on CH4 - I managed to catch a glimpse of it in 2003, they were just dire.
Yeah by 2003 channel 4 just killed it, they didn't care, hope big brother was worth it lol