Been searching the net for literally anything relating to the serial killer storyline pre-April 2003 (when Toby was unmasked in what I've learned was the 1000th episode of HO!), and...

Zip.

Absolutely nothing. Not a sausage. The Internet is forever my arse. There's just a few forum debates about who the killer could be and a few post-hoc discussions recalling the storyline from memory but as for anything first-hand...nowt. There used to be an archive of old Hollyoaks news on the official forum but that's long gone - and it had stacks on the SK.

The reason I'm so keen on information is, one, I missed most of it, and two, the Toby Mills storyline got me interested in true crime and serial killers in the first place. I did a Criminology qualification and a Psychology degree on the back of it. Nosalgia, curiosity, whatever - but there's nothing online about the Hollyoaks serial killer's early episodes.

Whatever happened to the Hollyoaks website's archive of news stories? It dated back to the start of the show but now it's gone.

Update, folks -
Just learned that the one of the two cops hunting Toby Mills in the elusive 2003 serial-killer storyline was called Dale Jackson and was played by Laila Rouass!
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Doubl.....-a0100286362
The other was DI Will Davis, Ben's dad, played by Barny Clevely.
Another piece to the puzzle.

I remember Laila Rouass as Dale, should bring her back sort out the shamble that is Dee Valley police.

I loved that I was only young when it was out but I think my brother got me the video for christmas . I remember written on the video box was they would air it sometime in 2000 on tv no idea why guess it was a selling point cos it'd potentially be after the end of the world with the millenium bug fears

Why oh why isn't there an archive of old episodes!!

Its online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_fYZ0BLqzE

Thanks I don't really wanna watch it though, I don't want to ruin my memory of it. I did that with a few tv shows I used to love and watched them back on youtube they were actually terrible

So I emailed them about the old episodes.

It's a no.

Toby was a great villain and the Hunters were, in my opinion, one of Hollyoaks's best ever families.

They really set the mould for all families that have followed (Ashworths and Roscoes in particular).

Loved their early days with Lisa's self harm and Ellie's disappearance, all softened by some great comedy from Lee and Bombhead.

Still amazed at the complete drought of information about the serial killer storyline online. There's a peice of misinformation going around saying Roxy was the first victim...not so. She was at least victim number five.

It was a selling point simply because there was no way to see it for over a year unless you bought it and things happened in it which would impact on the main show.

Sometimes back then, you could buy a video and then have it turn up on tv within weeks so you felt cheated out if spending your money. They were making a legal.pledge that wouldn't happen ..

I loved Off On One but then I was a huge fan of Rob Hawthorne.