Does anyone remember the Brookside killer virus back in the mid 90's. I don't think it was very popular at the time but I enjoyed it.

I remember Garry Salter collapsing from it and drowning in the swimming pool, I found that quite shocking at the time. Also George Manners dropping dead in the driveway.

It was brilliantly over the top, something that Brookie did really well!

Phil Redmond wanted Emmerdale to do this story after the Plane Crash but Emmerdale refused and parted company with him.

As for Brookie, this was the beginning of its very slow and very painful death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO32FIWWX9Q

Agreed.

George Manners was George Roper wasn't he?

Yes.

And Audrey Manners (who lusted after "Bing" Crosby) was played by the actress who played Ken Barlow's second wife in Corrie.

Yes, I remember Audrey Manners now - I seem to recall it was Ron Dixon who gave David the nickname 'Bing' as well.

Yes, the killer virus did what it said. It was the beginning of the end for Brookie.

Yeah good old Bing "me and mrs Crosbie". He was a great character.

The only thing I remember about it (wasn't a fan at the time) was Ron Dixon selling overpriced food out the back of his lorry. In fact come to think about it, that was probably one of the things that got me into it - I started watching in 1996

Loved Brookie but I don't remember this storyline.

yea, i remember it..wasn't the ''killer bug'' going around for real at this time..People were getting an eating bug and they died from it

I hope them two feel sorry for themselves now

The only thing I remember about that story line is Jimmy Corkhll taking a urine sample from Cracker the dog (cos he was worried that they'd discover he was on drugs) and being told that he didn't have the virus but he did have distemper!

Poor old Brookie, when it was good it was cracking! I remember the virus wiped quite a few out! The deaths of Max and Susannah Farnham's children, Matthew and Emily always sticks in my mind, very shocking. Apart from miscarried babies, I don't think soap has tackled the loss of young children since?

Did anyone turn into a Zombie.

No, just the show itself.

I'm watching Brookside 1995 at the moment on Youtube, and it's plain to see why the show was hitting it's highest viewing figures at this time. The discovery of Trevor Jordache's body in January I remember kept the nation gripped, with the subsequent episodes of the Jordache's and Sinbad fleeing to Ireland leading to their eventual arrest. I was about 12 at the time and it's the one time I remember everyone I know, friends, family, all watching Brookie and it completely overshadowing Coronation Street and EastEnders in terms of conversation.

Unfortunately, this was the beginning of the end for Brookside as the Producers sought to capitalise with more and more sensational plots. The Killer Virus is about to kick off, as George Manners has arrived on the Close. At the time I thought this was a very good storyline. We hadn't seen soap do anything like it. But looking back you can see that this is where Brookie abandoned it's social realism for sensational and unlikely.

It would be the departures of the Jordache family and the following year, 1996, where the viewers turned off. The arrival of the Simpson family and the shocking Nat and Georgia incest story was one step too far, it was the iceberg to Brookside's Titanic and it slowly began it's descent. The following years we saw increasing number of explosions, gangsters. shootings, murder, date rape, with the scurge of drugs being returned to again and again. No wonder the show lost steam and the viewers switched off.

I see the same thing happening with Hollyoaks, which is becoming more and more sensational every year. Phil Redmond argued that the Brookside video released Lost Weekend and Friday the 13th were more in line with his original vision of Brookside, but really it was about cashing on a sinking soap whilst they still could.

Katie in HO was about one when she died I think. Tony's daughter died suddenly as a baby.

The infamous baby swap east enders storyline came as a result as a baby death. I think laurel lost a baby in emmerdale too.

That could have been such a good story if done now

Superb analysis Keibro.

I agree with everything you said. I think that there was a small window between 1998 - 1999 where the show regained some of its grittiness. The Shadwicks moved into No.6 and brought some freshness to the show but what started off as a normal, interesting family was soon consumed by ridiculousness. Nikki's date rape was a hard hitting story for the time but my lord did it drag and drag and drag. Similarly, Greg's affair with Susannah was interesting and in many ways refreshing but it all played out alongside Lindsay Corkhill's dodgy dealings with the Finnigans. Lindsay, Jacqui and Susannah were turned from three women who lived in a cul-de-sac into a trio of hard-edged businesswomen-cum-hardknocks, bringing a trashy gangsterism to the show that culminated in the Millenium Club bombing in 1999. Greg and Jason died, which meant the end of the Shadwicks as a family group and Susannah became isolated from the rest of the residents. That led onto Lindsay becoming involved with Shelley and the destruction of Jackie Corkhill by turning her into a pseudo-lesbian for a few episodes.

That was the point that I started to lose it with Brookside.

The arrival of the Murrays did nothing for me and Ant'neeee's bullying saga dragged on longer than Nikki Shadwick's rape.

Poor Brookie.

Keibro ... forgot to add ... I absolutely think that The Lost Weekend was in line with Redmond's original hard-hitting, gritty vision for Brookside.

Just have a look at this clip to prove my point.

[WARNING] link above contains graphic images that some users may find upsetting.

I watched The Lost Weekend last week and it is really good. Friday the 13th, not so much. Claire Sweeny for me was never convincing as a gangster's moll. However, I absolutely adored the on screen partnership of Jimmy and Jackie Corkhill. Dean Sullvan is fabulous. He was able to carry off different incarnations of Jimmy from druggie, to dealer, to the local scally, to resident at number ten and even as far as becoming a teacher. He remained a fantastic character throughout and in the end, was Brookside's social conscience, which was fitting as he had lived through enough turmoil to know what he was on about.

The Shadwick family I agree, they were great. They kind of reminded me of the Banks family but yes, sadly the date rape plot which had a great premise, was dragged and stretched out beyond the point of caring. I did like Emily and Tim together. Emily, was very much "of the time" she had a look of Britney about her and it's clear to see why they sexed her up a bit and pushed her to the forefront with Tim O'Leary.

The Murrays too were very good, I loved Bernie Nolan as Diane. Anthony's bullying story at the hands of Imelda was harrowing stuff and we'd never seen a child murder another child in soap before. But it was very well written I thought.

Who Killed Susannah I really enjoyed. I loved the whole flashback and how it was built up was very good, Susannah had managed to alienate a whole Close. Was a bit perturbed it was Max who killed her and even more so that she lay on the floor of the kitchen for nearly two whole weeks before being moved

There were glimpses of the old Brookie here and there. I wish they had kept it open ended and if Channel 4 didn't want it anymore, maybe leave it open for another tv station or produce it as an online soap. I think I remember Phil Redmond saying producing Brookie as an online soap was an idea they were kicking about, when promoting The Lost Weekend video.