Brookside reruns

[Redglitter]

Has anyone else been watching today? I've watched 4 episodes so far. Dated, but loving it

Did you know that Brookside never played mainstream music, because they didn’t have a license to do it?

Any background music you heard in the club or when someone had the radio on was made especially for the show.

And the magic rabbits tv programme which was the only thing they ever watched!

https://brookside.fandom.com/wiki/TheMagicc_Rabbits

Ooh. Sheila and Marie showdown 🤣

George Jackson also appeared in Londons
Burning in the 90s.

I haven’t seen him in anything since though.

It’s strange seeing Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston together on Celebrity Goggle Box!

loved the fight in the street between Marie and Sheila grant. also loved the way no one was stood by filming it on their mobile phone as would be the case now! loved the 80s

Really loving Brookside now.

The acting is brilliant, Sue Johnstone is just fab.

It's a world away from the over the top soaps of today,

I was thinking sue Johnston is fab too. she's a fantastic actress. been great in everything she's done. loved her and Ricky tomlinson together in the Royale family too.

I agree - it’s my favourite thing to watch on TV. So much better than the ridiculous stuff made now.

And I agree, SJ was fab, and the chemistry between her and RT in both Brookie and Royle Family is spot on. Though how anyone could fancy him is beyond me!

So funny seeing Nana Moon as Alan's mum! Took me ages to figure out who she was. Kept thinking he looked like Nicola Sturgeon!! 🤣

I just downloaded the first episode. Not sure how long I have to go before I see Gavin and his cookers out on the lawn, Ray Quinn and Tinhead.

@NCTDN Did you go to Rainhill High School - if so did you know Mr Shilcock, Mrs Booth, etc?

No I'm not from Rainhill but work there now.

The houses were built in the early 80s, were modern houses then not fitted with radiators?
I think Harry Cross mentions on on episode that the house has electric but no gas..

Id have thought has central heating was definitely around in new 80s houses..

When you watch Brookside, you can see other houses on the other side of the fences? Were this real houses that people lived in?

Also there were lots of estates built like Brookside close in the 1980s.

Nowadays houses are built much closer together with smaller driveways and front gardens. To cram more homes in obviously.

Not long for Gavin and the cookers but you'll be waiting a LONG time for Tinhead if they continue with only 5 episodes a week!

I remember watching the omnibus on channel 4 on Saturday afternoons too ! And Eastenders on a Sunday !

I'm miles behind (thanks, work) so I've only just seen the episode where Barry & Terry manage to drown Barry's car. I can entirely see where the Harry Enfield Scousers characters came from! It's such a blast from the past, I'm v much enjoying it still. Just how life used to be pre mobile phones & t'Internet.

What does strike me is how none of the characters are gardeners. They've all got scrappy backyards whereas I'm sure at least Annabel would have been out there tending her borders and creating a nice outdoor space. And for a Catholic house, the Grants' place is v short on religious stuff. I know Sheila has a cross she wears but I'd have expected at least a picture of the Sacred Heart downstairs or a little holy water holder.

@Paul2023 go a few pages back and you'll see we were discussing exactly that same question of central heating in new build houses so you're not alone in wondering 😁think our consensus was 'not everywhere'!

Starting to recognise a lot more faces now. The Cross's son's girlfriend was Wendy Crozier from Corrie. And Damon's friend Pat will return as Tracy Corkhill

I was trying to work out who Pat was!

Even though I watched this back in the day (born in 71, so 12 yrs old when it started) I'm still really shocked at the old fashioned attitudes. Like I remember Harry Cross being an annoying bugger, but my god he is a bigoted old sod. Also never fails to amaze me how much older folk stuck in their marriages no matter what.

Hard to believe that even the younger cast members from a Brookside in the early days are in their 50s and 60s now.

Harrys son Kevin later appeared in Grange Hill as a teacher.

I’ve seen a YouTube video of a recent Brookside close. The close looks quite similar to how it did in the 80s and the fence surrounding the close is still there exactly the same.

Yes it’s strange seeing life before the internet and mobile phones..

It is funny watching both Billy corkhill with his' daughter' Tracy, but both in different roles earlier.

I was disappointed with the outcome of Annabelle's illness. I thought it was the menopause and that Brookside were going to be progressive and talking about it back then. I think the only mention of it was some of the neighbours saying she maybe wasn't well because of "her age"

@VanillaImpulse yes, I was waiting for "The Change" to be mentioned. I can't remember if there is any further development with her illness in the storyline. Her initial doctor was properly old school (the family friend one she saw before she went to the private consultant and got diagnosed on the spot!)

Yes I also thought it was going to be the menopause and was impressed with that idea