Brookside reruns

[Redglitter]

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

I’m still watching. Didn’t think I would but I’m getting more into it.

I can’t really warm to the Rogers family but I’m enjoying watching the Corkhills. Sheila and Billy’s relationship is lovely.

What I love about Brookside is it all seems quite real and natural. Not like soaps of today.

I visited the Close recently when I was visiting the area. It’s so tiny in real life.

I think the storylines are realistic because they are not over the top and dramatic most soaps started like that and have sadly lost their way
Unfortunately Brookside did in the end too.

The thing that strikes me about Brookside is how suddenly and finally some of the cast exit, which impacts on the storylines. Bobby would have come back if only to check on the house sale, and probably to kick off about his catholic wife and child living with Billy. Karen would have been more of a presence despite living in London. Doreen would have left but noway would that character have disappeared from her kid’s lives. Lucy is in France but may as well have gone to the moon! It makes me wonder about the dynamics of the crew and production that so many exits seem rushed and more about the actor’s exit than the storyline credibility! Still loving it though!

Thst seems to be the way in soaps though a character leaves and you never see them again its like that in most soaps even when they only move up the road .

Ricky Tomlinson was a case in point of it being more about the actor than the storyline, as he had a fall out with the makers over money, storylines and who knows what else! Or so history has it.

Was there any mention of Jamie leaving? Not sure if I missed an episode because the next thing he was working in Scotland and I guess he’s not coming back.

No, he just disappeared too.
The word was that he had a falling out with, possibly, Phil Redmond over refusing to wear a particular t shirt. Having watched again recently I’m not sure if it was the one he shrunk in the wash an episode or two before he was mentioned as being in Glasgow. When I saw that it jogged my memory as to what had been said about his departure back in the day.
It was a shame as he was a good character, and sadly the actor died when he was only in his 50s.

No.It was very sudden one minute he was eating trifle in Billys kitchen and Billy advising him to start window cleaning and the next Tracy said he had a job in Scotland ,?
Maybe he also.had a falling out with the director's?

Yes he was in it for over a year so.It wasent like he was just a bit part actor plus he was in South too.
I liked him.he reminded me of my nephew in both looks and attitudes
And I also read about his death ,very sad.

Does anyone else google the characters to see where they are and what they're up to today? yes just like Jamie, Sean mckee many of the actors have sadly passed away.
was shocked to read the actor who played Terry sullivan was imprisoned for drug dealing.
Also Jeff Rodgers became headmaster of a school.

that should have read Google the actors not the characters.

Justine Kerrigan (Tracy) is on Twitter and her bio says she works for the NHS for 25 years, and she’s posted that she’s going to be a grandmother soon.

It's weird some actors such as Anna Friel, Sue Johnson, Ricky Tomlinson ,Amanda Burton have done really well ,and others have sunk without a trace

It’s my favourite thing to watch too!
I can’t remember all the storylines either, though I do remember the characters.

How ironic Jeff becoming a Headteacher!

Justine Kerrigan lives across the road from a friend of a friend. It makes me feel star struck

Mandy Jordache was in Casualty this week.

I think my parents stopped watching brookside about 1990-91ish no idea why but I can't seem to remember it being on TV in our house from around that time, even though they'd watched from the very beginning in 1982.
I'm currently loving watching it but not sure if I will lose interest once the story lines become too far fetched and stupid as all soaps did in the late 90s onwards.

Me too ,the story lines are believable
The break up of Bobby and Sheilas marriage
Sheila,and Billy gradually falling for each other
Tracy being sexually harassed at work
Annabel ,s affair
Gordon having an HIV,test ,it's not over the top and ridiculous drama and I care about the characters.

I think we are missing a soap like early Brookside. Ordinary people having ordinary problems, slow build ups and characters we care about and can even relate to.

Although perhaps people wouldn’t be interested these days when TV shows tend to be past paced and very dramatic.

It makes me so nostalgic. Simpler times.

Definitely - it’s all about the characters, relationships and normal lives. So much more watchable, and funny than current soaps.

It's funny how as you get older you can see things in a different perspective i i used to think Tracy corkhill was a moody selfish person I was a couple of years younger than her but watching it now I can see how vulnerable she was her mums left ,her dad's trying his best and she's being sexually exploited by her boss now I have enormous amount of sympathy for her.

Where has Annabel’s mother’s Dementia gone?

It fluctuate, s wildly doesn't it?

She’s gone from shrieking in the close about Paul trying to kill her to being the most logical member of the Collins family. They couldnt cope with managing her illness and now she seems very self-sufficient.

I’m so bored of the Paul and Annabelle thing !