brookie

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Wed, 2003-11-05 12:36

brookie

Did anyone watch the last ever Brookside last night? I hadn't watched Brookie properly for about two years and it had become seriously awful, but last nights finale was compelling and to be honest, quite frightening. The community came together to get rid of a horrendous bloke called Jack Michaelson, but did so in a vigilante movement culminating in the lynching of this guy, forcibly hanging him, and nobody had any remorse the next day - the tone of the show seemed to be backing their actions.

That was always the strength of Brookie, that people could do very bad things and get away with it indefinitely, rather than the rest of soap land where baddies get their comeuppance eventually.

Did remind me what a fine show it had been at its best (though as I say, its worst was worse than anything else tv had to offer). I will actually miss it.

Wed, 2003-11-05 17:02

andrew pack

Was that the first one, or the one with the Mancunian lad who had his own religious cult, leading to Barry Grant smacking him, then giving the immortal line , " You Mancs, ever since you've won the title you all think you're God"

Wed, 2003-11-05 17:09

Tara

Taped it but have yet to watch - am sorry to see Brookie go. C4 seemed to lose all faith in the show, messing with the scheduling etc - it had some tacky moments but was certainly no more than the major soaps (Eastenders anyone?) Brookie was the first really modern British soap and the others all owe it a debt - in tackling taboo material in a realistic way. Now there are too many soaps, and more outrageous plotlines all the time. Brookie got caught in the rot I'm afraid. Another reason for Brookie's decline was that, at times, it was simply too convincing - bleak and frightening. Not always what people want to see on primetime TV. Let's hope C4 make good their promise to replace Brookie's slot with quality new drama - and not just more reality shows.

Wed, 2003-11-05 18:08

Jeff Prince

The best storyline ever was Rachael, Beth and Mandy Jordache, the patio, the lesbian kiss, Trevor's creepy sister sneaking around, Sinbad's burgeoning romance with Mandy, being on the run in Ireland, the inevitable trial etc. and so forth. I saw the first five mins last night and there was a fair bit of effing and jeffing going on.

Thu, 2003-11-06 09:16

andrew pack

Agree with you Tara - I'd forgotten that Brookside could convey that sense of ordinary people trapped by awful circumstance. When Eastenders did domestic violence, you always knew that because Little Mo was such a likeable person that she would eventually escape it and get a life that she deserved; whereas when you were watching the Jordaches you felt seriously that they were caught in that situation and you couldn't see a way out. Probably not what people want to watch at tea-time, but as I said, when it was good, it really did knock socks off everything else. Redmond spoke recently about the storyline he was most proud of and he said one where an adult confessed she couldn't read, because on the back of it he launched an adult literacy course that had huge take-up. TV that made a difference

Thu, 2003-11-06 09:25

Liana

It used to be very good in the early days, though i lost touch with the characters whilst i was living abroad and never really got back into it... it also gave us the fantastic sue johnston and ricky tomlinson, so we should be grateful for that... (what IS going on with his nose though?) sheila grants rape storyline featuring ,husband bobby and friend matty, was compelling...

Wed, 2003-11-05 13:12

Tony Cook

I didn't see it but I did read that the character's name is of interest. Phil Redmond believes that the abolition of Brookie came about because of Michael Jackson at C4 - hence the baddy's name being Jack Michaelson. Subtle, huh?

Wed, 2003-11-05 13:29

chooselife

Can anyone remember 'the seige' ? One of the actors was so traumatised, she went on to become a forensic scientist.

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