Brookside is back!

[RocksOff]

Sheila & Billy leaving was quite understated, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were just going on a break not leaving permanently. If this was nowadays they would have made more of a fuss of their departure

It was like Harry just going away for what seemed like only a holiday but Mick has revealed, from a phone call, he’s not coming back (although he does make a brief return in the late 90s) and the Collins’s departure was quite subdued as well

Once the Dixons arrive, this will be like, as you say, a new era for the show. Brookside 2.0 in a way and is when I started watching the show. Once the Parade opens, which won’t be until late 1991 that’s when the storylines properly ramp up

Yes, that's very true, totally understated
From what I remember, most of the exits were, apart from, weirdly the Chois, who hadn't been there long and spoke about leaving from almost the minute they arrived!!

I missed quite a bit of the storyline coming up originally, I had quite the social life back then!
So will enjoy seeing it properly this time

 

[RocksOff]

I was an early days watcher, missed a lot of the early 90's as I was working and had a fairly hectic social life ( those were the days!) But I would try to catch the odd omnibus edition.
Tinhead etc I don't really remember, that's why I'm so grateful for the STV reruns, though it will be a while to get there
And now this cross over,
Happy Days

 

[AdsB]

Sheila and Bobby have split up, hence why Sheila is leaving.
The Rogers are renting Harold's house
Doreen has left Billy and Rod is the local plod!!

Ahh I see. I stopped watching pretty early on as I couldn't get into it. I'll come back for the 1990s era as that was amazing.

 

[Quarrantinemadness]

I’m wayyyy behind, episode 23
How many years until we get to watch Max Farnham?
oh and the Shadwicks arriving?
No wonder I wasn’t allowed to watch this when I was 8

 

[RocksOff]

Yes, I go through sky to the STV app

It's made a big difference for me, I have quite bad hearing loss, so this is great news

 

[RocksOff]

Brookside was first shown on a Monday and Tuesday and an hour omnibus on Saturday at 5.05

 

[Maid22]

Yes the actress who played Claire did pop in, was lovely!
Hopefully she'll come back here!! I wanted to know what her children thought of her being on tv!!!

 

[Maid22]

I wonder if STV will show the spin off show of Damon and Debbie.

 

[RocksOff]

It was strange about Karen, they could have made an excuse rather than not being able to contact her at all

Did anyone else notice how Claire nearly got whacked on the head as Bobby carried her from the kitchen to the lounge?.
Poor girl!

 

[minnieminx88]

Its a bit slow going. I never watched these early ones first time round so was mid 90s for me too.

 

[LennyBriscoe]

That was a great cat fight between Sheila and Marie!!!

Oooh I’ve fallen a bit behind so that’s something to look forward to Marie has great hair for grabbing

 

[HowlOwl]

Adrian Mills, who used to be one of Esther Rantzen’s ‘boys’ on That’s Life, was on in this weeks episodes during the football match

View attachment 2368594

I thought it was John Bishop, at first.

 

[RocksOff]

Too much Sinbad in this week's episodes, roll on when the new neighbors arrive!!
Can't understand Mick putting up with Josie ( she'll always Tess in casualty to me!)

Agree to both of your points @Maid22!

Is it just me that cannot get over Billy's hairy neck??
It makes me feel a bit ill
Especially when he has an open necked shirt!
It seems to just be treading water til the new families arrive, which is ok, no need for massive drama every minute, but it does seem a bit flat at the moment

Oh! And how the heck would Jimmy and Kath get a mortgage?

 

[Sh1tRollsDownHill]

I've just found this thread and surreal as it is, I was the actress that played Claire . thanks for the mentions! I didn't think anyone would remember me and I don't even remember the scenes being posted haha

Our Claire!!! Brookside royalty you were the first born in a storyline. Obviously you know that! I say this because when we first started watching at ours we mentioned the Grant baby storyline as one we remembered. Are you watching the old episodes?
Can't remember, did you have any lines in later episodes?
So many questions are you in touch with any of the original cast? Have you done any more TV work since? What are you doing these days?
I'll be reporting back to my husband later

 

[Maid22]

Loving the arrival of the Corkhills, they just slotted right in! Julia and her clippity shoes going across the close!
Worst ones are Pat and Sandra, awful actors, so is Heather, though she has lovely hair!

 

[Cupid_Stunt]

Are they skipping episodes. Mine went from marie’s dad at the door at the end of one to him sleeping on the sofa in the next. No in between. Hadnt he been awol for years?? And now he wants the house? Has he rights?
---
Caught up now. Theres a Will

Brookside was shown on Monday & Wednesdays in 1984. What feels like a jump in storyline where you think you’ve missed an episode is because of the big gap between the Wednesday and the following Monday’s episode. Events have probably happened off screen so life on the Close has carried on in those intermittent days so you have to fill in some of the gaps yourself.

Presumably Marie (and Michelle) had a catch up with their dad in those missing days

 

[Maid22]

Ooooh can't wait to start this. I have virgin, not sky, wonder can i get it on there. I was so young when Brookside came out, but still remember the nightclub bomb and the helicopter crashing into the garage

I'm looking forward to rewatching, saving it for the weekend, used to love it!
I downloaded the STV player app to watch it on

 

[Maid22]

The woman who plays Pat’s girlfriend Fran, from the band, turns up again 11 years later as Margi Shadwick, the mum of the Shadwicks

I didn't know that, i think there's been a few who have reappeared as different characters over the years.

 

[RocksOff]

Not sure if baby Claire is still reading here but there was lots of front and centre acting in these episodes!

I always wonder with really young child actors if they have to sit and totally explain that it's make believe. It must be so confusing when they say things like: "There's Daddy". In one of these episodes Sheila is asking Claire what she'd like for lunch and I always wonder if the child actually then gets that! Also there's such a lot of conflict and rowing and even if they explain the pretence of it do very young children get upset in those moments?

I came here to post exactly this!
How funny, the same thoughts were going through my mind when I was watching these episodes.
How well baby Claire coped with it was amazing

 

[twinkleunicorn]

Anyone still watching??

Yes, I’m catching up on this weeks episodes