Brookside (1982–2003)

The everyday life and times of the residents, friends and enemies who live in a suburban street in the city of Liverpool in the north of England.

Creators:

Colin McKeown, Phil Redmond

Stars:

Alexandra Fletcher, Diane Burke, Dean Sullivan

7 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Alexandra Fletcher	...	Jacqui Dixon (280 episodes, 1990-2003)
Diane Burke	...	Katie Rogers (220 episodes, 1989-2003)
Dean Sullivan	...	Jimmy Corkhill (219 episodes, 1986-2003)
Steven Pinder	...	Max Farnham (216 episodes, 1990-2003)
Vince Earl	...	Ron Dixon (214 episodes, 1990-2003)
Leon Lopez	...	Jerome Johnson (212 episodes, 1999-2002)
Suzanne Collins	...	Nikki Shadwick (211 episodes, 1999-2003)
Tiffany Chapman	...	Rachel Dixon (208 episodes, 1993-2003)
Steven Cole	...	Leo Johnson (180 episodes, 1996-2001)
Paul Byatt	...	Mike Dixon (161 episodes, 1990-2003)
Sue Jenkins	...	Jackie Corkhill (130 episodes, 1992-2001)
Rachael Lindsay	...	Sammy Rogers (125 episodes, 1987-2003)
Karen Drury	...	Susannah Farnham (121 episodes, 1991-2000)
Sue Johnston	...	Sheila Grant (116 episodes, 1982-1989)

Storyline

The everyday life and times of the residents, friends and enemies who live in a suburban street in the city of Liverpool in the north of England.

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Plot Keywords:

liverpool | friend | one word title | family relationships | soap

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1982 (UK)

Also Known As:

Meadowcroft

Filming Locations:

Benidorm, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mersey Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 90 min (2002)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last resident to leave Brookside Close, Jimmy Corkhill, added the letter 'd' to the word 'Close', symbolically signalling the end of the soap.

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Quotes

Beverly 'Bev' McLoughlin Gonzales Dixon: [making fun of Lindsey] She's gone from stealing pesetas to peeling potatoes.

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Connections

Referenced in Brookside: Double Take! (1999)

User Reviews

King of the soaps

Lots of people argue that this show was better in its formative years in the 80s, when respected screenwriters such as Jimmy McGovern were learning their craft by turning out 2 (later 3) high-quality episodes a week, and people like Ricky Tomlinson were strutting their acting stuff.

Unfortunately, these people left to do bigger and better things, and it's not unfair to say that during the mid-to-late-90s the show reached a nadir as boring characters became involved in repetitive, far-fetched storylines. Viewers switched off in their droves and Brookside was threatened with the axe by Channel 4.

Fortunately, a new producer by the name of Paul Marquess joined the show in 1999 and has succeeded in turning the show around, giving it a new lease of life. Although there have been some minor blips along the way (the worst being the badly executed exit of long-serving character Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney in 2000), Brookside is now once again a show that can be taken seriously. Heavy drama is blended with light-hearted comedy, helped along by inventive, witty dialogue from a new generation of writers.

In 2000, the show celebrated its 18th birthday, and can look forward to a long and prosperous future as a cornerstone of the Channel 4 schedule for many years to come.