[James2001]

That started happening a while ago, I had read a lot of viewers weren't happy with the amount of swearing so they quickly made changes.

There was one episode where the sound cut out when someone said what looked like "piss off", which would suggest they'd made changes to episodes already filmed, though we then had a "bullshit" a couple of episodes later, so no idea what was really going on.

One thing that's got a bit tiring it we'd seen Matty fall out with Bobby over being made redundant around 3 different times, then in episode 41 we had his daughter doing it to Damon, they seemed to be treading over the same ground over and over.

Damon's now twice been caught loitering in the empty houses by the new residents moving in, you'd think he'd have learned his lesson after episode 1 where Barry had to buy a new toilet for the Collins'

Nice shot of St John's Beacon in its pre-Radio City days at the start of episode 41, as well as the long gone outdoor escalators at the shopping centre.

[Alf Stewart]

I agree, this redundancy story seems to be dragging on a bit now and it's getting a bit tedious. It was obviously an important story to tell (and still is) but there's just no development to it. If we're finding it tiring at an increased rate it must have been very boring at the 'normal' pace.

I think the programme is starting to struggle with the small pool of characters now too. We just seem to be covering the same ground. How long has the Karen and Damon not wanting to go to mass saga been going on for? Feels like forever. I know in a real family situation these sorts of issues can drag on for months/years but it's not something that's particularly entertaining. A least Alan Partridge has turned up now so a bit more variety to the residents. Is it long before we get any more?

I also find some of the episodes seem to lack any direction. Sometimes the script seems to meander from random scene to random scene. The lack of cliffhanger or 'hook' for the next episode leaves me feeling 'meh' too. A sign of the times I guess. If these episodes were broadcast now as a new soap/drama, they just wouldn't last five minutes. I know a lot of people would like soaps to go back to a more gentle pace and be more like the soaps of days gone by but I think these episodes show that really wouldn't cut the mustard. I guess something in the middle would be needed.

I'm still enjoying watching these episodes but the lack of anything meaningful happening is making it harder to watch. Ironic given what it became in its later years and ultimately lead to to demise.

[James2001]

A least Alan Partridge has turned up now so a bit more variety to the residents. Is it long before we get any more?

I think Harry & Edna cross appear soon... though as the Brookside Episodes website has been down for the best part of a week, which I'd been using to track what was happening, I'm not sure exactly when (keep hoping it comes back, if only just for long enough for me to download the zip file... which I should have done in the first place. I wouldn't be suprised if increased interest because of the STV streaming has caused the site to go over its bandwidth limit). Petra vanishes and her sister and her family move into number 10 in her place around the same time too.

[Brekkie]

I agree, this redundancy story seems to be dragging on a bit now and it's getting a bit tedious. It was obviously an important story to tell (and still is) but there's just no development to it. If we're finding it tiring at an increased rate it must have been very boring at the 'normal' pace.

It's probably watching it in a way it wasn't intended to be watching which makes it "boring".   I find it quite refreshingly boring really rather than the usual soap cliche of today where a characters loses their job one episode and finds on on the same street the next.   I think in this set of episodes it's not at the forefront too - it's just them getting on with life.

Talking of pace though I found it odd that Roger's mum and dad came to stay for a few days and then that has spanned three weeks on screen.

One other thing I've noticed and actually quite like is that when an actor fluffs their lines it's kept in and they correct themselves, because it's actually quite natural for people to not always get their words out correctly then correct themselves.


More generally though I didn't think I'd stick with these episodes as long as I would but it's actually a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a Wednesday night, and feels less of a commitment to watch a batch of five episodes in one go over a couple of hours (and with very few ads) than it would if they had released them daily.

[Alf Stewart]

I agree, this redundancy story seems to be dragging on a bit now and it's getting a bit tedious. It was obviously an important story to tell (and still is) but there's just no development to it. If we're finding it tiring at an increased rate it must have been very boring at the 'normal' pace.

It's probably watching it in a way it wasn't intended to be watching which makes it "boring".   I find it quite refreshingly boring really rather than the usual soap cliche of today where a characters loses their job one episode and finds on on the same street the next.   I think in this set of episodes it's not at the forefront too - it's just them getting on with life.

Talking of pace though I found it odd that Roger's mum and dad came to stay for a few days and then that has spanned three weeks on screen.

One other thing I've noticed and actually quite like is that when an actor fluffs their lines it's kept in and they correct themselves, because it's actually quite natural for people to not always get their words out correctly then correct themselves.


More generally though I didn't think I'd stick with these episodes as long as I would but it's actually a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a Wednesday night, and feels less of a commitment to watch a batch of five episodes in one go over a couple of hours (and with very few ads) than it would if they had released them daily.

Oh yes, I completely agree. Especially when a character loses their job one day and gets another job the next day that they're completely unqualified to do! But yes you're right, the redundancy storyline probably just seems more intense as we're watching at a quicker pace.

And yes the stuff with 'Mother' and Sidney (nothing more creepy than a man referring to his wife as Mother) was very peculiar. Lots of inconsistencies in their whole stay.

[James2001]

(nothing more creepy than a man referring to his wife as Mother)

Can probably blame Alfred Hitchcock for that one!

As long as Roger doesn't turn out to be Norman Bates.

[James2001]

I find it quite refreshingly boring really rather than the usual soap cliche of today where a characters loses their job one episode and finds on on the same street the next. 

I think one thing there is there's literally no workplaces that are a part of the show's setting, and there won't be for another 8 1/2 years until the parade's built, so there's nowhere that's techically part of the setting for characters to just walk in. Later on they could probably run to Bev to get a job in the bar, Mick at the pizza place, or Bing for the petrol station!

I wonder if that's part of why the show seems so slow moving at times as well, the lack of other regular settings outside the houses. Keeps the characters more separated than in other soaps too, as you don't get them interacting in the pub or at the shop.

[Brekkie]

There is plenty of on location stuff though and scenes away from the close such as most characters work places, bars in the city, the church and just scenes in the city and city parks. Indeed in an era where soaps rarely venture out of their multi million pound sets it's nice to remember they used to embrace the wider world.

[James2001]

Does seem strange how much the show seems to have stagnated though, there was a lot going on in the first 20, 25 episodes, but then it dried up. Obviously we know it recovers (and then was too far in the other direction by the second half of the 90s), but I wonder what viewers thought at the time.

We get a sort-of look at the entrance to the close at the start of episode 42, I presume that "shed" is the original security lodge.

   

[JAS84]

A least Alan Partridge has turned up now so a bit more variety to the residents. Is it long before we get any more?

I think Harry & Edna cross appear soon... though as the Brookside Episodes website has been down for the best part of a week, which I'd been using to track what was happening, I'm not sure exactly when (keep hoping it comes back, if only just for long enough for me to download the zip file... which I should have done in the first place. I wouldn't be suprised if increased interest because of the STV streaming has caused the site to go over its bandwidth limit). Petra vanishes and her sister and her family move into number 10 in her place around the same time too.

Try the Wayback Machine. It should at least have the webpages, you might even be able to grab that zip.