[Si-Co]

Comparing early episodes of Brookside with the early episodes of EastEnders and the other ongoing soaps, it was the only one that lacked any sort of social setting like a pub or market place where the characters could meet or bump into each other and interact, ie gossip or involve each other in storylines. Because everyone is new to the Close, there are very limited opportunities for interaction - they are not yet at the “borrowing a cup of sugar” stage - so each family’s business seems very much their own. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, and as viewers it allowed to us to get to know each family’s storylines which can be cleverly contrasted - the juxtaposition of Paul Collins’s and Bobby Grant’s political views and the very different conversations these families have at the dinner table.

At the moment we only have four houses occupied out of the six in the cul-de-sac itself - it’s about six months before anyone moves into the bungalow (no 6) and almost a year before anyone snaps up no 7 next door to the Collinses. The fact that notwithstanding the above, Brookside was able to successfully depict life in a suburban street says a lot for its creator and writers.