michael_mulligan

I remember when this show first aired in the UK, back then there was only 3-4 tv channels so a lack of choices meant the Arthur Daley hour got good ratings. What was intended as a post Sweeney vehicle for Dennis Waterman unintentionally made his co-star George Cole the scene stealing star. But it's depiction of London life in the 1980s was severely dated plus whenever episodes that featured other nationalities like Greeks, Irish, Italians and even Scots were played to clichéd stereotypes. However watching repeats it's a curious watching veteran actors like Lionel Jeffries, Beryl Reid and Max Wall making guest appearances plus aspiring ones like Paul Barber, June Brown and Ray Winstone.

A fictionalised account of London life that may have existed 30 or 40 years ago. Walford in 2017 is largely white in population, like a home counties town not an inner London district. People work locally on low wage jobs whilst living in rented properties that would require top dollar rents. And if you're gay whoopydo you'll find yourself hooked up to what is the only gay in the village. An unrealistic portrayal of London life that's addictive for some

I was 8 years old when this ITV take on Seaside Special aired. At the time all I could remember was the theme tune which ITV used the following year for advertising their summer season and the TV times, needless to say a second series wasn't commissioned. After catching some episodes on you tube it seems obvious that for it's time when there was only 3 channels on UK TV, people were easily entertained and the producers knew they could away with making shows like Hi! Summer. It's all singing, dancing and general enforced jollity came across as cringe worthy and a waste of the cast's talents, especially veterans Leslie Crowther and Anna Dawson who was much better employed on the sketch comedy What's On Next and the late Lena Zavaroni.

When it first aired in 1982 Brookside was clearly different to what had been on UK TV. Swearing and scenes like Karen Grant being threatened by her boyfriend with a pot of hot tea into having sex drew criticism from the press to Mary Whitehouse. They toned the swearing down but delivered great plots some of which had good social comment like Damon's spell on the YTS. There was some fun moments too like Sheila and Marie's slanging match on the close. By the 1990s plots like the body under the patio and the religious cult siege took the show to a new and far-fetched low. The Nikki Shadwick rape whodunit was too overdrawn whilst the Nat and Georgia incest storyline could have been interesting but due to tabloid outrage was quickly wound up. By the 2000s channel 4 started airing Big Brother and Brookside found itself playing second fiddle in the prime time schedules and got a weekly Saturday afternoon slot. And in 2003 Brookside went out without as much as a bang.

Back in the mid 1980s UK this children's drama was definitely different to to usual tat that came from Australia(i.e. Return to Eden, S&D and The Young Doctors). The show's subjects were kids in care that resided in a compound known as Westmere(Melbourne) where they often encountered hostility from the local community especially when attending school. The beauty of this show was that it always showed the story from a kid's perspective as their fate was often at the fault of their elders, be it the parents or the authorities. I also remember some of its stars(Vikki Blanche, Linda Hartley, Maxine Klibingaitis & Jenny Young) went on to appear in Neighbours. The theme by Lothar & the giants was particularly memorable too.

Can't remember the team name but it initially was filmed at Waford FC, manager Mac Murphy (Ken Hutchinson) helped rival kiddie supporters to settle their differences and set up their own supporters club. Early cast members included Keith Jayne (Stig of the dump star who everyone comments on his age & height), Amanda Mealing (Grange Hill cast-off turned Holby City control freak)& Lewis Stevens (Wurzel, he didn't star in the Yellow Pages french polishers commercial, that was Simon Schatzberger). Linda Bellingham who played Mac's wife was another early co-star (I was to young to enjoy confessions films at the time). After two series the show was relocated to Derby, and cast changes were inevitable as the original cast were obviously deemed to old to be portrayed as teenagers. By the time the fourth series appeared I'd left school & joined the big bad world (in other words I got a job). That was when Murphy's Mob became a distant memory to me. The first two series could easily rivalled Grange Hill at the time.

When Chuck & Buck were kids they enjoyed a special friendship, which on one occasion they both engaged in homosexual experimenting, that soon drifted apart when the boys reached junior high school age. Buck a simple minded type has never forgotten Chuck & their one-off sexual encounter. Chuck, a guy who has clearly moved on, is now an aspirant executive for a recording company in LA. The two are reunited when Buck invites Chuck to attend his mother's funeral. Chuck & his fiancé are unaware that Buck has unrequited feelings for him. At the funeral Buck's fire is re-lit & he soon hotfoots to LA to be near his crush, here the stalking begins. Buck also channels his money & energy into a play based on his childhood friendship with Chuck. The play is performed at an independent theatre where his befriended by the manager. Buck's neighbour, a swaggering jobbing actor, forms an unlikely friendship with him & he a role in Buck's play. Chuck's cool & somewhat silent reaction to Buck's advances are not endearing. This is a stalker movie with a difference, it almost tells it from Buck's point of view & you could easy have sympathy for the guy. A funny but sensitive watch.

I was only 10 years old when this show premiered on TV in London. But it was shown on Fridays (10.30pm) & I was allowed to enjoy the antics of the Campbells & the Tates. The characters & their situations were something I had never experienced on TV before, but the actors involved made the show an enjoyable one. Lead character Jessica (Katherine Helmond) was a lovable dope who could pull viewers heartstrings as well, she embarks on an extra marital affair with her tennis coach (who turns out to be her brother in-law's son) who's also having relationships with her daughter Corrine (Confused? You should be), who later turns her attentions to a Catholic priest. Jodie (Billy Crystal) was a gay guy intent on having gender re-alignment to win over his footballer boyfriend, when this failed he turned straight & fathered a baby girl which later sparked an ugly custody battle. Other characters worth mentioning were Burt (Jessica's brother in-law) a quirky guy who's impotent & had issues with his stepsons (wife Mary's boys)it later transpired that Burt killed Mary's first husband. Mary's first born Danny is a would be mobster who decides to quit the mob, in order to do this he enters a shotgun marriage to the boss's daughter (Danny's mob bosses went from being Italian to Jewish without mention). At the time the sexual references & American colloquialisms were unintelligible but watching re-runs on cable have reconfirmed my views that this daytime soap parody is a comic classic.

Back in 1979 (I was only 10 years old then) the BBC showed this film as a four part serial in it's original dialogue with English narration by actor Keith Barron. Matic has just moved to an apartment block with his mother, dad is away on business in Libya!. He instantly falls foul of the local tough kids & also acquires a Newfoundland dog called Jakob. The local kids, after a run-in with the police, are forced to patch up their differences with Matic and new friendships are forged. Matic's mother soon finds out that having Jakob is a breach of their tenancy contract & the dog must go. Matic & the kids do their uttermost to save Jakob from eviction. Alas it fails, and Matic's mother informs him that Jakob has gone to a new home. A jolly tale with a rather sad ending but my somewhat vague memories of this film are fond ones nevertheless.