classic Eastenders ur-pose: in kitchen, turned 3/4 away from other character, glowering with menace and/or hurt, shot in piss-grey video
classic Brookside ur-pose: in kitchen, feet up on table, chattering worriedly/avuncularly about, you know, being held at gunpoint in your own house last week, shot in crisp bright video with lots of camera movement and artfully-placed foreground objects partially/artistically obscuring view
honestly, is there any comparison?? everyone in Eastenders is a smarm-bomb about to explode or a weedy bitch holding 15-yr-old grudge: GET OVER IT PEOPLE!!
the guy who plays the father-figure on Brookside is a TREAT to watch, he's at home with himself in a way i've rarely seen, no wonder the girl who gave testimony's mom went for him!
I LOVE BROOKSIDE!
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)
― kate (kate), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― charltonlido (gareth), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― Nicolars (Nicole), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)
RIGHT, FORGET THE TAT post-1990, what we're talking is the classic period of Sheila Grant, Bobby Grant, Damon Grant, Karen Grant and Barry Grant before he became a master criminal (pah!), where uber-scribe JIMMY McGOVERN cut his teeth many moons ago. The show's realism, perhaps stemming from Phil Redmond's GRANGE HILL (qv), which he was still working on at the time, was cemented by the introduction of mobile camera technology and the innovative use of actual, genuine houses on a Liverpool cul-de-sac. A snip at £2 million. Redmond often cites as one of the show's big advantages the ability to actually follow an actor through the front door, and out into the garden (no massive paintings of the street here, wobbling slighty, ACORN ANTIQUES-style). Also the first soap to have an omnibus - on Saturday teatime, thus ideal for post-football results entertainment whilst having your tea. We're all familiar with the twice-weekly Scouseathon itself, so let's just cherry-pick those moments - do you remember: Harry Cross - classic Northern whinging, and his funny mate Ralph? "FREE GEORGE JACKSON" painted in the windows of St. George's Tower, Liverpool (can anybody provide any info on the Jacksons?) The famous siege, involving at least one regular character - the other victims were clearly cannon fodder. What about PICTURE BOX supremo ALAN ROTHWELL as the dodgy bloke hanging around Heather (AMANDA BURTON)? He was involved in heroin, the naughty man - helped by dodgy geezer number 2 Charlie. Or SUE JOHNSTON's powerful rape performance? How about the first generation of Corkhills, headed by the fantastic JOHN McARDLE. His "intervention" in his daughter Tracy's relationship with her teacher. And don't forget Doe, the credit-card addict, and of course Rod The Plod. There was "Gay" Gordon, son of Annabel and Paul, the token upper-class characters. Poor Damon was the sad one, of course; his demise was portrayed in the failed spin-off "bubble" concept prog DAMON AND DEBBIE - stabbed with a pen (or something) in York. Of course the characters were the basis for "Te, Ba & Ga" off Harry Enfield. The decline of the show into the ridiculous, drug-trafficking, body-burying, incestuous, virus-harbouring beast that it is today can probably be gauged by the loss of the woods behind the houses - many a fugitive had made their escape through there. Then they built some shops on it, and that was that.
― Paul Kelly, Monday, 13 October 2003 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)
It's got a great deal more rubbish lately. Partly this is due to the absense of its hottest character (Finn) and partly because they decided to leave behind contraversial plots for outlandish ones.
― kate (kate), Monday, 13 October 2003 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)
And Ali Bastian is lovely, obv.
― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 13 October 2003 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)