Debut Episode Air Dates For New Producers on the UK Soaps

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I promised Amello I would create this thread and update it when Paul Marquess' work starts on Hollyoaks, when Bryan Kirkwood's work starts on EastEnders, and when Phil Collinson's work starts on Coronation Street.

If anyone gets a hold of this information before me, by all means, don't wait for me, post it.

The Radio Times reported last week that Paul Marquess' work on Hollyoaks would begin this coming week. We'll see if that's true...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Also, keep in mind, it will probably take 2-3 months for these new producers to put their actual stories into effect.

I know Diederick Santer's storylines on EastEnders don't all finish until September, but Kirkwood should start building up to his own stories by July/August.

It will probably be until June where we see Marquess' actual stories on Hollyoaks.

[LondonScribe]

I saw it in the Radio Times (admittedly, after Y&RWorldTurner pointed it out, but anyway) and thought this is quite the departure for Paul Marquess who usually insists his name not be put to anything he didn't approve. In the past, there would seemingly be an age between his appointment and when his work appears on screen.

Example number one being when took over as Executive Producer of The Bill. From what I remember, it was announced in October 2001, and with The Bill filmed 12 weeks in advance, Marquess could have jumped in and his name show up on the credits around January 2002. However, it seemed he didn't want to touch the stories at the time (another trait of his that I will touch on briefly later, linking to another point) and it was felt that some of the issues, especially the Polly Page/Dave Quinnan arc, needed to play out, so Chris Parr was drafted in to see out the final six-part episodes of the Richard Handford era. So, in March of 2002 (5 months after his appointment by ITV, Paul Marquess ushered in his era of The Bill. There were virtually no references to the previous story and the episode names/titles were gone. The show had essentially been reset/retooled (as I believe our cousins across the pond would call it..... Well, at least mine would).

In regards to Family Affairs, when Five handed production to talbackTHAMES, and Paul Marquess, took over (announced March 2003), he sat back (with his chosen series producer Alison Davis) and planned his vision of the show whilst he let the stories of Corrine Hollingsworth and Jane Harris play out over the summer, and on Monday 1st September 2003, new opening credits, a new writer, new camera work (the picture was noticeably sharper) and new stories that bore no relation to the previous week's story, started airing.

The reccuring theme with Paul Marquess is patience and usually wanting his era to begin with a clean slate. This is not the case with Hollyoaks as he pretty much has an event he has to keep in the show's immediate future. (Oh, how the FlashForward episode seemed like a good idea at the time). I would imagine for his name to appear now, he would be allowed to have things re-written or changed in the run-up to May. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the tie-ups proposed for post-FF are moved to before or at the event, so his vision can kick into gear immediate afterward with it being swift but seamless. Either that, or the Radio Times have uncharacteristically jumped the gun and Paul Marquess era will begin post-shooting.

As for Bryan Kirkwood, he has the benefit of an extended hand-over with Diederick Santer, and the retention of pretty much all of the staff (including the much maligned Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who incidently, received a lot of praise for his work on Family Affairs as Story Editor that he was almost immediately snapped up by EE when the former came to an end) so he could appear on the credits anytime from late-April to June. I have a feeling a site like Digital Spy will let us know closer to the time.

[DRW50]

What was the Polly Page story about?

I wish I had seen some of Family Affairs to know what the show was like, especially the later stuff. Did Collins have Roxy type characters on there too?

I'm glad you're telling us more of this info, we wouldn't know any of it without you. Any thoughts on Marquess's statements about what he's doing with Hollyoaks?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Didn't Marquess kill off the "family" in Family Affairs?

In their place was the Costellos, right? Funny enough, he's now recycled that name for one of his new Hollyoaks families.

Though, I've heard Marquess' time at Family Affairs was probably the best era on that otherwise troubled soap.

And yes, UK LAW is fabulous!

[DRW50]

I thought it was Brian Park who killed off that family.

I still wish some of that was available. All I saw on Youtube was the scene where the family blew up, and then there were some clips of Holly Hart's various lesbian romances. I don't even know if those are still on there. Oh, and there was a clip of a woman in one of the last episodes, bound and gagged, put up by someone who likes to post clips of women bound and gagged.

[LondonScribe]

Oh, I'm no expert by any means, but thanks all the same.

ITV had toyed with the idea of incorporating 'serialised' elements into The Bill for a good few years, seeing how much it seemed to work with Casualty on BBC1, so asked then producer Richard Handford to put some in. The exact years escape me and the details slightly sketchy but PC Polly Page and PC Dave Quinnan became close around the time or after the latter was ambushed and stabbed on duty by youths. However, Quinnan was with someone else and tried his hardest to ignore his feelings. He even got married to Jenny (I think that's what her name was). But his feelings got in the way and in the end it proved too much and Quinnan and Jenny seperated. I was dipping in and out of the show at the point as the attempts at 'soap' within the show didn't seem to be working in my view. Richard Hardford wasn't a soap producer and it felt as if his hand being forced by the network, hence his heart wasn't in it, which transmitted to what we saw on screen). I believe Quinnan battled inner turmoil and just as it seemed all was good to go with Polly and Dave, Andrew Paul opted to leave, so Quinnan was hastily written out. Again, this may not be entirely accurate.

Treadwell-Collins helped shape story, but ultimately followed the lead of the producers. But, despite what current Eastenders viewers would tell you, he can tell a decent story and can create good characters. I'm unsure as to specific characters but I vaguely remember an interview on the old Family Affairs website where he said he was a strong advocate and strong women, therefore, as soon as Marquess came, they set about strengthening the women. Chrissy Costello was the driving force of the new Costello family (butting heads with the locals at first, then pretending daughter Chloe had cancer, then having a strong part to play in the later storyline about Chloe's abuse). Pete's wife, Eileen Callan deciding Pete needing to be punished, so getting old boyfriend Mike to help set Pete up for arson. The subsequent fire unfortunately killing Roy Farmer and Pete going to prison. Women certainly became the driving force of the show.

The period in which Marquess was exec producer was indeed the best era. The show would have been scrapped sooner had the much needed revamp happened. The show felt fresh and everyone had a purpose. Until then the show had been stigmatised as 'Eastenders-Lite' as it was also set in London.

As for what Marquess wants to do with Hollyoaks, I'm in the camp of 'let's wait and see'. If things become clearer in the next few weeks, I may be more willing to judge, but the painting isn't complete yet.

[DRW50]

So it was Marquess who made the serialized elements a success?

Were you surprised when The Bill was axed, or was it just a matter of time?

I see Eastenders women these days as having loud voices but being very weak in intelligence, drive, and purpose, so it's interesting to hear that this seemed so different on Family Affairs. Those women sound more like the women on Corrie or Brookside than today's EE women.

[Ben]

I guess Yasmin, was a very Roxy-esque character, but she was an original, so never his creation. In October 2005, the Wildings were introduced, and Coral, a footballers wife type of character, was brash like Roxy. I like Roxy, and think her potential is being untapped, but Coral was just plain annoying.

You're right - Brain Park blew up the Hart family. The show went through some interesting times, and became very different towards the end. Ironically, 2005 was a really successful year for the show, so the cancellation was unexpected. I'm surprised there isn't more clips on YT, especially of the later months. Oh, and that clip of the bound and gagged woman, was taken from the Series Fianle, and is of Katie (I forget her late name), who had discovered the pub's new landlord, Rex, had just murdered his sister, Hester, and was about to kill Katie, too. It all ended rather ambiguously, with Katie armed with a blunt object, and Rex preparing to kill her. Did Katie whack him to death and escape? Or did Rex finish her off?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I'm hoping Kirkwood's influence will prove to be a formidable force with Treadwell-Collins'. I think we may get better, stronger women with Kirkwood there.

I think Santer never quite understood serialised storytelling, at least Kirkwood's experience is in this field.

[DRW50]

Thanks for the extra information. Sometimes some of those collections are so wide-ranging they will have stuff no one else has -- the first Another Life clips I saw on Youtube were of someone who had some fondness for women hypnotizing or being hypnotized.

They brought in a ton of new characters towards the end as they had no idea they were being canceled, right? That was all Marquess? I remember reading that Jack Ryder was supposed to join then quit at the last minute.

Was Yasmin there to the end?

[Ben]

The serialised elements were a success to begin with, but they ultimately ate the show. Everything became so OTT and unrealistic.

The Bill being axed was not a surprise, IMO, especially after ITV relaunched the show in a brand new format, which basically alienated a lot of older viewers. I think had this reboot happened several years earlier, it might've worked out better. Now its timeslot has been moved, again, so anyone who is still watching, will slowly be lost.

[DRW50]

Do you agree with those who feel ITV did the revamp just to justify cancellation?

I love the SuBe avatar -- I forget sometimes how popular that is in the UK.

[Ben]

Yasmin lasted until the final episode, and was the only original character to do so. Her transition from wayward Emo teen, to a beautiful young woman who learned to love herself, was really good. It was nice seeing her transitions, even if you weren't a regular viewer.

Sean O'Connor was the final producer, who drafted in the new set of characters during the final 3 months. They were cancelled in August, and filmed their final episode in November. Jack Ryder was gonna play the footballer, Jason, married to Coral, but he pulled out at the last minute, for some reason.

[DRW50]

Did Marquess want to go or was he pushed out?

Did you like the last few months?