BBC's El Dorado

[soapfan770]

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Some say this is the worst soap of all time and was the laughingstock of Britain when it aired. I really like the theme music and from the clips I saw it didn't seem that bad I wonder if it just needed time to develop better.

[Ben]

It has to be the woodiest soap ever. Probably on par with Passions, and their wooden sets and wooden acting.

It was highly addictive, though (aren't they always?).

I guess it came out at the wrong time, and on the wrong network. Had it happened after Sunset Beach, and on a network where its lower ratings would've be considered OK, then maybe it would've stood a better chance...? But on the other hand, as the years have gone on, networks have lost patience, and expect everything to deliver strong ratings week-in week-out, treating soaps like any other show. This is why no new soap stands a chance; just look at Crossroads, Night And Day, Headland, Out of the Blue...

[JamesF]

I'm procrastinating on writing a report so I thought why not waste an hour researching the most derided soap opera in British history.

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Most fascinating of all is the below documentary about the show's creation and cancellation. I remember watching it a few years ago and had forgotten how horrendous it all sounded behind the scenes. Completely and utterly set up to fail. Even though I was only 8 years old when the show went off air I do remember a massive shift in public and press affection for it. It really could have gone somewhere with more time.

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[Y&RWorldTurner]

I remember hearing that the day it premiered, ITV scheduled an hour-long Corrie against it to "kill it before it starts."

The show looks incredibly boring and over the top from what I've seen, and that's a strange way to describe it, since one doesn't usually equate being over the top with being boring per se.

I guess there was a lot of hope for it, since it was Julia Smith and Tony Holland's first creation since EastEnders. It just seems very odd for a British soap, I guess they didn't want to be pigeonholed for being only "those people who created EastEnders."

I did hear that the show started to find its groove better towards the end when a new producer came in.

Weird seeing Charlie Slater in some of the clips that are on YouTube...

[JamesF]

You should definitely watch the documentary if you get the chance. Fascinating insight from Tony Holland, Corinne Hollingsworth and Tony Jordan who have all been heavy hitters at EastEnders.

It was very much a product of the early 90s and in particular the BBC. The move to embrace the European community and a response to the sunshine success of the Aussie soaps in the late 80s.

From my very vague memories and the repeats I caught on cable a few years ago...it was boring at the start. There were a few characters that popped but on the whole it didn't make a great deal of sense. Then Hollingsworth really did turn it round. I do however vividly remember some great stuff like Joy getting attacked and the women guarding her from her ex-husband, Marcus's car getting bombed, Trish Valentine. I also remember one of the Spanish characters hiding the fact that he was gay and then (I think successfully) trying to commit suicide before his wedding.

[Sylph]

Would you care to elaborate?

[JamesF]

Just stuff from the doco. Specifically that they were given a 6 month turnaround to build the entire village/piazza set on a random Spanish hillside even though it had taken 12 months to build Albert Square on the Elstree backlot.

Another example is that one of the big issues the audience had was European characters speaking in their native language with no subtitles. The press exaggerated how much this happened at the time but it was weird. I can't remember where I heard it but apparently this was a dictum from the BBC.

The story of the first read through and Tony Holland's first view of a rough cut are particularly cringeworthy.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I had to laugh at Tony Jordan's first reaction to seeing a scene from the show - "Oh f.uck! This is awful, bloody awful!" :lol:

[JWDrama1980]

From my blog:

http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com

[Vee]

I remember reading about this scandal some time ago.

The concept was compelling - and of course EE has told stories with remote shoots of mobsters having fled to Spain, as have great films like The Hit and Sexy Beast - but the execution was clearly dreadful. The doc is fascinating.

[JWDrama1980]

My blog: http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com/

[DRW50]

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[DRW50]

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[DRW50]

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[NothinButAttitude]

Thanks, @DRW50! 

 

El Dorado episodes are scarce online. Now I'll have something to watch later on. 

 

After watching the BBC documentary on YouTube awhile back and reading up on the premise of this show, on paper, it sounded like a success and should've been. I think all the inner-workings and changes at the network resulted in it's demise just as it found it's footing. But much like Brookside, UK soap fans still beg for the show to be revived. 

 

Does anyone know if they actually went through with making that fabulous set into a resort (or something) or is it still vacant to this day?

 

The documentary I was referring to:

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