Members Ben Posted September 22, 2012 Members Share Posted September 22, 2012 I'm not sure how long this soap ran for, but it seemed to follow the US format of storytelling, in comparison to the other UK soaps of the early 90s. These are all the scans I have. I guess someone will be interested. And I guess that someone will be Carl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 22, 2012 Members Share Posted September 22, 2012 Thank you so much for sharing. Now that I've gotten so worn out with the British soaps we don't get to talk about them but I love all these scans. Such a grim last scene. Harry von Gorkum is the least sexy name ever. Emma Davies was great on Emmerdale. I wish another soap would hire her. I think Tony Wood and Carolyn Reynolds went from this show to Corrie (where they produced a lot of great, popular material which is now forgotten), then went on to Hollyoaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bright Eyes Posted September 22, 2012 Members Share Posted September 22, 2012 More and more I come to the conclusion that Anita Turner was an underrated series producer. I would kill for her material now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 23, 2012 Members Share Posted September 23, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QB9PPxW1QM This has a little of the conclusion of the incest story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NJcbqKrbIQ&feature=relmfu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 23, 2012 Members Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkCuHN_VAjI&feature=related Preview and opening of the last episode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyOQTYgebbU&feature=relmfu This channel has four clips. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3nbD96KJY&feature=channel&list=UL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saynotoursoap Posted September 23, 2012 Members Share Posted September 23, 2012 Granada screened Families from April 1990 - August 1993. I have the first episode on YT, though it is unlisted. If you would like to see the first episode, follow the link below. Caveat: the episode is not particularly compelling, nor is it indicative of the general tone once the series was going. Midway through the run, the series changed somewhat, with bolder, more outrageous stories and a greater contrast between the main families, once Mike Thompson's family was phased out and replaced with the wealthy Bannermans. Families 23 April 1990 http://youtu.be/1MHcYz6cyhQ One of the series storyliners was Russell T. Davies, better known for Dr. Who and Queer as Folk. Russell later created his own soap Revelations, an odd family drama mixing religion, eroticism, and revenge. I also have it uploaded as an unlisted offering. Revelations 1994 http://youtu.be/DgUG0qX1loE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 23, 2012 Members Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thank you so much! I knew that Davies had ties to Corrie and did Revelations but didn't know he was involved in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bright Eyes Posted September 23, 2012 Members Share Posted September 23, 2012 I will be watching both shortly. Thank you, sayno! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 24, 2012 Members Share Posted September 24, 2012 Reposting my Youtube comments here, since they're so important. That was great. Probably the best first episode of a soap I've ever seen. Great cast, sparkling wit, plenty of secrets, action and movement even without any big shock value deaths or violence. I was so angered by the end of RTD's Doctor Who and the execerable last years of Torchwood that I had almost forgotten what a good writer he is. Thank you for sharing this. This was slow for a premiere but I did like how quickly they established how bored Mike was with his family, how unsympathetic and cold he was to their efforts. Diana was dull but her son was interesting. The daughter looked familiar to me. Which one was Jude Law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dc11786 Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Thanks for the scans, which are all from late in the show's run. TV.com has a number of episode summaries for the Bannerman era. "Families" is one of the British soaps that fascinates me probably because it is so American in tone. The initial premise is in the same vein as the Aussie production "Sons and Daughters" with the two families, the dual locations, and the incest angle. Wasn't Reg Watson or Grundy involved in the production of "Families?" The show was initially about the Thompsons and the Stevens, but Mike Thompson was killed off in April 1991 so the show introduced sisters Jane Richards (of England) and Jackie Williams (of Austrailia) to continue the dual location storylines. Years before, Jackie had bedded Jane's husband Larry and Larry and Jane's daughter, Louise, was actually Larry and Jackie's daughter. The secret eventually came out just as Louise managed to bed Don McLeod, Jackie's lover, and planned on marrying Andrew Stevens in order to stay in Austrailia. This all played out as the show was writing in and out characters in preparation for the show's new direction. Andrew left Louise at the altar to run off and live with Amanda, his half-sister. Louise was devastated and returned to Westbury. In the beginning, the show did a decent job blending the old and the new. Anton and Diana arrived from Austrailia and ran the local hangout, Brasserie, and seemed relatively stable. Jackie also found her way back to England. Larry ended up killing a man, Don McLeod I believe,and ended up on trial for murder with Charles Bannerman representing him. Larry's prison stint eventually led to the departure of Jane and Louise. I beleive Chelsea RIchards, Larry and Jane's daughter, hung around in order to be paired with Matthew Bannerman, the younger son, but I don't really remember. Eventually, it was decided to eliminate most of the old. Anton and Diana began fighting, Anton began cheating, and Diana began drinking. Sue Thompson returned in April to celebrate the late Mike's birthday and have a row with Diana, who ended up driving her car into a train crossing. The episode preceding this is the one featured on youtube. Around this time, the show introduced the Harveys, who took over the local bar. Their son, Gary, befriended James, who was keeping the secret he was their biological son. At the same time, Gary came out of the closet so Gary's father was only too happy to welcome James with open arms while the mother was a bit more hesitant. The Fiona-Charles storyline was probably the one the show was most remembered for after the Andrew-Amanda storyline. Fiona was pals with Juliette, while secretly carrying on with a man who was financing her loft apartment. Juliette knew Fiona was seeing a married man, but she didn't realize it was her own father. Charles' son Simon arrived home and began romancing Fiona, while Fiona was looking for a commitment from Charles. When Isabelle learned about the affair, she began sleeping with the family's gardener. The storyline played out for most of the Bannermans run. Saynotoursoap, thank you for posting the premier. It was nice to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 What stories did Gary have after he came out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dc11786 Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 The show was cancelled not long after. I think he came and had to deal with the revelation his parents weren't who he thought they were, but I don't think it was clear whether or not James was actually telling the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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