I watched a bit of January, 1987, this weekend. I had seen bits of late 1987 with the Maddinghams and I thought it was decent and more compelling than the stuff I typically see on Crossroads, which I think stylistically just isn't my cup of tea. The stories are light hearted and quaint in the early years through the Phillip Bowman era with Bowman going more posh and William Smethurst going more reality based.
In January, you have several significant events taking place. Tommy "Bomber" Lancaster arrives as the new owner of Crossroads having purchased it from MIH, its previous owners, despite a local attempt by Jill, Adam, and Nicola to reacquire it. Smethurst said to the press at the time that he wanted the show to be more reflected of the Midlands where it was set. Lancaster is bombastic and seems very ill suited on the more staid, reserved show that Smethurst inherited (maybe it was bigger under Bowman but Lancaster seems bold even for Nicola Freeman). There is an odd attempt to tie him to the past by digging up Amy Turtle, who had appeared since the late 1970s, claiming that she was friends with Lancaster's late mother.
Lancaster's arrival is played with a bit of shock, with us only seeing the back of his head initially. I guess he appeared late in 1987 in a one off or so as a guest at the hotel in the same role. This is immediately followed up with the Amy appearance so it's quite a bit of the old and the new. There is a lot of hand wringing about what will happen to the staff as well as what Bomber plans to do with the property in general. Some characters are already starting to scatter to the wind with John and Kathy taking a post in the near future at a boarding school and bartender Barry Hunt make plans to return to Austailia or Tasmania. It is simple workplace soap.
The real oddity is the sudden appearance of the Grice family, who literally appear out of nowhere and are suddenly moving into a unit near where Kathy and John are temporarily lodging before the move in a housing complex. The family is not only disconnected from the rest of the story the conflict is immediately watching what feels like an attempt at poor man's EastEnders/Brookside with a tale of two cookers. It's jarring. With that said, I don't hate the family as its assembled, but they just are disconnected from the rest of the show. Mother Margaret Grice is going to run the corner store and I think they live above it. And when daughter Beverly runs away a few episodes in, its a bit wild to think how much story is given to this entirely new lot of characters.
There are other silly plots like spoilt Daniel Freeman running all around the leisure center and hotel making out with his girlfriend Fiona as well as his feud with Charlie Mynecroft resulting in the kidnapping of a stuffed dog. Frenemies Ann Marie and Lorraine both have potential holidays cancelled. Everything else seems up in the air.
I can see why fans would initial be displeased with this period.
By
dc11786 ·
