There’s further reason to rejoice for fans of the much-loved, dearly-departed Channel 4 soap Brookside as the nostalgia factor continues to build in anticipation of its resurrection as part of sister-soap Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary celebrations.
The Liverpool-based soap had previously aired on Channel 4 from 1982 until its incredibly controversial cancellation in 2003.
At the height of its popularity, the show was Channel 4’s highest-rated programme, with Brookside achieving a level of infamy for tackling controversial subjects that other soaps were too afraid to take on.
Although when the hard-hitting and human issue storylines gave way to cults, incest and a helicopter crash, viewing figures tumbled and the show was axed.
When Hollyoaks announced it would be bringing the soap back as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, fans of the classic soap rejoiced.
There was further excitement when UK television royalty, Sue Johnston, revealed she’d be reprising her much-celebrated Brookside role, Sheila Grant for the special episode.
Fans erupted again upon the news that a further two Brookie legends would be making an appearance during the episode.
More iconic returns
John McArdle will be reprising his role as Billy Corkhill, Sheila Grant’s husband, with whom she departed the soap for a brand new life in Basingstoke, following a hell of a time as a resident of the close.
Billy Corkhill was a prominent fixture in the shows early years. His early storylines involved his family plunging into severe debt, a storyline that resonated so much with viewers that a child fan sent his £2 pocket money into the set to help!
In an attempt to bolster his families finances, Billy committed an armed robbery leading. The stress incurred by this and combined with their financial hardship led to a full mental breakdown for the character.
The plotline delved deeply into men’s mental health, especially in conjunction with unemployment and was one of soaps earliest and most celebrated depictions of this topic in a time when mental health issues, particularly amongst men was still largely taboo.
His later storylines involved the breakdown of his marriage, his wife Doreen (Kate Fitzgerald) leaving him, his daughter Tracy’s (Justine Kerrigan) affair with her geography teacher and his eventual remarriage to Sheila.
The second announced return was that of one of Brookie’s darkest villains, Barry Grant, with Paul Usher returning to portray the bad boy of the Close, who’s ruthless and violent character eventually descended into multiple murders and organised crime.
While devoutly loyal to his mum, Barry always had a tendency to break the law (sound familiar?). He developed into a true villain and was a central figure in a major ‘whodunnit?!’, when, following an affair with Sue Sullivan (Annie Miles), she and her son, Daniel, were murdered.
It was later revealed to fans that Barry had killed his mistress, who was pregnant, by throwing her off some scaffolding. He also murdered her infant son, Danny, the same way and went unpunished, another man was framed for the killings and later murdered in prison.
After more gangland-related endeavours, Barry became a central component of the final Brookside storyline, when he returned to the Close to help the residents put an end to the reign of terror of new gangster, Jack Michaelson (Paul Duckworth).
The climax of the shows original run came when he orchestrated the neighbourhood-wide lynching of Jack.
A fitting tribute
The celebratory crossover episode will also be used to pay tribute to Dean Sullivan, who sadly passed away in 2023.
Dean’s beloved character, Jimmy Corkhill, was the longest-serving character upon the shows cancellation.
As the show was wound down following its cancellation, and with most of its residents having sold their properties to a development company, the final scene of Brookside showed Jimmy Corkhill daubing a ‘D’ at the end of ‘Brookside Closed’ on the street sign, symbolically and literally bringing the show to an end.
