Legendary soap Brookside is set to make a special return to screens this October after more than two decades. The beloved Liverpool-based drama will feature in a crossover episode with Hollyoaks to celebrate the latter's 30th anniversary.
The crossover episode will honour Brookside and its Huyton-born creator Sir Phil Redmond. Iconic characters from the original series will return to show where they are now, more than 20 years after the soap ended.
Brookside originally ran from 1982 to 2003 on Channel 4, becoming a cultural phenomenon over its 21-year run. Hollyoaks took over as the channel's flagship continuing drama when Brookside concluded, filming on the same sets.
Cultural impact and memorable storylines
The show tackled groundbreaking storylines that made television history. Some of the most remembered plots include the kiss between Beth Jordache and Margaret Clemence, the controversial relationship between siblings Nat and Georgia Simpson, and the romance between Damon Grant and Debbie McGrath.
At its peak, Brookside attracted nine million viewers, according to the Daily Mail. The series launched numerous acting careers and was praised for addressing controversial topics including domestic abuse and social issues.
Remembering the legacy
Sadly, Dean Sullivan, who played the beloved character Jimmy Corkhill, died in 2023 at age 68 from prostate cancer, as reported by the Mirror. His character was central to many of the show's most memorable storylines.
Liverpool Echo has unearthed behind-the-scenes archive photos from their Mirrorpix collection, showing cast and crew during filming. The images capture moments from the famous 1993 episode where Barry Grant sets fire to Jimmy Corkhill's shop, Kowboy Kutz.
Sources used: "Liverpool Echo", "Daily Mail", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
