Legendary soap Brookside is making a return after it was announced that all episodes of the Liverpool drama are going to be streamed on STV Player. It's been 20 years since the 13 houses on Britain’s most famous cul-de-sac were boarded up, and iconic families such as the Corkhills, Dixons and Grants said their last goodbyes.
The show was conceived by Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Phil Redmond and produced by his company, Mersey Television (later renamed to Lime Pictures). It aired on the launch night of Channel 4 on November 2, 1982, and drew audiences of 9million viewers at its peak.
The fondly-remembered soap, which ended in 2003, will be available to stream from the start for the first time ever from next week, after STV Player struck a major new deal with distributor, All3Media International.
Many of Brookside’s cast have gone on to have successful careers, including Anna Friel - now a Hollywood star - as well as Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson, Amanda Burton, Alex Fletcher, Claire Sweeney and Sunetra Sarker.
Sunetra, who played Nisha Batra, said: “I owe a lot to Brookside as I was lucky enough to have been spotted at a bus stop when I was 15 and given the role of Nisha. Had I known then that Brookside Close would be the road that led me to my surprising and eventful career, I would never have believed it.
“I am thrilled that STV Player is airing Brookie again after all these years. I never fail to hear fans tell me how much they still miss the show. Get streaming and see just how ground-breaking this Liverpool-based soap opera was all those years ago.”
Richard Williams, Managing Director of Digital, STV said: “It may have been two decades since Brookside drew to a close, but the love for the show from its passionate army of fans has never waned.
“We’re so pleased to be the first streaming service to bring this legendary piece of TV history back into viewers’ living rooms for free, and I hope superfans and new audiences alike enjoy all the nostalgic drama that Brookside has to offer on STV Player.”
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