It's been nearly 30 years since the nation caught a glimpse into the lives of six students living in Manchester.
Before reality TV shows and fly-on-the-wall series' that we know today, The Living Soap aired on BBC2 in 1993. Produced by Spencer Campbell, known for producing the likes of Cold Feet, it followed the lives of a group of students living and studying in Manchester.
That year, the six housemates signed up to be filmed on campus, out in the city's nightlife scene, at their shared home and more in exchange for a year of free rent and being in the public eye. All participants were strangers, with their ages, backgrounds and course of study being completely different to those who they shared a living space with.
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Like many shows we watch today, the programme only featured a fraction of the lives of the students, with hours of footage being edited down to minutes. But even before the birth of social media, opinions and perceptions of the show and the students filmed came from the public.
It showed the highs and lows, as well as new faces join the show as the academic year progressed. Here, we take a brief look back at the show which gave viewers a peak into the lives of Manchester students.
In the summer of 1993, a call-out was made to Manchester students. And hopefuls were asked to send in 250 words explaining why they wanted to be in the series.
On July 22 that year, The Stage reported: " Calling all Manchester freshers! BBC2’s youth strand DEF II is on the look-out for a first-year student to feature in its new fly-on-the-wall series The Living Soap. Due to transmission this autumn, The Living Soap will follow six Manchester-based students as they go about their everyday lives from living in a shared house to attending lectures and pursuing the notorious student social life!"
At the time, youth programmes editor Rachel Purnell said: "We’re looking for somebody who’s very open, bright and out-going, from any background, on any course, and who can cope with the ups and the downs of being in the spotlight for a year - as well as doing their studies, of course!"
By the autumn, six Manchester students from all over the UK were selected to move into a house together with camera crews filming them at home, in lecture halls, working in part time jobs, socialising in pubs and clubs and more.
On October 15 that year, the Evening Herald in Dublin described it as a cross between The Young Ones and Sylvania Waters - an Australian reality television series that followed the lives of an Australian family. It reads: "The students, with no acting experience, agreed to share their lives with TV viewers in return for living rent free for a year."
Each episode lasted 30 minutes and aired on BBC 2 every week as it was filmed, meaning the students could quickly revisit what had just happened days before. The opening sequence was vibrant with colour, introducing the six Manchester students, their area of study and their interests.
Later episodes in the series can still be found uploaded to YouTube. By episode 11, housemate Dan had left the series - and the opening sequence quickly changed to introduce a new Manchester student to the fold.
In the clip, we meet second year "shopaholic" Karen, 21, studying history of art, "acid jazz freak" Emma, 23, who is a second year advertising student and newbie Colin, a 20-year-old politics and modern history student in second year. Next up is first year Spider, 18, studying Italian and Russian, 20-year-old "music man" Matthew, 20, studying professional audio systems and final year politics student and "footy fan" Simon, aged 23.
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The series followed the high and lows of the students, from the stresses of studying and their love lives to laughable moments and living in a shared house. The housemates would narrate what happened the previous week at the start of every new episode and viewers would hear from the students separately, similarly to a diary entry, before the camera cut to their day-to-day lives and scenes filmed.
On February 24, 1994, the Daily Mirror described the show "as addictive as any soap and more fascinating because they are real people." But like many reality TV shows and fly-on-the-wall series' today, it wasn't without its controversies and public opinion.
Catapulted into the public eye and a house with five strangers, the series captured tensions between the flatmates - notably strangers now living together - and the downfalls of being in the spotlight, which saw public criticism and media pressure of the individuals. At one point, we also see the housemates reaction to returning home after being robbed and Spider's windows being targeted and smashed.
Do you remember The Living Soap? Let us know in the comments section below.
A number of the original cast decided to leave life under the microscope as their private lives were exposed to the nation. Reports claim some disputed how they were depicted or wanted focus on their studies.
Years back, people shared their memories of the show on an online forum. One person said it was "'quite compulsive in an utterly bad way."
Another said: "Oh BOY do I remember this show - loved it. Or rather, was fascinated by it, like a road accident." And another commented: "The argument over the bin was the best bit - I seem to recall the contents were thrown into a whingy girls room and the bloke who did it left the house without telling anyone during the winter break."
Later in the series, more students didn't audition to join the house. Like reality competitions today, new members were chosen by a public telephone vote. In March 1994, the Aberdeen Press and Journal said "more than 32,000 viewers voted in a phone poll to find two new characters for the series" - student doctor Mark, from Bangor in Northern Ireland and Annika, brought up in Keswick, Cumbria.
As filming continued into the summer, the series concluded with two single documentaries. All in all, The Living Soap only lasted for one series, airing 17 episodes.
In later years, comparisons have been drawn between the 90s series and the reality shows that followed. The Living Soap has previously been referred to as like "Big Brother's older brother."
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Links have been drawn from both series, from diary room entries being similar to talking privately to camera to placing strangers into a house together like those of Big Brother housemates. This has been briefly discussed by the shows producer Spencer Campbell in past interviews.
Broadcast by BBC2 over 25 years ago now, many will remember watching the series at the time and getting to know the housemates. The odd episodes can still be found uploaded to YouTube, if you're curious.
