Brookside is officially making its long-awaited return to television, and the release date has finally been confirmed.
The iconic Liverpool-based soap, created by Sir Philip Redmond (the mind behind Grange Hill and Hollyoaks), is set to air a special crossover episode with Hollyoaks on October 22 on E4.
The drama, which originally ran for 21 years on Channel 4 before ending in 2003, became famous for pushing boundaries and tackling controversial storylines that changed British television forever. Though Hollyoaks later took over as the channel’s flagship soap, even filming on part of the former Brookside set, fans have never stopped hoping for a comeback.
Now, that moment has arrived. Filming for the crossover took place on the famous cul-de-sac in September, bringing together a mix of Hollyoaks favourites and legendary Brookside characters. Returning cast members include Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson, John McArdle, Paul Usher, Philip Olivier (as Timothy O’Leary), and Suzanne Collins.
This marks the first time Brookside has been on TV since its unforgettable finale, when Jimmy Corkhill, played by the late Dean Sullivan, painted a ‘d’ on the street sign, transforming it into “Brookside Closed” before driving away.
More than two decades later, Brookside is officially open again, and fans can’t wait to step back onto the close.
Hollyoaks Executive Producer, Hannah Cheers, said:
“We ask our audience to invest in Hollyoaks and believe in our characters and our world.
“Soap viewers often watch more than one soap so to respect those fans who invest in a number of different universes, bringing them together is a really exciting prospect.
“Hollyoaks uses much of the same sets Brookside did, we have crew who started their careers on Brookside. It came to me in a thunderbolt moment, then a few months later ITV announced their crossover with Emmerdale and Coronation Street which is happening next year!
“I thought it was interesting we were thinking on the same lines of respecting the soap viewer in this way.”
Sue Johnston said:
“It’s amazing how its stuck in the memory. A lady serving me in the supermarket the other day was so excited about this crossover, she said Brookside was her youth – maybe that’s it, so many people grew up watching it. Then Hollyoaks was born out of Brookside, and has taken over the mantle.”
The return of Brookside for a special episode featuring a crossover with Hollyoaks will air on E4 at 7pm on Wednesday, 22nd October.
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