Cameras were rolling once again on Liverpool’s well-known Brookside Close yesterday, as Hollyoaks continued production on its highly anticipated crossover marking the show’s 30th anniversary.
The special will welcome back even more familiar faces from Brookside, including Ricky Tomlinson, who is stepping back into the role of Bobby Grant. He’ll be reunited on screen with Sue Johnston, reprising her part as family matriarch Sheila Grant.
Speaking about his return, Tomlinson said:
“It will be lovely to take part in Brookside again, especially to work alongside Sue Johnston. I’m looking forward to being on the close again after all these years.”
Also spotted on set was Michael Starke, better known to fans as Thomas ‘Sinbad’ Sweeney. He joins the previously announced lineup of returning stars: Paul Usher (Barry Grant), John McArdle (Billy Corkhill), Philip Olivier (Tinhead O’Leary), and Suzanne Collins (Nikki Shadwick).
Interestingly, Starke has already popped up in Hollyoaks over the years as a taxi driver, leaving fans to speculate whether that was a subtle nod to Sinbad or simply a separate role.
Brookside, created by Sir Phil Redmond, first hit screens in 1982 and ran until its final broadcast in November 2003.
Looking ahead to the crossover, Hollyoaks executive producer Hannah Cheers described the project as a tribute to both soaps:
“This episode is a love letter to both Hollyoaks and Brookside.
“Brookside gave birth to Hollyoaks — it grew up on the same site and eventually took over its sets. For everyone at Lime Pictures (originally Mersey TV), Hollyoaks‘ history is deeply rooted in Brookside, and its legacy lives on through our crew and, of course, some of our cast.
“This special feels like both a moving and fitting tribute to our origin story and a chance for fans to revisit much-loved Brookside characters in honour of that legacy.
“These iconic Brookside characters are soap archetypes that helped define British TV, soap archetypes that new generations are still discovering now through Hollyoaks.”
To film the special episode, permission was granted by the owner of the close and the Liverpool Film Office, as the former set and production offices, as the unadopted road in West Derby is now home to residents.
Residents were also invited to share lunch with the cast and the crew from Lime Pictures.
It will be the first time that Brookside Close has been on air, since it ended in with Jimmy Corkhill (played by the late Dean Sullivan) daubing a ‘d’ onto the sign, leaving it as ‘Brookside Closed’ before driving out of the cul-de-sac.
READ MORE: Brookside returns in special crossover to celebrate Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary
