Scripted

It’s been two decades 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.

But fans of Britain’s most daring and dramatic soap need wait no longer, as original episodes of Brookside will finally return to screens – on free streaming service, STV Player – next week.

Set in a Liverpool cul-de-sac, Brookside Close, 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 2 November 1982 and drew audiences of 9 million 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, after STV Player struck a major new deal with distributor, All3Media International.

It means devoted fans, as well as new viewers, can relive and enjoy Brookside’s most memorable storylines – many of which were defining moments in British TV history, such as the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss between characters Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) and Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson).

Across its 21-year run, the show became renowned for tackling challenging social issues, such as rape, bullying and incest. In 1985, teenage character Gordon Collins came out to his family – making him the first ever openly gay character in a British TV series.

Brookside was also known for its dramatic set pieces, including two thrilling sieges on the close – the latter of which ended in a helicopter crash – and the murder of abusive Trevor Jordache, who was famously found buried under the patio of number 10 in 1995.

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.

Available for free to viewers across the UK, STV Player offers an extensive catalogue of high-quality drama from around the world. The service is available on all major platforms, including Sky Q, NOW, Virgin Media, Amazon Fire TV and Freeview Play.

STV Player will drop the first 10 episodes of Brookside on 1 February, and five new episodes will land each week thereafter.


Sunetra Sarker, who played Nisha Batra in Brookside, 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!