''Hollyoaks'' is a British
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
which began airing on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
on 23 October 1995. It was created by
Phil Redmond
Sir Philip Redmond (born 10 June 1949) is an English television producer and screenwriter from Huyton, England. He is known for creating the television series ''Grange Hill'', ''Brookside'' and ''Hollyoaks''.
Early life
Redmond took the 11-pl ...
, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to:
Geography Canada
* Brookside, Edmonton
* Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Brookside, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
* Brookside, Berkshire, England
* Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England
United States
* Br ...
''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on sister channel
E4 a day prior to their broadcast on Channel 4.
At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience but has since broadened its appeal to all age groups. ''Hollyoaks'' has covered various taboo subjects rarely seen on British television, for which it has received
numerous awards. It has won the award for
Best British Soap
The British Soap Award for Best British Soap is an award presented annually by The British Soap Awards. Alongside Best Actor and Best Actress, the award is voted for by the public. ''EastEnders'' is the most awarded soap in the category, with ...
twice, in 2014 and 2019; its first win broke the 15-year tie between rival soap operas ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' and ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
''. Beginning with a cast of 15 characters, it now has upwards of 50 regular cast members. The longest-serving actor is
Nick Pickard
Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member.
...
, who has portrayed
Tony Hutchinson
Tony Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nick Pickard. His first appearance on-screen occurred on 23 October 1995, the inaugural episode of the programme, and is the longest-serving ...
since the first episode.
Premise
The programme is set in the fictional village of Hollyoaks, a suburb of
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
.
Characters
In its first episode, ''Hollyoaks'' began with a cast of fifteen, seven of whom were teenagers that received the main focus of the soap. These teenagers were
Kurt Benson
Kurt Benson is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British television soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jeremy Edwards. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 23 October 1995. He was created by Phil Red ...
(
Jeremy Edwards
Jeremy Edwards (born 17 February 1971) is an English actor, known for his roles as Kurt Benson in ''Hollyoaks'', Danny Shaughnessy in ''Holby City'' and Mike Taylor in ''Millie Inbetween'', as well as being a regular panellist and guest host on ...
),
Jambo Bolton (
Will Mellor
William Mellor (born 3 April 1976) is an English actor, singer and model. He is known for his roles as Jambo Bolton in ''Hollyoaks'', Gaz Wilkinson in ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'', Warren Stamp in EastEnders, DC Spike Tann ...
),
Natasha Anderson (
Shebah Ronay
Shebah Ronay (born 1972, London) is a British actress, known for her brief film and television career from 1989 to 1998, including, ''Reunion'' (1989), ''Hollyoaks'' (1995–1996) and ''The Man Who Cried'' (1993). She is married to artist Jonathan ...
),
Louise Taylor (Brett O'Brien),
Maddie Parker
Maddie Parker is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', portrayed by Yasmin Bannerman . She first appeared on 23 October 1995. She remained in the role until 1997 when she quit the role. Maddie left ''Hollyoak ...
(
Yasmin Bannerman
Yasmin Bannerman (born 1970) is an English actress. Bannerman was born and brought up in Gloucestershire and attended the Rose Bruford College in London until 1993. She has had roles in television series such as ''Hollyoaks'', ''Cold Feet'', ' ...
),
Dawn Cunningham
Dawn Cunningham is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Lisa Williamson. Williamson was cast as one of the original characters on ''Hollyoaks'' in 1995, and was the first mem ...
(Lisa Williamson), and
Tony Hutchinson
Tony Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nick Pickard. His first appearance on-screen occurred on 23 October 1995, the inaugural episode of the programme, and is the longest-serving ...
(
Nick Pickard
Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member.
...
); all of these but Pickard departed the series prior to 2000.
Pickard stated that he was only signed for 26 episodes and exclaimed his joy at having appeared on the show since its inception.
In more recent years, the cast has increased to typically 50 cast members, with the increase of castings being accredited to being a fast-paced soap.
Production
Production team
Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as t ...
joined the show as executive producer in 2006, but left three years later to become producer of ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
''. After he left his role in 2009, a number of producers worked on the show, resulting in a number of creative reinventions and changes in direction during this time.
Lucy Allan was named as Kirkwood's successor. In 2010, Allan announced she was to step down from the series after only a year, being replaced by
Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess (born 23 June 1964) is a television producer from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His credits include '' Brookside'', ''The Bill'', ''Family Affairs'', ''Hollyoaks'', ''Crime Stories'', '' Suspects'' and '' Hope Street''. He also origi ...
. Speaking of her decision, Allan stated: "I am very proud to have been part of the ''Hollyoaks'' team. I've had a fantastic time working on this show but am now equally excited about what the future will hold."
On his upcoming role of series producer, Marquess said: "Taking up this position at
Lime Pictures
Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. They produce award winning drama, and entertainment shows, for the international mar ...
feels like I'm going home, as I began my career working with both Carolyn
eynoldsand Tony
ood
The Ood are an alien species with telepathic abilities from the long-running science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. In the series' narrative, they live in the distant future (circa 42nd century).
The Ood are portrayed as a slave race, natural ...
at Granada and my first major project was ''Brookside'' at Mersey Television. I'm a huge soap fan so to be handed the reins of Channel 4's flagship teen drama is not only a huge challenge but also a massive honour."
Lime Pictures creative director Tony Wood added: "I'd like to thank Lucy Allan for making such a contribution to ''Hollyoaks'' over the years and wish her well for the future. It's very exciting to be working with Paul Marquess again. He's one of the best showrunners in the business. This is a brilliant appointment for ''Hollyoaks''."
Only one day after being announced as the new producer, Marquess began work on the soap opera.
A Channel 4 spokesperson stated: "It's all been a very quick turnaround at the top. It was announced in January 2011 that Marquess would leave his role as series producer and would be succeeded by ''Hollyoaks'' production team member
Gareth Philips
Gareth Philips is a television producer.
Career
Radio and television presenter
Philips began his career working on Radio Clatterbridge between 1995 and 1997. He moved on to work at other radio stations including MFM 97.1, before becoming a te ...
.
Discussing the news, Philips said: "I have really enjoyed working in the script team at ''Hollyoaks'' and it will be a huge honour to take the reins of Channel 4's flagship youth drama. I am very excited about taking the show even further this year with more compelling and brave stories."
Emma Smithwick
Emma Smithwick is an Irish television producer. Smithwick worked at the BBC for six years where she was involved with several shows for the teen brand BBC Switch and moved on to write for its in-house teen soap The Cut. For the final year of BBC ...
later replaced Philips in autumn 2011. In late-September 2012, it was announced that Kirkwood would be returning to ''Hollyoaks'', replacing Smithwick. On 3 September 2020, Kirkwood announced his exit as showrunner. In a statement, he said: "For many years I have had the privilege of running a soap opera with a fiercely loyal audience. I passionately believe that soaps can help viewers start serious conversations about their lives and in recent years we have covered important topics within mental health, sexual consent, Far-Right radicalisation, male rape, sexual abuse and many issues other shows might look away from." Channel 4's director of programmes, Ian Katz, thanked Kirkwood for his work, stating: "I'm immensely grateful for his steering of the show safely back to screen next week and leaving it in top creative form and I wish him all the best for his next chapter." Allan was again named as Kirkwood's successor. Kirkwood's final episode as executive producer aired on 30 July 2021, with Allan's episodes airing from 2 August 2021.
Filming locations
Despite being set in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, ''Hollyoaks'' is primarily filmed at
Lime Pictures
Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. They produce award winning drama, and entertainment shows, for the international mar ...
' studios in the
Childwall
Childwall () is a suburb and ward of Liverpool, England, located to the southeast of the city. It is bordered by Belle Vale, Bowring Park, Broadgreen, Gateacre, Mossley Hill, and Wavertree. In 2019, the population was 13,640.
Overview
The earli ...
suburb of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Scenes were often filmed at the Groves in Chester, and it was noted that filming crews became a "common sight" in the area.
However, it eventually became too expensive for the filming operations to be moved from Liverpool to Chester for every filming block, and the Childwall studios became used more heavily.
''Hollyoaks'' is produced by
Lime Pictures
Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. They produce award winning drama, and entertainment shows, for the international mar ...
(formerly known as Mersey Television prior to its takeover by
All3Media
All3Media Limited is a British worldwide independent television, film and digital production and distribution company based in London, England. The All3Media group comprises more than 40 production and distribution companies from across the U ...
).
Opening titles and tune
The original opening theme tune was written and performed by
Steve Wright, who has also produced music and themes for ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to:
Geography Canada
* Brookside, Edmonton
* Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Brookside, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
* Brookside, Berkshire, England
* Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England
United States
* Br ...
'' and ''
Grange Hill
''Grange Hill'' is a British Children's television series, children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical Comprehensive school (England and Wales), comprehensive school. The show began its ru ...
''. He cited American performer
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...
as an inspiration whilst making the theme song. ''Hollyoaks'' amend their opening titles frequently.
It was announced on 19 June 2010 that new titles with a new theme tune, which was reportedly "slowed right down", would be used in new series producer Paul Marquess's first episode, which aired on 5 July 2010. However, on 2 July, the titles were delayed for one week. The titles were then delayed for a second time due to "technical difficulties". On 10 September 2010, Channel 4 confirmed the new ''Hollyoaks'' titles and theme music would air from 13 September.
However, the titles were different from pictures of filming of the original credits, suggesting a reshoot was the reason for the delay. Marquess commented: "We're very excited about the new titles that the viewers will see on Channel 4 on Monday. They're glossy, contemporary and very ''Hollyoaks''." He then apologised for the delay, saying: "We're sorry to the fans who have been waiting to see them, but they've taken a while to perfect. I'm very happy with them and I hope that the fans like the new-look show." On 28 December 2012, New titles where added, with purple screen replaced by grey screen.
It was announced in August 2016 that a new title sequence would begin airing from 5 September 2016, which would launch the show's "action-packed autumn storyline".
The new title sequence features shots of characters on the show's set. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said of the titles, "I am thrilled with the new titles. I think they are vibrant, fun and glossy and from the first opening guitar riff feel completely Hollyoaks."
Shots from the new title sequence included
Ste Hay
Ste Hay is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Kieron Richardson. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 17 February 2006. Ste was created by David Hanson and was originally intended ...
(
Kieron Richardson
Kieron Mark Richardson (born 12 January 1986) is an English actor and television presenter. He plays the role of Ste Hay in ''Hollyoaks'', having previously appeared in '' Heartbeat'' as Ricky Smith. He won the British Soap Award for Best Ons ...
) riding a carousel with his children,
Leah Barnes
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' in 2007, by order of first appearance.
Father Raymond
Father Raymond is the Catholic Priest that first appeared to console Myra McQueen ( Ni ...
(Ela-May Dermican) and
Lucas Hay
The following is a list of characters that first appeared on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' in 2009, by first appearance.
Hayley Ramsey
Natty
Natty, played by former ''Emmerdale'' actor Danny Tennant, made his first on-screen appea ...
(William Hall),
Sienna Blake
Sienna Blake (also Bradley) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Anna Passey. The character made her first appearance on 21 November 2012 and was introduced as the estranged twin sister of est ...
(
Anna Passey
Anna Passey (born 28 August 1984) is an English actress, known for portraying Sienna Blake in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her role as Sienna Blake, she won the award for Villain of the Year at the 2014 British Soap Awards.
Car ...
) lying on a bed of petals, and
Mercedes McQueen
Mercedes McQueen (also Owen, Fisher and Browning) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jennifer Metcalfe. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 as the first character t ...
(
Jennifer Metcalfe
Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe (born 4 September 1983) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles of Jade Nicholls in Emmerdale and Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', which she has appeared in since 2006. Her portr ...
) appearing in the village dressed in a "striking red dress".
On 13 May 2019, a new title sequence, as well as altered theme music, was launched; for the new sequence, a "family theme, putting each of the soap's iconic families front and centre" are seen on the series' set. In January 2021, the titles were updated again to represent new characters that had joined the series; the change was described as a "brand new era" for ''Hollyoaks''.
In January 2022, new titles premiered to represent the introduction of several new characters and the departure of numerous others. Speaking on the new titles, executive producer Lucy Allan explained that she wanted them to "highlight the optimism of a place like Hollyoaks – in spite of all the murders!"
Music
''Hollyoaks'' is the one of only two British soaps to make regular use of
incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...
(the other being the Welsh-language soap ''
Rownd a Rownd
''Rownd a Rownd'' ( en, "Round and Round") is a Television in Wales, Welsh soap opera created by Rondo Media (formally Ffilmiau’r Nant) and shown on S4C since 11 September 1995. It was claimed to be the first Celtic-related language soap speci ...
'' on
S4C). A number of real acts have also performed during transmitted episodes of the series. The Alphites were the first band to perform on the programme, when they played in the SU Bar. In 2003, ''
Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...
'' runner up
Darius Campbell
Darius Campbell Danesh (19 August 1980 – 11 August 2022) was a Scottish singer-songwriter, actor and film producer. He first came to prominence as Darius Danesh when he appeared in the first series of ''Popstars'' in 2001, and the 2002 inaug ...
appeared in an episode performing at a graduation ball. In 2008, the band
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Sam Duckworth (born 1986) is an English musician who performs as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. He is also sometimes referred to as ''Get Cape'', ''Cape'', ''GCWCF'' and ''Slam Dunkworth'' (the latter title apparently first coined by Emmy the Great ...
also featured in ''Hollyoaks'', performing as part of a
Battle of the Bands contest. During November 2008,
The Saturdays
The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Wh ...
were featured in two episodes of spin-off ''
Hollyoaks Later
''Hollyoaks Later'' (originally ''Late Night Hollyoaks'') is a British television spin-off of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The series allows for more sexual content, 'edgier' storylines and stronger language than ''Hollyoaks''. The s ...
''.
In 2009,
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...
featured in the show and played a song in the SU Bar. They also had speaking roles and convinced characters
Justin Burton
Justin Burton is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Chris Fountain. Justin arrived in 2003 and departed on 3 June 2009. Justin arrived in a family of six, however by September 2006, the Burton fami ...
(
Chris Fountain
Christopher Ryan "Chris" Fountain (born 3 September 1987) is an English actor and DJ. He is known for his roles as Damien Jones in Emmerdale, Justin Burton in ''Hollyoaks'' and as Tommy Duckworth in ''Coronation Street''.
Early life
Fountai ...
) and
Hannah Ashworth
Hannah Ashworth (also Osborne) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Emma Rigby. Hannah first appeared on-screen on 30 September 2005 and her last appearance was on 12 February 2010.
The characte ...
(
Emma Rigby
Emma Catherine Rigby (born 26 September 1989) is an English actress. After rising to prominence for her role as Hannah Ashworth in ''Hollyoaks'', she later played Gemma Roscoe in the BBC One drama series ''Prisoners' Wives'' and as the Red Quee ...
) to date. Later that year,
Girls Can't Catch
Girls Can't Catch were a British girl group. Their debut single, " Keep Your Head Up", entered the UK Singles Chart at number 26. Their second single, "Echo", was released on 18 January 2010, debuting at number 19 on the chart. The band were dro ...
performed "Keep Your Head Up" during the college graduation party. In July 2013, ''Hollyoaks'' also featured 'Off The Wall Oompah' Band Hosen Brass, playing a selection of their own cover versions for Darren's Bavarian Night(s) at the Dog In The Pond. Hosen Brass featured on two consecutive episodes over the Friday and the Monday evening.
Sponsorship
''Hollyoaks'' was initially sponsored by
Nescafé
Nescafé is a brand of coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee brand in Switzerland on 1 April 1938.
History
Nestlà ...
, which held a one-year £9.5 million deal from June 2002 until July 2003. The show did not have a sponsor until June 2005, when
Wrigley's
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, known as the Wrigley Company, is an American multinational chewing gum (Wrigley's gum) company, based in the Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois.
Wrigley's is wholly owned by Mars, In ...
signed a twelve-month contract for their brand of Extra chewing gum. The contract ended in December 2009.
Nikon Coolpix
The Nikon Coolpix series are digital compact cameras in many variants produced by Nikon
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The ...
signed a deal for sponsorship in 2010 which ended in September 2010, before resuming in January 2011, as part of a 12-month deal.
Nikon group marketing manager, Jeremy Gilbert described ''Hollyoaks'' viewers as "the perfect demographic"
In September 2010, it was announced mobile phone retailer
Phones4u
Phones 4u was a large independent mobile phone retailer in the United Kingdom. It was part of the 4u Group based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Opening in 1996, it expanded to over 600 stores. On 14 September 2014, EE and Vodafone, ...
would take over sponsorship from 1 October 2010 as part of a 3-month deal.
Caspar Nelson, the head of brand communications at Phones4u, said their research had shown that ''Hollyoaks'' was the most-watched TV show for their target audience.
Nikon Coolpix signed a new 12-month sponsorship deal in December 2010, beginning in January 2011.
On 11 April 2012, a six-month product placement deal with
L'Oréal
L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...
was revealed. On 31 May 2012, a four-month product placement deal with
Nokia
Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporatio ...
was announced.
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...
took over sponsorship of the show from 2 January 2013, with sponsorship switching between its Impulse body spray brand and its Alberto VO5 brand. In January 2015,
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...
were announced as the new sponsors of ''Hollyoaks''. Five years later, it was announced that Batiste Dry Shampoo had begun sponsoring the programme. In mid November 2020, clothing brand
Jack Wills
Jack Wills is a British clothing brand founded in Salcombe, Devon, in 1999.
History
Peter Williams and Robert Shaw founded the brand in 1999. Williams was 23 when the first store opened at 22 Fore Street, Salcombe, and it was created with  ...
became the sponsor of the soap.
Broadcast
United Kingdom
The series initially aired on Mondays in 1995, with the exception of the second episode which aired on Friday 27 October 1995 and was repeated on Sunday evenings. In July 1996, Mersey TV opted to recommission the show and increase its output to twice a week, beginning that October with a Thursday episode. A third episode was introduced in September 1999, airing on Wednesdays and a fourth in 2001. In November 2003, following the cancellation of ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to:
Geography Canada
* Brookside, Edmonton
* Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Brookside, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
* Brookside, Berkshire, England
* Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England
United States
* Br ...
'', the show increased its output with a fifth episode, which has remained until March 2020.
Since the channel's launch in 2001,
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
's digital sister station
E4 airs a daily "First Look" feature at 19:00 each weekday, in which viewers are able to watch the episode to be shown on Channel 4 the following day. The 'first-look' is occasionally omitted, primarily if the following day's C4 episode is a special or event edition, and on these occasions may be replaced with a related programme or special.
Repeats of each day's edition of ''Hollyoaks'' air on E4 the following weekday; as of 2021, it is shown at 06:00. All of the week's episodes of ''Hollyoaks'' are also compiled into an
omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Omnibus'' (film)
* Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes
* ''Omnibus'' (UK TV series), an arts-based documentary programme
* ''Omnibus'' (U.S. TV series), an educational progr ...
on Channel 4, and as of 2020, a signed and audio described version is transmitted at 02:25, and a regular version at 06:00. Episodes of ''Hollyoaks'', including the weekly omnibus, are also available for catch-up viewing online through the
All 4
All 4 is a video on demand service from the Channel Four Television Corporation, free of charge for most content and funded by advertising. The service is available in the UK and Ireland; viewers are not required to have a TV licence—required ...
streaming platform. From 2009 to 2012, the series also broadcast on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, after
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
reached a three-year deal with Channel 4. In 2019, ''Hollyoaks'' became the first soap opera to release a
boxset
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
of episodes onto a streaming service. The soap released their Christmas and New Year's episodes on Channel 4's in-house streaming service
All 4
All 4 is a video on demand service from the Channel Four Television Corporation, free of charge for most content and funded by advertising. The service is available in the UK and Ireland; viewers are not required to have a TV licence—required ...
and they have continued this practice each December since.
On 22 March 2020, Channel 4 suspended production and filming of ''Hollyoaks'' due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. From 30 March, new episodes being broadcast was reduced from five to three, airing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, on 6 April, this was reduced again from three to two, airing Monday and Tuesday,
with the final pre-COVID episode screening on Monday 20 July. The slots belonging to new episodes on E4 were filled by ''
Hollyoaks Favourites''.
After the resumption of production, producers stated they expect to return to five weekly episodes in 2021.
In June 2020, episodes of ''Hollyoaks'' were made available on social media platform
Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before the ...
. In shortened segments featuring the highlights of an episode, they premiere on the app immediately after broadcast. In February 2022, it was announced by Channel 4 that new episodes of ''Hollyoaks'' would premiere on All 4 prior to their broadcast on television. They confirmed that the changes would take place from March 2022 and that each episode would become available in the early morning of each weekday.
International
In New Zealand, the show aired on
TV1,
TV2 and
C4. In Australia, from October 2010 to January 2012, the digital multichannel
7Two had broadcast double episodes of ''Hollyoaks'' from September 2009. In the United States, beginning in March 2014, the streaming service
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
began adding episodes of ''Hollyoaks''; episodes are uploaded to the service two weeks after their initial airing in the UK. In France, the soap airs dubbed in French on
TF1 Séries Films
TF1 Séries Films, formerly HD1 (acronym for ''Histoire de'') is a French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group. HD1 launched on Television in France, TNT, satellite, and xDSL on 12 December 2012.
History Proposed new TNT channels
With the shutdow ...
under the title ''Hollyoaks, l’amour mode d’emploi''.
Storylines
Over the course of the series' history, ''Hollyoaks'' has dealt with a number of storylines based upon serious issues. Given the large and established proportion of young viewers, some feel that the soap opera is an ideal platform to show a variety of issues affecting young people.
Earlier episodes were focused on partying and relationships, but the focus quickly went onto issue-led storylines including mental health, rape and self-harm.
''Hollyoaks'' has become notable for being the first soap to address various social issues. Series producer Iain MacLeod explained that despite having a tea-time timeslot, they continue to push important social issues as he felt it would be "patronising" to do otherwise.
Despite feeling a responsibility to cover these issues, MacLeod also liked that ''Hollyoaks'' mixes in serious scenes with comedic and lighthearted scenes.
It has been noted that ''Hollyoaks'' storylines have a fast pace, which viewers enjoy.
A 2007 episode which showed a number of the characters falling ill at a party due to
carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as "flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large e ...
helped make a viewer realise that the symptoms of illness she had been feeling were caused by a potentially fatal carbon monoxide leak in her home. By being made aware of the effects from the episode, she was able to receive medical treatment that would save her life. ''Hollyoaks'' was the first British soap opera to have a "non-linear" week. Commencing 14 September 2009, the special week saw storylines being played out in non-chronological order, something which has never been dealt with within the soap's history. Producer
Lucy Allan stated in an interview with
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
, "It was an idea pitched by Richard Burke, one of our writers, at my first long-term story conference back in February. What's great about it is that it's a really great storyline, but with the way he pitched – in making it non-linear – it was even better. It's just like if something happened to one of your mates and you try and put the pieces of the puzzle together as to what happened, you don't find all the people who tell you what happened in chronological order. You get bits here and there and piece it together. It's exactly the sort of thing Hollyoaks should be doing, challenging its audience." In late 2009, it was announced that ''Hollyoaks'' would make another soap first by screening a
flashforward
A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...
episode.
On 21 December 2009, the series' time-line moved forward six months into May 2010. The episode featured the second wedding of
Calvin Valentine
Calvin Valentine is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Ricky Whittle. He arrived in July 2006 as a police officer with his mother Diane Valentine, his brother Sonny Valentine and his sister Sasha ...
and
Carmel McQueen
Carmel Valentine (also McQueen) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Gemma Merna. She debuted on-screen during episodes airing on 13 August 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkw ...
. Series producer Lucy Allan stated: "We're really excited by this future episode – ''Hollyoaks'' is the only soap that can tamper with time and give our audience the opportunity to look at events that haven't yet taken place. A lot can happen in six months, so viewers should expect to be asking a lot of questions of some of their favourite characters' actions and behaviour."
Ricky Whittle
Richard George Whittle (born 31 December 1979) is a British actor. Whittle first came to prominence as a model for Reebok in the early 2000s. He is known in the United Kingdom for his role as Calvin Valentine in the soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. I ...
, who plays Calvin, added: "Calvin's completely besotted with Carmel. She's the one he's always wanted – she's always been his true love since they first started seeing each other and everyone's always wanted them to get back together."
Later in September, it was announced that ''Hollyoaks'', teaming up with Channel 4 Education's ''Battlefront'', would explore an underage sex storyline involving 12-year-old characters
Finn O'Connor
Finn O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Upon his introduction as part of the O'Connor family, the character was portrayed by Connor Wilkinson. The family were introduced during a "shake-up" of t ...
(
Connor Wilkinson) and
Amber Sharpe
Amber Sharpe is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Lydia Lloyd-Henry in 2010 and Lauren Gabrielle-Thomas in 2014. The character was introduced as a member of the new Sharpe family, as part of series produ ...
(
Lydia Lloyd-Henry
Lydia Lloyd-Henry (born 17 March 1996) is an English actress. She was born in Manchester, England. She played Amber Sharpe in ''Hollyoaks''.
''Hollyoaks''
In January 2010, it was announced that Lucy Allan had stepped down from the position of ...
), which would lead to Amber's pregnancy.
Explaining the storyline, Paul Marquess said: "''Hollyoaks'' has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way. I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity. And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine."
In November 2012, ''Hollyoaks'' aired "
Enjoy the Ride", in which four regular characters were killed:
Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance in September 2005. Rhys was killed off in the Enjoy The Ride storyline in an episode airin ...
(
Andrew Moss
Andrew Moss (born 1 June 1985) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Rhys Ashworth in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2005 to 2014. He also appeared in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'' as Paul Cuthbert. On stage ...
), and three sixth form students,
Maddie Morrison
Maddison "Maddie" Morrison is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Scarlett Bowman. Maddie is an old friend of Bart McQueen (Jonny Clarke). Bowman's casting was announced in June 2011. Maddie was in ...
(
Scarlett Bowman
Scarlett Bowman (born 10 December 1985) is an English artist and actress best known for her role as Maddie Morrison in the British TV soap opera ''Hollyoaks''.
Early life
Bowman was born in Windsor, Berkshire on 10 December 1985. As a young te ...
),
Neil Cooper (
Tosin Cole
Tosin Cole (born 23 July 1992) is an American-born British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in '' The Cut'' and '' EastEnders: E20'', later securing a regular ro ...
) and
Jono (
Dylan Llewellyn
Dylan John Llewellyn (born 10 September 1992) is an English actor, known for portraying Martin "Jono" Johnson in ''Hollyoaks'', James Maguire in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Derry Girls'' and Jack in ''Big Boys''.
Early life
Llewellyn was born in ...
). In October 2013, as part of the celebration of the soap opera turning 18, the show aired ''Hollyoaks — The Blast'' from 15 October until the end of the week. The storyline saw a cast massacre with five main characters being killed off through the week, and two were also killed off in the annual ''
Hollyoaks Later
''Hollyoaks Later'' (originally ''Late Night Hollyoaks'') is a British television spin-off of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The series allows for more sexual content, 'edgier' storylines and stronger language than ''Hollyoaks''. The s ...
''. In November 2014, the show aired ''Hollyoaks – End of The Line'' from 17–21 November. The storyline saw newcomers
Porshe McQueen (
Twinnie Lee Moore
Twinnielee Moore (born May 14, 1987), known professionally as Twinnie, is an English pop-country artist, actress, and traveller. In 2021 she founded the global music collective 'I KNOW A WOMAN'' whose primary mission is to standardise mental he ...
) and
Lockie Campbell
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2014, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by ...
(Nick Rhys) celebrate their wedding reception on a party train, and
Sienna Blake
Sienna Blake (also Bradley) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Anna Passey. The character made her first appearance on 21 November 2012 and was introduced as the estranged twin sister of est ...
(
Anna Passey
Anna Passey (born 28 August 1984) is an English actress, known for portraying Sienna Blake in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her role as Sienna Blake, she won the award for Villain of the Year at the 2014 British Soap Awards.
Car ...
)'s car becomes stuck on the tracks after a car chase with her father
Patrick Blake Patrick Blake may refer to:
*Patrick Blake (Canadian politician) (1846–1909), businessman and politician in Prince Edward Island, Canada
*Sir Patrick Blake, 1st Baronet (c. 1742–1784), MP for Sudbury
*Sir Patrick Blake, 2nd Baronet ( 1768–1818 ...
(
Jeremy Sheffield
Jeremy Sheffield (born 17 March 1966) is an English actor and former ballet dancer. He is most noted for his roles in '' Holby City'', ''Murder in Suburbia'' and ''Hollyoaks'' on television, as well as in the films '' Creep'' and ''The Wedding D ...
), causing the train to smash into it and derail. Long-running character
Carmel McQueen
Carmel Valentine (also McQueen) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Gemma Merna. She debuted on-screen during episodes airing on 13 August 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkw ...
(
Gemma Merna
Gemma Merna (born 6 February 1984) is an English actress and model. She is best known for portraying the role of Carmel McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 to 2014.
Career
Merna joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap op ...
) was killed when the wreckage exploded after saving her cousin
Theresa McQueen
Theresa McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jorgie Porter. She made her first appearance on 24 November 2008. The character was introduced as an extension of already established McQueen f ...
(
Jorgie Porter
Jorgina Porter (born 25 December 1987) is an English actress and model. She is known for portraying the role of Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2008 until 2016 and again from 2020.
Early life
Porter was born in Tr ...
) from "villainous"
Sonny Valentine
Sonny Valentine is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Aaron Fontaine. The role was initially played by Devon Anderson until 2007 when producer Bryan Kirkwood fired Anderson. In 2014, the role was ...
(Aaron Fontaine), who also died in the explosion, who wanted revenge on her for killing Calvin in 2010. Long-running character
Mercedes McQueen
Mercedes McQueen (also Owen, Fisher and Browning) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jennifer Metcalfe. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 as the first character t ...
(
Jennifer Metcalfe
Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe (born 4 September 1983) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles of Jade Nicholls in Emmerdale and Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', which she has appeared in since 2006. Her portr ...
) also "died" in November 2014, just a week after her sister Carmel, in a plot that saw her brutally murdered in the McQueen house by Grace Black. As of December 2014, only two original McQueen family members remain on screen,
Myra McQueen
Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She made her first screen appearance during the episode originally broadcast on 19 June 2006 and was introduced by producer ...
(Nicole Barbara Lane) and
John Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved arou ...
(
James Sutton). Mercedes returned in February 2015. In June of that year, Phoebe died after
Lindsey Butterfield
Lindsey Roscoe (also Butterfield) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Sophie Austin. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 3 June 2013. Lindsey had been involved in storylines such as coveri ...
(
Sophie Austin
Sophie Austin (born 5 January 1984) is an English actress who started her career out in theatre once she left drama school but later moved to screen. She is best known for portraying Lindsey Butterfield in the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a ...
) injects her with potassium chloride. Cleo moves into the house in late January 2015.
As part of the 20th anniversary in October 2015, a number of long-running storylines reached a climax point. In particular, it features the exposure of the affair between Ste Hay and
Harry Thompson
Harry William Thompson (6 February 1960 – 7 November 2005) was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer. He was the creator of the dark humour television series ''Monkey Dust'', screened between 2003 a ...
(
Parry Glasspool
Parry Glasspool (born 5 March 1992) is a British actor. He played Harry Thompson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 21st National Television Awards in 2016. The character was killed off in 2019 af ...
) to his father Tony and the other characters during a Hollyoaks Pride event. The underage sixth form student had begun questioning his sexuality following a kiss with
John Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved arou ...
, later developing strong feelings for Ste. The plot involving
Diane O'Connor
Diane Hutchinson (also O'Connor) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Alex Fletcher. In 2010, ''Hollyoaks'' series producer, Paul Marquess, embarked on the show's rejuvenation and axed a number o ...
, Tony and
Tegan Lomax
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the sho ...
regarding their children who had been switched at birth is also concluded. The week also features the departure of the Osborne family from the
Dog in the Pond pub and they had moved to the Boarding House which was previously owned by (
Dennis Savage
The following is a list of characters who first appeared or were due to appear in the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' during 2011, listed in order of their first appearance. In January 2011, it was announced that Gareth Philips woul ...
). Another storyline featured was the reveal of the Gloved Hand Killer (the identity of whom had been a mystery to viewers since January). The killer has murdered five characters up to that point (
Rick Spencer,
Mariam Andrews,
Will Savage
The following is a list of characters who first appeared or were due to appear in the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' during 2011, listed in order of their first appearance. In January 2011, it was announced that Gareth Philips wou ...
, Phoebe McQueen and
Dylan Jenkins
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...
), has had two failed attempts (Esther Bloom and Diane O'Connor) and killed another two during the week (
Ashley Davidson
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...
, Dr. S'avage) before Lindsey Butterfield is revealed as the serial killer when she seemingly murders another regular character (
Freddie Roscoe
Freddie Roscoe is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. He is played by Charlie Clapham, and made his first screen appearance on 6 May 2013. Freddie's notable storylines have including learning Darren Osborne ...
). However, he is later revealed to be alive. A month later, ''Hollyoaks'' aired (for the first time) a stillbirth storyline in which Mercedes loses her baby with
Joe Roscoe
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the sho ...
(
Ayden Callaghan
Joseph Patrick Callaghan (born 6 June 1981), known professionally as Ayden Callaghan, is an English actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Miles De Souza in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2007 to 2008 and as Joe Rosco ...
). 2015 was also the year they introduced the character of
Sally St. Claire
Sally St. Claire is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks'', played by Annie Wallace. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 29 October 2015 and Wallace is the first transgender person to play a regular ...
, the new head-teacher who would later be revealed as
John-Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved arou ...
's (
James Sutton) parent, as she is a trans woman. The character is notable as the first regular trans character in the UK soap opera to be portrayed by a trans woman.
In 2018, the show featured a self-harming storyline with the character
Lily Drinkwell
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced b ...
(
Lauren McQueen
Lauren Louise McQueen (born 12 July 1996) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her role as Lily Drinkwell on the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. She also appeared on the CBBC school-drama '' 4 O'Clock Club'' as Rachel and o ...
) and her friends
Peri Lomax
Peri Lomax is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. She is played by Ruby O'Donnell, who made her first screen appearance on 4 October 2013.
Storylines
Peri arrives with mother Sam (Lizzie Roper) to surprise ...
(
Ruby O'Donnell
Ruby O'Donnell (born 26 October 2000) is an English actress. Since 2013, O'Donnell has portrayed the role of Peri Lomax in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her portrayal of Peri, she won the award for Best Young Actor at the 2016 Bri ...
) and
Yasmine Maalik
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced b ...
(Haiesha Mistry), which won Best Storyline and Best Single Episode at
The British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies given ...
. In 2019, ''Hollyoaks'' became the first British television programme to tackle the issue of
far-right extremism
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
and
radicalisation
Radicalization (or radicalisation) is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. The ideas of society at large shape the outcomes of radicalizat ...
with
Ste Hay
Ste Hay is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Kieron Richardson. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 17 February 2006. Ste was created by David Hanson and was originally intended ...
(
Kieron Richardson
Kieron Mark Richardson (born 12 January 1986) is an English actor and television presenter. He plays the role of Ste Hay in ''Hollyoaks'', having previously appeared in '' Heartbeat'' as Ricky Smith. He won the British Soap Award for Best Ons ...
) central to the storyline. At the same time, Hollyoaks created the first storyline of
Munchausen syndrome
Factitious disorder imposed on self, also known as Munchausen syndrome, is a factitious disorder in which those affected feign or induce disease, illness, injury, abuse, or psychological trauma to draw attention, sympathy, or reassurance to t ...
with
Maxine Minniver
Maxine Minniver (also Blake, Donovan and Kinsella) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nikki Sanderson. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 6 November 2012. Maxine's storylines ...
(
Nikki Sanderson
Nikki Ann Sanderson (born 28 March 1984) is an English actress and former glamour model who is known for playing Candice Stowe in the television soap opera ''Coronation Street'', Dawn Bellamy in '' Heartbeat'' and Maxine Minniver in ''Hollyoaks ...
) central to the storyline. On 21 December 2019, ''Hollyoaks'' aired a one year flash forward episode to 31 December 2020, which showed sneak peaks of the upcoming
county lines drug trafficking
In the United Kingdom, the county lines drug supply model is the practice of trafficking drugs into rural areas and smaller towns, away from major cities. Criminal gangs recruit and exploit vulnerable children, sometimes including children in p ...
storyline fallout. The storyline was a heavy focus on the soap for over a year. The highlights of the storyline saw
Juliet Nightingale
Juliet Nightingale (also Quinn) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Niamh Blackshaw. ''Hollyoaks'' announced the character and Blackshaw's casting on 4 September 2018, with the actress making ...
(
Niamh Blackshaw
Niamh Blackshaw is an English actress. She began her career appearing in television advertisements which included a national advertisement for Mr Kipling. She was then cast in the guest role of Lara Cutler in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation St ...
) and
Sid Sumner
Sid Sumner is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Billy Price, who made his first appearance on 9 May 2019. He is introduced as the son of recurring character Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons) and ...
(
Billy Price) become groomed into selling drugs by
Jordan Price
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2019, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(Connor Calland) and
Victor Brothers
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(Benjamin O'Mahony), Juliet coming out as a lesbian and developing a relationship with Sid's adoptive sister Peri,
Ollie Morgan
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...
(Gabriel Clark) becoming addicted to ketamine,
Ella Richardson
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' in 2008, by order of first appearance.
Kieron Hobbs
Father Kieron Hobbs was the new priest at St. Timothy's Parish Catholic Church in January ...
(Erin Palmer) killing Jordan, and Sid faking his death to have Victor jailed.
In April 2021,
an episode of ''Hollyoaks'' that was focused on the
unconscious biases that Black women suffer from was transmitted. The episode focuses on a day in the life of both
Grace Black
Grace Black is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Tamara Wall. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 8 November 2013. Wall had three auditions for the role on the show's set in Liv ...
(
Tamara Wall
Tamara Kathleen Wall (born 23 July 1977) is an English actress, known for playing Grace Black in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Before playing Grace, Wall portrayed the role of Martina Quinn in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Wall pe ...
) and
Martine Deveraux
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...
(
Kéllé Bryan
Kéllé Bryan (born 12 March 1975) is an English singer and actress, known as a member of girl group Eternal. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Martine Deveraux in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role she played until 2022. She ...
), detailing the microaggressions that Martine faces as a Black woman in the United Kingdom.
The episode was followed by an hour-long special in September 2021.
The episode aired on Channel 4's Black to Front day and exclusively starred Black characters. The episode was also produced, written and directed by Black creatives.
Reception
In 2001, students at
University of Chester
, mottoeng = "He that teacheth, on teaching"
, former_names =
, established = (gained university status in 2005)
, type = Public
, endowment = £395,000 (2018)
, budget = £118.3 million
, chancellor = Gyles Brandreth
, vice_chancello ...
objected to a storyline which they say misrepresented students in the city. Students Union president Gordon Reay said, "Students at other universities think we are a bunch of radicals and militants because that's how the students are portrayed in ''Hollyoaks''. They assume that the college in the programme is Chester College, because ''Hollyoaks'' is set in the city." In 2007, the soap was further criticised along with other soap operas for the amount of alcohol consumption featured on-screen. The Food Commission monitored that 18 percent of scenes feature consumption and warned that it was conditioning teenagers into thinking it is normal to consume so much alcohol. A similar incident occurred in 1997 when the
Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom (except S4C in Wales) between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003.
History
The creation of ITC, by the Broadcasting Act ...
criticised the series for using an existing brand of alcohol,
Caffrey's Irish Ale
Caffrey's Irish Ale is an ale launched in 1994 by Bass Brewery and currently owned by Molson Coors.
History
The Caffrey brewing family first brewed beer in Dublin in the late 18th century, about thirty years after the Guinness Brewery was founde ...
in the soap claiming that it breached broadcasting rules and promoted the product.
In October 2009, Channel 4 was criticised for broadcasting character
Barry Newton
Barry "Newt" Newton is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nico Mirallegro. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 22 October 2007. He was introduced as the serial's first emo character ...
's (
Nico Mirallegro
'
Nico Cristian Mirallegro ( ; born 26 January 1991) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Barry "Newt" Newton in the soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2007–2010), Finn Nelson in ''My Mad Fat Diary'' (2013–2015), Joe Middleton in ...
) attempted suicide, which showed similarities to an incident which happened the same week in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, in which two teenagers committed suicide by jumping into the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. In its defence, a Channel 4 spokesperson stated that any similarities in the storyline were "entirely coincidents".
''Hollyoaks'' producers felt that it was best to continue with the transmission of the episodes. They explained that due to being a continuing series, the viewers would be familiar with Barry and that it would be helpful to address a "sensitive issue" followed by a programme support announcement directing viewers to a 24-hour helpline.
In late November 2009, it was announced that character
Loretta Jones (
Melissa Walton) would be revealed to have killed a child when she was twelve years old. A ''Hollyoaks'' spokesperson said, "The drama is about how Loretta reacts to Chrissy's arrival back in her life and how she copes with all the memories coming back." The storyline was criticised due to its similarities to real events, such as the
murder of James Bulger
James Patrick Bulger (16 March 1990 – 12 February 1993) was a two-year-old boy from Kirkby, Merseyside, England, who was child abduction, abducted, tortured, and murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson (born 23 August 1982) and Jon ...
. The mother of Bulger, Denise Fergus, stated her outrage of the storyline while speaking to ''Click Liverpool''. She expressed her disgust as she had not been consulted, and felt that the producers were making a "horrific murder" into a topic for entertainment to gain viewers.
She demanded a meeting with producers since she felt that the storyline was a "horrible insult to the memory of
erbeautiful son."
A spokesperson for Channel 4 stated that the storyline was not based on a real-life event and that producers did not intend to "seek to recreate real events".
Despite the storyline not being based on Fergus' situation, producers pulled the storyline from transmission since they felt that they had a duty to "deal with sensitive issues in an appropriate way".
''Hollyoaks'' has been praised by viewers, critics and
award ceremonies
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration.
An award ...
for the way they handle issue-led storylines. In 2018, Duncan Lindsay of the ''
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'' wrote a piece on ''Hollyoaks'' being "top of its game for tackling important issues".
He felt that the soap had "well and truly shed any reputation for being a bonkers, teen soap" and that it had become known for "careful, considered and dignified tackling of sensitive and important social issues".
Lindsay wrote that ''Hollyoaks'' does not get enough recognition for its output, especially for filming using a
single-camera setup
The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, also known as portable single camera, is a method of filmmaking and video production.
The single-camera setup originally developed during the birth of the classical Hollywood cinema i ...
to produce five episodes a week. He felt that despite their early evening timeslot, ''Hollyoaks'' "bravely goes where many later night programmes dare not".
Series producer Iain MacLeod stated that ''Hollyoaks'' often receive positive feedback from charities. He explained that their issue-led storylines result in "huge numbers of people coming forward" to the charities.
Following their #DontFilterFeelings campaign focusing on mental health, cast and crew members were invited to the
Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...
to discuss challenging stigma on the subject with members of parliament.
''Hollyoaks'' performs well on Channel 4's streaming service All 4; it was revealed in February 2022 that the soap was All 4's most-streamed scripted series of 2021, and the second most-streamed series in general.
Spin-offs
''Hollyoaks'' occasionally broadcasts late-night spin-off editions of the main show, usually due to them containing adult themes and controversial plots. Two video specials have also been released. In 2001, a new 16 part spin-off series was produced entitled ''
Hollyoaks: Movin' On'', this was followed by two subsequent series, ''
Hollyoaks: Let Loose'' and ''
Hollyoaks: In the City'', the latter appearing as its own show rather to a spin-off. In 2008, a late-night spin-off was produced by
Lucy Allan named ''
Hollyoaks Later
''Hollyoaks Later'' (originally ''Late Night Hollyoaks'') is a British television spin-off of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The series allows for more sexual content, 'edgier' storylines and stronger language than ''Hollyoaks''. The s ...
''. This
first series, although being broadcast late at night, was more of a spin-off than a special. A
second series was commissioned the following year and aired in September. A third series was announced in April 2010 before airing later that year. A
fourth series of ''Hollyoaks Later'' aired in September 2011 and saw the return of
Michaela McQueen
Michaela McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Hollie-Jay Bowes. Michaela was the first of the McQueen family to be seen on-screen in 2006, when she was credited as Michaela Jones. On 8 Ju ...
. A fifth series aired in September 2012, and a sixth in October 2013. ''Hollyoaks Later'' returned for a
one-off special in 2020, which featured the demise of serial killer
Breda McQueen
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...
(
Moya Brady
Moya Brady (born 8 September 1962) is an English actress. Her roles include Breda McQueen on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2018 to 2020.
Brady grew up in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. She has appeared in a ...
), as well as the introduction of
Verity Hutchinson
''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(Eva O'Hara). In October 2009, ''The Hollyoaks Music Show'' began with celebrity artists performing on the set of ''Hollyoaks''. Some of the acts that performed in the series include
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
,
Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, ''Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sing ...
,
Jason Derulo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer and songwriter. ,
The Saturdays
The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Wh ...
,
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom, ...
and more. The series was sponsored by
Matalan
Matalan is a British fashion and homeware retailer based in Knowsley, Merseyside. It was established by John Hargreaves in 1985, and is still owned by the Hargreaves family. , the company employed over 13,000, and had 230 stores in the United K ...
and ended in December 2011.
In 2021, ''
Hollyoaks IRL'' a series of real-life
documentaries
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
, which was produced by
Lime Digital and commissioned by
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
. The series had five episodes, each one based on a high profile ''Hollyoaks'' storyline that had an impact on Hollyoaks fan lives.
Hollyoaks IRL series has been nominated for a
BAFTA TV Award Short-form programme award 2022.
John Junior
John Junior, known as The Duckman is a British mental health activist and script consultant. He is known for co-creating, inspiring and featuring in multi-award winning and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA nominated documenta ...
, who shared his suicide story on
BBC Radio 5, inspired the series, which features him and his story.
Merchandise
Books
* ''Hollyoaks: Coming Together'' (1996)
* ''Hollyoaks: New Friends'' (1996)
* ''Hollyoaks: Friends and Families'' (1996)
* ''Hollyoaks: Can't Get the Girl'' (1997)
* ''Hollyoaks: Luke's Secret Diary'' (2000)
* ''Hollyoaks: Lives and Loves of Finn'' (2000)
* ''Hollyoaks: Luke's Journal: A New Beginning'' (2001)
* ''Hollyoaks: Stolen Emails'' (2002)
* ''Hollyoaks: Party! Party! Party!'' (2002)
* ''Hollyoaks: Seeing Red'' (2002)
* ''Hollyoaks: Running Wild'' (2002)
* ''Hollyoaks: The Official Companion'' (2002)
* ''Hollyoaks: Playing with Fire'' (2006)
* ''Hollyoaks: Truth or Dare'' (2006)
* ''Hollyoaks: Fame Game'' (2006)
* ''Hollyoaks: Guilt Trip'' (2006)
* ''Hollyoaks: Girl Talk'' (2010)
Calendars
From 2001 to 2012, the cast of ''Hollyoaks'' produced two annual calendars. One is entitled 'Hollyoaks Babes', which features the female cast, and the other 'Hollyoaks Hunks', which features the male cast. For the calendar shoot, actors and actresses usually set off to exotic holiday destinations, however in September 2009 it was revealed the
financial crisis of 2007–2008
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...
caused the production team to have to make cuts, and therefore could no longer go abroad for the shoot.
References
External links
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{{Soap operas in the United Kingdom
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