Hollyoaks - Weekdays 6.30pm C4, 7pm E4

Very difficult to find past titles online, but the current theme is quite different to the original, and the third version I think.

The hook is still there, but basically in the original titles the hook was repeated to form the theme and then jazzed up (or down) for the first revamp.

This theme is a toned down version of the theme used for late-night spin-off series Movin' On, and there have also been occassional variations used for other late night spin-offs (not in recent years though) or special episodes.


As for the current titles - when they changed them last year they made a big song and dance about how they could be updated easily as the outgoing titles were a good couple of years out of date!

Since they were introduced though the whole production team has changed so hopefully they'll get a complete revamp when they change. (I'm hoping for January 2nd - 2007 preferbly!)

Found the theme at KitJunkie: Here

This is the second version I think, from the credits. The opening titles didn't have the build up - they just went straight into the main part.

The first version was the same tune - just a slightly different arrangement.

I always preferred the original theme tune and opening credits format.

Hollyoaks are rubbish at updating their opening titles, unlike Home and Away who update them about 8 times during the year when characters arrive and leave (shame H&A dont show them on every episode)

Thanx 4 that.

I am shocked - it is so different to what we have now.

It's only recently though H&A have been good at updating their titles - I remember in the 90s they'd quite often have them with characters who had left, but admittedly they've never been as bad as Hollyoaks, and generally kept up with things like characters dying.


Re: the theme - I think I do prefer the original, but I do like the way that unlike other soaps (and UK programmes for that matter) they did change it and stick with it. A new version of the original is what I'd like in the New Year though!

Never been a huge fan of the current credits - they're too light and just don't work as well. I think they'd actually might work better without the boxes - just using the background images instead.

A quick fix though would be just to cut them down to a minimum - just have the scrolling logo at the beginning cutting straight to the animated logo (as used on breaks) at the end, perhaps including a "previously" segment as part of the titles.

However, having said that I do like the way Hollyoaks often recap previous events in the opening scenes. The other day they opened with flashbacks, while a couple of weeks ago there was a good scene involving newspaper headlines.

so what's happening to the e4 first look episodes over xmas? as it's usually those i watch will i have to switch over to ch4? is it going to mess up my sky plus series link?!

Its as normal this week - so Friday's E4 episode will be the first of the double episode being shown on C4 on Wednesday 27th I think.

Then there are no E4 first look episodes until the new year.

Tonights E4 episode was good however they seem to be rushing through the trial. Normally it takes an entire weeks worth of episodes!

A decent finale for In the City really - and probably the right decision to end it now as the story had finished and a second series would have just been milking it for more. All the better too for the ending being played out on screen, not in the TV mags


I doubt we'll see another Hollyoaks spin-off next year (I think they'd have done a second series of In the City rather than start again, again).


I think what In the City has done though is shown that if they want to, the UK stations can make extended series similar in length to their US counterparts - even with a series budget equivalent to just one episode of Lost or Desperate Housewives, so if nothing else hopefully it'll pave the wave for others to follow, whether on E4 or C4.

Actually for me it has proved that the uk cant do extended series as good as the US. I think In the City would have worked better as an 8-10 part series rather than 20. It did drag on a bit by the end and made me lose interest. The UK should stick to shorter series of between 6-10 episodes.

So Becca got banged up then and has her baby in prison just in time for Christmas - what a surprise then!

Do they have visiting on Christmas Day though?


The Christmas Day episode has aired on E4 (the first of Wednesday's double bill) and it was pretty decent - Hollyoaks probably end up having better Christmas episodes because they focus on the normalities of the day rather than weddings, murders etc.

Though of course, this year a murder is playing a big part - why won't anyone just listen to OB?


I liked the scenes in the Dog though with the McQueens, Valentines, Deans and others - nothing terribly dramatic, no family arguments and no unexpected children! A half decent script and normality works quite well!


Don't forget then Hollyoaks continues on Wednesday and Thursday with hour-long double bills at 6pm.

There is an E4 catch up on Friday, then Hollyoaks returns for 2007 (hopefully with brand new titles, hopefully!) on Tuesday 2nd January at 6pm on C4.

I watched the Christmas Day episode on E4 yesterday and it was a good episode. Corrie and Hollyoaks are the only 2 which arent doing anything that dramatic on Christmas Day and personally I prefer a lighter episode.

So those of us that watch on E4 will have 3 episodes on C4 next week then.

It was nice to watch a trial where for once I didnt know the outcome.

They did keep it pretty quiet - only for the News of the World to spoil it in their Christmas TV guide! I think it was the expected outcome though - they were always going to get more of a storyline out of the baby being born in prison.