Hollyoaks - Weekdays 6.30pm C4, 7pm E4

Mondays episode (shown on E4 Friday) is probably worth a look, doing the trick of beginning the episode with the ending then cutting to "A few hours earlier".

It's good to see them do something a bit different occassionally, but I did think a couple of stronger storylines would have made this particular episode work much better as the endings shown at the beginning were pretty obvious.

Sentence was passed in tonight's E4 episode (without a dramatic trial!) and the episode summaries promised a shocker.





Just want to mention about the "oldies" in the village too. The Ashworths were the main new family to move in last year but we've seen nothing really of Mr and Mrs Ashworth - and what we have seen hasn't really been that interesting.

I think the Barnes Mum and Dad are much more interesting though - especially the Dad (there in Hollyoaks - don't expect me to remember their names!)

Hollyoaks Spring Preview - info from All About Soap;

Don't know how true these spoilers are - every few months we seem to get some here which never materialise!

Anyhow:




Not sure about the shift in focus to families - or the need to bring in two more families, especially as most the older figures are little more than extras (have the Ashworth parents been seen since Christmas?). I'd like to see the "oldies" in the existing families used more - especially the brilliant Liz Burton and the Barnes.

I do think though it's good they appear to be building up the younger cast (the schoolkids) in a similar way to how we had Abby, Lisa, Steph etc. a few years ago.

The Deans are past it now IMO - and Darren Osbourne hasn't had a decent storyline since Scott Anderson left!


It's the students where the show is lacking as we've just now got a mix of just the actors who've turned up in the last few years and survived the axe.

This years intake has proved quite promising, but now Danni has gone there is little point to Joe (I think he leaves this year) - while I've never really seen the point in Jez. Zara and Cameron are gone too - so I think we need a really good group of students to arrive in the Autumn and stick around!

I think they could also do with another couple of couples in their late 20s, early 30s - or a group of older friends - just to add something different to the show.

Well the spoilers came from All About Soap so should be accurate.

I dont think they need to include new families either.

Details of a Hollyoaks special airing on Easter Sunday:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds31316.html

Details of a new spin-off to air on E4 later this year have been announced - with Hollyoaks: In the City effectively being a spin-off from Hollyoaks: Let Loose.

Lisa and Ben will once again be the central characters, but the rest of the Let Loose cast have got the chop.

Instead, we have a mini-Brookside reunion with Phillip Olivier (Tinhead) and Jerome Johnson (Leon) cast as teacher Adam and his friend Tank Top. In a further link Oliver Lee - who played Pearls grandson in Emmerdale (and Pearl used to be in Brookie as Sergent Nolans mother!) plays a student at the school.

Kym Marsh completes the core cast as Kate - a central female character who "gets up to alot of naughty things"

Hollyoaks: In the City is written by Daran Little of Coronation Street and debuts on 14 August on E4.

Oh god Let Loose was bad enough - I cant imagine how awful this one will be. I wont be watching.

Why am I thinking "Babe: Pig in the City"? Hmmmm.

We've had an overnight head transplant in Hollyoaks tonight with Claire getting a new face, body, voice and personality.

She's now played by Gemma Bissex, replacing
Samantha Rowley. Anyone know why she's left?


Always difficult to get used to when they change an actress overnight (and at least unlike Hayley in Home and Away, this one bears a passing resembelence) - but tonight Claire felt very much more like a housewive than the strong independent woman she's been for the last few months.


EDIT: From looking at the Digital Spy forums it appears the new Claire is the girl who used to play Nigel's daughter in EastEnders.

Havent seen her yet but I wonder why she has been replaced.

With Hayley in Home and Away, the new actress Ella is much better IMO. Ive warmed to the character far more since she took over.

Who was Clare in EastEnders (no I)

When Gemma Bissix was in EastEnders, she was one of the best young actresses of all the soaps - I always remember her and Natalie Cassidy always put in top notch and mature performances, and the scenes around the time of Debbie's (Nicola "Cat Matthews/McKenzie" Duffet) death were very moving. Then her character hooked up with Jon from S Club 7...