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Post by roverman on Jun 6, 2023 8:45:27 GMT
As well as Brookside I’ve been watching old episodes of this on STV Player.
I’ve started from the 1990 revamp. I’ve watched single episodes from before then and it was very slow and uneventful.
The 1990 revamp plays a bit with time as it was screened 1 month on from the previous episode but in Glendarroch it’s three months on (presumably to ensure they aren’t filming up there in the depths of winter!)
This is something they do a few times on TTHR. They time travel!
The 1994 revamp moved time on again and the final episode, screened in 2003 was actually recorded in 2001.
Where did they go wrong? To be honest I’m not sure, the 1990 revamp and the introduction of fresh faces alongside the existing favourites worked well IMO and it’s no worse than any other soap in 1990. They are acknowledging changing times and the fact people from the south did move north to make money.
I don’t think pulling it from English regions post 1994 helped as this would have drastically reduced advertising income.
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Post by LouP on Jun 6, 2023 9:58:42 GMT
My Mum who was Scottish used to love this. It was her lunchtime treat. Mine is Doctors nowadays.
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Post by CAEF on Jun 6, 2023 12:06:58 GMT
As well as Brookside I’ve been watching old episodes of this on STV Player. I’ve started from the 1990 revamp. I’ve watched single episodes from before then and it was very slow and uneventful. The 1990 revamp plays a bit with time as it was screened 1 month on from the previous episode but in Glendarroch it’s three months on (presumably to ensure they aren’t filming up there in the depths of winter!) This is something they do a few times on TTHR. They time travel! The 1994 revamp moved time on again and the final episode, screened in 2003 was actually recorded in 2001. Where did they go wrong? To be honest I’m not sure, the 1990 revamp and the introduction of fresh faces alongside the existing favourites worked well IMO and it’s no worse than any other soap in 1990. They are acknowledging changing times and the fact people from the south did move north to make money. I don’t think pulling it from English regions post 1994 helped as this would have drastically reduced advertising income. The Emmerdale revamp of 1989/1990 was also the same time, like Neighbours had a revamp in 1992/1993. I liked TTHR, it was the Scottish Emmerdale/Crossroads basically, or the Scottish Home And Away but without the youngsters and exotic beach setting. TTHR's setting was like a rainier version of Summer Bay. Celia Stewart was like Mrs Mack.
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Post by roverman on Jun 6, 2023 13:27:45 GMT
The 1990 revamp does bring to the fore a few youngsters, some are existing characters given more screen time (Carol McKay and Donald Lachlan) as well as new faces like the MacDonald children, Trish being played by a young Natalie Robb.
I think Aussie soaps just looked more glamorous because of the sunshine, the sandy beaches and the beautiful people in their swimwear. Even if early Home and Away did look a bit low rent because the characters weren’t minted.
Mrs Mack in her raincoat and daft hat isn’t going to pull as many viewers 🤣
I’m genuinely enjoying it.
The only issue with binge watching 5 episodes on one go, is that time slips by and a 2 week holiday/absence off screen seems to fly by!
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Post by CAEF on Jun 6, 2023 14:32:24 GMT
I have a bit of Scottish in me as well, and one English ancestor served in Glasgow in 1841 and is counted in the 1841 census at the Govan barracks.
Kenneth Watson was in TTHR for several years.
TTHR first aired on 19th February 1980, exactly 5 years before a famous soap began.
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Post by roverman on Nov 4, 2023 13:45:43 GMT
Still enjoying these on STV Player.
Well into the 1992 episodes now. Most of the Lachlan family (Dougal, Donald and Gladys) have left with Granny Grace moving into the village and Grady’s daughter Emma moving into the Ardnacraig Hotel (her place of work) this was a very low key exist given Dougal and Grace have been in the show since launch and Donald was the first birth in the show. They literally just drove off for a holiday in Yorkshire and never came back.
Offscreen they decide to stay down there.
An interview with Alec Monteith (Dougal) sometime later suggested they were axed because he was the Equity Rep and probably “upset management too many times!”
A lot of the characters introduced in the 1990 revamp have been quietly written out but a few have been given more storylines.
One of the big stories was the birth and subsequent death of Carol and TJ’s baby, Mary, who died of cot death. This was handled brilliantly, as this was a baby universally loved around the village and had even found a way of softening Mrs Mack a little!
There was a HIV/AIDS storyline which dominated many episodes in 1991, but this has passed now with a happy outcome. Very well handled and with the character involved being male heterosexual I think it would have helped break down some of the old stereotypes.
The next big shakeup comes around 1993/1994 when it’s mysteriously taken off air again for a short period of time, but in the show it’s a much longer period, with some big background changes again and by the end of 1994, it’s renamed High Road for little logical reason.
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Post by CAEF on Nov 7, 2023 12:08:06 GMT
A great show it was. If ever they did revive it they would try and entice Natalie J Robb to return to it and leave Emmerdale. I'd hate that to happen as Moira is the much younger version of Annie Sugden since Diane left. I remember when rumours on social media did the rounds that John Barton was once suspected to be a secret son of Jack Sugden, as his and James' dad knew Jack Sugden once.
TTHR was deffo the Scottish Emmerdale.
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Post by roverman on Nov 11, 2023 20:18:00 GMT
Just found out today the lovely Gillian McNeill who played Lynne McNeil in TTHR, has passed away aged 58. RIP
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