Sir Phil Redmond spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview ahead of the anticipated return to Brookside Close
Sir Phil Redmond spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview
Sir Phil Redmond always vowed he would never go back to Brookside after the iconic Liverpool-set soap came to an end 22 years ago. However, the legendary Huyton showrunner has been convinced to return to the L12 cul-de-sac he made so famous in celebration of Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary.
The 76-year-old is the mind behind both shows and a special one-off crossover episode will air tomorrow evening at 7pm on E4 to pay homage to his body of work, as well as the Hollyoaks milestone. The ECHO spoke to Sir Phil on the set of Brookside last month after Liverpool Film Office and the close’s current owner granted exceptional permission for camera crews to return to the now residential area.
He laughed: “I’ve enjoyed seeing the old place as though we were never here.” He added: “It’s slightly surreal. This morning it was like that Dallas moment when you come out the shower and think, ‘Am I going to Brookie?’
“I said I’d never go back once we’ve moved off, but it’s been great. The 30th anniversary of Hollyoaks is a good fun thing to do and then seeing all the cast. The old craic from the old days has been good fun.”
Sir Phil admitted the unique opportunity was too good to turn down and was a funny call-back to the way he first introduced Hollyoaks into the world, which got him in trouble with the TV regulator.
He said: “There was another little mischievous things because when Hollyoaks started I did send the Brookie cast to Chester to walk along the walls and have the Hollyoaks cast walk past.
“The Brookie characters said, ‘Oy, aren’t they those actors who are doing that new Channel 4 soap?’ And I got told off by the regulator because you weren’t supposed to promote one programme within another.
“So that was a bit of a mischievous fun thing of here I am.” Brookside ended 22 years ago when Jimmy Corkhill daubed a D onto the sign to declare Brookside closed, but the show still remains a cultural cornerstone in Liverpool despite ending two decades ago.
The showrunner said it was Brookside’s ability to tell real stories why it’s legacy continues to resonate. He said: “It’s that word, ‘Connect’. The show dealt with all kinds of issues, the anxieties, the angst, frustrations, celebrations, and ambitions of ordinary people.
I deliberately had it designed like this so you had people on the way up. Like the Grants, the trade unionists, and you had over there the Collins, the middle class management on the way down. You had those two sparking off each other and then you had the young yuppies.
“You could go anywhere and find this anywhere. In the 80s, we were no longer building 200 identical houses and putting people into boxes and I just think that’s it. You have to connect, you have to be relevant and you have to be as honest as you possibly can with the story, bearing in mind it is still a piece of fiction.”
Sir Phil is proud of the way the show exacted real change on people’s lives as he spoke about his two favourite storylines. He said: “The Jordache domestic storyline helped change the law on domestic violence. But also ended up with Trevor under that patio over there. The other one was when the Musgroves were in number 8.
“[Niamh] was a store manager, but they wanted to make her a regional manager. But she couldn’t operate the computer and go through the online application because she had to confess she couldn’t read or write, so she was sacked.
“And that led to the Brookie basic clinics. With 26 prisons taking parts. 30,000 people dropped into those clinics to improve their literacy.”
Sir Phil said the hairs still stand up on the back of his neck when he recallS a letter he received from a 53-year-old woman who’d taken advantage of the scheme. He told the ECHO: “The letter said, “Dear Mr Redmond, thank you for allowing me to write this letter.
“Those two storylines showed the importance of connecting with people, so you got the big stories around domestic violence, abuse at home. Then the other one you’ve got someone who can’t read or write.”
With all the fanfare around the crossover episode and the original episodes returning to STV Player, there seems to be a huge appetite for a full scale Brookside return. Sir Phil didn’t rule out this happening, but said he wouldn’t be involved, as he laughed: “I keep saying to people, ‘Do you see all these grey hairs?’ If they do, then it certainly won’t be with me.”
The Hollyoaks/Brookside crossover episode airs tomorrow at 7pm on E4
