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Brookside, commonly referred to as "Brookie", was a soap opera based in West Derby, a suburb of Liverpool, Great Britain - introduced with the new British television network, Channel 4. Produced by Mersey Television, it aired from the channel's first night on November 2, 1982. Conceived by Phil Redmond, who also devised Grange Hill, the soap was set to become Britain's gritty soap, with extremely compelling and challenging story lines.

Brookside became well known for its tackling of realistic and socially challenging storylines and was most popular in the 1980's and early 1990's. In the mid-1990s it began raising more controversial, and perhaps sensationalist issues under the guidance of new producers such as Mal Young and Paul Marquess. It is especially well-known for broadcasting the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British television in 1994, as well as a storyline featuring consensual incestuous sexual relations between two sibling characters. Although the series had a long and successful run, by the 2000s its viewing figures were in decline and low ratings eventually called for its cancellation. The final episode was broadcast on November 4 2003 and was watched by around 2.5 million viewers.

Brookside, based in a cul-de-sac in Liverpool, first appeared on November 2nd 1982 with the launch of the fourth British terrestrial channel, Channel 4. It differed from other serials because it was filmed in real, brand-new houses, in a real street, in an attempt by the producers to add to the show's realism. Mersey TV bought 13 houses altogether, 6 of which would be seen on-screen, and it was planned that were the show to be a commercial failure, these constructed houses could be sold on to partly recoup any losses. The first episodes of Brookside weren't well received and featured many obvious technical problems, such as poor sound quality, where actors voices would echo around the small rooms of the box houses used as sets. Poor scripts were criticised by the audience as many derided swear words were commonplace, an hour before the watershed, and questionable acting from a cast of relative unknowns all served to make Brookside seem very amatuerish and certainly not good enough to be the flagship soap on Britain's newest TV channel.

The first episodes concentrated on the development of the anchor Grant family, with Sheila (Sue Johnston) and Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) having moved up the social ladder to a big, four-bedroomed house on the 'middle-class' Brookside Close from a run-down council estate. They were the first family to have moved onto the Close at Number 5, as initially, only 3 of the six new-builds were occupied by characters. Episode 1 saw the Collins' arrival, and they were conversely on their way down the social ladder, downsizing from their lavish home on the upmarket Wirral, to the small, box-sized Number 8 Brookside Close. Other characters included Heather (Amanda Burton in her TV debut) and Roger Huntingdon (Rob Spendlove), two young professionals residing at semi-detached Number 9, and next door at Number 10, Gavin (Daniel Webb) and Petra Taylor (Alexandra Pigg) soon moved in, selling stolen cookers from the front lawn, naturally infuriating the neighbours.

Viewing figures bouyed around 1 million as the Production team and writers started to iron out Brooksides teething troubles. Soundproof panels were placed on the ceilings of the houses to contain sound and eliminate echoing, and the scriptwriters toned down the language. Out went the turgid, humourless and contentious feel the soap initially had, and in came new, interesting characters such as Harry (Bill Dean) and Edna (Betty Alberge) Cross, who finally bought Number 7, and comedy figure Alan Partridge (Dicken Ashworth) moved into the Bungalow, Number 6, and these new characters helped bring humour and balance to the existing cast during 1983.

With the obvious popularity of the Grant family, many storylines were geared around Bobby and Sheila's turbulent marriage for most of the 1980's. Bobby's short-temper and frequent visits to Union picket lines opposite Sheila's staunch catholic faith and family values all served to be compelling viewing for many viewers, as did the antics of their popular older children Barry (Paul Usher), Karen (Shelagh O'Hara), and Damon (Simon O'Brien). They were joined by Clare later in the 80's in a thoughtful storyline where Sheila and Bobby dealt with parenthood later on in life.

1985 was a pivital year for Brookside with the arrival of its longest-running and most well-known family, the Corkhills. The first generation of Corkhills to descend on the Close were Billy (John McArdle) and Doreen (Kate Fitzgerald) who moved into Number 10 with their children Rod (Jason Hope) and Tracy (Justine Kerrigan) along with a multitude of marital problems and debt.

Brookside also achieved its biggest viewing figures of the 1980's during 1985 with the infamous Number 7 Siege, where the hard-hitting plot was watched by 7.5 million people. Number 7 was home to three young nurses; Pat Hancock (David Easter), Sandra Maghie (Sheila Greer) and Kate Moses (Sharon Rossita). Their entry into the Close signalled Brooksides most daring storyline yet; an armed siege where mentally unstable John Clarke (Robert Pugh) held the three nurses hostage for several days in a claustrophic and gripping 3 episode run. With the Close dramatically sealed off and surrounded by armed police, the siege culminated in a terrifying shoot-out resulting in the shocking death of Kate followed by John's subsequent suicide. These episodes put Brookside in a predominant position and made other soaps, such as Coronation Street and Crossroads take notice, while the BBC, finally realised they also needed a soap and launched equally hard-hitting EastEnders the very same year. Brookside was now seen as a quality soap opera, earning it the reputation as being "The Rolls Royce of Soaps".

1986 was another memorable year for the soap, featuring the horrifying attack of Sheila Grant in some of Brookside's most harrowing and deeply disturbing sequences. The storyline was praised for its marked restraint. This year also saw the introduction of the soap's longest-running character Jimmy Corkhill, played by Dean Sullivan. Initially a bit-part player, Jimmy was the brother of Billy, and his early appearances usually saw the character in many money-making schemes, a true scally, along with characters such as Barry, and the also hugely popular Terry Sullivan (Brian Reagan).

Another ground-breaking storyline on 1986 was the death of Nicholas Black (Alan Rothwell). Having divorced her first husband Roger in 1983, Heather reverted back to her maiden name, Haversham, before marrying businessman Nicholas Black. Little did she know, he was a secret heroine addict and on her return from work one day, she found him dead in the Living Room of Number 9 having suffered a fatal overdose. As a result, Heather left Brookside Close for good.

The late 80's saw the gradual disintegration of the popular and central Grant family. Damon was fatally stabbed whilst on the run with his girlfriend in 1987, Karen left for London to study in 1988 and never returned, and she was followed by the departure of Bobby after he discovered he wasn't eldest son Barry's biological father. As the marriaged crumbled, Sheila and little Clare moved into the spare room at Billy Corkhill's and Number 5 was sold to the Roger's family in 1989. The Roger's were a similarly large family who'd moved into Number 7 in 1987, renting it off Harry Cross. However, when Number 5 went up for auction, Frank (Peter Christian) and Chrissie (Eithne Browne) decided they wanted to own their own home, so bought the former Grant home on their way up the property ladder.

The Collins' had also had a relatively eventful time on the Close, with their son Gordon (Nigel Crowley) coming out as homosexual and Annabelle (Doreen Sloan) rescuing her abused mother from a care-home, followed by her illicit affair with a magistrate.

The Corkhill's marriage had also ended in divorce with Doreen leaving the family in late 1987. With Rod becoming a Police Officer and Tracey a Hairdresser, the family regularly saw Uncle Jimmy popping in to create a spare room at Number 10 by knocking a door way through to the garage! This room was eventually occupied by Sheila and Clare Grant, and it marked the beginning of Sheila and Billy's slow dance to love and marriage - another hugely popular storyline with viewers.

Brookside saw the arrivel of 80's archetypes 'yuppies' Jonathan Gordon-Davies (Stephen Pinner) and Laura Wright (Jane Cunliffe) into Number 9, while the recently vacated Number 7 saw Chinese immigrants the Choi's move in for a short period. The soap averaged around 5 to 6 million viewers as the 1980's drew to a close but it was at this point that the tide was beginning to turn. Off-screen, Mersey TV had bought a defunct Technical College in the district of Childwall, around 15 minutes away from the set of Brookside Close and on-screen, part of this new premises became a row of shops called "Brookside Parade". The introduction of a shop, bar, chip-shop and other businesses saw Brookside's main focus shift from the Close, to this new set, and many storylines went with it. To launch the Parade, the writers developed the storyline of Terry Sullivan's wife Sue (Annie Miles) and baby Danny being pushed to their deaths off scaffolding. This again gave the soap extremely high viewing figures.

In the early 1990s, the plots of Brookside became increasingly sensationalised. Most of the original cast had left, with Billy and Sheila, the entire Collins family, the Choi's and Harry Cross all departing by the end of 1990. In came the Dixon family, the Farnham's and the Johnson's. Mick Johnson (Louis Emierick) had been a lodger with Harry Cross in 1989, but by early 1990, he'd been joined by his entire family. Max and Patricia Farnham (Stephen Pinder and Gabrielle Glaister) moved into Number 7 in April 1990 and soon became the soap's new yuppie couple. Ron and DD Dixon (Vince Earl and Irene Marot) drove onto Brookside Close in the 'Moby', a huge mobile shop, to move into Number 8, and it wasn't long before the family were rowing with their new neighbours over the junk on their front lawn!

Brooksides most infamous plot happened in 1993 with the storyline of wife beater and child abuser Trevor Jordache. In 1993, his wife, Mandy (Sandra Maitland) and daughter Beth (Anna Friel) moved into Number 10. The house had been vacated by the remaining Corkhill clan, and unbeknown to anyone, had been sold off to become a safe house for abused families. As the viewer got to know the new characters, some disturbing facts emerged. Beth and her young sister Rachel (Tiffany Chapman) were sexually abused by their dad, and before long, their evil father Trevor had found them in Brookside Close and bullied his way back into the family home. As the abuse and torture got worst, Mandy and Beth killed him and had him buried underneath their patio, where his body remained for well over a year. The finding of his remains gave the Brookside its highest ever viewing figures of 9.5 million, and things were to go rapidly downhill from here-on.

Following the success of the 'body under the patio' plot, the writers of the show continued to deal with controversial subjects that other British soaps did not. Some, such as the incestuous relationship between a brother and sister, were criticised whilst others, such as an explosion at the soap's shopping complex, were better handled. However, viewing figures gradually declined.

The show became a less important part of Channel 4's programming. Often, it would be shunted around the schedule to make place for other shows, or broadcast late at night. Eventually, it was announced that Brookside would no longer be aired during its weeknight prime-time slots but would continue in its traditional Saturday evening omnibus edition. Due to contractual obligations, Channel 4 was committed to Brookside until November 2003, its 21st anniversary. Characters slowly dropped off from the show in a storyline that saw the eponymous Brookeside Close being emptied before demolition for the construction of a waste incineratior. Phil Redmond had his final say in a rebellious scripted rant about how ‘TV and society’s not like it was’, voiced by ‘Brookside’s longest-running character Jimmy Corkhill…

In the final episode, Jimmy Corkhill was the last resident of Brookside Close to leave their house. As a last act of defiance he broke into the houses and left all the taps running and then painted Game Over on the boarded-up windows of two houses and an extra D on Brookside Close, to spell Brookside Closed at the end of the episode. He then went to live with his daughter Lindsey, who had married Barry Grant.

Two 'soap bubbles' were produced in the late 80s. Damon and Debbie (1987) followed the two characters, Damon Grant and Debbie McGrath absconding to York, while 1988's South saw Tracy Corkhill and Jamie Henderson seeking a better life in London. The latter was part of an ITV For Schools English programme and was notable for featuring a guest appearance by Morrissey playing himself.

When it was announced that the show would be finishing as a continuing series there were rumours that it would continue with a succession of DVD releases.^{[citation needed]} The first DVD featuring the climax to a long running storyline involving Tim "Tinhead" O'Leary and his mate Steve Murray called Unfinished Business was released in 2003, and there was talk of another DVD involving a storyline with Barry Grant tracking down his brother Damon's killers, another story arc that began during Brooksides final episode on Channel 4. A trailor for the DVD was filmed and included on the Unfinished Business DVD, along with a promo for an anniversary documentary called Brookside: 100 of the Best. With the sale of Mersey Television in 2005, and the sale of Brookside Close the same year, it is highly unlikely that any further DVDs will be released and whilst recognising the existence of the documentary, Channel 4 say they have no plans to screen it in the future.

The houses used as locations for the show are still in existence. When Brookside was removed from prime-time Channel 4, Mersey TV immediately started using some of the houses on Brookside Close in its other soaps Hollyoaks and Grange Hill. In Hollyoaks, the Dean family moved into what was Number 7, and the Burton-Taylor family moved into what was Number 8 Brookside Close. On-screen, the two identical houses had their exteriors cladded in a mock-tudor wood effect, net curtains covered the windows, and there were rarely exterior long-shots, but eagle-eyed viewers frequently spotted familiar sights and props that gave the game away. It is also well known that the Cunningham's house in Hollyoaks was situated on Brookside Close, but the house was never used as a set in Brookside. In children's soap Grange Hill, Number 5's interior was used as the home to the character Carl Fenton although interestingly, the exterior was a carefully chosen house that matched the inside situated elsewhere. The public bar in Brookside which resided on Brookside Parade is now used as the Student Union bar in Hollyoaks and the Parade itself can now be seen in Grange Hill as the School entrance.

Brookside Close was eventually sold off in 2005 to a developer who then stripped, gutted and effectively rebuilt the entire interior of each of the 13 houses before making them available for sale to the public in January 2007. Of the houses on Brookside Close (that were used as sets), Numbers 7 and 8 were the cheapest at £199.000, while the famous Number 10 was For Sale at £295.000 according to the Off Plan Investments particulars, who are selling the houses.

5 Brookside Close:

• The Grants 1982–1989
• The Rogers 1989–1993
• Simon Howe and 'the cult' 1993–1994
• Barry Grant 1994–1995
• The Johnsons 1995–2001
• The Gordons 2002–2003

6 Brookside Close:

• Alan Partridge 1982–1984
• Harry & Edna Cross and Ralph Hardwick 1984–1990
• The Johnsons 1990–1993
• Dave & Jean Crosbie 1993–1995
• Jacqui Dixon, Katie Rogers and Rachel Jordache 1995–1997
• David Crosby 1995–1998
• The Shadwicks 1998–2003

7 Brookside Close:

• Harry and Edna Cross 1983–1984
• Sandra Maghie, Pat Hancock and Kate Moses 1984–1987
• The Rogers 1987–1989
• The Chois 1989–1990
• The Farnhams 1990–2002
• The Dixons 2002–2003

8 Brookside Close:

• The Collins 1982–1990
• The Dixons 1990–1997
• The O’Learys and Sinbad 1997–1998
• The Musgroves 1998–2000
• Mike and Rachel, Ron and Anthea Dixon 2000–2002
• Max and Jacqui Farnham 2002–2003

9 Brookside Close:

• Heather and Roger Huntington 1982–1983
• Heather Haversham (Heather reverted to her maiden name) 1983–1986
• Heather Haversham and Nicholas Black 1986–1987
• Jonathon and Laura Gordon-Davies, then Jonathon with Terry Sullivan as a lodger 1987–1990
• Terry and Sue Sullivan 1990–1991
• The Harrisons 1991–1993
• The Banks 1994–1996
• The Simpsons 1996–1998
• Nathan, Darren, Victoria and Jacqui as tenants of Lindsey Corkhill 1999–2000
• The Murrays 2000–2003

10 Brookside Close:

• Gavin and Petra Taylor 1982–1983
• The Jacksons 1984–1985
• The Billy Corkhill family 1985–1993
• The Jordaches 1993–1995
• Jimmy Corkhill and family 1995–2003

• List of staff for Brookside
• List of Brookside Characters

• Brookside at IMDb
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Brookside Soapbox
• TV Soapbox
• Interview with Sarah White (Bev) on online radio soap show