Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks
File:Hollyoaksnew.jpg
Created by	Phil Redmond
Production
Executive producer	Phil Redmond
Original release
Network	Channel 4 E4
Release	October 23, 1995

Hollyoaks is a British television teen drama and soap opera first broadcast on 23 October 1995, on the Channel 4 network. Originally devised by Phil Redmond, who also devised shows such as Brookside and Grange Hill, the programme is set in and around the fictional Chester suburb of Hollyoaks and is centred around a former 1950s technical college which is now a college of higher education called Hollyoaks Community College (often mistaken for the real-life University of Chester), with the characters and main target audience generally being in their late teens or early twenties.

Produced by Lime Pictures (formerly Mersey Television) and filmed mainly at studios in Liverpool, the show currently broadcasts at 18:30 each weekday on Channel 4, with an omnibus edition on Sunday morning, usually at 9.50am but this time may vary. At 19:00 each weekday, Channel 4's sister station E4 airs a 'First Look' feature, in which viewers are able to watch the episode which would be shown on Channel 4 the following day. A Saturday omnibus is also aired on E4 as well as daily repeats each weekday at 16.30. The Welsh fourth channel, S4C, broadcasts the Sunday omnibus only. Hollyoaks is also shown in other countries, such as Canada, on the BBC Kids channel and in 2007 is set to start up in parts of Eastern Europe including Ukraine. Episodes will start at the time of the Sam Owen's return which aired in the UK during Summer 2006. The programme is known for launching the careers of Will Mellor, Jodi Albert, Gary Lucy, Elize Du Toit, Jeremy Edwards, Ali Bastian, Sarah Jayne Dunn and James Redmond.

Hollyoaks has received numerous awards over the years and raised awareness of teen issues such as teen pregnancy, abortion, bereavement, male rape/date rape, alcohol, drug abuse and homosexuality.

On February 26 2007, the programme launched a new theme tune along with new look titles, with the name written as "H♀LLY♂AKS". The revamp was brought about since the majority of characters featured in the previous version had either been killed-off or had left the programme, while others generally now look different to how they did.

Hollyoaks specials

The show also features occasional love sessions between men

Hollyoaks DVD and Video specials

• Hollyoaks: Off on One (1998)
• Hollyoaks: Indecent Behaviour (2001)

Hollyoaks late night

• Hollyoaks: Lost Weekend (1999)

The first The late night episode which unfolded in 4 parts about the kidnapping of Lucy Benson by Rob Hawthorne, who took to a disused water tank whilst Ruth Osborne, Lewis Richardson and Tony Hutchinson search for her.

• Hollyoaks: Boys Do Barca (2000)

• Hollyoaks: Breaking Boundaries (2000)

The late night episode which featured the rape of Luke Morgan by Mark Gibbs.

• Hollyoaks: Leap of Faith (2003)

The late night special about Ellie Hunter finding out Toby Mills was the Hollyoaks serial killer. Toby takes Ellie up to the roof of a building preparing to jump across proving they are both untouchable.

Meanwhile Ellie's sibling's Lisa and Dan search for Ellie and Toby in Liverpool.

• Hollyoaks: After Hours (2004)

Lisa Hunter is whisked away to Paris with a man she met in a hotel where she worked.

Meanwhile Joe Spencer and his friends go on a night out that ended in disaster when the top of the bus was smashed off by a low bridge.

• Hollyoaks: In Too Deep (2004)

Steph Dean is haunted by the ghost of one of Toby Mills victims. She nearly drowns to death.

Meanwhile Lee Hunter and Bombhead cause mayhem when backstage of Steph's show.

• Hollyoaks: Crossing The Line (2005)

In this late night special Andy Holt spikes Dannii Carbone's drink with GHB and then rapes her. Andy later reveals his activities to his friend, Sam Owen, who gets sucked in by Andy and agrees to join him on his quest to drug and rape girls.

Meanwhile Chris tricks Lee Hunter into sleeping with a transvestite called Aphrodite. Elsewhere Ben Davies and Lisa Hunter make friends with siblings Ally and Alex, who introduce them into their world.

• Hollyoaks: No Going Back (2005)

Following on from Hollyoaks: Crossing The Line. Andy Holt drugs Sophie and Mel Burton. He rapes Mel and leaves Sam Owen to rape Sophie, but he doesn't. Dannii tells Russ that she was raped. He doesn't believe her so she tries to jump off the college roof. Mel, Sophie and Louise Summers stop her and report Andy to the police. Sam and Andy are on top of a cliff when Russ turns up. A fight breaks out and Sam and Andy fall over the cliff. Russ grabs Sam, but can't save both of them. Sam lets Andy go and he falls over the cliff. Sam and Russ believe they've killed him, but viewers know that Andy survived the fall.

Meanwhile Rhys, Gilly, Jessica and Olivia go on a trip to a spiritrist camp.

• Hollyoaks: Back from the Dead (2006)

Andy Holt (who survives the fall from Hollyoaks: Crossing the Line) seeks his revenge against the Owen brothers by kidnapping their sister Nicole.

Books

• Coming Together by Karen Dolby. Released 25 March 1996
• New Friends by Karen Dolby. Released 30 September 1996
• Friends and Families by Karen Dolby. Released 25 November 1996
• Can't Get the Girl by Karen Dolby. Released December 1997
• High Impact by Phil Redmond. Released 12 April 2001
• Luke's Secret Diary by Kaddy Benyon. Released 21 July 2000
• The Lives and Loves of Finn by Geraldine Ryan. Released 21 July 2000
• Seeing Red by Kaddy Benyon. Released 7 June 2002

This is about Lisa Hunter's life spiralling out of control.

• Stolen Emails by Chris Parker. Released 22 June 2001
• Luke's Journal by Neil Jones. Released 22 June 2001

A sequel to Luke's Secret Diary

• Party! Party! Party by Matthew Evans. Released 9 April 2002
• Running Wild by Tara Byrne. Released 7 June 2002
• Playing with Fire by Kirsty Neale. Released 4 May 2006

Novelisation of the storyline Becca Dean and Justin Burton's affair.

• Truth or Dare by Angela Corner. Released 4 May 2006

A fictional story of three friends: Hannah Ashworth, Nancy Hayton, and Sarah Barnes as they go on a trip to France. Nicole Owen is featured on the front cover but does not actually go to France because she is still distressed after finding out about her brother being a rapist etc.

• Fame Game by Ian Pike. 15 September 2006

A fictional story about the characters of Steph Dean and her sister Debbie Dean starting a talent show in London.

• Guilt Trip by Kaddy Benyon. Released 15 September 2006

Nicole Owen's life spirals out of control when her brother Sam Owen is arrested. No one saw what Sam was going to do next.

• It's my life - Released 25 September 2006

Novelisation of the storyline of Amy Barnes's pregnancy as she tries to hide it from her friends and family.

Music

Hollyoaks is the only major British soap to make use of incidental music, usually a variation of the show's theme music. It is used either as a transition between scenes or as part of a dream-like sequence. Each episode begins with a current or recent chart song. These have included bands such as Ocean Colour Scene with the song "Hundred Mile High City", Radiohead, Scissor Sisters, U2, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, The Libertines, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Morrissey, The Fratellis, The Darkness and the song by Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved" was repeatedly played over and over in early 2005.

Several Hollyoaks soundtrack CDs have been released over the years, containing music used in the programme.

The main theme was written and performed by Steve Wright, who produced music and themes for not only Hollyoaks but Brookside, Grange Hill and other Mersey TV productions.

A new remixed version of the theme, along with brand new titles, were used from 26 February 2007. The new titles show different characters in the drama posing in various positions with bright colourful backdrops. The logo at the end now appears written as H♀LLY♂AKS.

See also

• Hollyoaks locations
• List of characters from Hollyoaks
• List of past characters from Hollyoaks

External links

• Hollyoaks
• Hollyoaks at IMDb