The Lost Weekend

[Annie]

I decided I would finally get the Lost Weekend video earlier this year, as I
was in a bit of a missing-Callum mood and wanted to see what actually happened
at the conclusion of that storyline. Last night I got round to watching it.

If anyone else here bought the video, what did you think of it? I was very
disappointed. I'm sure Brookie used to be quite good in 1997 (compared to the
dire episodes we get nowadays), so I had expected more from the video. Callum
didn't have anywhere near as much screen time as I had thought he would (you
know something's hugely wrong when the Corkhills' baby gets a higher billing
than him in the end credits!). It doesn't help that I never saw Brookie's early
days, either, so the endless talk about the Corkhills' and Grants' history had
no interest for me.

I also thought it was pretty stupid how everyone was suddenly swearing every
other word! Not that I have a problem with bad language, but considering
nobody ever swears in the TV show, it was laughable how they went from one
extreme to the other like that. It felt like they were desperately trying to
make the 18 rating worthwhile!

So yeah... if I ever feel like watching the video again, I'll probably be
fast-forwarding everything except the Callum scenes. But I am curious to hear
what other people thought of it. I notice the average rating on the IMDb is 2.9
out of 10, which doesn't surprise me at all!

- Annie Vox :o)

[Gareth Davies]

"Annie" <***@aol.compound> wrote in message news:***@mb-m15.aol.com...

<snipped>

Post by Annie
It doesn't help that I never saw Brookie's early
days, either, so the endless talk about the Corkhills' and Grants' history had
no interest for me.

But up until about 1995 this history was central to Brookside - without it
it wasn't possible to make sense of many of the hard hitting story lines.
Even later you couldn't understand why for example Barry didn't pulverise
Jimmy after the failed lorry heist unless you had a grasp of the earlier
history. You could still enjoy Brookie without understanding this but your
appreciation would be deeper if you did.

Gareth.

[Radiohead]

Post by Gareth Davies
<snipped>

Post by Annie
It doesn't help that I never saw Brookie's early
days, either, so the endless talk about the Corkhills' and Grants'

history

Post by Gareth Davies
had

Post by Annie
no interest for me.

But up until about 1995 this history was central to Brookside - without it
it wasn't possible to make sense of many of the hard hitting story lines.
Even later you couldn't understand why for example Barry didn't pulverise
Jimmy after the failed lorry heist unless you had a grasp of the earlier
history. You could still enjoy Brookie without understanding this but your
appreciation would be deeper if you did.

Hmm, you must have a better memory than me! Why didn't he pulverise him?

[Gareth Davies]

Post by Annie

Post by Gareth Davies
<snipped>

Post by Annie
It doesn't help that I never saw Brookie's early
days, either, so the endless talk about the Corkhills' and Grants'

history

Post by Gareth Davies
had

Post by Annie
no interest for me.

But up until about 1995 this history was central to Brookside - without it
it wasn't possible to make sense of many of the hard hitting story lines.
Even later you couldn't understand why for example Barry didn't pulverise
Jimmy after the failed lorry heist unless you had a grasp of the earlier
history. You could still enjoy Brookie without understanding this but your
appreciation would be deeper if you did.

Hmm, you must have a better memory than me! Why didn't he pulverise him?

"Many of the main changes in Brookside are symbolised by the fate of the
Grant family. Moving onto the close at the start of the programme, the
Grants symbolised the expansion in working-class property ownership
encouraged by the Conservative governments of the 1980s. Bobby Grant, a
trade unionist with a fierce line in socialist rhetoric, suffered
unemployment, Damon Grant was murdered in London (with the death filmed as
part of a Brookside spin-off entitled Damon and Debbie, a format copied by
Granada's Coronation Street), Karen Grant left home to study at University,
and Sheila Grant left Bobby, symbolising the breakdown of the traditional
post-World War II family unit. Barry Grant gradually developed the role of a
ruthlessly competitive young entrepreneur, encouraged by the boom-bust cycle
of the British economy during the 1980s and 1990s. He continued with the
series into the 1990s, but gradually disappeared after murdering the wife
and child of his lifelong best mate, Terry Sullivan. Murder and violence are
no strangers to the Brookside set, which since its inception has seen two
armed sieges, the murder of a child abusing father, a violent rape, and a
fatal cocaine-fueled car accident."

Some of these issues (guilt and trust) were touched upon in the lorry heist
episode - I remember having to explain the bloody detailed references to
other people present!

What a shame it's come to this.

Gareth.

[jo]

".... Damon Grant was murdered in London..."

Gawd, I hate it when they get it wrong :) it was filmed in York - for ages
afterwards someone had grafitti'd on the steps "Damon Grant Died Here, RIP"
but it eventually washed off :)