Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond. The programme is set in and around the fictional Chester suburb of Hollyoaks, with the characters generally being in their late teens or early twenties. Since 1995, the cast has expanded from just seven major characters to approximately 50 cast members.
Hollyoaks had grown in popularity by the turn of the millennium; it had a substantial fan base and was seen as a vibrant, modern and young person's soap. It has now filled the place left by Brookside as Channel 4's contribution to the "Top 4" British soaps, alongside Eastenders, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale.
Hollyoaks is produced by Lime Pictures and filmed mainly at studios in Childwall, Liverpool. The show currently broadcasts at 18:30 each weekday on Channel 4, with an omnibus edition on Sunday morning. At 19:00 each weekday E4 airs a 'First Look' feature, in which viewers are able to watch the next episode to be shown on Channel 4 the following day.
Hollyoaks largely appeals to a younger audience than other British soaps. The storylines are set around younger characters and the settings reflect this, with the SU bar, the college and student halls featuring as regular locations.
Hollyoaks has become known as the soap for sexy characters. Many of the characters have been involved with modeling in the past, leading to the assumption that the show only picks its actors based on looks. The show also likes to include a comedy double-act. This double act would usually come up with schemes to get girls or money, and fail in a comedic fashion.
As of 2009, Nick Pickard who portrays Tony Hutchinson, is the only cast member to have appeared consecutively from the show's inception. Carley Stenson who plays Steph Cunningham is the longest serving female cast member having joined the cast in 2000. Other long term characters include Jack and Darren Osborne and Cindy Cunningham.
Hollyoaks is the only British soap to use current chart music in the show. Current and past hits are regularly featured normally at the beginning of the soap, or in dream like sequences. On top op this, a number of acts have performed and appeared on the show, including Mcfly and Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly.
Over the course of the show's history, Hollyoaks has dealt with a number of storylines based upon serious issues. Given the large and established proportion of young viewers, some feel that the soap is an ideal platform to show a variety of issues affecting young people. However, some argue that due to the young audience, some storylines are inappropriate.
Storylines that the soap has dealt with include: drug addiction, murder, arson, hit and run, abortion, suicide, racism, religion, bisexuality, homosexuality, homophobia, sexual confusion, rape, cancer, child abuse, domestic violence, anorexia/bulimia, bullying, epilepsy, HIV, pupil/teacher relationships, schizophrenia, gambling addiction, teenage pregnancy, miscarriage, kidnapping, brain aneurysm and surrogacy.
In 2001 students at Chester College objected to a storyline which they say misrepresented students in the city. Student’s Union president Gordon Reay said: "Students at other universities think we are a bunch of radicals and militants because that's how the students are portrayed in Hollyoaks. They assume that the college in the programme is Chester College, because Hollyoaks is set in the city."
In March 2009, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers identified Hollyoaks as one of a number of programmes cited in a survey to be a bad influence on students, causing behavior such as, "answering back, storming off, swearing, aggression and sexually inappropriate behavior."
In 2007 the soap was further criticized along with other soap operas for the amount of alcohol consumption featured on-screen.
In October 2009, Channel 4 was criticized for broadcasting character Barry Newton's attempted suicide, which showed similarities to an incident which happened the same week in Glasgow in which two teenagers committed suicide by jumping into the River Clyde.
In late November 2009, it was announced that character Loretta Jones would be revealed to have killed a child when she was twelve-years-old. A Hollyoaks spokesperson said. The storyline was criticized due to its similarities to real events, such as the Murder of James Bulger.
Hollyoaks has taken advantage of its popularity by producing some merchandise, including books, an annual calendar for both males and females and even its own his and hers fragrance.
