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Family Affairs

lufcfan1998lufcfan1998 Posts: 18,628
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in Soaps #1
Was this soap any good? It's a shame the episodes aren't on My5 or repeated on 5Star or something

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    Dan4Dan4 Posts: 2,518
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    #2
    Family Affairs had some brilliant moments! Such a shame 5 have forgotten it.
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    Samcro76Samcro76 Posts: 181
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    #3
    The actress that played policewoman Melanie is always on adverts.
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    Nova8221Nova8221 Posts: 1,453
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    #4
    Family Affairs was a very good soap and I loved it when I was a kid. It was like a mixture of both Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

    I'm probably in the minority but I think it got better when The Hart Family were killed off. It started to feel like a proper soap afterwards.
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    trevor tigertrevor tiger Posts: 37,996
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    #5
    Samcro76 wrote: »
    The actress that played policewoman Melanie is always on adverts.

    Rainie (EE) was in it too.

    I loved Family Affairs. It's such a pity that it was axed by Channel 5 and just when it got really good as well. I remember them winning all sorts at the Soap Awards and then it was gone 🙁
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    lufcfan1998lufcfan1998 Posts: 18,628
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    #6
    Apparently Johnny from Corrie was in it as well?
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    pc1985pc1985 Posts: 875
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    #7
    David Easter (Mac Nightingale in HO) played the Pete Callan in Family Affairs. They were pretty much the same character in both…. pub landlords that treated women like shit.
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    lufcfan1998lufcfan1998 Posts: 18,628
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    #8
    pc1985 wrote: »
    David Easter (Mac Nightingale in HO) played the Pete Callan in Family Affairs. They were pretty much the same character in both…. pub landlords that treated women like shit.

    Apparently he was in Brookside and Emmerdale too?
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    malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,641
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    #9
    I found the early incarnation of Family Affairs a bit drab, but towards the end after it had been massively re-tooled and basically relocated it was actually pretty good. Decent mix of light and dark storylines and interesting, varied characters.
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    Nova8221Nova8221 Posts: 1,453
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    #10
    pc1985 wrote: »
    David Easter (Mac Nightingale in HO) played the Pete Callan in Family Affairs. They were pretty much the same character in both…. pub landlords that treated women like shit.

    Not really, Pete Callan was a hard man, but also a multi layered character. Mac was a complete psycho.
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    BurnleyRubbleBurnleyRubble Posts: 19,237
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    #11
    lufcfan1998 wrote: »
    Apparently Johnny from Corrie was in it as well?

    Yes, wasn't he Cat's husband?

    Sadie and Yasmin were the best characters, or should I say most memorable.
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    monalisa62003monalisa62003 Posts: 56,962
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    #12
    lufcfan1998 wrote: »
    Apparently Johnny from Corrie was in it as well?

    Yes I said to him about it at pride of Britain
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    soapnutsoapnut Posts: 6,905
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    edited 11/12/21 - 22:21 #13
    Family Affairs was brilliant! It was on fire when it left our screens, so it's sudden demise came as a shock and was hugely unexpected. The cast and crew had indeed begun bringing home rightfully-deserved awards, only to be rewarded shortly after by the show's cruel axing. I believe FA could have ran for years and years and easily competed with, if not surpassed, the big three. It ended way before it's time, it wasn't given anywhere near the right amount of time, respect or credit it truly deserved.
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    JArsea123JArsea123 Posts: 9,523
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    edited 12/12/21 - 13:07 #14
    pc1985 wrote: »
    David Easter (Mac Nightingale in HO) played the Pete Callan in Family Affairs. They were pretty much the same character in both…. pub landlords that treated women like shit.

    Pete was a way better villain as Mac just felt like a cop out I feel David Easter didn't take his role as Mac seriously due to that very reason
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    fayemianfayemian Posts: 3,446
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    #15
    lufcfan1998 wrote: »
    pc1985 wrote: »
    David Easter (Mac Nightingale in HO) played the Pete Callan in Family Affairs. They were pretty much the same character in both…. pub landlords that treated women like shit.

    Apparently he was in Brookside and Emmerdale too?

    I’ve never watched Emmerdale but in Brookside he played a character called Pat. He was a hospital porter who house shared with two female nurses, so it was a bit ‘man about the house’ as there was a bit of a ‘will they won’t they’ ongoing thing with one of them who was possibly called Sandra?

    His biggest story was when a gun man broke into the house and held them all hostage - I think he blamed the other nurse (Kate maybe?) as his mother had died under her care. It ended up with him shooting Kate and himself.

    I don’t remember if Pat and Sandra ended up together

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    chellehighnesschellehighness Posts: 1,151
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    #16
    I loved Family Affairs. I was very young when it was on but i dont think my opinion would change if i was older. I do think FA suffered from being on in the wrong timeslot. it was on at 6:30 if my memory is correct, it shouldve been on later.
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    Nova8221Nova8221 Posts: 1,453
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    #17
    chellehighness wrote: »
    I loved Family Affairs. I was very young when it was on but i dont think my opinion would change if i was older. I do think FA suffered from being on in the wrong timeslot. it was on at 6:30 if my memory is correct, it shouldve been on later.

    Yep it was in direct competition with Hollyoaks.
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    Jimmy ConnorsJimmy Connors Posts: 117,895
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    #18
    I quite enjoyed Family Affairs. Both before and after the Hart family were decimated. It was always watchable.
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    malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,641
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    #19
    chellehighness wrote: »
    I loved Family Affairs. I was very young when it was on but i dont think my opinion would change if i was older. I do think FA suffered from being on in the wrong timeslot. it was on at 6:30 if my memory is correct, it shouldve been on later.

    Wasn't it back then that Channel 5's main news programme was on at 7pm?
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    malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,641
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    edited 14/12/21 - 11:57 #20
    I also don't think Family Affairs ever got the ratings that would have been expected for a main channel soap. OK, it was never going to rival the BBC or ITV in terms of pulling in viewers (and Channel 5 never has with any of its output really) but the ratings for FA never really caught the world alight so I guess the cost of the show compared to the advertising income it brought in just never matched. Neighbours and Home & Away don't do it either, but Channel 5 aren't funding the shows entirely (though at least for Neighbours they do provide some of the budget) and buying already made imports is often cheaper.
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    lufcfan1998lufcfan1998 Posts: 18,628
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    #21
    malpasc wrote: »
    chellehighness wrote: »
    I loved Family Affairs. I was very young when it was on but i dont think my opinion would change if i was older. I do think FA suffered from being on in the wrong timeslot. it was on at 6:30 if my memory is correct, it shouldve been on later.

    Wasn't it back then that Channel 5's main news programme was on at 7pm?

    I wonder what wanted Channel 5 to schedule Family Affairs and 5 News up against Hollyoaks and Channel 4 News on Channel 4 at 6.30pm and 7pm respectively?
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    Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,201
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    edited 14/12/21 - 20:04 #22
    I have very happy memories of "Family Affairs", I was a Film Extra and appeared in two episodes. It was filmed at Deer Park Studios, South Wimbledon. "The Bill" was filmed on an adjoining set, and when "Family Affairs" closed, "The Bill" took over their set.
    I feel sad that both of these programs have ended, they were much better than most of the rubbish that is on now.
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    BurnleyRubbleBurnleyRubble Posts: 19,237
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    #23
    Can't believe it started 25 years ago, a shame they've not rerun the series since it got axed.
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    Robert_Davies1Robert_Davies1 Posts: 901
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    #24
    lufcfan1998 wrote: »
    malpasc wrote: »
    chellehighness wrote: »
    I loved Family Affairs. I was very young when it was on but i dont think my opinion would change if i was older. I do think FA suffered from being on in the wrong timeslot. it was on at 6:30 if my memory is correct, it shouldve been on later.

    Wasn't it back then that Channel 5's main news programme was on at 7pm?

    I wonder what wanted Channel 5 to schedule Family Affairs and 5 News up against Hollyoaks and Channel 4 News on Channel 4 at 6.30pm and 7pm respectively?

    Hollyoaks was fairly new then, and was only airing twice a week. I think most people watched it on a Sunday.

    It was either go against Hollyoaks or one of the big three I guess.
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    december1984december1984 Posts: 1,110
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    #25
    How on Earth is this 25 years ago? Seems like yesterday!

    https://youtu.be/c4xpEFNU67A
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