Although this was flamed on another forum, this appears legitimate to me, and it is also what I want to hear...
I believe this came from the North East Metro:
With Hollyoaks being something of a disaster in recent months we decided to catch up with new man on the block, series producer Bryan Kirkwood.
So you’re helming Hollyoaks now, what can we expect?
Well Hollyoaks will be changing massively in the next 4 months. Not only physically on-screen but we are having clearouts in the production team, some of the people we have behind the scenes are fantastic but in order for the show to move away from where Hollyoaks has been in the last 24 months, cuts need to be made. With me being series producer I want to make my stand on the show, we’ve had letters, polls and petitions from fans that are desperate for us to move away from ‘immature’ Hollyoaks we have, I want to listen to the fans and hopefully it will be noticed soon. I also want to change the opening titles, they are new and it was the premise that they would be updated regularly, under David Hanson (old series producer) they haven’t been changed, we are currently thinking about changing the music and fiddling with the final post-credit scene.
Over the past year over 12 characters have left, surely it’s taken its toll? Are there any more to come?
Yes most of the characters that have left because they were not going with the flow that the people behind Hollyoaks at that time wanted them too. David Hanson wanted Hollyoaks to appeal to teens, whilst we want to extend our demographic. I’m not going to comment on who has left, as it was before my time, but you will notice that it has been the actors who play the students and family members. We want to reverse that so expect younger members of the cast possibly being axed or in some cases taking a back seat. We’re planning a big summer storyline which will ensure that the “Grange Hill” aspect of the show is diminished. There will be up to 10 more characters that will be leaving by the end of the year, one of those is one of Hollyoaks’ longest-serving cast members. Also expect the return of two characters, they left in the 2003 era, I can’t say much yet as it’s not finalised but a male and a female are set to make a dramatic return to the village.
It’s not Tony that’s leaving is it?
Very close but no!
Rumours were rife that Hollyoaks were planning a spin-off show
This wasn’t a rumour, Hollyoaks: Let Loose was shown last year leading up to Christmas; it starred Ben Davies and Lisa Hunter, which coincidentally lead to Hollyoaks enjoying some of its better ratings in the summer when they left. There are no plans to continue Let Loose into a second series, but it’s confirmed that Gemma and Marcus will be starring in another Hollyoaks franchise; In the City which will see a cross-over into the main show briefly in June.
Why is it that cast members who leave are never really heard of again?
We recruit actors who are relatively new to the business. We like to give them a chance; it’s a tough industry to crack so experience is essential. Hollyoaks is frowned upon in the industry; therefore it takes a fantastic actor/actress to get leading roles post-Hollyoaks. I can only think of Gary Lucy and Joanna Taylor who has made a fantastic career after the show since 2000.
What about Natalie Casey, James Redmond, Will Mellor etc?
Yes of course we have those; they were part of the Hollyoaks golden era which fizzled out in the late 1990’s. Could you imagine those characters returning now? It simply wouldn’t work since the show has changed dramatically since they left. I want to get the show back to what it was when it first began, I used to watch it back then and it was amazing!
And anything spectacular planned to keep Hollyoaks viewers hooked? Warning: Spoilers included!
Absolutely! We have a new family lined up to come into the show in July; they don’t have a secret past, don’t have a whiny schoolgirl member, don’t work at HCC, don’t all have different accents and will be liked by viewers. Were just about to film the climax to the Becca/Justin storyline in which Becca will finally come out of her shell leaving viewers shocked as its revealed that her baby is neither Jakes or Justin’s. Fans will be pleased! Also as I mentioned earlier we are planning a disaster for September time in which we will loose some younger cast members. We will also be saying goodbye to a mother and her daughter, hints have been included within the article so re-read it carefully and you could find the answer! Tragedy will strike for the long-suffering Taylor clan when one of them is killed.
Thanks for clearing things up Bryan! Can we have one last closing comment to the viewers?
Stay patient, things will be getting better, cast members will build steadily, we wont axe characters unnecessarily. Thanks for your patience and enjoy the rewards!
Catch Hollyoaks Monday to Friday at 6:30 on Channel 4, or if you have E4 catch the next episode straight afterwards at 7:00.
Originally Posted by di marco
Super Mod