Brookside

Brookside's decision to broadcast longer episodes featuring just a small number of characters is a welcome one. They have done it in the past as, indeed, has EastEnders, which these days seems to pride itself on the quick fix (preferably any scene under eight seconds).

Unlike the other soaps, Brookside has always shown how the events in people's lives affect them many months and years after that event has taken place; the attention to detail being shown in these longer scenes is another example of its bravery in trying new things rather than pandering to what it believes the public wants.

Not everything is good news, though. Ron survived the raiders. Well, so far. We have to wait until Tuesday to see just how bad a state he's in. On Friday, Jacqui even prayed that Ron would be okay, which seemed a bit charitable, even though he is her father.

On Tuesday, there are also problems for Bev, Lance and Fred, who are finding it hard to protect their secret.

'She married for love,' Lance told Fred last Tuesday. 'It was our love, not hers,' he added, which, you have to admit, is complicated even by Brookside's standards.

On Friday, the contents of Susannah's will are revealed, and there are a few surprises there. Let's just hope no one gets landed with her frocks. Worse still, her ex-husband-turned-loony, Max.

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