I know what'll pull the viewers in... oops, that didn't work! (Family Affairs)

Member Name: jaffacakemonster

Product:	Family Affairs
Date:	07/11/00 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Down to earth alternative to the usual soaps, gripping and interesting storylines

Disadvantages: Killing off the original cast was a big no no, as ratings have dropped instead of increased

Family Affairs was the very first programme that was broadcast on the new Channel 5 back in March 1997, and set in the fictional town of Charnham. The soap mostly revolved around the life of the Hart family (Hart to Hart?) and their friends and relatives.

To be fair, the soap was quite enjoyable and was a refreshing alternative to the usual saop operas on television at the time. One of the main differences was that Family Affairs was broadcast five nights a week and at a regular time of 6:30pm (both of which remain the same). But because only a part of the UK could receive Channel 5, the soap attracted just over a million viewers... compared to 10-15 million viewers watching Eastenders and Coronation Street.

Family Affairs DID serve as a welcome alternative to ther other mainstream soaps. The characters were more 'down to earth', the situations and storylines were reflective of real-life. Inside the last 3 years that the soap's been running, issues of murder, domestic violence, rape, assault, suicide, bereavement, affairs and drug abuse are only *some* that have been raised in Family Affairs, now compare that to how long soaps like Brookside and Eastenders have been running!

But last year, the powers that be behing Channel 5's flagship soap decided they had a wonderul idea that would pull more viewers in for sure... kill 99% of the entire cast off. The entire hart family and some other well-known and interesting characters (ones that kept me watching it) decided to throw a party on their boat. Oh dear, is that gas I smell? Booooom! But what a mistake this was, because the producers have turned a soap that attracted between 1-2million viewers in, now is watched ay around 800,000 people.

True, there are still quite a few of the original cast left, and the soap IS *just* about worthy of taking a gander at, but I can honestly say that it sure isn't what it used to be. But give it a try all the same, if you've
never watched it before, because it is just as enjoyable as the soaps on ITV and BBC ONE.

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