From The Guardian Online - Thursday August 31, 2000

 Matt Wells, media correspondent

ITV fights back with old and new soaps

ITV fired an aggressive salvo in the soap opera ratings war yesterday with the announcement of a rival to EastEnders and a revival of Crossroads. Giving the nation a new generation of gay fathers, power-bitches and angst-ridden teenagers to idolise, ITV said it would "stuff the BBC" in the popular drama battleground. 

Trafalgar Road, a tea time series based on a group of friendly-but-flawed families, is a high risk attempt to create the network's first London-based soap - the heartland dominated by the BBC's ratings winner, EastEnders. 

At the same time, Crossroads has shed the shaky sets and dodgy scripts of its 70s incarnation in a makeover promoted by Lord Alli, director of production at Carlton, part of a drive to revive ITV's afternoon schedule. 

Both series, costing £40,000 an episode, will run for at least a year, five days a week. 

They are among the biggest risks taken by ITV's director of programmes, David Liddiment, since he took over in 1997. 

Like Lord Alli's new Labour party, new Crossroads will bear only a passing resemblance to the original. 

While there is a part for Jane Rossington, the actress who opened the first episode in 1964 with the immortal lines "Crossroads motel, can I help you?", there is no room for the idiot savant of the original series, Benny Hawkins. Producers have decided that his simple but lovable character is not suitable for a 21st century audience. 

Rossington's character, Jill Chance, will stage a dramatic return from the West Country to claim a stake in the business. A power battle ensues with new owner Kate Russell, who may be played by one half of the Dempsey and Makepeace cop show duo, Glynis Barber. There will be a new, glamorous receptionist to replace Miss Diane, and a hunky young porter to complete the sexier line-up. 

Steve Hewlett, Carlton's director of programmes, said the remake would not suffer from the wobbly sets and incredible storylines that plagued the later stages of the original show. "It won't have any of those defects. This has fantastic storylines and very high production values." 

Old fans would recognise some elements. Kathy Staff, who played the gossipy cleaner and kitchen worker, Doris Luke, is earmarked for a comeback. But new viewers would not suffer from a lack of background knowledge. "While it is not afraid of its roots, it will work as a new drama in its own right," Mr Hewlett said. 

Trafalgar Road, made by United Productions, will fill the tea time slot vacated by Home and Away, poached by Channel 5. It is described as less gritty and depressing than EastEnders: "It's deeply moral, sweet and funny, but has a strong thriller element," said the show's executive producer, Damien Timmer. 

It is based around the Harper, Wells, Drake and Mills families: Mike Drake is a middle aged father struggling with his homosexuality, just as his 16-year-old son Tim is going through his own teenage rite of passage with Frankie Mills, the girl next door. 

Further dramatic tension is provided by a handsome young footballer, Sam Hayden: the 17-year-old must choose between his dream of a dazzling career with Charlton Athletic, where he is on the youth team, and bringing up his baby brother and young sister following the death of his parents. 

Mr Liddiment said the commissions were substantial investments in UK drama. "Soaps play an important role in connecting channels with their audience. 

"In a multi-channel age, I believe their ability to create 'appointments to view' in the schedule will be even more crucial." 

Dud suds: Soaps that failed

Eldorado 
Launched in 1992 by the team that created EastEnders, it soon fell victim to tabloid vilification. It was launched too quickly and with little imagination, less investment. Not even the southern Spain location could save it.

Albion Market 
ITV's Manchester answer to EastEnders suffered from bizarre scheduling - Friday to Sunday. Patchy commitment from some ITV regions signed its death warrant.

Families 
Short-lived daily offering from Granada. David Liddiment, ITV director of programmes, then based at the Manchester broadcaster, learned many lessons from its failure, including the key "keep it simple" premise. Families was partly based in Sydney, and the global storylines were just too far-fetched. 

London Bridge 
It has to be hoped that Carlton's first attempt at a soap is not replicated in Crossroads. The London-based drama never took off outside the capital, and was axed in 1996, a year after its launch. 

Family Affairs 
Channel 5's attempt at a daily soap suffered from the Crossroads curse of acting even more wooden than the sets. Mass cull of main characters aimed to save it. Still on the air, but some would question why.