That's nice - the things we remember 😁 Was that the lunchtime repeat? I vaguely remember each episode repeating the following lunchtime and then the omnibus on Sunday afternoons...
It wasn't boring. I loved it. It was very well-written & very well-acted. I never missed an episode for those 2 years or so. I remember this episode so well. I was gutted. The storylines were simple & not senstional like soap stories are now, so some folk thought it plodded along in a boring way. But it was great simple straightforward entertainment &, of course, introduced us to Idris Elba (he played Tim). Park ruined it when he took it on & changed it. The stories got out of hand (Sadie burying a rapist in the woods etc).
the producer ruined this show when he killed off the hart family just for extra ratings..it backfired on him cos people switched off after the harts were gone.if he had left them in i think this show would still be going now.
This was so heartless (no pun intended), not to mention psychologically disturbing for viewers who grew attached to the various characters. Wasn't the fallout from Jack & Elsa's death enough to cause riveting drama? Annie was on the verge of cracking up, Holly was finally coming into her own, Mel was getting married. Two whole years of story development blown away in seconds. So insulting to the actors concerned, starting the show from scratch like this. Thank Brian 'Pol Pot' Park for that.
I was nine when this happened, and all I remember about this episode was that my dad was one of the fire safety officers involved in the explosion, and he even had a part as a fire officer running across the screen before the adverts.
The problem was the show from 1997 - early 1999 was built around The Hart family. They were the reason to tune in. If multiple families had been introduced then killing off the family wouldn't have been such a bad idea.
I loved family affairs and didn't miss many episodes. this scene with the boat exploding was terrible,then to see all the hart families coffins at the funeral was something else. thank god it was only acting.... wish I knew where I could watch the whole of family affairs again. there must be a channel on sky,or preview etc where you can watch old programmes again.... loved pete callan the bad boy...
And this was the true death of the show even though it carried on with some new characters it just was not the same, It sort of became a Hollyoaks reject
Fun fact for those who don’t know: Annie miles who played Maria Simons played Sue Sullivan in Brookside, she and her baby son Danny were pushed to their deaths off the scaffolding by Barry Grant
I understand that it wasn't performing as well as Channel 5 had forecast, but I think it would have been better to let it evolve more naturally. The idea of focusing upon just one family was unique, it lost that with the revamp. And the name of the show lost relevance.
The Harts were dull as a family though, it was people like Claire and Maria that kept it interesting. Unfortunately they completely wiped the slate clean by killing off the entire Hart family in one go and they didn't introduce enough decent characters to replace them. There was no fallout from any of the drama that led to them all being killed in the explosion too.
@@djgeneralbounce Channel 5 expected way too much of it, and didn't give it a proper chance to develop in its original format. I appreciate that commercial pressures would lead to a need to try for an overnight turnaround, but I think it's a more noble challenge to try and turn the situation around without just binning what it started as. From memory, I think Channel 5 projected aiming for viewing figures of around 5million per night. But the ballpark ended up closer to 1million, maybe under. It was too ambitious for a channel with limited reach of availability, and a show which was being produced on the lowest budget they could get away with.
@@97channelI lived in a Somerset village in a valley. Our house was the only one to receive Channel 5 😂. Our reception for Channel 4 was much worse than Channel 5. In Somerset we could receive the Welsh S4c and we used to have watch that instead because many programmes were the same on Channel 4. But sometimes both of the pictures were unwatchable. I loved Family Affairs.
@@anngulliver5964 I had just a small indoor aerial sitting on top of the telly during the early days of Channel 5. Reception of the other channels was a bit snowy but watchable. However, Channel 5 was always absolutely crystal clear without any effort. But very quiet. The sound was so soft I had to turn the volume really high. Then I'd forget I'd done it, switch channels and absolutely blast the house out at gone midnight.
Anyone else think that it would have been better if Annie and Holly had survived? Not only one would us original fans have had something to cling to but the amazing storylines that could have risen from the ashes here?! Pun intended. The hatred. The anger. The bitterness. Oh, if only ......
@@anngulliver5964 Trouble is there's less of a story - no drama - with Mel surviving: she and Roy would have remained happily ever after, so to speak. All the storylines concerning Roy (the nervous breakdown, kidnapping Claire etc) would never have happened. Whereas with Holly, she and Annie would have become arch enemies and who would Roy have sided with? Oh, if only!
I lost a potential friend when I disclosed that I love this Soap Opera. Was having a very good chat with this girl online until I mentioned I watched Family Affairs..haha, She was into EastEnders but disdained Family Affairs.
its kinda strange that all best characters in soaps get killed off, Hart (Family affairs), Burton Twins (Hollyoaks), Tiffany Raymond (EE) , how long had dave matthews been seeing both holly and annie for
I remember this vividly - granted, Liz Crowther got to do a fine bit of Greek tragedy acting right there at the end, but still - there was no payoff to the story since the Dave Matthews reveal died with them. It was totally sadistic on the part of the producers to wipe out the family we had watched so intensely for two years in this manner! I think Holly Hart at least should have survived and stormed off the boat beforehand - imagine the guilt for her character. A tremendous of story potential.
Holly Hart went on to become Holly Miles in Casualty. . I think Sandra Huggett is a brilliant natural actress - she's in loads of things now. (Grantchester, Lady Chat Lover etc.)
"Orright mate?"... BOOOOM! I did think the Harts were a bit too drab and ernest, however I'd personally have just set them adrift forwever down the river, not blown them up.
oh yes, and the coffins was TOO MUCH! Notice the little white coffin on the alter for baby Sam? Sicko writers were hellbent on traumatizing the faithful viewers of the Hart era!!! It sucks - Annie was really interesting as a character after the fallout from her father murdering her mother - a love rivalry with Holly and Cat over Dave Matthews would have been great! The Harts should have been blown up METAPHORICALLY - not literally!
They ruined this show by killing off the main characters. I used to love tuning in to watch it everyday then I'd watch the rerun of the week on the Sundays but after they killed the Harts it wasn't worth watching, storylines became ridiculous and in general they killed the show, just like channel 4 killed Brookside. They are new channels to tv, bring out new soaps to draw in the audience then after a few years think they know what the viewer wants and kills off good characters. When will they ever learn you can't gain ratings by having a massive cull of characters
@MrAlbertSquared i agree,i think the show would still be going now if they had left the hart family in..people turned off when it all changed. brian park did a similar thing in coronation street, axing popular characters just to get a few more viewing figures.
i think they brought in a new producer and decided to give the show a fresh look. they made a mistake cos ratings went down after killing the hart family off. pity cos it was good up untill then.
the episode i'd love to see again is where Claire and maria chat together after maria returns to charnham with one of the twins. can any one help me out if they have that episode....
I think the death of the Hart's revitalised the show but it would of been interesting if a few of them lived and dealt with the trauma of their loved ones deaths, It is doubly traumatic how all their problems and skeletons in the closet came out just before they all died with none of them having to deal with the fall out You gotta love the "There's a smell of gas from somewhere" and "No! Not the candle" lines though
It would be cool to see the video epasods before that night. I remember Annie and Chriss fell apart then he found out she had an affair with Nick 16 years ago. I think I missed a few eps doe the the last one with the hearts was that night the boat. Did Annie and Chrss manage to reaper their marrage before that tragic night on the boat was chriss for given for takeing his anger out on Jamie over the affair with Nick that had happened 16 years ago. I remember the family all fighting prier to that then I remember the boat fire. Dave was the man she the recent affaire and he was with holly. I wonder what wood have happened if that candell hadent been their and the they had survived that wood been intersething to see how the family wood effeced by the Annie Dave and holly that was an intresting story line
was you a extra in this during 2003? if so do you recall a girl with long fair hair and fair complexion who was a extra in this . she came from tunbridge wells and had just moved into a flat there in may 2003 when she was 17 . she would now be 27
Totally agree. Far too restrictive to base a soap around one solitary family. Which is why in the end they brought in more characters and then axed the family. They could have kept the Harts and brought in more families but that wouldn't have helped by that point, because the show needed something BIG to happen to revitalize interest. Hence killing all the Harts. But really they should have had approx 2 other families in it from the start.
Brian. we nead to axe the hearts. Liss. we cant do that or we can but how can we do it we would nead melanie and roy to move away holly to alope with Dave. Miles I don't want to go. Cordelia. I want to go spread my wings. Sandra Harigot. Maybe we can do a triangle between Holly Dave and Annie. Brian Good thinking and Chriss finds out and their out of the house no work because we still got anguse Jamie and sam and dunkin will return after hes been travling. Ian aspital well if Roys the only one staying we can al go out togetter. Brian how long is melanies wedding we nead to to remember annie and chriss only starting to fall apart.
or actulay not bad annie and dave then on then the boat holly is is leaving with Dave tell Annie Annie wont let her leave once she finds out now what happends. Ian well chriss trys to stop her bcause its very bad maners to leave during a weddin reception and chriss maybe says like holy holy holy I don't understand you cant just go what are you playing the kind of thing a dad I don't if he knows about holy and dave at this point but
No Duncan was abroad and wasn't on the best of terms with his family, he did comeback briefly around a year later to pay his respects and stayed with Roy.
The idea behind Family Affairs (a soap focused on one family) was interesting, the problem was the family itself wasn't. The Harts were mostly boring as hell and most of the actors playing them were poor... most people were only interested in characters like Maria, Claire and Pete. I was glad they got rid of the Harts but then they made the mistake of not coming up with enough better characters to take over from them. It was only once the likes of the Costellos came along that it became genuinely worth tuning in for but it was too little too late and the damage had long since been done.
Nicola Duffet who plays Cat is such a poor actress and very lacklustre, she played Debbie Bates in Eastenders. Just look at the lack of sympathy at the end
@@Hulk2k6 I remember they switched to Standard Video Presentation for one episode as a test and then a while later switched permanently to this format until the end of the series which was a shame because FA was somewhat unique in that it originally had a filmic look. However that was the least of the problems as the characters and storylines towards the end were pretty horrendous.
@@stephenmcconnell1000 The Filmic look just always looked wrong on Soap operas to me. At least explosions, fires and whatever looked more real in standard.
Me and my best friend used to watch this every school lunchtime during school with a pasty and a cake.
That's nice - the things we remember 😁 Was that the lunchtime repeat? I vaguely remember each episode repeating the following lunchtime and then the omnibus on Sunday afternoons...
It wasn't boring. I loved it. It was very well-written & very well-acted. I never missed an episode for those 2 years or so.
I remember this episode so well. I was gutted.
The storylines were simple & not senstional like soap stories are now, so some folk thought it plodded along in a boring way. But it was great simple straightforward entertainment &, of course, introduced us to Idris Elba (he played Tim).
Park ruined it when he took it on & changed it. The stories got out of hand (Sadie burying a rapist in the woods etc).
+BLTKellys
Gosh - yes to all that !
(& remember Idris as Tim, Roy's friend?)
Sadly no one watched it :( it was hard to get channel 5
I agree I loved this soap and I was gutted it ended.
the producer ruined this show when he killed off the hart family just for extra ratings..it backfired on him cos people switched off after the harts were gone.if he had left them in i think this show would still be going now.
I agree. The show would have lasted longer if the Harts weren't axed. Brian Park wasn't the axeman for nothing and I liked the Hart family.
This was so heartless (no pun intended), not to mention psychologically disturbing for viewers who grew attached to the various characters. Wasn't the fallout from Jack & Elsa's death enough to cause riveting drama? Annie was on the verge of cracking up, Holly was finally coming into her own, Mel was getting married. Two whole years of story development blown away in seconds. So insulting to the actors concerned, starting the show from scratch like this. Thank Brian 'Pol Pot' Park for that.
i agree the coffins at the end was a bit much. i think the show died when they killed off the main family.
I was nine when this happened, and all I remember about this episode was that my dad was one of the fire safety officers involved in the explosion, and he even had a part as a fire officer running across the screen before the adverts.
I was 11 and this was my favourite show and I even cried
The problem was the show from 1997 - early 1999 was built around The Hart family. They were the reason to tune in. If multiple families had been introduced then killing off the family wouldn't have been such a bad idea.
I loved family affairs and didn't miss many episodes. this scene with the boat exploding was terrible,then to see all the hart families coffins at the funeral was something else. thank god it was only acting.... wish I knew where I could watch the whole of family affairs again. there must be a channel on sky,or preview etc where you can watch old programmes again.... loved pete callan the bad boy...
Page on Facebook: Family Affairs Best Of DVD :-)
The Harts were a big part of the show. Love the series.
Killing off the entire Hart Family was Pretty shocking
And this was the true death of the show even though it carried on with some new characters it just was not the same, It sort of became a Hollyoaks reject
The Harts should never have been axed. Big mistake.
I agree the harts made this series never watched it again after the harts were killed off
Seeing that one shot of the seven coffins...years later...my heart skipped a beat again.
JBL Asutavario I know there six coffins but the list of characters said 7 of the people died and Duncan survived
There was Angus Hart, Chris Hart, Annie Hart, Holly Hart, Mel Farmer, Jamie Hart, and baby Sam Hart. So there were seven that were killed
Baby sams coffin was on the parapet at the back the white one
@@harv3896 Thanks. Fixed my comment.
@@shaunogorman4644 Good eye. Thanks. Comment fixed.
Fun fact for those who don’t know: Annie miles who played Maria Simons played Sue Sullivan in Brookside, she and her baby son Danny were pushed to their deaths off the scaffolding by Barry Grant
Yep. Happened in 1991.
I understand that it wasn't performing as well as Channel 5 had forecast, but I think it would have been better to let it evolve more naturally. The idea of focusing upon just one family was unique, it lost that with the revamp. And the name of the show lost relevance.
Spot on. Brian Park is actually a really good producer but this was the biggest mistake of his career.
The Harts were dull as a family though, it was people like Claire and Maria that kept it interesting. Unfortunately they completely wiped the slate clean by killing off the entire Hart family in one go and they didn't introduce enough decent characters to replace them. There was no fallout from any of the drama that led to them all being killed in the explosion too.
@@djgeneralbounce Channel 5 expected way too much of it, and didn't give it a proper chance to develop in its original format. I appreciate that commercial pressures would lead to a need to try for an overnight turnaround, but I think it's a more noble challenge to try and turn the situation around without just binning what it started as. From memory, I think Channel 5 projected aiming for viewing figures of around 5million per night. But the ballpark ended up closer to 1million, maybe under. It was too ambitious for a channel with limited reach of availability, and a show which was being produced on the lowest budget they could get away with.
@@97channelI lived in a Somerset village in a valley. Our house was the only one to receive Channel 5 😂.
Our reception for Channel 4 was much worse than Channel 5. In Somerset we could receive the Welsh S4c and we used to have watch that instead because many programmes were the same on Channel 4. But sometimes both of the pictures were unwatchable. I loved Family Affairs.
@@anngulliver5964 I had just a small indoor aerial sitting on top of the telly during the early days of Channel 5. Reception of the other channels was a bit snowy but watchable. However, Channel 5 was always absolutely crystal clear without any effort. But very quiet. The sound was so soft I had to turn the volume really high. Then I'd forget I'd done it, switch channels and absolutely blast the house out at gone midnight.
Anyone else think that it would have been better if Annie and Holly had survived? Not only one would us original fans have had something to cling to but the amazing storylines that could have risen from the ashes here?! Pun intended. The hatred. The anger. The bitterness. Oh, if only ......
Yes, they should have done.
Mel should have survived as well because she had just got married. The baby should have also survived as well
@@anngulliver5964 Mel or Holly - one had to die if you ask me. But yes, the baby could have easily stayed - Maria and Surge could have raised him!
@@blackmountains6645 in that case I'd rather Holly die than Melanie
@@anngulliver5964 Trouble is there's less of a story - no drama - with Mel surviving: she and Roy would have remained happily ever after, so to speak. All the storylines concerning Roy (the nervous breakdown, kidnapping Claire etc) would never have happened. Whereas with Holly, she and Annie would have become arch enemies and who would Roy have sided with? Oh, if only!
I lost a potential friend when I disclosed that I love this Soap Opera. Was having a very good chat with this girl online until I mentioned I watched Family Affairs..haha, She was into EastEnders but disdained Family Affairs.
its kinda strange that all best characters in soaps get killed off, Hart (Family affairs), Burton Twins (Hollyoaks), Tiffany Raymond (EE) , how long had dave matthews been seeing both holly and annie for
I remember this vividly - granted, Liz Crowther got to do a fine bit of Greek tragedy acting right there at the end, but still - there was no payoff to the story since the Dave Matthews reveal died with them. It was totally sadistic on the part of the producers to wipe out the family we had watched so intensely for two years in this manner! I think Holly Hart at least should have survived and stormed off the boat beforehand - imagine the guilt for her character. A tremendous of story potential.
Holly Hart went on to become Holly Miles in Casualty. . I think Sandra Huggett is a brilliant natural actress - she's in loads of things now. (Grantchester, Lady Chat Lover etc.)
"Orright mate?"... BOOOOM! I did think the Harts were a bit too drab and ernest, however I'd personally have just set them adrift forwever down the river, not blown them up.
2:49 the end of the Hart family.
The foundation of every good sap are the families within it. You kill off the families, you effectively kill the show.
20 years now!
20 years ago TODAY!
Brian Park. Wasn't called the Axeman for nothing.
I don't think I've ever really got over this...
oh yes, and the coffins was TOO MUCH! Notice the little white coffin on the alter for baby Sam? Sicko writers were hellbent on traumatizing the faithful viewers of the Hart era!!! It sucks - Annie was really interesting as a character after the fallout from her father murdering her mother - a love rivalry with Holly and Cat over Dave Matthews would have been great! The Harts should have been blown up METAPHORICALLY - not literally!
Did you have any other episodes around this time at all?
oh ye i remember him, they called him the axeman.
They ruined this show by killing off the main characters. I used to love tuning in to watch it everyday then I'd watch the rerun of the week on the Sundays but after they killed the Harts it wasn't worth watching, storylines became ridiculous and in general they killed the show, just like channel 4 killed Brookside. They are new channels to tv, bring out new soaps to draw in the audience then after a few years think they know what the viewer wants and kills off good characters. When will they ever learn you can't gain ratings by having a massive cull of characters
I would love to see the full episode from when the get marred. then the next one after it.
I think it was too much I wouldn’t mind 2 or 3 of them dying but to kill all but one was way too much and definitely killed the show
The Harts being blown up was way too far by Brian Park. Big mistake.
Pete should be in Eastenders, He's the best baddie ever
@MrAlbertSquared i agree,i think the show would still be going now if they had left the hart family in..people turned off when it all changed. brian park did a similar thing in coronation street, axing popular characters just to get a few more viewing figures.
You'll never top the Emmerdale plane crash.
@Messylin you are right, they made a mistake killing off the main family. the show was never the same again.
i think they brought in a new producer and decided to give the show a fresh look. they made a mistake cos ratings went down after killing the hart family off. pity cos it was good up untill then.
the episode i'd love to see again is where Claire and maria chat together after maria returns to charnham with one of the twins. can any one help me out if they have that episode....
No, not the candle
He wasn't their when the fire happened he only heard about it afterwards like the rest of the villige how did he save Roys life.
all of them
@laidbakboy88 The whole Hart Family(minus Duncan who was away travelling) died in the boat explosion
@pufferfishish ye i know, shes too good an actress to be just doing adverts. i watched her in this new comedy last night and she was really good.
I think the death of the Hart's revitalised the show but it would of been interesting if a few of them lived and dealt with the trauma of their loved ones deaths, It is doubly traumatic how all their problems and skeletons in the closet came out just before they all died with none of them having to deal with the fall out
You gotta love the "There's a smell of gas from somewhere" and "No! Not the candle" lines though
@WorldNews92 thats class, i would have loved a part in this. producers ruined it when they killed the main family off.
killing off the main family killed this show
Roy was right. Pete stopped him from trying to save Melanie.
There was no way of saving her. That blast instantly killed all of them.
Only towards the end!
lol thats how you make an impact.
@GLBizzie ye well spotted...its actor ken farrington, before this he was in coronation street and emmerdale.
It would be cool to see the video epasods before that night. I remember Annie and Chriss fell apart then he found out she had an affair with Nick 16 years ago. I think I missed a few eps doe the the last one with the hearts was that night the boat. Did Annie and Chrss manage to reaper their marrage before that tragic night on the boat was chriss for given for takeing his anger out on Jamie over the affair with Nick that had happened 16 years ago. I remember the family all fighting prier to that then I remember the boat fire. Dave was the man she the recent affaire and he was with holly. I wonder what wood have happened if that candell hadent been their and the they had survived that wood been intersething to see how the family wood effeced by the Annie Dave and holly that was an intresting story line
@WorldNews92 thats class
@pufferfishish cordelia bugeja has just starred in a new comedy on channel 4 called milton jones's house of rooms.
why did the Hart and Gates Families in FA despice Pete Callahan so much, Which characters actually died in boat explosion
Pete was a nasty piece of work. He abused Claire and was very manipulative.
7 I think.
Why did Roy and Pete fall out.
was you a extra in this during 2003? if so do you recall a girl with long fair hair and fair complexion who was a extra in this . she came from tunbridge wells and had just moved into a flat there in may 2003 when she was 17 . she would now be 27
I think I've said this before but if family affairs had started off with two or three other families than this wouldn't of affected the soap as much
Totally agree. Far too restrictive to base a soap around one solitary family. Which is why in the end they brought in more characters and then axed the family. They could have kept the Harts and brought in more families but that wouldn't have helped by that point, because the show needed something BIG to happen to revitalize interest. Hence killing all the Harts. But really they should have had approx 2 other families in it from the start.
0:02 is this guy not Tom King from emmerdale ?
He also played Annie Walker's son in Corrie.
is this it :-
Brian. we nead to axe the hearts.
Liss. we cant do that or we can but how can we do it we would nead melanie and roy to move away holly to alope with Dave.
Miles I don't want to go.
Cordelia. I want to go spread my wings.
Sandra Harigot. Maybe we can do a triangle between Holly Dave and Annie.
Brian Good thinking and Chriss finds out and their out of the house no work because we still got anguse Jamie and sam and dunkin will return after hes been travling.
Ian aspital well if Roys the only one staying we can al go out togetter.
Brian how long is melanies wedding we nead to to remember annie and chriss only starting to fall apart.
omg mel
I know the Hart Family Died- But how many people.
or actulay not bad annie and dave then on then the boat holly is is leaving with Dave tell Annie Annie wont let her leave once she finds out now what happends. Ian well chriss trys to stop her bcause its very bad maners to leave during a weddin reception and chriss maybe says like holy holy holy I don't understand you cant just go what are you playing the kind of thing a dad I don't if he knows about holy and dave at this point but
@laidbakboy88 Dave was having an affair with Holly and her mother Annie!
Did Duncan die on the boat?
No Duncan was abroad and wasn't on the best of terms with his family, he did comeback briefly around a year later to pay his respects and stayed with Roy.
what was point of this boat explosion ?
The boat set was very expensive to film in, so they needed to find a way of getting rid of it
Does anyone know where I can find clips of Family Affairs with Beth Cordingly in as Sara Warrington
The idea behind Family Affairs (a soap focused on one family) was interesting, the problem was the family itself wasn't. The Harts were mostly boring as hell and most of the actors playing them were poor... most people were only interested in characters like Maria, Claire and Pete. I was glad they got rid of the Harts but then they made the mistake of not coming up with enough better characters to take over from them. It was only once the likes of the Costellos came along that it became genuinely worth tuning in for but it was too little too late and the damage had long since been done.
Whats the whole storyline between Dave Matthews/Holly Hart in the weeks b4 this episode
In a nutshell, he was porking her.
Nicola Duffet who plays Cat is such a poor actress and very lacklustre, she played Debbie Bates in Eastenders. Just look at the lack of sympathy at the end
The Show was canceled they killed off the cast and changed there mind but ended up having to re brand
They had like 3-4 rebrands with mixed results.
@@Hulk2k6 I remember they switched to Standard Video Presentation for one episode as a test and then a while later switched permanently to this format until the end of the series which was a shame because FA was somewhat unique in that it originally had a filmic look. However that was the least of the problems as the characters and storylines towards the end were pretty horrendous.
@@stephenmcconnell1000 The Filmic look just always looked wrong on Soap operas to me. At least explosions, fires and whatever looked more real in standard.
@@Hulk2k6 Ah well, I preferred it because it looked more polished.
@@stephenmcconnell1000 In a way it did suit FA to a degree, I suppose.