2000 Episode Discussion

[beau_t]

^Yeah I agree Colleen does have more life to her in these episodes, I just think she is a bit too cynical and grumpy to be likeable. Like, she has no redeeming features. But at least she has intelligence in these episodes before they turned her into a total idiot.

I haven't seen the episodes with Joel's wedding ring yet but I know both my parents and grandparents kept theirs on at all times, even when washing the dishes etc. There was no danger of them slipping off as they were tight and couldn't slide over the knuckle without a lot of effort.

First time round I didn't care for them, but now I really like the dynamic of Shauna, Leah and Sally sharing a house because they each have such different personalities. In fact that's what I really like about the old H&A, you could put any characters in a scene and it seems like the dialogue would almost write itself, because they all have such distinct characters. Change one of the characters but keep the conversation the same, and the dialogue would be totally different. I just can't imagine that now.

[Dan F]

Pretty sure today was the debut of the infamous tea cosy was it not? Don't recall seeing it on Brodie's head in the previous eps....

[CaptainHulk]

Ok I just got up to the episode in which Ken dies. Very sad. I'm looking forward to watching the aftermath.

In regards to Colleen, I actually think this was when she was at her best. I really like that hot temper of her's which they definitely got rid of from the mid-00's onwards. She's just got a lot more character than she ever had in the later years.

I really like the underscoring used during this season. It's really well composed and perfectly placed.

I think the overall characterization is really strong and consistent. It's the major difference between the show back then and the way it is now. I honestly think if the show in 2013 was written the same way as it was in 2000, but with all the 2013 bells and whistles (the visual production standards etc.) and the odd PG rated episode for heightened drama and grit, it would be extremely well received by all.

2000 actually feels more fast paced than the current format and yet they still mange to make it more character driven and emotionally engaging.

Videotape: It just makes certain things like explosions, fights, floods and fires look a bit more real. Never really liked the whole filmic effect as prev. stated.

As for Colleen they did tone her down, well she was a lot nicer in 2000 than she was in 1988! (Threatening to castrate Martin)

[beau_t]

Another thing I've come to appreciate is the episode endings. At the time I hated them because they did away with the traditional freeze frame. But they are susbtantially better than the curent cut to black and immediate promo. In a way Mike Perjanik's music works better this way than with the freeze frame because it builds up as screen fades to black and then "hits the spot" as the water crashes onto the screen for the credits. It's quite classy and gives you time to think about what's just happened before the theme song starts (I think there used to be a promo between that bit and the theme song but obviously not in the UK versions).

[-Andrew-]

I agree with the above and I actually prefer these endings to the freeze-frame. I hate to use the word, but this style makes the cliffhangers seem more 'epic' in a way. I think what makes it work is that instead of having the underscore reach a big climax with the cymbal (I've never really found that effective *controversial* ) it 'lingers' and fades out at the right moment, which works to make some of the endings during this era quite chilling.

Question: Did ITV use the producer credit endings or did they prematurely cut at the point it fades to black? (as we saw in some of the 'from day one' repeats last year?)

Also, SUCKS that these episodes are soon to end. What a tease. and just as I'd given '2000' it's own special little folder in my collection

[alexx]

Andrew that's such an awesome collection you've got going there. Ever since my TV signal for 7TWO messed up (and I've never been able to get it fixed properly) I've managed to completely stuff up my archiving of episodes. Plus YT sort of made me lazy. (Btw Andrew I really like your avatar, that is a really poignant scene and beautifully played).

I agree that Colleen doesn't really seem to have likeable traits as of yet in these 2000 episodes, but I seem to remember towards the end of the year her and Leah becoming quite close and we get to see more of a softer side to her after the fire in the Diner too. I just find that temper amusing and her voice is funny when she starts to 'growl' her words. Haha

[Jamie2811]

Shame we aren't going to get to see the fire at the diner. And the landslide which I believe happens a few weeks before.

The connection between Jade and Kirsty is interesting, but how did they have this connection when a few years later it turned out they weren't actually twins?

[Red Ranger 1]

Pretty sure today was the debut of the infamous tea cosy was it not? Don't recall seeing it on Brodie's head in the previous eps....

I believe you're right, yes.Bit jarring after she's been bare-headed up until now.

To be honest, I've never really considered the Kirsty-and-Jade-have-twin-power-but-they're-not-twins thing a problem.Even at this point, it doesn't seem to have much to do with genetics:As Don points out, they're not identical twins, so genetically they wouldn't have been any more closely related to each other than to Dani.It always seemed more to do with them spending all their time together and knowing each other inside out.

I really do have trouble keeping track of things:Thought we had one more week but those were the last episodes, weren't they?Ignore earlier posts when I implied otherwise.

Sam!Wasn't sure if we'd get as far as his return.Nice reunion between him and Sally.(And yes, as someone said, shock horror, 21-year-old Sally was on first name terms with Alf!Which makes her 34-year-old self calling him Mr.Stewart even more absurd than it already was.)That reference to Curtis sounded like it was going somewhere but never did so I tend to write it off as Sam covering for his own failure, as we later learn.It feels very strange having characters like Curtis and Justine, who'd be recent memories at the time but never appeared in the Channel 5 era, getting casually namedropped.Sam mentions Pippa's baby(although still no name)and Christopher as well.

Leah's "That's not funny" when Vinnie makes an inappropriate joke was great, as was Vinnie saying he pranged Sally's car and she's never noticed.Another great Vinnie/Gypsy scene and the subtle moment where Joel finds Harry covering the graffiti and concludes they both care about Gypsy.Nice that it was something as simple as that that made Gypsy feel good about herself again.

Will seemed a bit manic, with a permanent grin on his face for much of the episode as if he'd just taken something.Irene putting Dani in her place was long overdue.

Leah's stance over Gavin and Shauna was hard to argue with morally but she still came across as a bit of a prig.Sally's handling of it was far more reasonable.Didn't appreciate Shauna dropping Vinnie in it to prove a point either.Guess this was in the days before caller ID if Gavin didn't know it was Alicia calling him.

So, the conclusion of the Gavin and Shauna storyline, pretty much the only dangling plot thread aside from Leah's needlestick injury(which drags on into 2001)and a few relationship dramas:

The quasi-affair is pretty much an open secret and Gavin gives Duncan a message for Shauna warning her that Alicia has his mobile.However, Duncan throws it away in disgust resulting in Shauna ringing the mobile and Alicia finding out what's going on.Alicia and Shauna argue on the clifftop, witnessed by Duncan and his friends, and shortly after Alicia goes missing.A search finds her lying dead at the bottom of the cliff.Both Gavin and Shauna are suspected of murdering her but Duncan eventually admits the truth:He argued with her about Alicia and as she turned to go she lost her footing and fell.The case is closed but the fact Gavin and Shauna both suspected each other of being responsible creates a rift between them.

Then the landslide happens:Gavin's with the SES clearing up after the storm and Shauna goes to the Stewart house to get Ailsa, Duncan and Jade out of there.The landslide hits before they can leave, burying the house with all four inside.Rescue teams work hard to dig them out before the house collapses completely and Joel is added to the casualty list when a wall falls on him during the rescue.Getting the injured to safety, no-one notices that Gavin, the last man out, has got his foot caught in the floorboards.Before anyone can go back or he can free himself, a pylon falls on the house, causing an explosion which destroys it completely.

So Shauna's left feeling guilty that they never made their peace and he effectively died rescuing her, while Tricia loses both her parents in unrelated circumstances within just a few weeks and is apparently left with Alicia's parents and quite possibly brought up to hate him for getting her mother killed, which is fairly depressing.And yet another Who Died cliffhanger turns out to be the only non-regular present.

[Jamie2811]

So that's it for the reruns then

Wasn't expecting to see Sam in today's episodes. Thought he came back later than this. When did Pippa have another baby? I guess that's the moment Harry and Gypsy get together. I hope these episodes return at some point, recorded all in last few weeks and would be nice if I could continue the collection.

[*~Abi~*]

Finally joined this forum seeing as I read it a lot I thought I might as well get involved. Always enjoy your comments RedRanger.

I am very disappointed channel 5 are stopping these repeats I actually prefer these to the current episodes. Was nice while they lasted though, only saw a few when they aired in 2007 because of college at the time. Was looking forward to seeing the rest of 2000 and going beyond where they were left at Christmas 2007.

That's exactly how I felt shame they finished