Christmas in the late 80's was interesting...
Christmas '85 - we have a bombscare and Mickey Doyle, Nicola's hunky, squaddie brother turns up (Gabrielle looks gorgeous in the clip I've seen and has an air of confidence about her). Of course, oirginally, Mickey wasn't going to say "Hello, Carrots!" he was going to say "Hello, Knickers" (his childhood name for his sister!) (see "Open The Box - Enter Mickey Doyle" Channel 4 Documentary). Also, there's a leaving party for Pat Reddington (Rosemary Smith) and 2 rather dodgy Aussies turn up... it won't be long before they kidnap Joanne Freeman! (Christmas '85 sounds like lots of fun! LOL!
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Christmas '86 - Mickey has left after being "taken to task" one last time by Nicola (according to the TV Times). Nicola is in financial difficulties, MIH are "up to something behind her back" (again, according to TV Times), Tommy Lancaster has already made his first few appearances, underlining his interest in buying the troubled Motel, Nicola is under siege both professionally and personally. Tired and exhausted and trying to cope with a staff shortage in the middle of the festivce season and Diane has "become a prisoner in her own home" (Thank God for the TV Times!). She's ill (again, underlining that Diane's health is becoming precarious) & Benny is looking after her (according to the TV Times, he's "Standing guard at Yeoman's Cottage"). Charles Mycroft, Fiona Harding and Tommy Lancaster all become regulars by New Year week, but the interesting thing about the cast for Christmas '86, is that only 12 characters carry the series for 3 episodes!
Christmas '87 - Lisa Lancaster returns home with her latest lover, Giorgio, in tow. Debbie has found out that she's pregnant and that Dave's ("Deadly" Dave Gould) the father. Much onscreen time (but not enough from memory) is devoted to Debbie's struggle to come to terms with her decision to have an abortion and trying to keep this from her father! (who's recently been done for drink driving and is slowly sinking in to a miserable, grief fuelled depression following the death of his wife Mary in July/Aug '87). Tara and Adam's affair is in full swing (Adam having moved in to his new flat a few months before). Mrs Tardebigge's husband Ron makes his one and only appearance when she goes to visit him in hospital. I must admit to wanting to see these episodes again, as there was much that was good in them.
It's been posted before, but here's a compilation from Christmas '87 (with the '85 piano theme replacing the awful Crossroads, King's Oak theme music), focussing mainly on the Lancaster's (unfortunately, Beverly Grice sings in the background, but all the scenes with the Lancaster's are really well-written and the acting of Terence Rigby, Kathryn Hurlbutt and Alison Dowling is 1st class making the scenes totally believable and engrossing imho). obviously, it was a treat for me when I first watched this You Tube clip, because other than Nicola Freeman, the Lancaster's are my favourite Crossroads characters from the late 80's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh6zVt5Ilfc
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