DREAM - SEQUENCES

[Daniel Freeman]

I've read something somewhere on Digital Spy ( ) that a certain person thought that 'dreams' or 'fantasy sequences' are unheard of in UK soaps and belong to US TV! Because they are 'trashy'!
Well Emmerdale have done it - that fantasy sequence with Steph Stokes was quite dramatic when she 'thought' her dead brother had come back to kill her!
Vera Duckworth came back to take Jack on that bus!
Tricia came back to see Marlon on that bench when she'd died!
None were trashy as far as I can see.
Crossroads did far more than that!  'Trashy' or not - I thought they were great!

Sheila Harvey: Before she gave birth (with Meg at the Helm!) she had a couple of flashbacks to Roy in bed!!
Isaac Harvey: On his 'death bed' he talked to Stan about his beloved (Sepia-style scenes at a train station - based on 'that' film!!)
Sandy Richardson flash-backed to Kay Foster a couple of times (with music - the jolly-sad theme)
Benny reminisced about Maureen (complete with HIS theme and scenes of them ......hmmm ok maybe that was bad - but I liked it!)
'Summer of my Life' was played for weeks - and finally used in a finale to Bob Powell and Eileeen Blythes story - complete with flashbacks to their happy times.....as was "More Than In Love" - it was used for weeks....but in the final episode  when Kate Loring left adam - he played the tape of her song!  We then got a montage of  all their 'best bits' and got the full song to play us out.
I don't think that 'dream sequences' are out of place at all in a soap. (within reason)
Maybe series 3 was slightly wrong at the end?

[Mike of CAS]

EastEnders did one in about 1997 which was BEFORE the usual opening map credits, as far as I can remember it was a dream with kathy and pat in jail and pat was a warden and kathy a prisoner.

[Hampstead]

Also Meg had the dream just before her wedding to Hugh,that they were both at this dance,he in Top Hat & Tails,and She in a White Ballgown,but quite what it meant I really can't remember,unless Jean has any info on it.

[Douggie]

Hollyoaks and Night and Day have done a fair few fantasy sequences as well.

After Den was killed, for the second time in EastEnders, I'm sure there was a scene where Chrissy had a nightmare about it and the camera was floating through the pub in her dream with the audio from the scene where they killed him.

[Lucky]

Fantasy/dream sequences are very different from flashback montages. Flashbacks can show a character remembering past events that are relevant to the storyline therefore are relevant and often emotional, being often used when characters die or depart.

The writer on Digital Spy may be referring to the common usage of fantasy sequences where characters frequently meet their dead relatives or partners and talk to them for multiple episodes at a time. They often visit to reveal information or point them in the right direction and its often not done in a subtle way. Sometimes they even bring them gifts which they have still got the next day or whatever as evidence of their visit.

For example when Days of Our Lives did their serial killer storyline, characters frequently made otherwordly visits, sometimes through mediums, to keep the storyline going however it was later revealed that despite the horrific injuries of many of the victims who had all been buried, they were all OK and living on an island in a duplicate of their original homes. So if these characters had been mauled or had their throats cut and bled to death, how did they reappear with no scars or injuries and how did they communicate through mediums or make otherworldly visits in the interim period when they weren't really 'dead'

I think that's a good example of the trashy nature of daytime American soaps and provides the contrast between whats acceptable in them as oposed to UK/Aussie soaps which may use flashbacks and fantasy occasionally but which are firmly grounded in 'reality'.

[Daniel Freeman]

I see what you mean Lucky.  'Flashbacks' are quite important sometimes as well....to either recall an important event, or indeed to create a sad atmosphere in a characters death etc.
Crossroads III went a bit too far sometimes, but I still found them fun - I remember the dance classes in a dull dowdy village hall....suddenly the Mirror-Ball appeared from nowhere and it was like watching Strictly Come Dancing!!
Whereas - the penultimate story - where Kate and Angel were remembering back to the 70's....it seemed more natural - and I enjoyed that week's story! It was a bit creepy - and I never understood why Kate played a double-role, nor why her portrait was on the wall of that huge house? Maybe it was to be mentioned later in the series....never to be?!

[Lucky]

I only watched the first episode of the third series and was apalled by its lack of 'Crossroads-ness' and didn't watch the rest! I had visions of it lasting for years and me feeling compelled to watch it because it was Crossroads so put a stop to my habit before it started. If I'd known it would only last a few months I think I would have stuck with it, I'd definately watch it on a repeat screening now.

[oorshughie]

Not a dream or flashback but when Kath found an old letter from Arthur in 83 it was actor Peter Hill reading out the letter.

[Daniel Freeman]

I seem to remember when Amy fell ill - and people were trying to find out what caused it - Mrs Witton recalled seeing a guests suitcase fall open in his chalet - we had the echoe -effect of Rita's voice, and flashbacks to the open case, whilst Rita's echoey voice said something like 'It was full of cultures...weird specimens or something!'  Weird!!
It turned out that the guest was a collector of rare wild mushrooms! And Amy had Malaria. 

[oorshughie]

There was the "flashback" scene of Alison Cotterill's Mother,I think with the same actress playing the part or was it just a photo?

[Daniel Freeman]

There was the "flashback" scene of Alison Cotterill's Mother,I think with the same actress playing the part or was it just a photo?

YES! How could I forget that one - I had it on video for years!
It was a Christmas Day episode (shown on Tyne Tees at around 2.15pm) Reg Cotterill was feeling sorry for himself - and he unwrapped his present from Alison whilst he was alone in the cottage. It was a portrait of her mother - cue sad flutey music, close-up on the picture, which then blended into a real-life person....which was Alisons mum (very impressive - no CGI in those days!) Suddenly we were back in the 1950's - and Reg Cotterill was clean-shaven and Alison's mother (forgotten her name) acted well as a tart and basically told Reg where to go. The same actress played both parts (forgotten her name GRRR!) I remember her saying to reg something like - "Yes Reg....I love him more (his brother)...we had long nights out, cool wine....and LOVEMAKING!"  He gave her a good slap which went into a good ECHOEY special effect in slow-motion - and he woke up, and dropped the picture on the floor.

[oorshughie]

 arina Wyeth played Alison,Dallas did something similar with a flashback to Digger killing his wife Rebecca's lover,Victoria Principal

played the young Rebecca.

[Aston Cross]

There's a particularly dodgy dream sequence in Episode 400 of Emergency - Ward 10.  Dr O'Meara has recently returned from Africa to the Oxbridge and he has a nap in one of the cubicles.  He dreams about how everyone's so glad to have him back.  However, we hear all this talking, but nobody's moving their mouths.  A similar device was used in The Professionals in the episode "Discovered in a Graveyard".