Season Seventeen Episode Guide

The storylines:

A new family arrives on the Close – Michael, Caroline and Jessica Choi. Soon, it looks as if Michael wants Alison, while Sinbad wants Caroline, and Jessica just wants to play with Katie. Meanwhile, Billy wants Sheila, but Doreen wants Billy. Mona marries Gerald; Terry marries Sue, but Kirsty dumps Rod. Jonathan risks losing Cheryl, Tracy wins a competition, and Harry loses a grave. Chrissy, Paul and Gordon all find new outlets for their talents, but there are setbacks for Growler and Sammy; and someone Annabelle has recently sentenced now wants something more from her…

The dates:

It is Easter Sunday in episode 672, Spring in episode 673, Wednesday in episodes 677 and 704, Monday in episodes 692 and 703, and Sunday / June / Father’s Day in episode 696. The car crash seen in episode 675 was on Saturday (676), and the auction seen in episode 679 takes place on Wednesday (678) / 19th April 1989, starting at 2.00pm (679). In episode 672, Mona recalls meeting Brian Lawrence on Christmas Day – that meeting was seen in episode 643. In episode 682, the war ended 44 years ago. Based on references to Rod’s birthday in episode 688, it is Saturday in episode 689. In episode 691, Anthony’s wall-calendar shows May 1989. Episode 699 coincides with Wimbledon, which Alison is missing! The trip to Blackpool, seen in episode 689, was six weeks ago in episode 702. It is Summer, and Saturday 5th August, in episode 708, as Sheila is seen setting off on the holiday to Ireland she says is meant to start on that date in episode 704, and Terry and Sue are married, having set the wedding for that date in episode 686.

Name-checks:

Verdi (671); “The Flame Trees Of Thika” (674); Caesar Augustus (675); Solomon (675); [Mike] Tyson (676); Clare Rayner (680); Mountbatten (682); Napoleon (683); Marie Antoinette (683); Tony Hately, Mark Hately, footballers (684); John Aldrich and Kenny Dalglish, footballers (686); “Carly Milogue”, as Billy calls her (686); Maradonna (687); Vincent Price (687); Dangermouse (687); Arnold Schwartzenegger (688); Asa Hartford and Gary Mabbutt, afflicted footballers (688); Alan Hansen, footballer (689); Jimmy Hill (689); Hitler (689); Mussolini (689); Hirohito (689); Nikki Lauda (694); Ayrton Senna (694); Dustin Hoffman (694); Mills & Boon (694); [Frank] Bruno (695); Lord Denning (700); Brahms (700); Denis [Thatcher] (701); “Mastermind” (704); and the Queen (707).

Locations:

All of the action is set in Liverpool, except that in episode 689 there are several of scenes of Rod, Tommo, Kirsty and Emma in Blackpool, and of their coach journeys there and back with other PCs and WPCs; in episode 692 there are several scenes of Tracy and Anthony indoors at a hairdressing competition in Wembley, London (not necessarily recorded in London); and episode 699 features one scene outside, and several inside, the Manchester flat to which Cheryl has moved and at which Jonathan has tracked her down (again, not necessarily recorded in Manchester).

Births:

None. Sue’s baby is due on 3rd September (671). It is Annabelle’s birthday soon (678, 680), and she celebrates it in episode 688. It is Rod’s 21st birthday on Saturday (688), and he celebrates it somewhat misguidedly in episode 689. Jessica Choi’s birthday is next week in episode 697, and is celebrated in episode 698. It is Doreen’s birthday in episode 706, when she claims that she was 41 before realising running away wasn’t the answer. Harry is 70 in episode 697, it is his birthday in episode 707, and in episode 708 he is 71 and 3 days – which would mean that he was born on 2nd August 1918. Annabelle says that she gave birth in 1964, but doesn’t specify which child it was (703). It is also mentioned that Bobby was 52 yesterday (673); Kevin is 37 (677); Tim is six months old (696); and Hattie was 8 (697) in March (698).

Marriages:

Two. Two weeks away in episode 672, the wedding of Gerald Mainwaring Fallon and Mona Winifred Harvey takes place in episode 677; and, booked for 8 am on 5th August, a bank holiday, in episode 686, which is nine weeks away in episode 690, the wedding of Terry Sullivan and Sue Harper takes place in episode 708, a Saturday (707). We are also told that Edna and Harry were married for 45 years (697), Margaret and Tony have been married for 20 years (704), and it is two years since Jonathan and Laura’s wedding (707). It is Billy’s 22nd wedding anniversary in episode 677, and in episode 708 Mick says his wedding was “one too many”. In episode 703, the wedding of Rod and Kirsty was meant to have taken place “last Saturday” – and might well have done, but for some unfortunate occurrences beforehand! .

Deaths:

Four. In episode 675, two car drivers die following a road accident attended by Rod – although one of them, Victor, has time for a very long conversation with Rod first. Mrs Edwards’ husband, Arthur, has died in his bed, holding his cocoa and the Echo, in episode 677; and the woman who suffers a heart attack in the supermarket car park in episode 693 cannot be saved even though a doctor (Michael) and a horrible car rug (Alison’s) are both nearby – she dies in intensive care. The following unseen and never-seen characters who are no longer alive are also mentioned: Mona’s late husband, Gordon’s grandfather, Jack (672, 677); Kath’s mum, who died at the age of 56 (673); Lee Burgess’s father (673); Sheila’s mother and father (673); Karen Davies’s dad, who died 18 months ago (681); Michael’s wife Mei Lin (685, 686, 693, 696, 699), who died 6 months ago (683) / 8 months ago (698), in November (685); Caroline and Michael’s mother (685); old Mrs Chen’s husband, who died last year (687); and Keith’s lover Alistair’s father (702). According to her gravestone, Edna died on 3rd September 1985 (707).

Toilet visits:

Jonathan (670); Nisha (684); Chrissy (685); Sue (690 and 699); Tracy (692); Sammy (695); Sheila (708) and an unnamed female wedding guest (708). It’s worth noting also that Sinbad is seen stepping in dog muck, becoming the first character to do so (maybe in ANY soap!) in episode 695.

Characters mentioned, so far unseen, but who will be appearing later:

Len/Lenny, Frank’s mate (684, 685); Dr Holmes, Michael’s partner at the practice (689); Terry’s late mother, who used to say it was lucky for a bird to plop on you (690); and Judith, who works for Keith (706).

Gone but not forgotten – seen previously and still mentioned occasionally, but not reappearing in this season:

[Peter] Hume (670); Gerrard Holt (670, 674, 675, 691); Martin (670, 686, 695); Bobby (672, 673, 678, 684, 688, 691, 703, 705, 708); Teddy (672, 677, 680, 681); Mo (672); Teresa (672, 676); Lucy (672, 677, 701, 705); Brian Lawrence (672, 673, 678, 679, 680, 685); Karen (674); Laura (674, 681, 690, 693, 694, 698, 699, 700, 707); Damon (676, 684, 691, 697, 703); George Williams (676); Christopher (680, 702, 704, 705); Sonia (680); Lou (683); Tom Osbourne (685); The Magic Rabbits (687); Katie and Sammy’s grandad (696); Edna (696, 698, 700, 701, 702, 707, 708); Simon [McGrath] (697); Jamie (702, 706); Tony [Jefferson] (704); Linda (706); and Eileen (707).

And those that are also mentioned, but are destined to remain unseen forever:

Danny, Ray’s brother-in-law, and his wife Maureen, Ray’s sister (670); Terry’s Auntie Mary and their Steve (671); Mrs Green, in Mona’s home, and her daughter (672); Kathy’s sister Jen (672, 673, 675) and nine other siblings (673); Benson, a re-offending thief (673); Mr Pearson, involved in his case (673); Lynette’s mum (673); Sister Patricia from Kathy’s convent (673); Andrea, Sean’s ex-girlfriend (673); Dave, Kathy’s ex-husband (673); Brian Lawrence’s wife (673); Imogen’s father (674); Janice, a mate of Kirsty, and her brother, who designed Kirsty’s invites (676); Tina Carroll, hairdresser (676); Philip, Claire’s friend (678); Old Appleton, teacher of French (678); Miss Murray, teacher of another subject (678); Derek’s four grown-up children and nine grandchildren (679); Tommy H, who is covering for Frank (679); Botterill, Growler’s primary teacher (680); Mary Fletcher, who has a brace (680); Mr Moss, Karen’s manager (681); Brian, who got Frank a bike (684); Frankie Morgan, his mum, dad and family, known by Pete (684); Gazza Campbell, Janet Morrison and the dreaded Gail, mates of Pete and Owen (684); “Poxy Lisa”, not Pete’s sister (684); Caroline’s uncle, who exports jewellery (686, 693), and his former employee, John Chung (693, 696); Old Mrs Chen, a patient of Michael (687, 689); Mr Webb, who rings regarding the Tranmere trials (688); Sandra, a WPC who isn’t on the coach (689); Mr Bryant, Melanie’s teacher (690); Judith and Tina, models (691); Kirsty’s Auntie Pat and Uncle Joe (691); old Annie in the staff dining room (691); Rod’s Auntie Kathleen (691); Sally, hairdresser (691); Mrs Wallace, salon customer (691); Coral’s dad and mum (692); Jill, salon employee (692); Jimmy Clare, psycho footballer (692); Mr Hall, estate agent (693); Roger, a client of Jonathan (693); Hobbs, science teacher (694); Sinbad’s auntie Mary (695, 696); Michael’s grandmother, who lives in Hong Kong (695); Alison’s brother (697); Rob, Hattie’s father (697); Margaret, Alison’s child-minder (697); Ali/Alistair, who is ten years older than Keith, his lover for nearly 8 years (702); Peter, another man Doreen has been seeing (704, 708); and the Dubois (704).

Goofs:

Paul uses his own unique pronunciation of “Sonia” – to rhyme with “begonia” – again in episode 680.

Nisha misses out the word “ago” in episode 683: “Seeing as the French Revolution happened almost 200 years to the day”.

When Caroline says “The headline’s at seven” in episode 689, she probably means “deadline”.

Cheryl misses out the letter “G” while listing the other letters of the alphabet as far as “J” in episode 692.

Sinbad refers in episode 699 to a “mutant teenage”, rather than a “teenage mutant”, ninja turtle.

Perhaps Tommo has been renamed by episode 705, in which Sergeant Appleby is the second character who refers to him as Thomson instead of Tomlinson.

In episode 707, Edna’s gravestone has different wording from that seen on several previous occasions, no longer stating her date of birth.

Trivia:

The Chois move to the Close using Pickford’s (682). Michael’s Chinese name is Choi Wing Foo (699). His medical practice is in Lennox Avenue (682), His father has used the name “Stephen” for 30 years (699). Sinbad claims, conveniently rather than accurately, that his mother’s name was Caroline (694). Tracy, who is right-handed (702), now works for High Style, Liverpool (692). Sheila shops at Asda (671). Sean is Kathy’s eldest son (671). She is one of eleven children (673). Josh, the policeman Emma speaks to on the radio, is at least 50 (688).

Paul, whose telephone number is 259 9921 (707), was a Captain in the army (689). Maurice was a Corporal in the Lancashire Fusiliers (686), and Tommy was an Able Seaman on the HMS Ajax (687, 688). Teddy misses his mother’s wedding because he is in Dubai for a month (672). Gerald was jilted once, in 1932 (677). Gordon’s grandfather once had a little fling, according to Mona (672). Annabelle, who shops at John Lewis’ (701), sentences Lee Burgess to four months for the violent incident that occurred after he left the “King’s Head” pub (673). Her dressmaker, Dorothy is left-handed; Gordon is right-handed, and his new boss Keith is left-handed (702). Louise lives at Chadwick House (706).

Jonathan’s clients include the “Pritchard thing” (670) and the Phillipson account, offered to Jonathan and Sarah by Simon (670) – probably because he knows, as they later discover (674), that Phillipson is being taken over by Villiers, who have their own legal team. Derek Reece has worked for the company that are now dismissing him for 19 years (678) / 20 years in August (679). Peter McMahon has 200 employees, and a moral MD holding 6% of the shares (678). Coral’s previous employers are Mallam & Reid (692). The address Cheryl moves to is Flat A, 15 Barton Road, Manchester (697).

Harry is right-handed (702). Growler’s IQ is 115 (684). When he has set off for “Mike’s Bikes” near the “Robin Hood” with his new bike, Frank hurriedly checks with his supplier, Brian, that that isn’t where it came from! (684). Terry is advised to consider working for Dawson’s Limos (670, 671) – and later does (677). The artists featured on the records Sheila gives to Chrissy for her white elephant sale include the Lollipops, Duke Ellington, Russ Conway and Tony Bennett (691).

The auctioneers in episode 679, selling the house formerly owned by the Grants for £43,000, are Edward Jackson, Church Street, Ormskirk. They are working on behalf of Assurance Trust, 46-48 Kennedy Road, Liverpool, telephone 259 9180, on whose “For Sale” sign the date and time of the auction have been added. The previous buyer [Tom Osbourne] has gone bankrupt (676).

“Blink-and-you-miss it” moment:

One of the funniest moments in twenty-one years of “Brookside” occurs in episode 688, in which Jimmy and Sinbad are delivering a new mattress for Billy. When Sinbad points out, with little time to spare, that they are approaching a red light, Jimmy brakes suddenly, and Sinbad accidentally lets go of the string which is holding the mattress on the roof. It flies off onto the other side of the road, where it is immediately driven over by a lorry coming the other way.

The end-of-season cliffhanger:

Doreen realises that, despite all her efforts to persuade him otherwise, Billy has decided to join Sheila on her holiday to Ireland. She begins to put away in the wardrobe some of the clothes he has left on the bed, no doubt considering what to do next…