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Hollyoaks at 30: Retrospectives Revisit Chaotic 1995 Debut and the Soap’s Evolution

Critics use the pilot’s teen‑styled spectacle to chart how the series grew into a tougher, issue‑led mainstay still on E4 and Channel 4.

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Overview

  • Hollyoaks first aired on October 23, 1995, launching a youth‑focused soap set in a fictional suburb of Chester.
  • The debut centers on a car crash, a 17th birthday party and a cheating boyfriend, laying out the show’s early teen melodrama.
  • Reviewers highlight an extended, music‑video‑style opener featuring a burning car that explodes, giving the episode a slapstick tone.
  • The episode introduces Kurt Benson (Jeremy Edwards), Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard), Jambo (Will Mellor) and Louise Taylor (Brett O'Brien).
  • Coverage contrasts the 1990s fashion and lack of mobile phones with the programme’s later reputation for harder‑hitting storylines, noting it still airs Monday–Wednesday on E4 at 7pm with Channel 4 first looks from 7am.