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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Victoria Johns

Brookside is back in business with classic episodes of the soap soon available to stream

Fans of scouse soap opera Brookside can now get their fill of Sinbad, Jimmy Corkhill and Beth Jordache as classic episodes of the show are being made available to watch via streaming service BritBox.

An exciting announcement has revealed that subscribers can fill their boots with select shows of the classic Channel 4 soap, which will be added to its SoapBox section of service in July.

Soap fans can also take a stroll down memory lane with classic episodes of Midlands motel-based Crossroads and Scottish drama Take The High Road, both available to stream via the service.

Brookside fan Lee Brady, who successfully managed to win a campaign to get a DVD boxset of the soap’s greatest hits, launched a new petition last year in the hope of getting more episodes released on DVD, or via streaming services.

And it seems like his prayers have been answered as the cult classic is finally coming back to our screens.

The much-loved soap ran for 21 years from 1982 to 2003, drawing in nine million viewers at the height of its popularity - a record for Channel 4.

From the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss and incest to a harrowing domestic abuse storyline that ended in murder, the series by Grange Hill boss, Brookside director Phil Redmond, didn't shy away from breaking television taboos.

Brookside aired several groundbreaking storylines (Channel 4)

With her trailblazing storylines, actress Anna Friel became a household name after playing Beth Jordache in the soap from 1993-1995.

Medical student Beth was involved in two of Brookside's biggest plots during the early 1990s, including sexual abuse and a lesbian kiss between her and her close friend Margaret.

The watershed scene was broadcast around the world and even included in the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

For Anna though, she felt the taboo moment had far-reaching implications for her early career.

Window cleaner Sinbad was one of the show's most popular characters (Channel 4)

She said: "For a very long time I was defined by that kiss. And I didn't want to be. I spent years turning down other lesbian roles because it felt like going back to Beth.

"[But it] did also make me want to take on parts that showed extreme sides of women."

Since leaving Brookside, the actress has gone on to forge a hugely successful A-list career

She moved to Hollywood where she appeared in hit films including Rogue Trader and Limitless and the massively successful TV series Pushing Daisies.

The show also featured a young Jennifer Ellison, who played troubled teen Emily Shadwick.

Jennifer, now 37, initially went on to find big screen fame playing Meg Giry in the film version of Phantom of the Opera in 2004.

Brookside made musical theatre actress Jennifer Ellison a household name (Instagram)

She also dabbled with reality television, winning Hell's Kitchen and competing in the 2012 series of Dancing on Ice.

Musical theatre actress Claire Sweeney also made her name on the show playing loveable rogue Jimmy Corkhill's long-suffering daughter Lindsey.

Claire went onto play Roxy Hart in London's West End production of hit musical Chicago as well as starring alongside Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze in Guys and Dolls.

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